LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter Four

      Caudillo paced the tiled floor of his office. “I leave for a few days, and you let marauders take everything, even my beloved Emma.”

       “What could we do? They came onto the island with hundreds of armed men.”

       “You could have fought to the death instead of hiding.”

       “We fought, but there were so many of them.”

       “You are the leader of a hundred men, Chale, armed with the best weapons money can buy. You should have been able to shoot them like ducks in a row as they stepped off their ship. You let down your guard while I was away. Admit it, Chale.”

       “I can only speak for myself. I was not on guard duty that night.”

       “But you are responsible for your men, and you were responsible for keeping my island safe.”

       Chale straightened the bandoleer that crossed over his shoulder, as if his supply of cartridges mattered now.

       “I assumed my orders were being obeyed.”

       “You assumed? I could train a monkey to assume and do nothing. And now not only are crates of weapons missing, but Emma is gone, as well.”

       “I will see that she is found, unless she is in the stomach of a shark.”

       “No, Chale. You will not. You have lost my trust. You are relieved of duty.”

       Sweat pooled on Chale’s forehead and circled the armpits of his white shirt. Another time, Caudillo would have enjoyed his sniveling fear. Today, there was too much at stake to enjoy anything.