Arthur Hailey - Evening News

In other circumstances he would have forced Baudelio to take a walk in the jungle from which only Miguel would return. But Sendero Luminoso, while ruthless in many ways, could become belligerent about an outsider killing one of its own people, for whatever reason.

What Miguel did was send confidentially with the messenger a strongly worded note pointing out the dangers of having Baudelio remain in circulation. Sendero would quickly make its own decision. Miguel had little doubt what that would be.

One thing pleased him. Among the general instructions he received was one to "keep the three hostages in good health until otherwise ordered.” The reference to "three hostages,” which Sendero's high command would have learned of through news reports, conveyed approval of Miguel's decision to include the old man in the kidnap, something originally not planned.

He turned his attention to the special equipment brought from Ayacucho for the video and sound recording session. It comprised a Sony Camcorder with cassettes, a tripod, photoflood kit and a portable 110-volt generator, gasoline-powered. None of it presented a problem to Miguel, who had handled recording sessions with kidnap victims before.

He realized, though, that he would need support and certain stem measures to ensure obedience from the woman, who he suspected would be difficult. To help him he chose Gustavo and Ramon, both of whom he had observed being tough with the prisoners and who were unlikely to be squeamish, whatever punishment they were asked to inflict. The recording session, Miguel decided, would take place the following morning.

* * *

As soon as there was sufficient daylight, Jessica was busy at work.

Soon after she, Angus and Nicky had recovered consciousness in Peru, all three discovered that at some point almost the entire contents of their pockets had been removed, including any money they had had. A handbag Jessica had been carrying at Larchmont, not surprisingly, had disappeared. Among the few things left were some paper clips, a comb of Jessica's, and a small notebook in Angus's back pants pocket, which apparently was overlooked. Also, in the lining of Nicky's jacket was a ballpoint pen which had fallen through a hole in a pocket and had not been found.

At Jessica's urging, the notebook and pen were carefully hidden and used only if the guard on duty was one of those known to be more easygoing than the martinets like Rarnon.

Yesterday Jessica had borrowed the notebook from Angus, and Nicky's ballpoint pen. Although the screens between the prisoners' cages prevented them from passing anything to each other, Vicente, while on guard duty, obligingly collected the objects and handed them to her.

What Jessica intended was to make drawings of the people she had encountered while strong memories of them still renamed. While not an accomplished artist, she was a competent amateur and was sure the faces in her drawings would be recognizable if eventually she was able to use them for identifying those involved in the kidnap and this aftermath.

The first drawing, which she had begun the preceding day and was still working on, was of the tall, balding, authoritative man whom Jessica had become aware of as consciousness returned to her in the first darkened hut. Although not totally alert at the time, she did remember her desperately mouthed plea, "Help! . . . please help . . . tell someone . . .” A subsequent impression, sharp and clear, was of the man in question reacting, looking startled, but afterward doing nothing, as was now apparent.

Who was he? Why was he there? Since he was present, he had to be involved. Jessica believed that the man was American. Whether he was or wasn't, she hoped that one day her drawing would help track him down.

When she had finished, Jessica had sketched a recognizable likeness of the Learjet pilot, Captain Denis Underhill.

The sound of footsteps outside caused her to fold the drawing hastily and conceal it in her brassiere, the first place she thought of. The notebook and pen she thrust beneath the thin mattress of her bed.

Almost at once, Miguel, Gustavo and Ramon appeared. All three were carrying equipment which Jessica recognized instantly.”Oh, no!” she called out to Miguel.”Don't waste your time setting that up. We will not help you by making any recording.”

Miguel ignored her. Taking his time, he installed the Camcorder on its tripod and arranged the photoflood lights which he plugged into an extension cable. The cable ran out of doors where the sound of a generator starting up could be heard. Moments later the area in front of the three cells was brightly lit, the lights focused on an empty chair which the Camcorder faced.

Still unhurriedly, Miguel walked forward to Jessica's cage. His voice was cold and hard.”You will do precisely what I tell you, when I tell you, bitch.” He held out three handwritten pages.”This is what you will say—exactly that and no more, with not one word changed.”

Jessica took the pages, read them quickly, then tore them into pieces which she threw outward through the bamboo bars.”I told you I wouldn't do it, and I won't.”

Miguel did not react but looked toward Gustavo who was waiting nearby. Miguel nodded.”Get the boy.”

Despite her determination a moment earlier, a shiver of apprehension ran through Jessica.

While she watched, Gustavo opened the padlock securing Nicky's cage. Going inside, he seized Nicky by a shoulder and one arm; then, twisting the arm, propelled him outside until both were in front of Jessica's cell. Nicky, though plainly frightened, said nothing.

Becoming frantic, and now sweating, Jessica demanded of the men, "What are you going to do?”

No one answered.

Instead, Ramon brought from the other side of the building the chair usually occupied by the armed guard. Gustavo pushed Nicky into the chair where the two men tied him with rope. Before securing his arms, Gustavo loosened Nicky's shirt, exposing his small chest. Ramon, meanwhile, was lighting a cigarette.

Jessica, with a sense of what was coming, cried out to Miguel, "Wait! Perhaps I was hasty. Please wait! We can talk!”

Miguel did not answer. Stooping to the floor, he picked up several pieces of the paper which Jessica had thrown.”Those were three pages,” he said.”Fortunately I thought you might do something foolish so I gave you a copy. But three is the figure you have set us, just the same.”

He signalled to Ramon, holding up three fingers. ' Quomelo bien . . . tres veces.”

Ramon inhaled, bringing the tip of the cigarette in his mouth to a glowing red. Then deliberately, with a single swift movement, he removed the cigarette and pressed the burning end against Nicky's chest. For the briefest moment the boy was so surprised that no sound escaped him. Then as he felt the burning, searing agony, he screamed.

Jessica was screaming too—wildly, incoherently, tearfully pleading for the torture to cease, assuring Miguel she would do whatever he wanted.”Anything! Anything! I don't care! Just tell me what it is! But stop! Oh, stop!”

From the third cell, Angus was banging his hands against the screen of his cage and shouting too. His words intermingled with the other din, though a few could be heard.”You filthy bastards! Cowards! You're animals, not men!”

Ramon watched and listened, a slight smile around his lips. Then he returned the cigarette to his mouth, drawing his breath in hard several times to reignite the glow. When it was again strong and red, he quashed the cigarette once more against another part of Nicky's chest. Nicky's screams intensified while, for the third time, Ramon drew on the cigarette and repeated the process. By this time, a smell of burning flesh accompanied the boy's screams and desperate sobbing.