Poaching the Poachers: The Key to Greed
(eBook)

Jamaica's most renowned citizen to emerge since the death of Bob Marley is Rastafarian John Solomon. Solomon, who has grown exceptionally wealthy through his extensive cannabis cultivation and distribution, has proven to be no ordinary "drug kingpin." He considers his craft a public service from which he has obviously profited most handsomely, but in return has generously donated millions to charities, schools and public works throughout the Caribbean island nation of his birth. Few know what he looks like or of his exact whereabouts, only select family members and an inner-circle of associates, though a large majority of the Jamaican populace agrees with his philosophies and common-sense take on societal issues. Solomon's main focus turns to environmental conservation. His resolve in sparking a worldwide environmental conservation grassroots revolution gets implemented with his offering of hefty bounties on two consequential culprits of environmental ruination. He places a five-million-dollar bounty on Leopard, the leader of a notorious poaching ring that ruthlessly runs roughshod through Eastern Africa. To reap the bounty payout, Solomon requires the solid gold front tooth of Leopard which has imbedded in its center a diamond star. A second, ten-million-dollar bounty is proffered for the live capture and delivery to Jamaica of timber tycoon Stuyvesant Buckley who Solomon wants to expose as the poster boy for industrial immorality. Word of the bounties spreads far and wide. Practically everyone that hears of the bounty offerings laughs them off as the ravings of an eccentric personality. Though profound in an honorable sense of purpose, who is to believe that a ganja dealer will hold up his end of such an extraordinary bounty bargain, writes one newspaper reporter. Word of the bounties hits the ears of retired U.S. Army Special Forces Captain Shane McClarey living in Negril where he is front man for a rapidly rising roots reggae band. After hearing the assured opinion of Solomon's reputable character from his good friend and bandmate, retired Jamaican French Foreign Legionnaire Robinson Grant, Captain McClarey decides to have a go at pursuing the bounty on Leopard. Part I: Journey to Leopard's Lair Captain McClarey heads to the French Foreign Legion base at Arta Beach in Djibouti to reunite with military-strategy guru Mik Stevens, an Australian Sergeant Major presently in charge at the base. Artfully resourceful, Stevens has the skinny on Leopard's exact location in the foothills of Mount Kenya. Mik also has an old subordinate on the inside of Leopard's syndicate, ex-Legion corporal Kiku Nimbata. Nimbata willingly slaves under the heel of Leopard in hope of finding a way to quash the despot and free his Bantu tribe from the oppressor's grip. Kiku is confidentially called on to hightail it to the base in Djibouti where Sergeant Major Stevens unveils his stratagem for an assassination attempt on the poaching king, Leopard, at his camp atop a tall waterfall at the base of Mount Kenya. With Kiku as guide, he and Captain McClarey journey under cover of darkness up a river, bypassing lookout towers before scaling to the top of the waterfall where the captain remains concealed in a sniper spot until the coming morning when Leopard is due to inspect the weeks' poached goods. The kill shot on Leopard by McClarey breaks all hell loose as Kiku's fellow Bantus take on Leopard's heavily-armed troops in fierce battle using spears and machetes. With Leopard's valuable tooth secure in his pocket, Captain McClarey makes his way back down the river during daylight for a rendezvous with a helicopter extraction arranged by Stevens. Part II: Quest for Buckley and Beyond Shane McClarey returns to Negril, Jamaica after the successful mission that eliminated Leopard and most of his henchmen. He collects the five-million-dollar bounty prize from John Solomon on delivery of Leopard's gold