Flores Girl: The Children God Forgot, Part 3
By Erik John Bertel
Copyright 2005, 2009








Publisher
Millennium Writing
PO Box 7
Centereach, NY 11720

Published 2008
ISBN: 0-9822576-0-0, 78-0-9822576-0-9

No part of this novel shall be copied, broadcast, or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author Erik John Bertel or Millennium Publishing

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This is purely a work for entertainment, and any similarity to any real or fictional person or event is purely coincidental.




Version 1a


Resolve


Upon their return to Flores, a distraught Sarah was not sure if she wanted to continue with the expedition. The brush with death left Sarah feeling cold, and her enthusiasm for pursuing her dream was diminishing with each additional day they spend in Flores. Furthermore, they lost all of their equipment, and have very little money remaining between the pair. Even the return home would require a visit to the American Embassy, and for them to beg for some type of assistance. Moreover, the betrayal by Supar had left her faith badly shaken. Prior to their run in with the pirates, Sarah had felt that Supar was the one person in Flores she could trust with her life. She now knew where the stolen equipment from the last expedition had gone and the nasty faces of the pirate crew haunted her at night. Sarah was feeling very alone again, and depression was settling in with the realization that her life savings had vanished with little to show for her investment. And, to add a final insult to injury, she had lost the GPS coordinates to her Irmã Flores as well.
For several days, Richard watched Sarah slowly sink into her small ball of misery hoping she would come out of it on her own. After two days he finally decided to intervene.
"Sarah, what do you want to do?" he asked.
"I want to go home and get away from this horrid island," she said.
Richard debates his options, and going to the authorities just did not seem to be a viable alternative. He felt it was best if he tracked Supar down and confront Supar personally about his treachery with the two Americans. In doing so, he was hoping he could force Supar to make good on their stolen equipment and money.
"Before we make any hasty decisions give me a chance to make this right. You stay at the hotel; I'll be back in a few hours."
"Where are you going?" Sarah asked.
"It's time to look up an old acquaintance," Richard said.

Richard arrived at the brother's shop and waited outside for Supar to appear while trying to be as inconspicuous as possible that is for a westerner. Hours later, Supar entered the shop, but as he stepped into the small doorway, he spotted Richard lurking outside in the shadows. Supar decided to make a run for it through the back of the shop and into a back alleyway.
"Big mistake, Supar!" Richard yelled. Richard is fast, and within a few minutes, his long strides allow him to catch up to Supar. Supar doesn't put up much of a struggle when Richard grabs him, and Richard pins the smaller man against a wall.
Richard is visibly angry and is shouting at Supar, "Why the hell did you set us up, Supar?"
There is no answer. A frustrated Richard begins to lose control and he violently shakes Supar but as Richard relaxed his grip, a composed Supar grabs both of Richard's wrists and forces them back on the taller man. Soon the smaller man has Richard in a painful submission hold. Supar holds him for a while, and yells at the struggling Richard, "Are you going to listen to me or do I have to break wrists? You choose!" Supar yells.
"All right, all right, I give, fuck..." Richard yells and Supar relinquishes his grip on Richard's wrists. Richard wanted to a take an impulsive swing at the native but his damn arms hurt too much.
Several bystanders noted the drama and stopped to watch. Supar glares at them and motions them away with his hands.
"Damn that hurts, you bastard. What the hell gives? Why did you set us up like that you schmuck?"
Supar struggled to regain his breath. "I've been working with those thieves for four years now. They've been robbing westerners for a while now, and they have been very ugly in the past. Now, I promise to deliver them westerners, and they promise just to rob them and not kill them. I did try to talk Sarah out of this but she wouldn't listen. Any westerner becomes a big target when they arrive here. So far, it has been a good business deal up to this point. You were in no danger; I had my people ready to pick you out of the water. We make money, and you get to keep your life! It's a fair deal, better than some of the other choices."