CHAPTER FOUR

“You have to stay out of it,” his boss says. “It’s in the best interests of the United States of America.”

“What about the best interests of the Bertolini family,” Johnny says. “They are American citizens. We have an obligation to protect them.”

“Don’t confuse us with the State Department,” his boss says. “Just do what you’re told.”

That’s not very likely, Johnny thinks. Blasted politicians.

He leaves the office and takes a taxi back to the house. He needs to talk to the family and figure out the next step. One way or the other, this is all coming to a head in the next 48 hours or so.

It is late by the time he gets there. He gets out of the taxi and runs up the stairs on to the porch. Jeremy comes bursting out of the house at the same time.

“Jane is missing,” he yells, “and Miguel Angel too.”

Arnold and Annie also come out to the porch, concern etched in their faces. “We’ve been looking for them everywhere. It isn’t like them to just disappear.”

“I know, I know,” Johnny says. “Let’s go inside to talk. I think I know where they are.” He walks past them into the kitchen.

“Tell us, already,” Arnold says as they sit around the kitchen table. He grabs Annie’s hand and holds on for dear life.

“Benegas’ group has them,” Johnny says. “They are probably holed up at the same place in Bella Vista Norte.”

“That makes sense,” Annie says, “but isn’t it kind of stupid of them to stay in the same place after two raids already?”

“Yes and no,” Johnny says. “We know where they are but, each time we try to get them, they seem to disappear into thin air. There must be tunnels leading out of the house and into the jungle, but we can’t find them.”

“What are we going to do?” Arnold says. “Are the police going to raid the place again? Do we need to talk to them and file a missing person’s report or something?”

“It won’t help,” Johnny says. “I already got the news that the group was back in the house and that they have two hostages. I have had them under surveillance this whole time since the last raid. I figured they would come back.”

“So why don’t we just go get them?” Annie says. “We need to go now.”

“The police have been told to stand down and my company has told me to stay out of it,” Johnny says. “But they are all nuts if they think I’m going to sit here and do nothing.”

Johnny looks around at each of them. “I need to tell you something, but you may not like it.”

“Go on,” Arnold says.

“I work for the CIA,” Johnny says quietly. “It is an international security firm, so I didn’t lie about that, but we aren’t allowed to disclose that we are CIA to anybody. The CIA isn’t exactly welcome around here.”

“That’s way cool,” Jeremy says delightedly. “Another spy in the family.”

Johnny looks at him. “You consider me family, Jeremy?”

Jeremy nods.

“Thank you,” Johnny says. “That means a lot to me.” He pauses. “But that’s not all. When I got your permission to go through China’s rooms in Chicago, I flew there myself and spent two days going through everything with a fine-toothed comb.”

“And you found something,” Annie says.

“Yes,” Johnny says. “I found a reference in her personal diary, dated for the day before she left to come to Paraguay. It said, “the arrowhead is the key.”

“The arrowhead is the key,” Arnold repeats slowly. “What does it mean? The key to what? Jane and Jeremy both have arrowheads.”

“And Miguel Angel has your arrowhead,” Annie reminds him.

“But it specifically used the singular not the plural,” Johnny says. “So, maybe one of those arrowheads is the key to something.”

“The codes,” Jeremy says.

They all look at him.

“Obviously,” he says, smiling. “What else could be important enough to put into a secret message like that?”

“You could be right,” Johnny says. “Maybe China wrote that down in case something happened to her. Coming back to Paraguay was a big risk.”

“Let me look at your arrowhead for a moment, Jeremy,” Arnold says.

Jeremy takes it off his neck and hands it to his dad who examines it in detail.

“I don’t see anything on it except your name,” he says finally. “And mine was the same if I remember correctly.”

“Could the arrowhead, itself, be like a key?” Johnny says. “Maybe there’s a special place where it fits in and turns a lock.”

“That’s an interesting idea,” Arnold says, “But I have no idea where that lock could be.”

“I do,” says China, as she walks into the room.