Dan Barns: Problem Solver

Chapter Eight

A/N: Thanks everyone for reading.  Leave a note on your thoughts.  Enjoy.

I got my backpack and followed the smaller man to the hut. I went in and realized how much I pushed myself quickly after hearing the noise from the cars. I was soon asleep. I woke up to yelling and gunfire. A small child was staring at me and I could hear the crazy Spanish guy shouting about looking for the doctor to help trap the animals on the expedition that they were on. I peeked out and seen that the camp had been rounded up and this child was the one of the few not being held in a circle at the central campfire. The doctor's pack was gone, which meant he was not in camp. I told the child to go out the back of the camp and give a note to the doctor. The child seem to understand and took of through the back wall and straight into the forest.

I looked around the hut. A lot of empty gourds, a few woven baskets, three clay pots, and two blankets. I put my backpack on, tied the gourds loosely to my belt, threw the blanket over my head and started out. The man was still yelling for the doctor. I walked out like I did not hear him and went to the well. I started filling the gourds with water. I then waited for him to send someone to get me in line. I watched the shadow as three of his goons and himself walked up to me. I spun when I was touched and used the gourds to knock them out.

The move looked more like a martial arts demo than what it was. I felt as though the world slowed down. As I knelt down, I grabbed a gun and rolled with it behind the well. I popped up and shot the trigger on two of the other gunmen weapons. They returned fire. The camp occupants took that moment to hit the guards. It looked like the practice camp for a screwed up stunt team. One man got a shot off that went behind me and into the doctor. I heard the hit and I did not even half to turn around to see what happen. When I turned, I seen the blood coming down his arm. He fell. I knew he needed help.

The village tied the men up, and I tended to the arm. I had pulled out bullets before, but I needed more help with this one. I stopped the bleeding, but he needed surgery. I threw him over my shoulder and told the village, he would be back when he was better. I took off toward the vehicles that were left by these guys. One of the kids brought me a set of keys. I thanked him and secured the doctor in the jeep, and drove for the village. I soon realized I liked the horse better than the road that I took with the jeep. But this was faster and he needed help.

It took seven hours to get back to the village. I pulled off once to start a saline IV. The doctor was still out but his pulse was good. It took two hours in surgery and while he was in surgery, I arranged for the exit of the country and changing the flight plan of the helicopter taking us to a different hospital. They called in a helicopter to take him to another hospital and I waited till take off and took that moment to reroute to the airport nearest the village where a plane would be waiting for me and the doctor. When I got cell service, I called and explained what had happen and that we were on our way back. I would need a doctor to look at his arm when arrived. We were over the Pacific when he woke up.

"Where are we going? How is the tribe? Who are you?" The doctor asked with a drugged slur of the words.

"First, I am Dan Barns. The tribe is fine. They caught the men that shot you and the village that removed the bullet sent someone to collect them for shooting you. We are heading for San Diego to fix you and then the monkeys. I work for the company and they paid good money for you and your help. I believe they told me to offer you a nice sum to help find out what is wrong and how to treat it so the monkeys live well."

"You could have asked." the doctor said as he laid back in the chair.

"Implied consent. You were unconscious and you need better medical treatment than rural hospitals could provide. I had to get out of there with the minimum amount of damage. I failed at that." I said as I leaned back. "They tried to force your village to turn you over. When they seen me they shot at me and then you. One of the young boys alerted me to what was going on and I stepped out to assist the village." I was going on little sleep in forty eight hours. I knew someone was going to be upset cause he was hurt. "When we get to the airport, there will be a medical transport to assist getting you to the hospital and then they will give you the information about the monkeys and what they are doing while they are sick. Oh wow looks like I got tagged while we were up there. That's going to sting." That's when I realized I had a couple of grazes across my upper arm and they were hurting.

I started cleaning them and I must have passed out. I woke up in a hospital with an I.V. in my other arm and my director looking at me with confusion. "He's here like you asked."

"You did not tell us you were hurt, just him. You flew him out without his passport and you looked rather dehydrated and a little thin." the director said. I just closed my eyes and waited for him to finish.

"Sorry, things moved fast and he was hurt. I didn't know I was hurt, but I got him down the mountain, to medical attention, they sent us on after he was stable and he is here. You said I had to bring him back at whatever cost. Now he is here and I am ready to go home. I will go back to Texas as soon as they release me. Now that you mention it, I do not think I have eaten since I left the village" I said as the nurse came in.

"Since you are awake, the doctor will come in and see you then you can go home." the nurse said as she took my vitals. "Those are better than when you arrived."

"I guess I lost a little blood. All's fair in love and war." I said with a laugh. the nurse rolled her eyes and left.

"Next time Dan, you need to follow proper procedure to leave a foreign country." The Director said as he sat down.

"You have never needed me to do that before. I guess this mission got to me. They threatened little kids. You are lucky I did not shoot them. I just damaged the guns." I said as I looked at him. I knew by his look that there was a mound of paperwork with the way I did this mission. I also knew I had a close call.

Lunch came in and I ate like I was starving. I probably was. The director left after hearing I would be off work for a week then I could go in for light duty for another two week. Then I could go back to the main floor to work with the boxes. I just agreed. I had no clue what he told them that I did for a living. So better quiet then reveal things that the bosses want kept secret. With the director gone, got a visit from Andrew, my supervisor and friend. I gave him the full detailed report and I knew Andrew would fill out the paperwork and straighten things out with the doctor and the tribes. Bright side was the monkeys all got better and were no longer given dog food to eat. Seems that the diet was causing the sickness that they were having.

I went home, and took it easy for a while. Until they needed me again.