The Amazon Conspiracy by S. J. Philips

Author:S. J. Philips [Philips, S. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: S.J. Philips
Published: 2020-11-19T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

“Thanks for rescuing me earlier,” Henry said while they rode in the beat-up compact car ferrying them around the city. “That was impressive today, the way you talked our way out of the cuffs,” he continued with admiration.

“We are a good pair,” she answered with a broad smile. “You handle the jungle; I handle the talking.”

“And we both take on the bad guys. I liked how you punched that cop.”

“Did you really bite him?” she asked with a grimace.

“I’m afraid so.” He gave her an embarrassed grin.

“I still can’t believe how nice and generous those kids were to us,” Henry said, changing the subject. “Do you think they were suspicious that we didn’t tell the whole story?”

“Maybe. But I don’t think they care. I learned never to underestimate the potential for human kindness, especially when it comes to helping someone in need. Besides, they seemed to enjoy the adventure.” She raised her hands, making air quotes with her fingers as she emphasized the last word. “They will have a great story to tell their friends, which I imagine will be a tad more dramatic than what really happened.”

They arrived at the Boi da Floresta with a few minutes to spare. The name meant forest bull in Portuguese, a reference to the local festival celebrating a traditional folktale of a slave who, to satisfy his pregnant wife’s craving for beef, killed one of his master’s bulls. After the slave was arrested, local shamans worked to resuscitate the animal. No one knew exactly how the story had become so ingrained in the Brazilian culture, but there were dozens of versions told all over the country, with matching festivals to commemorate the legend.

The nightclub took up an entire block and was surrounded by eight-foot-tall cinder block walls littered with graffiti. The entrance gate was made of logs, giving it a fake rustic feel. It stood under a giant banner with the place’s name and some drawings of a man playing the drums next to two bulls, one red, one blue, plus three women dancing in small bikinis, a reference to the local version of the bull festival.

The banner said Live Music, in English. The place catered to tourists in an obvious way, but the clientele went there for fun, not authenticity, and that they got in spades.

Henry and Clare paid the cover charge and went in. To the left of the entrance was a large stage, with several workers busily setting it up for the coming band and the dancers who would entertain the crowd later on. A long bar counter stood at the opposite side, with tables and a dance floor between the bar and the stage.

It was an outdoor venue, though the stage and the bar were covered by a zinc roof to protect patrons from tropical downpours. Some of the seating areas were sheltered by thatched roofs, adding to the tropical theme, though they did little against the high temperature, which was particularly punishing this evening.

The show wouldn’t start

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