A Touch of Malice
The pit viper slithered up the side of the tree and paused to glare at Trent Merrick with sinister eyes.
The tree limb creaked as Trent crouched lower, trying to stay balanced while his face dripped with sweat.
The humidity in the Amazon was already unbearable, but Trent had worked up a lather attempting to stay still.
The viper was one of the most lethal creatures in this part of Colombia, especially when the nearest medical facility was a two hour hike away.
The real problem for Trent, however, was his position.
He was over thirty feet high and had to avoid jagged tree limbs all the way to the ground.
The snake resumed his upward trek and Trent frantically searched above him to see how much room he had, but it was an ephemeral solution.
It would only add seconds to his life.
Once again the snake stopped and seemed to assess his prey.
The viper’s forked tongue slashed out several times to judge Trent’s proximity.
One bite would cause a person to bleed from the eyes and reach a critical condition within twenty minutes.
Trent had an even more serious problem brewing just a hundred feet down the path from his position in the tree.
There were a dozen Colombian soldiers with fatigues and assault rifles surrounding a small opening in the rainforest.
A glimpse of light peeked through the dense canopy of trees exposing two men who were obviously meeting in this remote part of the world for clandestine purposes.
The soldiers were scanning the perimeter searching for prying eyes.
The thick foliage offered Trent decent coverage, but the viper was soon going to put an end to his hideout and probably his life.
The snake reared its head back slightly and froze.
Trent felt his phone slipping from his sweaty hand and as he clutched it, he glanced at the picture he’d just taken from his vantage point.
The two men in the photo were exchanging pleasantries, but one man was clearly in charge and the other a mere servant.
The photo showed a very one-sided relationship.
The subservient man was older and dressed in a suit and tie.
