Chapter 97

***Levi.***

***Present day, the next day***

Wednesday. I found myself struggling to drown out Kenya's disappointed voice, when she asked me if this trip couldn't wait until morning, but I couldn't. She was everywhere in my head. And I currently needed my head to function.

I was deep in a forest in Colombia, hiking to one of my plantations. Our car was parked at the other side, so we wouldn't wake the locals.

It was 4 am and still dark.

Blake panted beside me. His athletic frame, allowing him to equally catch up. I recalled when we were younger and how he used to struggle to catch up with my strides, because he was small at the time.

"You've grown up nice." I teased, pausing to drink some water from my canister. I could feel his hard glare at me and I chuckled.

"You are only older by one year, Levi. Don't push it." His tone was playful, even as he panted for air. I shook my head, offering him some water. His canister held coffee, laced with brandy for us.

We trudged on and soon arrived the plantation. What I saw gripped me. The entire plantation was smoking from the flames of the fire that engulfed it, a day ago. I stood horrorstruck.

Millions worth of coca plants burnt to the ground. Some survived, as we walked through the devastation. But it was no use. The soil was going to need recovery.

Workers still tried to salvage what they could. And I tried to remain calm. Even though I was aware that I still had other plantations, it still hurt knowing this was lost.

I was a major supplier of the plant to pharmaceutical companies. And my clientele ranged far. This was a setback for me in the Colombia region.

I was taken to the local infirmary, where some of the workers that had suffered burns were admitted. There were twenty workers, whose burns were very severe. Others had minor burns.

"Who is responsible for this?" I asked, looking at Rico, who finally came to join us. His hands were wrapped in bandages.

"Why aren't you in the infirmary?" I asked him, concerned.

"Work must go on boss." He spoke. I nodded, unable to argue.

I talked to the doctors, and made calls and arrangements for the people to be taken to the hospital in Bogota for better treatment. They were very grateful and I even promised continuity of their jobs, once they recovered.

Without any further delay, I joined the available workers and some of my men, and we started clearing the place.

Then I heard gunshots in the distance.

At first I attributed it to the local watch team, who perhaps were scaring off rebels. I paid them to ensure the safety of the everyone. Hence I was surprised that this devastation had occurred under their watch. The fire looked like a very ordinary accident. But to the critical eye, a fire of such magnitude wasn't accidental.

Then the shots came again. This time more persistent and closer. I stilled and so did the rest of us. Blake came to stand beside me.

"Did you hear that." He muttered. I nodded. Then someone in the distance shouted in the local dialect and the entire place broke into a panic. I looked around and saw the women and children running for cover, while the men pulled out guns.

Rico came running, pulling out a gun. My men equally pulled theirs, handing me an Ak47.

"Sir, some masked people are coming! They've shot some people along the way!" Rico yelled as he approached. Before I could say a word, a shot was fired and

Rico fell dead to the floor.

I ran for cover among the plants. Crawling in the dirt. Blake came up beside me, matching my moves. We crawled to a couple of trees and hid as the shots continued.

Smoke covered everywhere and the darkness didn't help. I fired some blind shots and the shots grew more persistent.

Screams were heard and I banished the sounds; thinking of my survival. Blake fired as well and my men came around, covering me.

Then a loud voice called me.

"Levi Ruthford!"

I stilled. My gun poised. My finger set on the trigger.

I could feel my breath coming in rapid puffs.

"Come out now, or this woman gets her head blown off!" The voice thundered.

I froze, peeking around the tree to have a look. Light from a jeep illuminated a man surrounded by approximately ten men. A man had a gun pointed to a woman's head, while she knelt on the floor. I stared frantically. Considering my options.

"You've got ten minutes to come up here, or her brain gets blown off! One!"

I hesitated.

"LeviDon't," Blake said beside me. I spared him a look. If I didn't, that woman was going to die.

"Two!"

"Blake, if I don't, that woman dies. I wouldn't be surprised those men were responsible for this devastation," I whispered.

"But Levi"

"No argument." I quieted him.

"Three!" The voice boomed again.

"Stop!" I called, coming out. I shook inside from rage, stepping out from behind the tree. I approached them, my hands raised above my head, my gun limp in my hand.

The men were masked, dressed in combat garb. But I knew they weren't military. When I reached them, I dropped my gun. One of them came around to frisk me. I stayed, watching them.

"Are you the men that destroyed my plantation?" I asked, fiercely. A man, who I presumed was the leader, stepped forward and punched

me in the gut. I buckled, winded from the impact. He raised my head roughly and stared into my eyes.

"You're not the boss here. I am, Levi Ruthford."

They all laughed, sinisterly. I panted, gathering my strength. I couldn't recall the last time I was in this sort of situation.

And for the first time in years, I was terrified.