Chapter 11

Posted: March 22, 2007 - 12:22:05 am?

John Riley was very impressed with Colonel Nuñez and the Tiger Battalion. The battalion was well armed, well disciplined and well trained. It was a self contained, three-hundred man force that rivaled any unit he'd ever been associated with. There were no women in the Tiger Battalion, because Nuñez did not want the distractions he felt were inherent in a mixed unit.

The battalion traveled in a convoy of fifty or so vehicles, most of which were old style US two and a half ton trucks. Fifteen trucks carried troops, while the rest carried supplies and equipment. Every man in the battalion was a fighter, but each had an additional duty that provided the function of support troops. Thus, cooks, mechanics, medics and maintenance personnel came out of the ranks while the unit was in garrison. Colonel Nuñez ran a tight ship, enforcing discipline and providing strong leadership. Major Pasada, an organizational genius, was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the unit in garrison.

Riley formed these favorable impressions on the convoy to Purificación and the setting of the battalion's bivouac. The bivouac was set up in a large grassy meadow that Major Pasada and an advanced party had scouted out. The meadow was approximately two miles outside of town.

Riley, his men and the two DEA agents, were ensconced in a US Army surplus general-purpose medium tent by five that evening. Major Pasada dropped off a case of MREs (meals ready to eat) for supper. One of the ex-special operations soldiers commented that, except for the language spoken, he felt as if he was with an American unit. One of the DEA agents had an answer for that.

"From what I gather, the CIA and Colombian DAS are responsible for equipping and training these guys. They are like counter-insurgent bounty hunters. They get paid according to the results they achieve, while both governments deny any involvement with them."

Riley nodded, for that explained a lot. Guzman was a very clever man, in that he was collecting money from the DEA and Consolidated Minerals and Metals, for the Tiger Battalion to do a job the CIA was already paying them to do. No wonder Colonel Nuñez was fat; he had to be eating pretty well, what with everyone giving him money.

At dawn the next morning, Nuñez 's troops encircled the town, and established roadblocks on every road leading out of it. When the town started to bustle to life at seven, Nuñez and one company of his troops rolled into the central square of Purificación, like Patton entering Paris. From the central square, his troops fanned out and started patrolling the streets. Nuñez went directly to the police station with a squad of soldiers, presented his credentials, and announced the town was under martial law.

El Chico received the news of the occupation of the town almost as soon as it happened. Unfortunately, his source of information misidentified the occupiers as Guardia Nacional. Based on past experience with the Guardia, and the ongoing negotiations with the Colombian Government, El Chico was unconcerned. He ordered his units to stay in their camps until the military left the area. El Chico made a grave tactical error, based on bad information.

Colonel Nuñez had Riley, his men and the DEA agents escorted into town, and set them up in the same hotel Gabe and Selena had just departed. Nuñez didn't want civilians in his war fighting camp, regardless of their qualifications. The less outsiders knew about his operations and tactics, the better Nuñez liked it. The inn keeping staff was much less pleased with the demanding Norteamericanos than they had been with the loving, albeit noisy, newlyweds.

Numerous members of various units of the 21st Front were caught in Purificación by Colonel Nuñez 's sudden entrance into the town. Most of them slipped away over the next two days, but a few were caught by patrols or detained, trying to bluff their way through the roadblocks. The captured insurgents were taken to the camp for questioning. One of the reasons Colonel Nuñez wanted the Norteamericanos out of his camp was because of his interrogation techniques. He didn't want them getting squeamish, hearing the screams of the tortured men and women. It only took a few hours before Nuñez had the locations of three of the Front's subunit camps. Unfortunately, none of the captured soldiers were from El Chico's headquarters.

Nuñez met with his company commanders at the end of their second full day in Purificación, to discuss what had been learned from the captives, and to plan a campaign based on that information. As in most military operations, the first order of business was reconnaissance of the camps. Each of the three companies had a squad of scout/trackers; men who grew up in the jungles and could move like a shadow through them. These soldiers would conduct the initial reconnaissance, and then escort their commanders on a leader's recon.

Gabe and Selena used the newlywed routine in Prado, the same as they had in Purificación. Heck, it worked and it was lots of fun, so why not? The Colombians were a romantic people at heart, so seeing a couple so obviously in love made everyone they met happy. Gabe and Selena also did the sightseeing bit in Prado, and were pleased that the town was much nicer and more culturally native than Purificación. Gabe loved the town and the area around it.

Gabe could feel in his bones that he was closing in on his children and their kidnappers. Selena learned a lot about the FARC in the area, and the story was unlike any she'd heard before.

"Gabe, these people have much respect for the local FARC contingent. They tell me the commander, a woman called Comendadora Zorra, actually protects the people here, instead of exploiting them. Any money or goods they give her are volunteered, not extorted. I have never heard of a FARC unit that is respected instead of feared."

Gabe nodded his understanding. He knew from the weekly calls he made to Alexandra, that Pete and his sisters were being treated well. As a matter of fact, in his last call, Pete had made a point of having the negotiator call Alexandra, so she could "tell Dad we are not being mistreated." It was an odd message that Gabe was still trying to decrypt.

By the third day in Prado, Gabe had a good idea of the general location of the camp of this Commander Zorra. No one exactly told Selena or him where it was located, but everyone seemed to have a reason for them not to visit a certain mountain that lay about six miles east of the village. Gabe and Selena talked it over, and decided that they would sneak a peek at the mystery mountain, using a three-day hiking and camping trip as a cover story.

On their fourth day in town, Gabe and Selena drove about three miles out of town, heading North until they found a place to cache his weapons, explosives, ammunition and equipment. Gabe had assembled quite an arsenal from the FARC soldiers he'd dealt with. He had hung on to a couple folding stock AKs and all the loaded magazines the soldiers had carried.

After caching the gear, he and Selena went to the town's small sporting goods store, and outfitted themselves for camping. The store was well stocked, as it often outfitted the ecotourists who came to kayak down the rapids of the Magdalena River. Gabe bought them sleeping bags and pads, medium sized frameless backpacks, freeze-dried food and a collapsible two-person tent. While Gabe stocked up on camping supplies, Selena bought a pair of hiking boots, and found some camo pants and t-shirts in the boys' section that fit her small frame. Selena negotiated their purchases and Gabe paid for the gear in US dollars, for a sizeable discount.

They packed up the backpacks that evening then went for a romantic dinner at a nice restaurant. After dinner, the couple took their usual walk around the town's central plaza. Selena liked walking with Gabe's arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist. Gabe guided her to a small park bench, sat down and pulled her into his lap. When she was snuggled comfortably against him, he told her what was on his mind.

"I love you, Selena," he said, "and I want to marry you for real, not just pretend like we've been doing."

Selena leaned back so she could look at his face. Her eyes seemed huge in the moonlight, as she gazed at him.

"I am already your woman, Gabriel. I made that decision before we slept together. I would be honored to be your wife, but marrying me would be troublesome for you. What would your friends and family say when you brought home a poor little mestizo? Your children would think me a gold digging harlot or worse."

Gabe couldn't help laughing as he hugged her tight.

"Honey, I am a retired soldier, and I work in construction, so no one will think you married me for my money. My friends and family will love you because you make me happy, and happy is something I seldom was before I met you. As for taking you home with me, we can visit the States if you'd like, but I want to live here, maybe even in this town if you agree."

Selena's eyes shone with unshed tears by the time he finished talking. She stroked his head and just looked at him for what seemed forever. Gabe was starting to worry that she had some other objection to marrying him. Instead, she sniffed and buried her head against his chest.

"Oh Gabriel, do I really make you happy? If I do, then yes, yes, I'll gladly be your wife, and I will spend the rest of my life keeping you happy."

Gabe was thrilled that she had accepted his proposal; his only regret was that he didn't have a ring for her to replace the one she still wore from her first marriage. She sat in his lap, hugging him tight for another few minutes, then disentangled herself and stood up. She grabbed Gabe's hand and with surprising strength, pulled him to his feet.

"Take me to our room, Gabriel, and make love with me so the night will be perfect."

Back in their little balconied room, they made love and talked well into the night. Their lovemaking took on a new dimension that night, as Selena gave up the last little bit of herself she'd been holding back. After their first session, Gabe commented on the difference.

"It feels like something has changed between us tonight. It's as though a barrier between us is gone now."

"I know we are going to be together forever now, my love; something I wasn't sure of before. Somehow that has changed something in me. I trust you enough to let myself go completely, and that's something I've never felt before. I will be a lady on your arm mi marido (my husband); I promise you that always, but I'm afraid you have created a wanton Jezebel in your bed."

Gabe was touched by her fierce sincerity. He held her trembling body, and they made love so sweet, they both were speechless with wonder. They fit so perfectly together that it scared them at times. Gabe could not for the life of him figure out how she understood him so well, and so quickly. It was as if she had moved right inside his head with him.

They were up early the next morning, both in great moods, despite only getting a few hours sleep. They slipped on their hiking uniform of jeans, boots and long sleeved shirts, grabbed their new backpacks and went to breakfast. After breakfast, Gabe went to the front desk and told the innkeeper their plan. Five minutes later, they were strolling down the road that led north out of town towards their cache. It had been exactly thirty-three days since the kidnapping.

On the thirty-third day, in the town of Purificación, El Tigre Gordo was preparing to launch a simultaneous attack on two targets. His captives had all affirmed that their units comprised almost half the FARC strength in the area. It was the most ambitious operation he had ever attempted, and could possibly be the most lucrative. According to the captured FARC insurgents, he was about to attack two small companies of thirty-six and forty-two soldiers, and possibly ambush one large guerilla (platoon) of twenty-five fighters. Under the current bounty system in place by Guzman, that meant as much as two hundred thousand dollars. El Chico was the real prize though, because the US government had indicted him on drug trafficking charges, and his capture was worth a cool million dollars.

Nuñez was disappointed that none of the FARC units he was about to attack were commanded by women, or had ranking women in them who spoke fluent English, nor had they participated in the attack on the air field. However, he was a pragmatic man, and he knew he'd find more answers as the operation unfolded.

Nuñez favored ambush as a tactic over any other, but in this instance, the situation did not lend itself to that course of action. Instead, he decided on coordinated early morning surprise attacks on the two larger units. The smaller unit was close enough to one of the larger groups that it might try to come to their comrades' aid, so he directed an ambush on the most likely route between the two camps. If the commander of the Guerilla did the correct thing and evacuated the area, Nuñez 's scouts would simply follow them to their alternate camp.

The plan was finalized, and his company commanders started moving their troops to the jump off point for the operation. The troops would sleep until late evening, then move to their attack position during the night. One group of men at each target would assault the camps, and hoped that surprise and firepower would drive the FARC soldiers out of the camp, and into the waiting arms of the rest of the Tiger Battalion troops acting as a blocking force. If the defenders repelled the first assault, the soldiers in waiting would attack them from the rear.

Surprisingly, Nuñez had designed the attacks to allow the FARC rebels every opportunity to surrender. He did this because the government paid twice as much for a live rebel they could try for treason than a dead one they had to bury. If the captured soldier was a woman, so much the better. Captured females were a welcomed reward for his men. After all, Nuñez only had to deliver them to the DAS alive; their condition on delivery was immaterial.

Nuñez stayed in the battalion command post and monitored his attacks on the radio. Although the fighting was fierce at one of the camps, the outcomes of both attacks were never in doubt. As a bonus, the commander of the isolated platoon sized unit charged pell-mell right into the ambush laid for him. The FARC rebels in one camp chose to fight instead of surrender, and only twelve of their number survived. The smaller of the two companies, however, surrendered as soon as they came up against the blocking force. As a result, thirty of them were captured, including the company commander and two other officers. The platoon that ran into the ambushed laid down their arms after a brief intense firefight that killed or wounded half their number. The Tiger Battalion suffered ten dead and fourteen wounded. Nuñez was saddened at losing so many men, but all in all, it was a small loss for such outstanding results.

Nuñez sent his reserve company in, driving all the battalion's trucks to pick up his soldiers, their prisoners and the dead and wounded from both sides. The wounded were taken to the hospital in Purificación, the wounded FARC soldiers under heavy guard. The dead insurgents were photographed and their identities established before they were turned over to two of the town's funeral homes. His own dead soldiers were delivered to the towns remaining funeral home, so their bodies could be prepared for return to their families. Nuñez had the absolute loyalty of his men because of acts like that. He was a cruel adversary, but he took care of his men.

The fifty-four uninjured prisoners were brought back to the camp and segregated by rank and sex. The battalion's soldiers were pleased that the prisoners included twenty women. The enlisted men were put into a razor wire enclosure under tight security, while the three captured officers were manacled and brought before Colonel Nuñez. Each company received six of the women, after the two best looking were delivered to the command group.

Colonel Nuñez immediately turned the three officers over to his best interrogators. By noon, he knew the exact location of El Chico and the other Purificación subunits. He also learned the unit, its commander's name, and general location of the kidnappers and airfield attackers. An hour later, his remaining company was on the road, racing towards El Chico's hideout, with Nuñez in his command jeep, leading the charge.

El Chico's hideout was a farmhouse seven miles outside of Purificación. El Chico actually owned the farm; he had purchased the land and built the house on it with money he'd skimmed from the drug dealings over the years. At one time, El Chico had been one of the FARC's top commanders, but now he was more concerned with personal gain than revolutionary glory. Only a wide spread circle of contacts within the drug cartels kept El Chico from outliving his usefulness. Like many of the old guard FARC cadre, El Chico thought himself invincible, consequently, his foolish bravado cost him his freedom, and the FARC most of its soldiers in eastern Tolima Province.

Nuñez and his gun jeeps ran right through El Chico's defenses, and stormed his house before the man could even think about escaping. With maps found in El Chico's basement, his soldiers fanned out and started rolling up the smaller guerilla cells and rounding up their support personnel.

While all the excitement was going on in Purificación, Gabe and Selena were carefully and cautiously exploring around the mysterious mountain they figured held the camp of Comendadora Zorra. Selena was amazed at the way her man moved in the thick jungle, as he seemed to glide along as silent as a mountain puma. She was half his size, yet felt clumsy and noisy compared to him. Even the birds seemed to take little notice of his passing, as even the noisy toucans and scarlet macaws ignored him.

Gabe found a small clearing in a jungle thicket for them to use as a camp for their first night. They ate unheated food and energy bars, then snuggled together in one sleeping bag. They found the well-used trail that led from the town of Prado up towards the camp, in the late afternoon of their second day. Gabe found them another clearing in a jungle thicket that looked down on the trail for an observation post. They made themselves a nest in the clearing and took turns watching the trail.

It was near dusk, and Selena was dozing with her head in Gabe's lap, when a man and a woman came walking up the trail. Gabe gently woke her, as the couple approached, talking excitedly. Although Gabe and Selena caught only snatches of the conversation, the two soldiers were talking about the news of the Tiger Battalion that they had picked up in Prado, while on their day off. The news was important enough to report to the Comendadora, so they cut short their overnight pass and headed home. Their excitement caused them to be less careful than usual.

Gabe whispered to Selena to stay put, as he rose and shadowed the pair, well out of their sight. He moved as quietly and quickly as possible, staying parallel to the pair, remaining about thirty meters inside the jungle. He kept his bearing relative to them by the sound of their voices. Gabe stopped when he heard the challenge of a third voice. He cautiously moved to the edge of the trail and peered out. The couple was back down the trail from him, as he had passed them when they stopped. From his vantage point, he could see the well conceal bunker, and the guard in it challenging them. The couple walked up the path another twenty yards, made a turn into the jungle across from him, and disappeared from view. If he didn't have the trained eyes of a sniper, he'd have never seen the second concealed bunker and guard. Gabe fixed the locations of both guards in his mind, before returning to Selena.

Gabe and Selena moved to a position that allowed them to watch the trail junction guarded by the concealed bunker. Gabe was impressed with the security that someone had created. It was a very effective way to guard what he thought was the main approach to the FARC camp, with a minimum of personnel. Gabe also thought there had to be at least one more guard position between the trail intersection and the camp. A defense in depth had to have at least three layers to be effective. Once again, the couple snuggled into one sleeping bag and drifted off to sleep.

Marta Cardenas was shocked and angry, when her two soldiers reported to her with the news from Purificación. If what her troops reported was true, her column was about the last viable military unit left in the 21st Front. It was a stunning turn of events if it were true. Tomorrow she would have to verify the rumors for herself by visiting Prado to hear the latest news. She thought for a minute about trying to contact El Chico either by radio or cell phone, but disregarded the idea as too dangerous. If the front was under attack on the scale her soldiers suggested, it could mean that their clandestine communications system had somehow been compromised.

She had much to think about as she walked down the tunnel leading to Peter Ballard's cell. So many good things had happened to her since she had kidnapped the young man, that bad news of this magnitude was greatly magnified. She needed to find some perspective and she instinctively knew that Peter could help her in her quest. She shook her head ruefully, as she felt her body come alive as each step brought her closer to him. Even horrible news could not quell the yearning she felt for him. The last two weeks had been a revelation and an education, as Peter had tipped her well-ordered universe on its side.

Peter had caused her to question all she believed before she met him, from her outlook on sex, to her political views. Peter helped her see what she had been realizing more and more on her own. Namely that the FARC was no longer about freeing the people and creating a state that actually treated all people as equal. Instead, it had become just another group trying to curry favor with the drug cartels for monetary gain. He was also helping her see more clearly the misguidedness of applying communism as a cure for social injustice. Marta was starting to see that the Marxist idea of collective ownership simply replaces the wealthy landowners with corrupt bureaucrats.

Marta now realized that financial and political clout, not military strength, was what her people needed. When she told Peter that changes on the scale her country needed seemed impossible to achieve, he reminded her that big tasks were often best accomplished by taking small bites out of the problem first. Why not try the ideas here in Prado first, he asked? If they worked here she could increase the sphere of her influence a little at a time. She told him it was a good idea, but money drives the train, and money was one thing they didn't have.

"Let me work on that," he said. "I might just have a few ideas."

Marta wasn't the only woman whose well-ordered universe had been turned on its side by Peter. As Darla Ballard lay naked, wrapped in the arms of her equally naked brother, she basked in the afterglow of yet another lovemaking session she had initiated. As she reflected on the past two weeks, she had to marvel at just how much her attitudes about sex had changed. Never in a million years would she have ever imagined actually enjoying sex, much less enjoying it with her own brother.

Darla reminisced about her first breeding session with Peter. She had felt such shame and embarrassment when Peter had mounted her that first time. To her way of thinking, it was a perverted act she was being forced to commit, and she'd just wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. She had no desire or expectation of finding pleasure in it, but from the moment he penetrated her with his long, thick shaft, she couldn't deny how wonderful it felt, and as he began to thrust within her, the pleasurable sensations only intensified.

After that first breeding session was over, her thoughts and feelings were in turmoil for the rest of the day. How could something she believed to be so perverted feel so wonderful? It didn't help matters, when yet another guerilla girl came to their cell that afternoon and spent a couple of hours copulating with Peter. She was unable to resist watching Peter as he first licked the girl to an orgasm, before mounting her. Darla had never engaged in oral sex, thinking it a nasty practice, but after seeing how much her sisters and these Colombian women enjoyed it, she began to reevaluate her attitude. After a couple more days of watching Peter as he pleasured more women, Darla came to a decision.

It was early in the morning, when Darla made her move on the still sleeping Peter. After stripping out of her conservative nightgown, she snuggled against Peter's body, her bare breasts pressed against his shoulder. When he failed to stir, she reached down with her hand and placed it over the bulge in his briefs, pleased to find that he had a morning erection. She gave his turgid shaft a firm squeeze, and smiled when Peter finally began to awaken.

"Wh..."

Peter's eyelids fluttered open. At first, he thought the hand squeezing his erection belonged to either Katherine or Stephanie, but when he turned to see a naked Darla gripping his organ, he gasped in surprise.

"Darla? Wh... What are you trying to do?" He whispered.

"I want to apologize for how I've been acting."

As she spoke, she slipped her hand beneath Peter's briefs and began fondling his penis. When his only response was a soft moan, she interpreted it as permission to continue. She released his penis long enough to pull down his underwear.

"I've never done this before, so please be patient with me, Petey," she whispered, just before slipping beneath the blanket, to perform her first blowjob.

Darla could still vividly recall that first time her lips made contact with her brother's manhood. She swiped the tip of her tongue over the head, tasting a slightly salty pearl of moisture as she did so. She opened her mouth and took him inside, reminding herself to avoid scraping his sensitive organ with her teeth. She knew her first attempt at fellatio would probably be clumsy, but she gave it her best effort.

As she became more confident in her sucking efforts, she took more of his shaft into her mouth, bobbing it in and out with increasing tempo. Peter's appreciative groans encouraged her, and in short order, she received the first of several jets of semen, which she gamely swallowed. She kept suckling at his softening penis, until Peter pulled her onto her back. She would never forget what he whispered in her ear.

"Thank you, sweetheart... that was a very nice surprise to wake up to. Now I'd like to return the favor."

As Peter moved down her body, she eagerly spread her legs to give him access. Darla knew the moment that Peter's lips kissed her labia that she was in for a sublime experience, and she was not disappointed. Katherine and Stephanie had tried to tell her how wonderful it would feel to have Peter kiss her most intimate place, but their words could not prepare her for the actual experience. By the time it was over, Darla felt as though her body had been reduced to jelly. Peter's talented tongue had definitely created another Peter Ballard devotee.
Joe J & Wet Dream-Girl
Chapter 12