Key Events and Character Analysis Chapters 14-20
Chapter 14
1. Who was Carmen and what was she like?
Carmen was Rosa’s sister. She was about Tony’s age, had blue eyes, and was very beautiful. She had white teeth, dark skin, and black hair.
2. Explain briefly how Carmen got to know Mick.
One day, Carmen’s father met a stranger called Mick. He had traveled a long way and was hungry and tired. Her father took him to their home and gave him food and a bed for the night. Mick subsequently became a friend of the family.
Chapter 15
1. Who did America offer to help the Colombian government?
The US offered the Colombian government money to help fight the guerrilla rebels who were causing problems in the country. However, the government had to agree to American military planes spraying the coca plants with poison and killing them.
2. What was Mick’s connection with this affair and how did he come to be in Colombia?
Mick was one of the soldiers who were told to spray the plants with poison, but he thought it was wrong. When he was told to parachute out of one of the planes to help on the ground, he deserted and stayed in Colombia.
3. Explain briefly the connection between Mick and José.
Mick met José in a bar, and José told him all about cocaine and how he could become rich. They started a business growing coca plants, making the leaves into cocaine, and selling it.
Chapter 16
1. Why was it impossible for Tony to escape from the room?
It was impossible for Tony to escape from the room because it was next to Roberto and Luis’s room. They would hear any move Tony made.
2. What change was there in the plans for Tony?
Tony wasn’t going to fly over the Gulf of Mexico and make the drop. He was going to take Luis to Peru instead.
Chapter 17
1. Why did Tony stop the plane?
Luis took his gun from his jacket and said that he was going to shoot out the windows of the plane, so Fernando told Tony to stop the plane.
2. What happened to Fernando when he got out of the jeep?
Fernando was holding his rifle above his head. Luis took Fernando’s rifle from his hand, pointed it at Fernando’s head, and killed him.
Chapter 18
1. Why did Luis need to make a phone call?
Luis had to tell the fishermen that they were going to be dropping the cocaine that day, because José had previously told them that they weren’t going to make the drop.
2. Why was Luis going to drive the jeep closer to the building?
Luis was going to drive the jeep closer to the building because it would be easier to load the cocaine into it and to drive away quickly.
3. What happened when José shouted at Pepe to come back?
When José shouted at Pepe, Luis punched José hard in the face. José fell, hit his head on the ground, and lay there, unconscious.
Chapter 19
1. What did Roberto see when he arrived at the house?
Roberto saw José lying on the ground and then Luis and Tony coming out of the building, their arms full of packages.
2. What did Carmen give Tony?
Carmen gave Tony a parcel. Inside the parcel was the parachute which she had repaired.
Chapter 20
1. What did Tony do while Luis was in the back of the plane?
While Luis was in the back of the plane, Tony put the plane on automatic pilot. He pulled the parachute out from under his seat, took off his shirt, and put on the parachute.
2. What happened after Tony jumped out of the plane?
The parachute opened and broke Tony’s fall. A few minutes later, the plane hit the water near the fishing boats. There was a big explosion, and the packages of cocaine scattered all over the sea. Luis was killed when the plane hit the water.
Epilogue
1. What happened as a result of the information that Tony gave the authorities?
The Colombian National Police found José and arrested him. The police also destroyed all of José’s coca fields in Colombia and Peru.