Out of Reach

by Kendall Talbot

  The sooner he finished this assignment and got going again, the better.

  Chapter 5

  Lily crawled out of her tent before daybreak, and using the flashlight her brother had given her, moved to the edge of the bushes to relieve herself. Before she finished, she heard another tent zipper. She flicked off her light and tried to hurry up. Footsteps crunched in her direction.

  “Can you wait a minute, please?”

  “Oh, sorry. Didn’t know you were there.” Carter cleared his throat. “You’re up early.”

  She would’ve preferred him to walk away, but instead she replied, “Always.”

  “Are you a morning person too? It’s the best part of the day, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, yes it is.” Lily finished, pulled up her pants, and scurried from the spot before she turned the flashlight back on and headed toward his light.

  “How’d you sleep?” He wore dark shorts . . . only dark shorts, and her light illuminated finely toned muscles lining his stomach. She decided he was younger than she’d originally thought.

  “Great.” It was the truth. Lily could sleep anywhere; it was one of her talents. Even noisy monkeys and buzzing insects wouldn’t stop her. “How about you?”

  “It was okay; the damn monkeys woke me a few times.”

  “Huh, I didn’t hear them.” Despite their limited light, she saw his raised eyebrows, and shrugged. “I’ve always been a good sleeper.”

  “You must be. At one point I thought the buggers were fighting right outside our tents.”

  “Oh. I missed it.”

  He screwed up his face. “Lucky you. Excuse me. Need to use the bushes.”

  He walked toward the trees and Lily turned her attention to the fire. She squatted down and prodded the ashes. Small red embers still burned beneath a lump of charred wood, and using a stick, she cleared the ash to expose the glowing coals. She reached for the kindling Otomi had foraged from the surrounding bushes the night before. Snapping the branches across her thigh, she layered them onto the embers in a crisscross pattern. The heat grabbed, and soon flames licked up through the twig stack. She was placing progressively larger sticks onto the blazing fire when Carter returned.

  “Wow. You did that quick.”

  “My brothers and I did a lot of camping. We used to fight over who lit the fire.”

  “Ha. There’s nothing like staring into dancing flames.” He flopped onto the grass and gazed at the fire, seemingly mesmerized.

  She blinked at him, surprised by his poetic words.

  “You know that’s rude, don’t you?”

  She snapped her eyes away. “What?”

  “Staring.” His mischievous grin said he was pleased he’d caught her.

  “Sorry.” She turned her attention back to wood stacking and hoped he wouldn’t notice the heat blazing up her cheeks.

  The sun was only just illuminating the horizon when Otomi’s tent zipper rolled up and he stepped out, rubbing his eyes. “You up early. I thought you sleep more.” The rooster crowed from inside the tent.

  “We’ve discovered we’re both morning people.” Carter scratched his fingers through a small patch of chest hair. “You can go back to sleep if you want.”

  “No, it okay. I get food ready.”

  “Yes, please,” Lily said.

  “No hurry,” Carter said at exactly the same time.

  Lily met Carter’s gaze and they burst out laughing.

  Otomi chuckled too. “I think you lose. Lily is hungry.”

  “I’m always hungry,” she admitted. “Don’t go to any trouble.”

  “It not take long.” Yawning, Otomi headed into the bushes.

  Carter stood and disappeared into his tent. Moments later, he emerged carrying his camera. He walked down to the boat, which was only just visible in the dawn light. He sat cross-legged on the grass and peered through the lens. With his camera aimed toward the golden horizon, he sat perfectly still and Lily heard a series of clicks as he photographed the first rays of sunshine over the distant jungle.

  With the sun’s arrival came a slight breeze that coaxed away the morning mist that’d hovered over the river like fluffy balls of cotton. Otomi brought the rooster out, and the bird ruffled its feathers and pecked away at the grass. Their guide went down to the river with the pot from last night, filled it with water and then placed it on the fire.

  “You’re not using that water, are you?” She grew up boiling the water from the creek to rid it of impurities, but her water had been clear, not muddy like this.

  Otomi blinked at her. “Yes. Cook rice.”

  Her stomach squirmed. “But it’s dirty.”

  “We boil it.” When Otomi smiled she wondered if that explained his stained teeth.

  “We had it last night.” Carter peered at her, clearly amused.

  Lily flitted her gaze from the river to the pot and her stomach flipped, as though it knew what the men had said. But she couldn’t cope without food, so devoid of any other choice, she watched Otomi’s cooking with skepticism. He tossed in dried spices that he’d secured in a little ziplock bag, and twenty minutes later their rice with tomatoes and black beans was served. After a few tentative bites, she decided it was acceptable and promptly devoured the entire plateful.

  After breakfast, they packed their camping gear back into the boat, pushed off from the shore and scooted upstream, cutting through the final threads of the remaining mist. Despite the early hour, the heat already produced sweat on her forehead and under her arms. Mexico was gearing up for another hot and humid day, and she made a mental note to check her deodorant frequently.

  Their cruise to the next stop was uneventful, and within six hours, Otomi pulled into another levy along the Mexican side of the river. This one was a replica of the last, except for a series of stone steps that led up into the bush and disappeared among the thick vegetation.

  She turned to Otomi. “Are we nearly there?”

  “We hike up to Yaxchilan.” He pointed to the steep stairway. “We stay there tonight. Tomorrow we go to Agulinta.”

  Otomi lashed the boat to the shore, and Lily and Carter jumped out. Their guide then handed over all the necessary equipment and they placed it on the shore.

  Carter cocked his eyebrow at her. “You know we have to carry this stuff up that hill.”

  “I know.” She thrust her chin at him.

  “It’s a steep climb.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Her internet research had provided plenty of information regarding the steep hike to Yaxchilan. It was the trek from Yaxchilan to Agulinta that’d lacked any details.

  Otomi handed a tent to Carter, and he passed it her way with a cocky grin. “We could save on weight by sharing a tent.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Hmmm, no thanks.”

  “I hope you don’t regret that decision.”

  “I won’t.” She took the weight of the rolled-up canvas, and realizing she’d be carrying it as well as her own pack, hoped he wasn’t right.

  If she’d had more time to prepare for this trip, she would’ve done much more physical training. She wasn’t unfit. Lily went to her local gym four mornings each week, but a hike like this while carrying extra weight was going to test her, and she knew it.

  They divided up the cooking equipment, food, and water, and by the time she loaded up everything, and shoved her father’s journal and her leather satchel into her pack, Lily estimated she was carrying an extra twenty to twenty-five pounds.

  She turned her attention to the steep steps cutting through the thick vegetation only to vanish high above them. Each stone block had a slight depression in the top, the result of centuries of use.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind on the tent.” Carter’s smug grin suggested he doubted her ability.

  She flashed a confident smile. “I’ll be
fine.”

  Otomi picked up the rooster cage and turned to them. “Who wants to go first?”

  “I will.” Carter didn’t hesitate and headed to the base of the steps like a man on a mission. The heavy-looking camera hooked around his neck hung low on his hip, and swung back and forth with each movement.

  Otomi indicated for Lily to go next. She placed her foot on the first step, put her head down, and climbed. Unlike normal steps, the risers were very high. Lily’s wounded kneecaps stung with each step, but soon the pain took a back seat as she concentrated on lifting her feet so she didn’t crash face-first. The difficulty didn’t stop there, though. The higher they went, the mossier the uneven stones became, adding slipperiness to the equation. Lily found it impossible to take in her surroundings; all she saw was step after mossy step.

  She applied insect repellant and deodorant without breaking stride. Before long, sweat trickled down her lower back and under her arms, her thighs and knees burned, and her breathing grew labored. Yet the steps continued.

  It was like climbing up to hell.

  A monkey released its terrifying screech, and she used the distraction as an excuse to stop. It sounded very close, and Lily looked up to see if she could spot it among the foliage. The patchwork of green and brown above her was so dense she couldn’t even see the sky, which was a blessing, because without the shade it’d be unbearable.

  Otomi reached her and stopped to wipe his forehead.

  “What type of monkey was that?” She pointed to the trees.

  “Howler monkey.”

  Lily understood how it got its name. She lifted her water bottle from her hip and gulped back two refreshing mouthfuls, then she adjusted her backpack and started up the hill again.

  If only her family could see her now . . . in the middle of the jungle with two strangers, carrying her own food, clothes, and tent, and watched by wild monkeys. It was times like this when she wished she was great at photography. This was once-in-a-lifetime stuff, and she’d need to rely on her memory to relive it.

  It seemed like hours before the steps stopped and an upward sloping path took over. Her legs appreciated the change of terrain.

  A dull roar echoed from the trees around her, and at first she thought it was an animal, but the sound remained consistent. With each turn in the path it became louder, and when a fine mist blanketed the air she realized they were approaching a waterfall. Based on how loud it was, it had to be a big one. Just the thought of a refreshing splash on her face put energy back into her pace.

  She ducked under an old log that’d fallen across the path so long ago it was covered in moss. The path widened ahead to reveal a giant rock edifice that rose dozens of feet in the air. Water spurted over the top and cascaded in a fireworks of white water onto the rocks below before it joined a stream that meandered through the vegetation and disappeared.

  “’Bout time you got here,” Carter called out.

  Lily searched for the source of the voice, found his gear at the water’s edge, and then found Carter sitting on a rock beneath the tumbling waterfall.

  The scene was heavenly, and the stream called to her like it had its own voice. She wanted to get in that water. Needed it. But she hadn’t brought her bathing suit. The dilemma was short-lived as resolve took over. Lily dumped her gear next to Carter’s, and without a second thought stripped down to her underwear and strode to the water’s edge. She was grateful that for once she’d worn matching black bra and underpants, and not a G-string like usual. Not that it mattered—with how sweaty and disgusting she felt, she would’ve stripped down anyway.

  She had no intention of swimming, but the cascading shower, on the other hand, was exactly what she needed. With careful footing, she did a balancing act on the rocks to make her way around the edge of the pool. The damp air brought her body temperature down from the furnace it had reached when she’d first stepped off the path.

  “Come on, it’s wonderful.” Carter stood up on a rock and held his arms out like the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The tumbling water bounced off his head, shoulders, and biceps, almost swallowing him in the cascade.

  With each step Lily took, the water increased from a light mist to a full-on shower. The pressure became immense as she climbed onto the rock beside Carter. It pounded her body, washing away days of sweat and grime. She pulled her hair out of the band and let it fall down her back to wash clean.

  Carter dove off the rock into the pool of water and her breath caught in her throat. She counted the seconds until he resurfaced. Seven seconds later he did, with a big cheesy grin that he directed at her.

  “Come in. The water’s beautiful.”

  She waved him away. “No thanks, I’ll be fine.”

  “Come on.”

  “No, this is good enough for me.”

  “Your loss.” He lay on his back, floating, and used his hands to paddle himself around in lazy circles.

  Lily stayed in the natural shower until her body temperature returned to normal. When her fingers were all wrinkly, she stone-hopped her way back to their gear. While watching Carter swim laps around the pool, she ran her fingers through her hair and squeezed out the excess water. She had no idea where Otomi was, but her hunger pangs were demanding attention again, and she hoped he was preparing food.

  Carter rolled onto his stomach, breast-stroked across the pond, and stepped out. “How good was that?”

  “It’s magic. I was so ready for a shower.”

  “Yeah, me too.” He touched his nose and she knew exactly what he meant. Before she’d slid into the cool water, she’d caught a whiff of her own stale body odor. It wasn’t pleasant. Lily made a mental note to apply more deodorant before they headed out again.

  Otomi appeared from the bushes carrying three plates of food.

  “Oh, excellent, thank you.” She accepted the meal, placed it on a rock at her side, and looked through her bag for the small towel she’d packed. After a quick dry-off, she sat cross-legged on the grass and reached for her food. Once again, the meal consisted of beans, tomatoes, and rice, topped with a thick slice of what looked like corn bread.

  Her first thought was, Where’s the meat? Her second was, This isn’t enough.

  She tried to take her time, savoring every mouthful, but she was so famished she finished before both men. Lily was close to asking for seconds when Otomi offered extra slices of corn bread to each of them, which she gratefully accepted.

  Once finished, Otomi announced it was time to go. They washed the dishes, filled their water bottles, loaded up their gear again, and set off in single file along a different path that Lily hadn’t noticed. Carter led the way again, and disappeared up and over the slope before she’d even found her rhythm.

  Buzzing insects had her removing her triple-strength insect repellant from the Velcro pocket in her cargo pants and rolling it onto her exposed skin. It didn’t take long to get sweaty and disgusting again, and she no longer felt the invigoration she’d enjoyed after the swim. The overgrown vegetation was a repeat of the landscape they’d trekked through all morning. The only difference was the path was slightly wider, which meant occasionally the sun shone through gaps in the canopy like laser beams, momentarily blinding her.

  A monkey hung down from a branch to reach for a bunch of black berries, and she stopped to admire the cute little thing for a moment or two. It seemed oblivious to her attention and carried on picking the fruit and eating while upside-down.

  She moved on, and the sloping path quickly became steps again, which were just as weathered as those in the first section they’d climbed. Every step upward required concentration, and with each bend in the path, the jungle heat intensified. Her body melted, dribbling sweat from everywhere. She prayed there was another waterfall at the top, but at the same time didn’t want to lay too much hope on that miracle.

  Finally, they reached a section of st
airs where, based on the amount of sunshine at the top, looked like they might’ve arrived. She hooked her thumbs into the straps on her pack and stormed up the incline.

  At the top, the last ounce of her breath evaporated as she scanned the magical scene. Two enormous trees served as gatekeepers to the ancient ruins beyond them. Where the jungle stopped the buildings started.

  She walked between the trees and entered a magnificent archaeological site.

  Dozens of buildings were scattered around, all in different states of decay. The ruins spread wide and high, extending much farther than she’d anticipated. This initial sighting already made the arduous hike worth it. An iguana the size of her forearm basked on a giant flat rock adorning the well-worn path toward the first temple. The lizard was a rust color and sat so still that she wondered if it was real.

  A large central grassy area was surrounded by several stone ruins. Some were just sets of stairs topped with piles of rubble; others were buildings that stood several stories high.

  The trees dotted throughout the ancient city were enormous, and she half expected Indiana Jones to come swinging into action at any second. Otomi led the way, explaining the ruins with an obvious passion that surprised her. So far, she’d had the impression that their guide was here by default, but based on his seemingly extensive knowledge, he’d been here many times. As they traipsed from one ancient building to the next, she truly felt as if she’d entered a lost city that’d been miraculously recovered from the relentless creep of the vegetation.

  He explained how the site itself was perched atop a high bluff overlooking a horseshoe-shaped section of the Usumacinta River. The location was perfect for defending against attack on all sides, except for one narrow strip of land on the southern approach. The success of the position had allowed the Mayan city to thrive by controlling trade, and of course, taxing goods being transported along the river.

  After the guided tour, Otomi offered to sit with their gear while Carter and Lily explored the ruins. It was a huge relief to finally remove her pack, and Lily’s back welcomed both the lack of weight and the fresh air. She took out her satchel containing her pad and pen, and when Carter went one way, Lily went the other.