Spy in a Little Black Dress - By Maxine Kenneth Page 0,34
her toward an old, rattletrap pickup truck on the far side. The woman wore dungarees and a loose-fitting chambray shirt, but beneath them Jackie could detect a well-developed female form.
Before they could even arrive at the truck, the Three Stooges rounded the side of the building that housed the crocodile pit and were even now racing across the pen to get to Jackie. They must have waited for a few minutes before daring to find out what condition the crocodiles had left their hostage in. As they ran, Moe, Larry, and Curly all pulled out pistols and brandished them in the direction of the fleeing pair.
As Jackie watched, the woman reached into one pocket of her dungarees and withdrew a hard-looking ball. With a quick side-arm movement, she flung the ball in the direction of the Three Stooges. The well-aimed sphere hit Moe in the right shoulder, spinning him around like a top and knocking him to the ground as a large moan of pain passed through his lips. Forgetting all about the fleeing Jackie, Larry and Curly went to the aid of their fallen comrade.
The woman climbed over the fence, then held out her hand and helped Jackie clamber over it. Once on the far side of the pen, the woman made for the truck and got in on the driver’s side of the cab. Jackie jumped in on the passenger side. She looked through the window and saw that Moe was sitting up and rubbing his right arm, which hung loosely at his side. Larry and Curly rose and, pistols in hand, began firing at the truck before it could leave. Jackie cringed as one bullet spanged into the right front fender below her and another shattered the driving mirror next to her.
Unfortunately, the truck was slow to start, and the woman had to grind down on the gears a few times before the vehicle finally lurched forward and began to roll away. Its springs were gone, and the truck bounced up and down as the woman pressed on the accelerator. A few more shots came from the remaining Stooges, but they fell short of their mark. Jackie quickly looked out the rear window and saw Larry, Moe, and Curly as they receded into the distance. Moe was obviously in no condition to give chase.
The truck was now flying down a dirt road. The woman was careful to make sure that she drove over every dip, rut, and pothole in the road, or at least that’s the way it seemed to Jackie as she jounced up and down in her seat. After a while, the road leveled out and the ride became slightly smoother.
Jackie turned to the driver and said, “Thank you.”
The woman turned and said, “You’re welcome.” She stuck out her hand and said, “Rosario.”
Jackie took it and said her name.
“Yes, I already know who you are, Señorita Bouvier.”
“Call me Jackie. Anyone who saves my life is entitled to call me by my first name.”
“Sí, Jackie.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes, the hot air wafting through the truck’s open windows. Jackie swiped a stray wisp of hair from in front of her eyes and said, “Is this what you do, Rosario, cruise around the countryside rescuing damsels in distress?”
“No, Señorita Jackie, I’ve been following you ever since you arrived.”
This brought Jackie up short. She had no idea that she had picked up a tail at the airport. She guessed that she should have paid more attention to the Farm’s course on field surveillance and countersurveillance techniques.
Rosario explained, “I work for Emiliano, and he wanted me to keep an eye on you until he could meet with you. To make sure you stayed out of trouble until your meeting. So I was nearby when those three men kidnapped you off the street. I was unable to get to you in time, but I followed you to the crocodile farm and waited for my chance to help you.”
Jackie looked at Rosario and said with gratitude, “I guess that makes you my guardian angel.”
Behind the wheel, Rosario blushed.
Jackie could smell the salt air. So her senses hadn’t deceived her before. She looked out the side window and, through the lushly growing mangrove plants bordering the country road, she could see the ocean in the near distance.
Jackie looked back at Rosario and asked, “What do you call this place?
“Bahía de Cochinos,” Rosario responded.
“And what does that mean in English?”
Rosario looked over at Jackie and said, “Bay of Pigs.”