Deadly Twist, page 15
part #2 of Maximum Exposure Series
Lily took a large swig of water from her bottle, and swilled it around to try to remove the bits from her teeth. She fed her cob remains into Pompa’s cage, and he pecked at them with gusto. The poor bird was probably starving too.
Carter eased up beside her. “Ready to go again?” he yelled over the engine noise.
She nodded, returned to her pack, and reluctantly pulled it back on. Carter lifted Pompa, and they started following the snaking pipes back into the jungle. It wasn’t long before the din of the motors was consumed by the thick jungle again.
“I wonder if it’s a farm up here?” she asked once she thought Carter could hear her.
“I don’t really care. Any humans would be good.”
“I agree. Food, give me food.”
Carter laughed. “Do you ever stop thinking about food?”
“Nope. My mom says I have a bottomless stomach.”
“I believe her. Most women I meet are so worried about calories and fat or salt content that eating becomes a mathematical equation rather than enjoyment.”
“Pfft. I’d hate to worry like that. I love my food.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“Oh really?” She said it with the sarcasm it deserved. “We’ve barely eaten anything out here.”
“Lily, don’t take it the wrong way. It’s a delight to watch you eat. It’s a refreshing change.”
“Oh.” She wiped sweat off her temple. “That’s good then.”
The five pipes snaked under and over rocks and roots, and based on the plants growing around them, Lily assumed they’d been there a very long time. Back home on the farm, they were often changing irrigation pipes because they’d burst from heat, cold, or plant or animal damage. These, though, were so ingrained into the vegetation that they mustn’t have been changed in years.
After about fifteen minutes they stepped from the dense bush and into a corn plantation. The pipes disappeared into the stalks, and Carter and Lily had to barge their way through the hardy stalks to keep following them. If she’d thought virgin jungle was difficult to trek through, then this was downright torture.
Each plant she shoved aside bounced back and hit her arms, her face, her entire body. It was brutal, and the onslaught opened up the wounds on her palms and forearms that’d only just started to heal.
Mixed with the aroma of fresh corn was the stench of her own body odor, and she reflected that maybe Carter’s suggestion of a shower before eating wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Images of food kept her feet moving. But sheer exhaustion had Lily on the verge of tears when the terrain changed again. The corn stalks finished, and they entered a different plantation entirely. The stalks were much higher, bushier, and the star-shaped leaves were lush green. She was a couple of feet in when Carter spun to her, eyes wide.
Fear riddled his features.
He wrapped her in a bear hug and tackled her to the ground. “Jesus Christ, Lily!” He whispered, “We’re in a fucking marijuana plantation!”
“What?”
“Quick! We have to get out of here before someone sees us. But stay low.”
Lily’s heart was set to explode as she scrambled to her feet. Hunched over, she pushed through plants that were at least two feet taller than her.
Loud voices cut through the vegetation.
Carter pushed her shoulder. “Run!”
She ran. Her legs threatened to buckle beneath her as the plants whipped at her face like torture devices.
“Go! Go! Go!” Carter’s thumping footfalls were right behind her.
She ploughed into the cornfield and stumbled, slicing up her palms as she hit the rocky ground. Carter launched her upright and gripped her shoulder, his face two inches from hers.
“I’ll go first, but you stay right behind me. Got it?” The fear in his eyes cut to the bone.
She nodded. “Okay.”
More shouts reached them and she counted two men, maybe three. Then she heard a whizzing sound.
“Fuck! They’re shooting at us. For God’s sake, Lily, run!”
He barreled through the corn, cutting a crude path. She gritted her teeth, clenched her hands to tight fists and kept right on his tail. Adrenaline drove her on. Fear drove her crazy. The yelling grew louder. The whizzing sounds became more frequent. And the corn plantation lasted forever.
Her heart pounded, her legs pounded, and her brain pounded out what horrible things could happen if the men with the guns caught them.
It was an eternity before they escaped the cornfield and hit the dense jungle. Carter kept up his pace, and somehow Lily kept up with him. Fear was a powerful motivator.
“Drop your pack.”
“What?”
“Drop your backpack.” Carter tossed his pack aside, and that’s when she noticed Pompa was gone too.
“I’m fine.” She increased her pace to prove she could do it.
“Drop your fucking pack, Lily!”
“No!” She gritted her teeth.
Carter glared at her over his shoulder and she shook her head.
“Let it go!”
She hooked her thumbs into the shoulder straps, determined not to lose it.
A bullet whizzed over their heads and smacked into a branch above them.
“Fuck! Run!” Carter screamed.
Lily clenched her jaw and powered her legs. Her boots crunched over the uneven ground. Every so often she glanced at the pipes, grateful they had something to follow. But then a shocking thought hit her. If they followed the pipes, then the people chasing them knew which way they were going too.
And the pipes led to the river . . . a dead end.
Before she’d had a second thought, she heard the noisy beat of the overworked motors again. A bullet hit a branch to her right, splintering it in half. She screamed and crouched lower. Adrenaline drove her forward.
The clearing appeared out of nowhere, the five motors still spewed equal parts water and black smoke into the air. Carter turned to her, his face a combination of sweat and despair. And fear.
“What do we do now?” she yelled over the din.
“Give me your bag.” He reached for the strap and she dodged away.
“No. I’m not letting it go.” She clenched her jaw, showing her determination to keep it.
“Jesus Christ. Okay, but I hope you’re a good swimmer.”
“What?”
“We have to jump.”
“Jump? No way! I’m not jumping.”
“Yes, you are!” he grabbed her arm.
“What about crocodiles?” Lily stepped back and put all her strength into grounding her feet so he couldn’t drag her to the edge.
“The water’s flowing too fast for crocs.” The whites of his eyes blazed. “We have to jump, Lily. They’ll kill us.”
Her chin dimpled. “I can’t swim.”
“What?” He threw his hands wide. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding.”
She shook her head. Tears stung her eyes. “I can’t swim.” She spoke through clenched teeth.
A loud crack made them both duck. Sparks bounced off one of the engines.
“Give me your bag.” Carter grabbed it, and she couldn’t hold on to it this time.
To her surprise, he put the pack on his back. “Listen to me.” He clutched her chin, making her eyes meet his. “We’re doing this together. Take a huge breath, grab my hand. I promise I won’t let go.”
Her knees turned to jelly; her body was set to implode. Bile rose to her throat. The roar of the motors disappeared and all she heard was her heart thumping out a terrified beat.
“Lily.” He clutched her hand in a viselike grip. “I won’t let go.”
“Okay.”
He dragged her to the edge. “Ready?”
She shook her head. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t jump. She turned to him. “Push me. You have to push me. I can’t jump.”
Carter nodded. “Okay. When you hit the water, kick as hard as you can for the surface. I’ll find you, Lily, just get to the surface. Okay?”
She nodded, but wondered in that instant if drowning was how she was going to die.
Another bullet whizzed by, this one just missing her ear.
“Hold your breath.”
Lily sucked in a giant gulp of air. Carter gave her an almighty push, and she screamed until she hit the river. Any air she had left punched out of her on impact. Pain ripped up her legs and forearms as they hit the river with a solid slap. She swallowed water. Lots of it. Blackness surrounded her. Her lungs burned; her eyes stung.
Against all instincts, she forced her eyes open. Everything was blurry but a bright light called to her, showing her the way. She kicked and clawed with her hands, seeking fresh air.
She launched through the surface and gasped in the freshness, sucking it in with great painful breaths. The water tumbled over her head and rushed her along at what seemed like a hundred miles an hour, past fallen trees that lined the riverbank. Rocks and hidden branches beneath the water clawed at her legs and back, shredding her skin at every opportunity. But the thing that scared her the most was that Carter was nowhere to be seen.
“Carter!” she screamed.
She heard nothing but the roar of the water. The current smashed her into a wall of rocks that drove up out of the water like a giant blade. Her shirt tore, and her skin sliced on impact. She screamed with the pain.
“Carter! Help!”
At the mercy of the torrent, she tumbled over and over, swallowing mouthfuls as she gasped for air. It was cruel irony after craving water just days ago. She tried to control her direction, but it was pointless.
The fact that she was alive was a miracle. The fact that she could float was yet another. The only other miracle she needed was to find Carter.
“Carter!” She screamed his name until her throat burned. Fighting back the useless tears, she glanced right to left, searching the white caps.
But he was nowhere.
Golden sun blazed upon her, blinding her with its fury. It didn’t matter how much she fought the current, the water was relentless, dragging her to an unknown destination. The river widened, and with it came a slight reprieve. The water slowed and the rapids disappeared.
Unable to fight the current any longer, she rolled onto her back and spread her arms. To her surprise she remembered how to float. Her parents had attempted to give her swimming lessons as a child, but endless ear infections ended the training before she could even master treading water. Floating was the total extent of her swimming skills. She glanced up at the cotton-wool clouds that contrasted beautifully against the bright blue backdrop. A sense of peace enveloped her and she stopped struggling against the water’s insistent clutches.
After a while she glanced to her right and what she saw made her jaw drop.
She blinked and wiped water from her eyes, trying to get a clearer picture. And there it was—a replica of the circular statue that was drawn in her father’s journal was carved into what looked like an entrance to a cave.
Before she could really study it, she’d drifted right past. A wave tumbled over her head, covering her in a wall of water. She wondered if she was drowning and what she’d seen was just an apparition.
Her ankle smashed into a giant rock and she howled at the agony. The pain was the jolt she needed to get her brain into gear again.
She lifted her head to avoid smashing into another rock and spied a fallen tree jutting out from the bank. This was her chance. If she caught it, she was going to hang on to the damn thing like her life depended on it . . . which it did.
The half-submerged tree came at lightning speed and Lily hit it chest-first. She clawed at the branches, desperate for purchase, but the force of the water dragged her down. Her boots and legs sucked beneath the trunk. Her arms and head were the only part of her body above the water.
“Carter!” she screamed.
She clutched at the branches until her fingers bled. Tears blurred her vision.
She was going to die.
Then she thought of her brothers, her friends, her boss, and her mother, who’d all tried to talk her out of going to the Mexican jungle alone.
“I’m not dying, you bastards!” Lily shrieked.
She had two choices. Let go of the tree, get sucked under, and hopefully pop out the other side and continue floating down the river. The second choice was to pull her ass up out of the water.
“I can do this.” Lily reached for the gnarly remains of a branch. She clenched her teeth and kicked with all her might to haul herself up onto the tree. Inch by inch, she dragged her sodden body from the water. With one final gasp, she flopped onto dry land.
As fresh blood mingled with water and trickled down her legs, Lily burst into tears.
Chapter Fourteen
Carter waited until Lily plunged into the water before he jumped. But he was a second too late. He screamed in agony as a spear of fire ripped through his left hip. As he tumbled into the river, he knew he’d been shot. He hit the water broadside, smashing his legs and the side of his face like he’d smacked into solid concrete. Beneath the turbulence he struggling to find the surface.
He swallowed water—great bloody mouthfuls of it—and his lungs burned, seeking air that was impossible to get. Around him, the water swirled blood and froth and silvery bubbles that floated upward. His brain kicked into gear. Follow the bubbles!
Carter clawed for the surface, fighting bolts of pain in his left hip. He kicked harder, desperation driving him upward. His lungs screamed; his vision blurred. It was an eternity before he shot into fresh air and sucked huge gulps into his lungs.
A giant rock materialized from nowhere and he smashed into it feetfirst. His legs bore the brunt of the impact and he howled at the new onslaught. The water was fast, much faster than he’d predicted, and his thoughts snapped to Lily.
“Lily!” Now that he fully appreciated the power of the torrent, his fear for her hit a whole new level. He pushed off the rock, aimed his feet downriver, and allowed himself to be sucked into the middle flow again.
“Lily!” He screamed her name until his throat burned.
He bounced off hidden rocks beneath the water and exposed ones above, with equal intensity. Every collision created a new bruise, and if he didn’t get out of here soon, he was likely to break a bone or two.
Lily’s pack snagged on something, jerking him back and allowing volumes of water to crash over his head. Pinned in the middle of the river, he was sucked under. He thrashed and fought against invisible hands that trapped him. The smart thing to do would be to let the pack go, but he couldn’t. Whatever was in there was important to Lily, and that made it important to him. With a couple of mammoth kicks, he twisted his torso, fighting to roll onto this stomach. It worked, and whatever had snagged him, set him free.
The current grabbed and hurtled him along with renewed vigor.
Control was impossible, but he needed to get out of the fast-flowing current and nearer the riverbank. Fighting the agony in his hip, he swam toward the left bank of the river. His only hope was that he’d be able to latch on to something, but with the speed of the water he was already doubtful.
A gnarly shrub clinging to the edge of the bank farther down caught his eye, and he made a decision to go for it. He rolled onto his stomach, kicked, and paddled like fury to reach it before he zipped right on past.
Carter grabbed it, clutching at the rough branches with a viselike grip. His legs whipped around in the current and speared into the half-submerged bush. Splinters of wood pierced his flesh but he didn’t let go. He climbed up the shrub and heaved his body out of the river.
Weaving through the bushes, he dragged himself from the water’s edge and crumbled into an exhausted heap on the rocky ground.
“Lily.” Her name whispered off his lips.
His heart shattered into a million pieces as he pictured her caught in that swirling water.
Dragging himself upright, he clutched at a nearby tree for support, stood at the river’s edge, and screamed her name over and over. All he heard was the relentless rush of water. Searching the opposite side of the river, he begged for a glimpse of her and yet at the same time dreaded what he’d see. With the amount of trouble he’d had in the water, he had absolutely no comprehension how Lily would’ve coped. Tears stung his eyes as he pictured her beautiful face beneath the water, gasping for air.
“Lily! Where the fuck are you?”
He stumbled along the water’s edge, calling out, and every couple of feet he stopped to inspect both sides of the river. Soon his body quivered like jelly, and he couldn’t stand a moment more.
“Fuck!” he screamed and crumbled to the ground. He was pretty sure he was heading into shock and that wasn’t good.
Blurry visions of Lily, the rooster, snakes, and giant trees swirled around him like they were apparitions. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing in an attempt to steady his thumping heart.
Carter blinked his eyes open. With a jolt he realized he’d fallen asleep. If his darkened surroundings were any way to judge, then he’d slept for some time. It also meant he was in trouble. The sun was setting.
He went to sit up, but the weight of Lily’s pack pinned him down. He tugged it off and howled in agony when he rolled to sit.
Sucking in short, sharp breaths, he tried to ward off the pain. The trees around him set off in a slow spin and nausea rushed through him like a tidal wave. He splayed his legs out before him and threw up gushes of water and what little else remained in his stomach.
When the queasiness subsided, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He glanced down at his pants and cringed at the blood staining his left hip. The jagged hole at the center confirmed what he already knew. He’d been shot. The only good news was it looked like the bullet had gone clean through. That was encouraging; maybe his injury wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.
He turned toward the water, searching for signs of life.
“Lily.” His voice was nothing more than a pained croak. He rolled his tongue around his mouth, trying to produce moisture, but it was futile.
Rolling onto his back, he undid the zip on his pants and peeled them open. His heart lurched to his throat at the sight. He’d seen bullet wounds before, many of them fatal. This wasn’t lethal, but if he didn’t do something to stop the bleeding and possible infection, it might become so.
