Out of Reach

by Kendall Talbot

  “No, we have to get it. My passport’s in there.”

  “Lily!” He bulged his eyes at her.

  “If anything happened to my family because of me, I couldn’t live with myself.”

  “Nothing’s going to—” Carter clutched her arm. “Shhh.” He pointed forward. A man walked between the fire and the hut on the right.

  In the firelight, there was no missing the rifle slung over his shoulder. The man stopped at the edge of the clearing and parted his legs. Although Carter couldn’t be certain, he figured the man was pissing into the bushes.

  Once finished, he adjusted the gun over his shoulder and walked back around the fire, returning to his two mates. Just before the man sat down the music ramped up, indicating he must’ve dialed the volume higher.

  “Now do you see why we need to go?” He spoke in a forceful whisper.

  “I’m not going without my pack.” Her eyes narrowed. Her lips pursed.

  He shook his head, gearing up for a fight.

  She squeezed his forearm. “I’m doing this with or without you.”

  “Lily, this’s fucking stupid. They have guns.”

  “I don’t care. If I don’t get it, I’ll spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.”

  He clenched his fists and racked his brain for inspiration to convince her otherwise. “You watch too many movies.”

  “I’m not joking, Carter.”

  “Neither was I. Besides, your passport may not even be in there.”

  “It’s hidden in a zipper that’s hard to see, so I’ll take my chances.”

  “Lily . . .”

  “Look, we have two choices,” she said. “Go now while those men are busy, or wait until they sleep.”

  “Lily,” he pleaded.

  “You won’t talk me out of it.” She fisted her hips.

  He believed her. If there was one thing he knew about Lily, it was her dogged determination. He reached for her hands and she clutched her palms to his. “Getting your pack could get us killed.”

  “We’ve lived so far.”

  “That doesn’t make us invincible.”

  “Will you stop, please? I’m getting my bag. You can stay here.”

  He sighed. “You know I won’t do that.”

  “So help me figure out how to get it.”

  He let out a big breath. “This is stupid.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

  “Thank me once we have the damn pack.”

  “I’ll more than thank you.”

  He tilted his head. She was sexy as hell. Even with mosquito bites dotted on her cheeks, and her hair in a scrambled mess.

  Carter turned back to the clearing. “Let’s think this through.”

  “Okay.”

  The men were seated between the two huts, obstructing their view of the whole clearing. In the middle of the clearing, the fire gave enough light to see the front of both huts, but not much else. The river was down to the left. “We could skirt the riverbank and come up the other side.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “Really?” he said it sarcastically. “What else did you think?”

  She blinked up at him. “I think you’re wonderful for helping me.”

  “Or bloody stupid.”

  “Awww, don’t be like that.”

  Ignoring his chilling instincts, he turned back to the clearing. The men were still in their chairs, smoking, and the music was loud enough that maybe they’d go unnoticed. That was a big fucking maybe. Everything they’d been through, every injury they’d overcome, it might all end here. But Lily would do something stupid if he didn’t help. Of that he was certain.

  He had to do this, for her sake.

  His heart galloped as he seized Lily’s hand. “Stay down.”

  Leading Lily, he left their viewing spot and headed toward the river. A dense patch of wiry plants made the direct route impossible, so they backtracked a bit before they reached the water again.

  The moon reflected off the flowing river as slivers of shifting light and a slight breeze drifted over the water, licking the sweat off his forehead and cooling him down. At the water’s edge, Carter knelt on the ground and pulled the bits and pieces from his shirt. “Let’s offload anything that’s not essential, and finish off these bananas.”

  He handed her a banana, and as they munched away on the dense fruit he tried to formulate a plan. “Okay, when we get there, you’re going to stay by the river and I’ll sneak up and grab the pack.”

  Her eyes squinted, and he sensed her looming objection.

  “If you want my help, this is it. If anything happens, you need to run. Lily, I mean it—promise me you’ll run.”

  She closed her eyes, inhaled a deep breath, and then opened them again. “Okay.” She nodded.

  Carter cupped her cheeks. “Promise me, Lily.”

  It was a long moment before she nodded. “I promise.”

  He touched his lips to hers, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. Each time she was in his arms, he felt like he was home, and despite days lost in the jungle, she still had a delicious scent.

  Carter eased back. “Okay, so once I get the pack, we’ll carry on downstream. With this moonlight, we should be able to walk for a few hours. Agreed?”

  “Yep. Agreed.”

  The plan was stupid. One hundred percent idiotic. But he’d seen determination written all over her. The fire in her eyes. The way her mouth drew to a thin line. Her clenched fists. If he didn’t help her, she’d do it without him.

  And that was more stupid.

  Lily grabbed her four-pronged spear, Carter clutched his rusty hammer, and they set off along the riverbank again. Compared to some of the jungle they’d traversed so far, the trek was relatively easy. The ground was fairly flat, and they didn’t have giant boulders or shrubs to navigate.

  The river tumbled along relentlessly. Insects droned monotonously in his ears and the occasional bird added to the chorus. Music still floated through the air, as did the occasional waft of smoke, but other than that everything appeared safe.

  And that’s what scared the crap out of him.

  A strange shape in the water caught Carter’s eye, and he just about cheered at the sight of it. He crouched and tugged Lily down with him. “Boats, Lily, look.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “This’s it. We’re getting out of here.”

  “With my pack.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I’m not going without it.” Her eyes darkened, her beautiful mouth twitched with resolve.

  His stomach twisted. His head pounded. She was impossible.

  Armed with rage, he raised his hammer and edged forward.

  The boats were against the shore, courtesy of the current. They were bigger than he’d first thought, about twelve feet long and five feet across at their widest points. When he spied their motors, he fist-pumped the air. This was definitely their ticket out of there.

  Something wrapped around his throat.

  Carter gasped and swung the hammer.

  It was a couple of frantic heartbeats before he realized it was a rope. He jerked it away, furious that he’d overreacted. The rope was securing the boats to a nearby tree. Nothing more.

  “Fucking hell,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

  “Are you okay?”

  He let out a gush of air. “Yeah, the damn rope got me.” His thundering heart drowned out the music and his head spun from both anger and exertion.

  He ducked under the rope and squatted at the water’s edge. In the moonlight he made out a pair of oars positioned across two seats.

  “Okay, can you untie the ropes?”

  “I’m not going without—”

  “Lily!” He sho
t her a furious glare. “Untie the fucking ropes.”

  She planted her feet. Anger seethed in her eyes.

  He hadn’t meant to swear. Confusion, insanity, anxiety, and most of all fear, were hijacking his emotions. Clenching his fists to stop the trembling, he forced calm to his body. “We’re not leaving without the pack. Okay?”

  Her shoulders relaxed, and with one hand on the rope she followed it up to the tree. Carter’s heart thumped in his ears as he leaned over and clutched the side of the boat. The ropes slackened and moments later, Lily returned.

  “I’m sorry I made you mad.” Her voice quivered, but he chose to ignore it. He had to keep moving before his resolve shattered.

  “It’s okay, come on, let’s get rid of this boat so they can’t chase us, and we’ll keep the other one for us.”

  Together, they manipulated the first boat so the back end nudged against the shore and the front pointed downstream. They gave it a shove and it glided out toward the middle, and within seconds it caught in the current and disappeared from view.

  He tugged Lily down and they listened together in silence. Satisfied they’d gone unnoticed, he wrapped his hand around her wrist. “Stay here, I’m going to take another look.”

  “I’ll come—”

  “Lily!”

  “Two pairs of eyes are better than one.” Even in the moonlight her clenched jaw was noticeable.

  “You’re one of the most stubborn women I’ve ever known.”

  “Thank you.”

  “It’s not a compliment.”

  “Well I think it is.”

  He huffed out a sigh. It was clear she wouldn’t relent. “Stay beside me.”

  She saluted. “Yes, boss.”

  Ignoring her sassiness, he clutched her arm and side by side they climbed the small embankment. If there was some kind of track up from the river, they’d obviously missed it and as he pushed through the bushes, he tried to commit the way he was going to memory.

  At the crest they crouched among the shrubs. It was a few more heartbeats before he saw the flash of flames, enabling him to orientate himself. The music seemed to bounce from every angle, but he couldn’t hear the men at all. Peering beyond the fire, it was impossible to see if they were still seated between the buildings.

  “Oh my God,” Lily whispered. “There’s Pompa.” She pointed to their left, about fifteen feet away.

  He spied the rooster halfway between them and the fire. His cage was on its side, yet he looked to be roosting, seemingly unfazed by his toppled cage.

  “We have to get him.”

  He bulged his eyes at her. “Like hell we do.”

  “We have to. Think of Otomi. Think of Otomi’s wife.”

  “It’s a fucking bird.”

  “A bird that meant a lot to Otomi’s family. We have to rescue him.”

  Carter clenched and unclenched his jaw. “You’re being irrational. Besides, he doesn’t look like he needs rescuing.”

  “They’re probably getting ready to roast him on that fire.”

  “Lily, we’re not getting the fucking bird and that’s not negotiable.” He spoke through clenched teeth.

  The moonlight enhanced the anger simmering in her eyes and he heard her swallow.

  “I’m not risking our lives for a bird, but trust me, I’ll make sure Otomi’s family is looked after. Understand?”

  “Okay.” She huffed out a sigh. “Okay.”

  “Good, let’s get the boat ready.” He eased back from the crest and wove through the bushes toward the river. A crack of gunfire had them both dropping to the ground, but laughter in the distance quickly followed, convincing Carter the bullets hadn’t been aimed at them.

  He stood again. “Let’s turn the boat around.” They repeated the move they’d done on the first boat, positioning the craft for a quick getaway. Carter could barely breathe, yet Lily appeared calm, as if they were about to take a romantic paddle.

  He handed her the rope. “Here’s what’s going to happen.” He waited until she met his gaze. “I’ll grab your pack. While I’m gone, you get ready to jump into the boat the second I return. I’ll throw you the bag, and then push the boat out and jump in. Hopefully we’ll get away unnoticed. Got it?”

  “Got it.” She clutched his arm, her fingers like a vise. “Be careful.” Her eyes were hauntingly beautiful in this moonlight, and if he’d had his camera, this would’ve been the shot of the day.

  With a clenched jaw he grabbed the hammer, then took one last look at Lily before he turned his back on her and headed back up the embankment. By the time he reached the top his breathing was ragged and loud, too loud, and he took a moment to pause, crouch down, and settle his nerves.

  He wasn’t cut out for the hero shit.

  Yet there he was. Fetching Lily’s pack. The absurdity of it had him choking back laughter.

  His mind filled with the image of the moon reflecting in Lily’s pleading eyes. He’d do it for her. Hell, he’d do anything for her.

  The music still bounced around the bushes, louder now, but other than that, everything seemed quiet. Except for his thumping heart. And his tortured breathing. He closed his eyes, counted to ten, then fisted the hammer, stood, and carried on.

  Utilizing the cover of the bushes, he crept to the left of the fire and paused again, listening as he scanned the clearing. Everything was calm.

  From this angle he couldn’t see the men, but every once in a while a puff of smoke indicated they remained seated between the two huts.

  That was a good sign. From where they were, they wouldn’t be able to see him.

  Carter inhaled, long and deep, and let it out slowly. He held out his trembling fingers and willed them to stop, inhaling and slowly letting out the shaky breaths three times.

  This was it. The point of insanity had arrived.

  He glanced around. Everything was still. A thumping drum solo erupted from the shadows between the huts. He couldn’t have asked for better cover. Now or never. He sucked in a deep breath. Dug his toes into the ground.

  And dashed across the clearing.

  The second he grabbed the pack, he spun on his heel to run away, but tripped over the strap and fell to his knees. Something in the pack clanged and the sound was as loud as gunfire.

  His brain hit panic mode.

  The next sound Carter heard set his heart to explode. Dogs.

  He pushed off the dirt and ran. Fast. The pack swung in one hand. The hammer clenched in the other. With every stride, the barking dogs grew louder. He hit the bushes at breakneck speed, jumped into the darkness, and kept on running.

  The dogs sounded vicious and huge, and Carter pictured at least fifty of them. They crashed through the bushes behind him, gnashing teeth and growling like the devil.

  An explosion of gunshots rang out, as did angry shouts. His damn knees threatened to buckle beneath him as he launched down the embankment.

  “I’m coming, Lily!” he screamed. “There’s dogs. Get ready.”

  He launched onto the riverbank, pain ripped across his knees, and a big black dog landed at his side. Carter tossed the pack into the boat and to his horror, Lily charged at the beast with her spear.

  A glint of steel flashed in the moonlight.

  The dog howled.

  Carter grabbed her hand. “Get in the fucking boat.”

  She did, launching her long legs over the side in one swift move.

  He pegged the hammer at a snarling beast and when it hit the dog behind the ear, it howled and scampered away. Carter pushed the boat from the shore and dove over the side. But he mistimed it. His chest hit the side. His feet hit the water. He glanced back. Two dogs were menacing nightmares at the river’s edge, barking and baring teeth, barely inches from his feet.

  Lily clutched at his shirt, and he scrambled up the side of the boat
and flopped into the bottom.

  “Paddle!” He launched to his feet, shoved an oar at Lily, and she grabbed it, sat down, and dug the blade into the water. Driving his oar in too, they aimed for the middle of the river. Then he spied the birdcage. He couldn’t fucking believe it. She’d saved Pompa. He was as furious as he was dismayed by her actions. Nothing could justify risking her life to save the stupid bird.

  Seconds after leaving shore, the current took and they eased away from the riverbank. With their element of surprise all gone, there was no need to keep quiet. Carter launched at the motor. The white handle was easily visible against the black engine.

  A load crack had Carter’s already racing heart exploding.

  “Fuck. They’re shooting. Get down.”

  Lily dove to the floor and pulled the cage down too as bullets thumped into the wood around them. The boat’s siding was saving their lives, but out on the river, they were sitting ducks.

  With his head below the side for cover, Carter gripped his fingers around the handle and gave an almighty pull. A puff of black smoke erupted, but that was all. The rope zipped back in and he tried it again.

  It sputtered. And died. Nothing more.

  His fingers strangled the plastic, and clenching his jaw, he yanked again.

  Each time the motor rattled a little more than the previous time.

  “Come on,” he screamed and wrenched again.

  Bullets splintered the wood, barely missing his ear. “Fuck.”

  More desperate strokes. More deadly bullets.

  Terror clawed at his throat. Lily glanced at him and the alarm in her eyes nearly crippled him. This is it. Do or die. And he had no intention of dying. Not today. Not here.

  Carter stood. Yanked the rope with everything he had. The engine sputtered once, twice, then roared to life.

  He grabbed the tiller, hunkered down, and steered them into the fast-flowing water. Within a heartbeat they barreled downstream, putting distance between them and the gunmen.

  It was a long time before Carter could breathe again. It was even longer before he felt safe enough to sit back up on the seat.