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Authors: Kim McMahill
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She paused before exiting the building to wait for Jessica to join her.
“Hurry, let’s get out of here,” she called.
Jessica spotted a well-stuffed daypack in the corner of the room, hidden under the table. She crawled under the table, retrieved the pack and hung it over her shoulder. If it didn’t contain anything they needed, at least they could use the pack to carry the other items they’d just taken. She grabbed some tortillas sitting on a plate on the table, but saw nothing else of use to them and headed out after Megan.
Whirling around, Megan started to run, but before she had taken two strides, she was tripped. Her feet left the ground and she flew face first, hitting the ground with a thud. Her few possessions scattered in all directions.
Jessica glanced down at the catalyst for Megan’s fall and struggled to suppress the bile oozing its way up her throat. Gilbert lay face down in the dirt, stained dark with blood. He had one bullet hole in his back and one in his head, turning his festive floral-print vacation shirt into a mass of crimson and his head into something only recognizable by its location on his body. She could only imagine Gilbert thought his secret had bought his freedom. He probably walked out the door, believing he had been released, and then was gunned down from behind. Despite the fact he had double-crossed them, Jessica’s heart still ached. His wife was now a very young widow and his adult children had lost their father.
She stepped around the body and went to Megan’s side, grabbing her by the arm and helping her to her feet. Jessica began gathering strewn items as Megan dry heaved at the sight of Gilbert’s bloody body, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to hold back the cries of shock and terror.
“We have to go. We don’t have much time.” Jessica gently took Megan’s arm and turned her away from the grisly sight.
Megan took some of the items from Jessica’s overburdened arms and forced herself to motion. Each step became stronger and faster and after several minutes, Megan began to sprint for the shadows of the jungle. By the time they had reached the trees, Jack had caught up with them.
“Come on. Follow me.” He raced past them, trying to pick a path through the thick foliage.
They fled. Jessica found comfort when Jack looked back occasionally to make sure she and Megan were still behind him, but he kept running. She knew they were trying to put as much distance as possible between them and their captors before the third man returned. Remembering what had happened to Ashley, visualizing Gilbert’s dead body as they left the house, and knowing the third man was certain to return soon, gave her the adrenaline push to keep going.
Jessica had taken up the rear so she could keep an eye on Megan, concerned she might fall apart again, but the young woman ran strong. Jessica struggled to keep pace with Megan’s much longer strides, but she didn’t lag behind. Despite the dense vegetation presenting constant obstacles in their path they continued to zigzag through the closely spaced trees, moving further from the place that had held them captive and taken two innocent lives. Jessica knew they were still a long way from safety and she would run until she could no more, but at least they were no longer being held like birds in a cage, waiting to be butchered or sold to the highest bidder.
Chapter Ten
Jessica, Jack and Megan ran for thirty minutes before they stopped to rest. They dropped to the ground, each gasping for breath.
“What now?” Jessica asked as she eased her shoulders out of the small but heavy pack and let it fall to the ground.
“We head north and east ¾ north in hopes of making it to the coast where we’re more likely to find fellow tourists, English speakers and phones. East since that’s the way back to where this all started. I don’t see much point in heading further into Mexico’s interior,” Jack said.
“Sounds like a plan. So
“Hurry, let’s get out of here,” she called.
Jessica spotted a well-stuffed daypack in the corner of the room, hidden under the table. She crawled under the table, retrieved the pack and hung it over her shoulder. If it didn’t contain anything they needed, at least they could use the pack to carry the other items they’d just taken. She grabbed some tortillas sitting on a plate on the table, but saw nothing else of use to them and headed out after Megan.
Whirling around, Megan started to run, but before she had taken two strides, she was tripped. Her feet left the ground and she flew face first, hitting the ground with a thud. Her few possessions scattered in all directions.
Jessica glanced down at the catalyst for Megan’s fall and struggled to suppress the bile oozing its way up her throat. Gilbert lay face down in the dirt, stained dark with blood. He had one bullet hole in his back and one in his head, turning his festive floral-print vacation shirt into a mass of crimson and his head into something only recognizable by its location on his body. She could only imagine Gilbert thought his secret had bought his freedom. He probably walked out the door, believing he had been released, and then was gunned down from behind. Despite the fact he had double-crossed them, Jessica’s heart still ached. His wife was now a very young widow and his adult children had lost their father.
She stepped around the body and went to Megan’s side, grabbing her by the arm and helping her to her feet. Jessica began gathering strewn items as Megan dry heaved at the sight of Gilbert’s bloody body, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to hold back the cries of shock and terror.
“We have to go. We don’t have much time.” Jessica gently took Megan’s arm and turned her away from the grisly sight.
Megan took some of the items from Jessica’s overburdened arms and forced herself to motion. Each step became stronger and faster and after several minutes, Megan began to sprint for the shadows of the jungle. By the time they had reached the trees, Jack had caught up with them.
“Come on. Follow me.” He raced past them, trying to pick a path through the thick foliage.
They fled. Jessica found comfort when Jack looked back occasionally to make sure she and Megan were still behind him, but he kept running. She knew they were trying to put as much distance as possible between them and their captors before the third man returned. Remembering what had happened to Ashley, visualizing Gilbert’s dead body as they left the house, and knowing the third man was certain to return soon, gave her the adrenaline push to keep going.
Jessica had taken up the rear so she could keep an eye on Megan, concerned she might fall apart again, but the young woman ran strong. Jessica struggled to keep pace with Megan’s much longer strides, but she didn’t lag behind. Despite the dense vegetation presenting constant obstacles in their path they continued to zigzag through the closely spaced trees, moving further from the place that had held them captive and taken two innocent lives. Jessica knew they were still a long way from safety and she would run until she could no more, but at least they were no longer being held like birds in a cage, waiting to be butchered or sold to the highest bidder.
Chapter Ten
Jessica, Jack and Megan ran for thirty minutes before they stopped to rest. They dropped to the ground, each gasping for breath.
“What now?” Jessica asked as she eased her shoulders out of the small but heavy pack and let it fall to the ground.
“We head north and east ¾ north in hopes of making it to the coast where we’re more likely to find fellow tourists, English speakers and phones. East since that’s the way back to where this all started. I don’t see much point in heading further into Mexico’s interior,” Jack said.
“Sounds like a plan. So
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