Deadly Twist, page 14
part #2 of Maximum Exposure Series
The rooster crowed again and Carter was so worried about the monkeys returning that he was tempted to kick the stupid bird. Lucky for Pompa, Carter didn’t want to take his eyes off Lily. Each time she reached up on her toes for the next branch, his heart skipped a beat and a carousel of horrid thoughts whizzed through his brain.
He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally straddled the branch nearest the fruit. She seemed completely at ease as she leaned forward with the pocketknife.
“Ready?” she called down to him.
“Yep.”
Next second, a green ball dropped from the tree. Carter made a perfect catch but it splattered in his hands, covering them in a brown soggy mess. “Oh shit! I think it’s rotten.”
“Really? Rotten fruit usually falls from the tree.”
“It looks like crap. Literally.” He sniffed the brown sludge and was shocked by its distinct chocolate aroma.
“Taste it,” Lily demanded.
Carter mumbled under his breath before he took a small bite of the gooey slop. It was soft and slimy and to his surprise, tasted like chocolate pudding.
“And?” Lily called down at him.
“I think it’s okay. It tastes like chocolate.”
“Fantastic. Here’s another one.”
She dropped the second fruit, and despite trying a cricket catch to soften the fall, it splattered in his hands too. He tugged a giant leaf off a nearby plant and pried the mess off his fingers and onto it.
Each time Lily tossed one down, the green ball split open when he caught it. By the time she’d finished, his hands and half his torso were covered in brown chocolate-smelling slop.
“I’m coming down now.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
He waited until she was on the lowest branch before he picked up the nine smashed fruits in the leaf and carried them toward the campfire. Lily was laughing by the time she arrived at his side. “You look like you had an accident in your pants.”
“And rubbed it over my stomach?”
“Yeah.” Now she really laughed. “You need another bath.”
“I guess so. I hope these are edible after all that.”
“If the monkeys were eating them, then that’s good enough for me.”
She sat in the dirt next to the giant leaf plate and reached for one of the fruits. Carter sat at her side and scooped a portion too.
“It smells like chocolate.” She scrunched up her nose.
“Yeah, I told you. Weird, hey?”
She bit into it without hesitation. “Yum.” Her eyes lit up and she licked her lips.
Carter shoveled more into his mouth. The consistency and taste of thick chocolate mousse made it a weird fruit, but despite its appearance, it was delicious.
She giggled. “It is chocolate pudding.”
“I know. Crazy, huh?”
“Have you seen these before?”
Carter shook his head as he scooped more off the leaf.
“But you’ve been in Mexico for eight months. You’d think these would be everywhere.”
“Mmmm. Maybe they’re not supposed to be eaten.”
“Don’t go saying things like that; I’m enjoying it.”
“Well . . . just because it tastes good doesn’t mean it’s edible.”
“Now who’s being the pot-half-empty guy?” She cocked one of her perfectly formed eyebrows, and then took a giant bite.
By the time they’d devoured the fruit, they both needed another wash.
“Lucky we hadn’t wasted time boiling that water, we’re going to need it to clean up.” She beamed.
The chocolate around her lips reminded him of a time he’d taken his daughter for gelato at In the Pink, a world-class ice creamery in Byron Bay. His daughter had taken so long to choose her flavor that the crowd behind her had grown restless. In the end, she’d chosen plain chocolate ice cream. It’d melted so quickly though, that she’d managed to wear nearly as much as she ate and ended up looking like Lily did now. Casting aside the wonderful memory, he rolled to his knees to stand.
“I’ll get the shirt I used before.” He went to the back of the tent and plucked the wet shirt off the rope he’d secured to a tree.
Lily was wiping her fingers on a leaf as he returned to her. “That was so good.”
She licked her lips and Carter had to fight the silly notion that she was deliberately trying to tease him. He flicked the wet shirt over his shoulder, grabbed a bottle of water, and crouched by the fire to clean himself.
After they were clean again, they returned to the river and with their torches as the only light, they filled the pot again. Back at the fire, they settled the pot over the coals ready to boil out the impurities before they bottled it.
Carter settled by the fire and felt like every muscle in his body fought against him. Lily, however, looked like she could run a marathon.
“So . . .” She poked a stick at the glowing coals. “What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever been to?”
He blinked at her and tugged on his beard. “Well, that depends on what you consider interesting.”
She sucked her bottom lip and rolled her eyes upward as if considering his question. “Okay, start with the most remote.”
“That’s easy. Agulinta.”
She rattled her lips. “Really? I’m surprised you say that. It didn’t take that long to get here.”
“No, but we had to walk most of the way. All the other remote places I’ve been to could be reached by vehicle, camel, or mule or something like that.”
“Huh, okay then. Which place did you stay at the longest?”
He poked at the fire too. “I think that was Pompeii.”
“Oh wow. I’d love to go there.”
“It was incredible. Both fascinating and macabre.”
“What do you mean?” The glow from the fire intensified her frown.
“You know the story of Pompeii, right?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, when the volcano exploded, it hit the town in a matter minutes. Hardly anyone escaped.”
“Mmmm, I can’t imagine the horror.”
“They reckon most victims didn’t even see it coming. It’s an incredible reminder of the power of nature.”
“Mother Nature sure knows how to wield her fury.”
The way she said it had Carter wondering if she’d experienced some kind of natural disaster. He let it slide for now. “Anyway, the lack of air and moisture created by the mountain of ash that fell on the city ensured the objects that lay beneath it were preserved in extraordinary condition. During excavation, archaeologists used plaster to fill in the empty spaces that once contained bodies. This meant they could recreate the exact positions the deceased were in when they died. They found men, women, children, babies, dogs, cats, monkeys.” He shook his head. “Hundreds of creatures.”
Lily shook her head. “Wow, that’d be spooky.”
“Yep, that’s what I meant by macabre and fascinating at the same time.”
“I’d like to see that one day.” She curled a loose hair around her ear and he admired how feminine her fingers were.
His mind drifted back to his photo collection from Pompeii. Prior to going to Pompeii, most of the photos he’d seen of the natural disaster focused on the horror that had struck the life forms. Carter centered his attention on the humans and their day to day lives prior to the eruption. The photo that’d won him the most awards was of a plaster cast of a young woman’s hands. He’d zoomed in on her delicate fingers and had imagined she’d been weaving an intricate cloth when the volcanic ash took her life. His mind drifted to the photos he’d taken in the last four days and he wondered if any of them would win awards. If it was the one of Otomi in the tent after he’d died, it’d be a bittersweet moment. He cast the idle thought aside and rubbed his lower back, trying to work out the knot at the base of his spine.
Lily twisted from side to side. “My back’s killing me too.”
Carter was seconds away from offering to give her a massage when he caught himself. He replicated her movements instead, stretching out his lower spine until it cracked.
The water began boiling and Carter removed it from the coals and settled it on a nearby dirt patch to cool down.
They slipped into comfortable silence and the jungle noises around them seemed to come alive. The fire crackled and popped. Monkeys belted out their bloodcurdling howls in the distance. Other creatures, birds and mammals whose sounds he didn’t recognize, added to the soulful chorus, and Pompa pecked at the ground with constant repetition.
Flames danced their reflection onto a nearby tree, but beyond the fire, the darkness around them was complete. He looked upward but saw nothing but black. The dense canopy smothered any chance of seeing stars or the moon.
Lily yawned. “I think I’ll sleep like a log tonight.”
“Me too.” He couldn’t hold back the yawn that gripped him too.
“Do you think we’ll find our way out tomorrow?” Golden flames danced across the pools of her eyes.
“I’m certain of it. The river’s our ticket out of here.”
“Good. I can’t wait to eat a big juicy steak.”
Carter burst out laughing.
“What?” She smiled at him.
“I just think it’s funny that you put food over a hot shower.”
“You can live without showers; you can’t live without food.”
And in that moment, Carter was pretty sure he was falling for the mysterious, beautiful, and confident young woman at his side.
Chapter Thirteen
Lily woke to the sound of the tent zipper opening, and when she rolled toward the noise, Carter was on his way out. It was fairly dark; however, as she could make out the tent roof in the blackness, she realized it was already morning. She’d slept right through, and by the stiffness radiating from her neck, she assumed she’d barely moved all night.
She twisted from side to side, trying to manipulate muscles that stiffened in protest. The last time Lily had felt this physically drained was when she’d carted her furniture up to her fourth-story apartment almost all by herself. If her neighbor hadn’t conveniently appeared as she wrestled her double-bed mattress up the stairs, she would’ve left it in the stairwell and slept on the worn carpet on her bedroom floor instead. That was three months ago, and although some days she hated that place, it was her own. That almost made up for the sleepless nights caused by the scurrying mice. Almost. Despite repeated requests to the apartment manager, very little had been done to eradicate the vermin that’d made Honeycut Apartments their home.
The freezing cold was another issue. No amount of blankets could eliminate the cold that got right into her bones in the middle of the night. It was ironic that she slept better out here in the middle of the jungle than she did in her own bed.
She crawled out of the tent and noted that it was indeed daybreak. Carter was returning from the nearby bushes when she stood up and stretched her arms above her head. “Morning.”
He turned to her. “Morning. Did I wake you?”
“I heard the zip. But that’s okay; it’s time to get up anyway.”
He tried to run his fingers through his hair, but it must’ve snagged in the knots as he tugged his hands free. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Right through. How about you?”
“My grumbling stomach woke me a few times, but other than that, all good.”
“Let’s get that yummy rice and corn on the go then.”
He chuckled and headed toward the pot near the now extinguished fire.
Between the two of them they had a good routine going. While Lily rekindled the fire and prepared breakfast, Carter packed up their campsite. When Pompa welcomed the morning with an excited crow, Carter grabbed his camera and walked a little way before he squatted down among the bushes.
He looked through the lens, his lips pursed, his brows furrowed, and his hands steady. When the camera aimed at Lily, she poked her tongue out, but if he noticed, he didn’t show it. He was frozen in the moment for several minutes before he finally stood and strolled back toward her.
She pushed the cigarette lighter into her pants pocket, flipped the Velcro flap closed, and sitting with her legs tucked to her side, she picked up her bowl and began eating. “Do you always do that in the morning?”
“What?”
“Take photos before breakfast.”
He tugged at his beard. “I’ve done it for as long as I can remember.”
“What do you do with them all?”
“Try to get them published.”
“Oh, that’s right. National Geographic.” It seemed like it’d been weeks since he told her who he worked for.
He nodded and she had a feeling he wanted to say more, but didn’t. She was beginning to notice a pattern with his reluctant answers, so she pushed. “Tell me about your prize winner.”
He blinked at her, loaded up his fork with rice, then turned his gaze to the fire. “I did a series of photos I titled Morning World. They spanned across a dozen or so countries. My concept was to take a photo of the first thing I saw each morning.”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful. Did you sell them?”
“The collection has been exhibited in several countries, and I sell limited-edition copies. But the best part was it helped me score my dream job, freelancing for National Geographic.”
The scruffy man in front of her had just declared himself the most switched-on artist she’d ever met. Not that she’d met many. But it didn’t matter, mysterious Carter just became even more intriguing. She tilted her head. “I’m impressed.”
He palmed his chest. “Why, thank you, Tiger Lily.”
“Tiger Lily? Really?”
“Yep, lethal yet sweet and innocent.” He laughed and she chuckled along with Carter as she scooped a mouthful of food. She liked the nickname; with six older brothers she’d certainly been called worse.
Once finished, Carter packed up the rest of their gear, while she wrestled Pompa back into his cage.
“Ready?” Carter asked, lifting his pack onto his back with a groan.
“Ready enough.”
They set off just as the sun speared light beams through the foliage. Within a couple of minutes, they stood on the cliff above the raging river and Lily welcomed being in the open air again.
The giant boulder that blocked the path yesterday was their first obstacle, and they had to return to the jungle to circumnavigate it. The rock was about the height of a bus and probably just as long. It was hard work pushing through lush plants and vines that’d flourished in the abundant moist air.
By the time they returned to the cliff edge, the sun was in full view and radiated heat with such ferocity that the exposed skin on her arms and neck burned. She pulled up her collar and rolled down her sleeves, yet it made little difference. Her nose and lips suffered the full brunt of it and no amount of sunblock seemed to help.
The river, still flowing several feet below, remained a frustrating predicament. So close and yet so far. Each time they turned away from the torrent to get around a fallen tree or giant boulder, she prayed that when they returned to the river, they’d be closer to the actual water. So far, her silent prayers had gone unanswered.
She sipped on her bottle in the hope it’d settle the hunger that snapped at her stomach like starving piranhas. But it didn’t. Eating the last of their rations earlier this morning now seemed like naïve foolishness.
A new sound caught her attention. It was a low hum, mixed with a repetitive beat. For a moment she wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her, but when Carter stopped, she knew he’d heard it too.
He spun to her; his eyes wide. “A motor! We’re saved.” He leaned over and their lips met, but then he snapped back as if she were a viper. “Sorry ʼbout that.” He looked horrified.
“It’s okay. This’s exciting.” The kiss was brief, way too brief, and as far as she was concerned it was fully justified.
He turned around and pushed on toward the noise.
With each step the sound increased, and she kept her gaze on the fast-flowing rapids, expecting to see their rescue boat at any time.
It wasn’t long before the sound drowned out her own ragged breathing and it became apparent that it wasn’t a boat making the noise. It was some kind of engine on the riverbank.
It was several more minutes before they arrived at the source of the noise. At the edge of the riverbank, high above the water, sat five water pumps lined up next to each other. They coughed black smoke and spewed water from cracked rigging as they sucked water from the river and pushed it into long black pipes that disappeared into the jungle.
Lily covered her palms over her ears to block out the sound, and when Carter turned to her she saw the confusion on his face. It wasn’t exactly the welcome party she’d hoped for, but it was the first sign of civilization they’d seen in days. She’d thought he’d be happy, but his expression didn’t convey that. Carter put Pompa down and tossed his pack onto the rocky ground. Lily dropped her bag too and used the water escaping from the pipe to wash her face and neck.
The cool water was a like a soothing balm.
Over Carter’s shoulder she saw a tall, straight plant and squealed with delight at the sight of it. Corn. One glorious, healthy, overburdened corn plant was thriving at the edge of the jungle. She strode to it, plucked off a cornhusk, tossed it toward Carter, and grabbed one for herself.
Lily peeled back the large green leaf protecting the plump yellow kernels inside, and her whole body seemed to sigh with relief as she bit into the sweet juicy cob. She gnawed her way up and down and once finished, plucked two more husks from the stalk.
Carter had yellow bits in his beard and teeth and they both grinned big, corn-filled smiles at each other as they devoured their second helping. When finished, Carter burped loud enough that she heard it over the motors. Chuckling, he rubbed his tummy, clearly satisfied.
