Marked in Mexico

by Kim McMahill

  “I would have never placed you as a gun slinger,” Jessica teased.

  “I haven’t shot in years, but when I was young we went out a lot and those are some of my fondest memories. When Dad remarried we quit going. It’s pretty difficult to spend time with him alone anymore, besides when my older sisters married my dad finally got the sons he never had. What about your father? It must be tough finding time with him with both of you having such demanding jobs.”

  Jessica could sense sadness in Megan’s voice and figured the change of subject to her own father was intended to avoid talking about what pained her. Jessica was no longer envious of Megan, but felt they probably shared a common desire.

  “It seems like the only time I see him anymore is at political functions and fundraisers. I hate those things with a passion, but usually go just to see him. I bailed on him the night before my friend and I left for Mexico. Now I wish I’d have gone, but I just wasn’t in the mood to deal with Phillip. What if I never see my father again?”

  “We’ll make it. You’ll see him again.”

  It seemed to Jessica that Megan matured more every day. A few days ago she was a sobbing mess and Jessica had worried that Ashley’s death would send her into shock, but now she was a pillar of strength, offering comfort as much as taking it.

  “So who’s Phillip?”

  Jessica rolled her eyes. Even thinking about him made her tired. “I suppose most people would say he’s my boyfriend, but I’ve lost those feelings for him and right before I came to Mexico he put me in a very uncomfortable position that damaged our relationship, from my point of view, even further. I should have been honest with him, my father and myself years ago, but we work together and our fathers serve in the Senate together. Both families have always assumed we would marry one day. I just haven’t wanted to disappoint my father or cause any problems. It’s been easier to play along than to confront either of them.”

  “Oh, I assumed you were here with Jack. My friends and I saw you at the bar with him and his friends the night before the tour. We were pretty jealous. You and your girlfriend seemed to be having a wonderful time with the three best looking men in the bar. The next day you sat together on the bus and he jumped up when you were grabbed at the ruins. When you sleep you always have your head on his shoulder and he has his arm around you.”

  Jessica hadn’t thought about Jack that way. At first she thought he was annoying and cocky, and then she suspected he was less likely to hit on her than Dave, and after their abduction, he was the only one she could trust. Now she wasn’t sure what to think. She depended on him and had panicked when she thought he’d left her, but there was something troubling him¾something keeping him from getting close to anyone. She hadn’t felt comfortable prying into his personal life, but the longer they were together the more she wanted to find out what haunted him.

  A twig snapped outside. Jessica froze and watched as Megan’s hand slid over the gun and lifted it to a ready position. Another twig snapped and Megan’s finger rested lightly on the trigger. Jessica’s heart nearly stopped as flashes of fabric passed by the gaps between the boards of the wall. Jack had been wearing shorts and there was no skin in view as the person walked the length of the wall. The sound of the footsteps stopped just before the person reached the open door. Megan’s eyes were focused and her hand was steady.

  “It’s me.”

  The sound of Jessica and Megan simultaneously exhaling cut the silence as Jack stepped into view. Megan slowly lowered the gun to her lap and put a hand to her chest.

  “Good girl. You could have done it if you had to and you would have saved yours and Jessica’s lives.” Jack knelt down in front of them, set his bundle on the ground and patted Megan’s scraped and bloody knee.

  Reclaiming the gun, he re-stashed it in the back of the waistband of the ragged khaki-colored pants he now wore.

  “No sign of our buddies and it was easy pickings out there. Sorry I didn’t get you gals anything new to wear, but all I saw were brightly colored dresses hung on the lines and thought you’d prefer your shorts. Didn’t think anyone would miss this one old pair of pants, but they might’ve noticed if I took too much.”

  “We need a better system if you leave us again. Megan could have shot you and I wouldn’t have blamed her. We could see you through those gaps and you weren’t wearing what you had on when you left.”

  Jack glanced over at the wall and could see where he could have easily gotten himself shot, but he was relieved to learn Jessica and Megan were alert and observant. He had never doubted Jessica, but Megan had pleasantly surprised him over the last couple of days. She too was strong and resourceful and he was developing a deep fondness and respect for her. He’d always avoided tall perky blondes, believing the usual stereotypes, but Megan was nothing like he would have ever imagined. There was nothing ditzy or weak about this blonde.

  “I was able to pilfer some bananas, a chicken leg and a couple of tortillas. I burnt my fingers snatching those off the fire, but it’ll be worth it. Sorry, there are only a couple bites of meat each, but it should give us a little boost. Hopefully all those dogs will get blamed for the thefts.”

  After they ate, they spread the blanket over them and tried to get some rest. Megan turned away from Jessica, resting her shoulder on the wall, and as usual it didn’t take her long to drift off.

  Jessica wasn’t sure what to do. She liked the feel of leaning against Jack when they rested and having his arm around her, but she hadn’t thought about how it had looked or what he thought about her actions. She wasn’t sure if she could sleep without feeling his warmth and she needed to rest in order to keep up her strength and awareness. She sat with her back stiff against the wall, her eyes focused straight ahead.

  “You mad I didn’t get you a pretty new outfit?” he teased.

  “Of course not, though something clean would have given you my undying love.”

  “Then why are you so distant? You’re usually all snuggled up to me by now, but tonight you look as rigid as an ice sculpture.”

  She felt like a fool. Ever since they had been abducted she hadn’t thought about how anything looked. All she had thought about was staying alive and escaping. She had been scared, angry and exhausted and had reached out for whatever she could grab. Now that Megan had brought it to her attention and she had to think about her actions, everything changed. Collapsing into Jack’s arms was no longer just a reflex.

  “You need to rest. You’ve barely slept since we escaped and you probably can’t sleep with me leaning on you every night.”

  “At this point, I’m not sure I could sleep if you weren’t.” He reached over and pulled her close.

  Jessica wasn’t sure what he meant, but didn’t fight him. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat. Does he just feel obligated to take care of me as he mentioned before or does he find as much comfort being close as I do? Whatever the reason, she was tired and he felt good, so she closed her eyes and slept.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sun slicing through the slats in the walls warmed Jack’s skin. His eyes flew open and he reached for his gun before reality settled in. He’d intended to leave the structure before daylight, but had nodded off and overslept. Seldom did he sleep past dawn. Ever since his time in the Service, he’d been an early riser and a light sleeper, so he was surprised at a time like this he could possibly rest at all, much less so late.

  He glanced over at Megan and Jessica and both were still sleeping peacefully. His arm ached under Jessica’s slight weight, but he hated to disturb her. She looked as content as an innocent child without a care in the world. Security was something none of them had experienced since that fateful day at the ruins when their lives had been up-ended. He only hoped he could protect her and give her the opportunity to feel safe again, even if that was in the arms of the Phillip who Amber had claimed was Jessica’s “boyfriend that she pretty much despises at the moment.” He suspected once they were safe, “the
moment” would pass and she would be gone from his life forever.

  Jack gently brushed a few loose strands of Jessica’s soft brunette hair out of her eyes, even though they were still shut. He liked looking at her eyes. They were the most unusual color he’d ever seen and the furthest color possible from Elaine’s warm hazel eyes. Why did he always think of Elaine every time he looked at her? He shook his head and looked up to see Megan staring at him, smiling.

  “We need to get going. We should have gotten out of here before daylight.” He ignored Megan’s knowing look.

  Megan stood and stretched, pulling the blanket with her. The movement woke Jessica and her eyes fluttered open to see Jack gazing at her.

  “Rise and shine, Bluebell,” he said.

  She was groggy, but lucid enough to shove a palm into his chest and push away from him. “Don’t call me that.”

  He ignored her and stood up. He rotated his shoulder, trying to work the pain out of his arm and shoulder, which had long since fallen asleep.

  “We overslept and we’re too close to the village to be hanging out here in the daytime.”

  They quickly gathered their stuff and retreated to the relative safety of the jungle’s shadows and the cover of nature’s noises. The animals, birds and insects were already busy with their tasks of survival, creating a gentle hum that was both soothing and convenient. Despite the cacophony of sounds, the jungle inhabitants remained largely invisible among the thick vegetation, which made Jack optimistic they would be just as undetectable to predators.

  “I didn’t see any vehicles last night, just a couple old motorbikes, but I did find where the dirt road left the village.” Jack skirted the small assortment of huts in search of the road. “So, if we see any traffic, it will probably be heading in the wrong direction to do us any good. But, on the upside, if the men who came looking for us at Manny’s were here, they’re gone now. The vehicle I saw when I returned the backpack full of drugs was a new, black SUV with heavily tinted windows. I didn’t catch the make, but it definitely wasn’t in the village last night.”

  Jessica, Jack and Megan stayed within sight of the rutted dirt road, but far enough away they could take cover if needed. After an hour, they saw a small flat-bed truck loaded with supplies heading toward the village they’d left behind. They ducked behind some trees and let it pass.

  “Maybe we can flag it down on its way back if it returns later today,” Megan suggested hopefully. “My feet are blistered and I have a feeling we aren’t anywhere close to Cancún or a decent podiatrist.”

  Jack laughed. No one had complained so far. They were simply happy to be alive, but none of them had been appropriately dressed for an extended jungle stay. He felt a little guilty about procuring himself a pair of pants while Jessica and Megan continued to get scratched and bitten in their shorts and sleeveless tops, but he hadn’t seen any pants that would have come close to fitting either one. Megan was taller than any local he’d seen in Mexico and Jessica was thin, but with feminine curves that were difficult not to notice. Maybe if he could have found a young boy’s pair of pants he could have helped Jessica, but Megan was a lost cause.

  “You’re right. According to my calculations, we’re still in the state of Chiapas, but we have to be getting close to Tabasco.”

  Jessica had no idea how he could possibly have any clue as to where they were, but she took his word for it and fell in close behind. The thought of hitchhiking terrified her under any circumstances. Being in a foreign country and not knowing who to trust made it even more frightening, but she knew it was absurd to think they could walk to safety. They were clearly in a very remote part of the country. Homes and villages were few and far between, paved roads almost nonexistent and telephones apparently a very rare luxury.

  Their abductors had driven for two entire nights after they had been taken from Chichén Itzá, so they had to be a long way from any place accustomed to and friendly toward tourists. Three bedraggled Americans on foot in the jungle had to look suspicious to any local and Jessica doubted they would receive many more welcomes like the one they had from Manny.

  By noon no other cars had approached. It was another scorching, steamy day and they were exhausted and almost out of water. They found a place to rest where they could keep an eye on the road, sitting in the shade and drinking what little water they had left as they rested their tired, sweaty feet.

  “I hate to put you two in this position, but if the truck returns, try to flag it down. The driver will stop for you two, but might hesitate if he sees me. We’ve got to look very out of place here, but no man in his right mind would drive by you two, even in your current condition.”

  “Thanks, I think,” Jessica replied. “But, what do we do once he stops?”

  “Don’t get in the cab with him, even if he offers. Say the back is fine. I’ll be on the opposite side of the road. Just hang in his window and try to converse with him for a second. That’ll distract him enough for me to jump on board without him noticing. There was only one person in the truck when it passed this morning, so hopefully he hasn’t picked anyone up and doesn’t speak English, because if he asks what you’re doing out here on foot, you’ll have to come up with a believable story.”

  Jessica didn’t like it, but she was too tired and thirsty to argue. She cringed as she watched Megan take off her tennis shoes and inspect her blisters. Her feet had to look nearly as bad, but she had adopted the plan of not looking. Jessica doubted she and Megan would be able to keep up Jack’s pace for too many more days with their feet in such bad shape. They were getting nowhere on foot, so if the chance to hitch a ride presented, they’d have to take the risk.

  Megan adjusted her socks and re-laced her shoes and they continued to walk parallel to the road in the direction away from the village. After several hours the unmistakable sound of a truck’s engine could be heard approaching. Jack darted into the jungle on the passenger’s side of the road and Jessica and Megan moved to the edge of the dirt track and continued to walk until the truck caught up to them.

  When the truck rounded the corner, Jessica could see half a dozen people on the back of the flat bed and a mother, a baby and a toddler had squeezed into the cab with the driver. It was too late to dive back into the trees and take cover, so they’d have to improvise.

  The truck slowed to a stop and she and Megan approached the driver’s window.

  “Does anyone speak English?” Jessica asked.

  The driver nodded, so she proceeded. She had to speak loud to be heard over the hum of the ill-running motor and hoped her voice was loud enough to alert Jack to the plan.

  “We’re students from the University of Texas working on a project in the jungle. We were separated from our group and got lost. Our Jeep broke down and our friend is injured. His ankle is badly sprained and we can’t walk with him much further. Can you give us a ride to the nearest town?”

  The driver nodded toward the back of the truck and Jessica thanked him while Megan darted off to get Jack. She hung inside the window to prevent the man from driving off. He didn’t seem like he had any intention of ditching them, but she was afraid to lose the only ride that had come along. She introduced herself to the mother and cooed over the baby. The mother giggled and the toddler crawled onto the driver’s lap to get a closer look at Jessica.

  Jack had heard the story and played the part. He put his arm around Megan and hobbled slowly to the back of the truck. Several of the young men on the flatbed reached down and helped pull Jack up. Megan and Jessica jumped aboard and the truck sped off down the rough road.

  None of the passengers in the back spoke English, so they rode in relative silence. The locals offered water and fruit and moved around so Jack could lean against the cab of the truck. They accepted the generous gifts and thanked their fellow passengers, and then Jessica and Megan scooted in close to Jack and settled in for the ride. Hopefully, it would lead them to the help they needed to end their nightmare.

  When they pa
ssed a sign welcoming them to the state of Tabasco, Jessica couldn’t help but feel as if they were finally making progress. She tried to visualize a map of Mexico, but couldn’t picture how far they still were from the coast or from where they had started from, but she suspected Jack had it all mapped out in his mind. No matter what, at least they had left Chiapas behind, the place that had claimed Ashley’s and Gilbert’s lives.

  They had been riding for hours, first on a bumpy dirt road, then finally on a pothole-filled paved highway, before the truck rolled into a village. It was much bigger than the one they had left behind earlier in the day, but still very small. Most of the buildings were low, except for one ornate structure in the center of town which Jessica assumed must be the church.

  A few vehicles bounced down the dirt streets, leading off from the paved road they’d arrived on. The scattering of automobiles was comforting, but the vehicles seemed to be outnumbered by burros. Commerce was sparse, but Jessica felt confident this was the place Manny had spoken of that might have a phone and a police station.

  The driver stopped at a dilapidated building that stood guard over one scratched and rusty gas pump, which looked more relevant to the nineteen-fifties. He began filling the truck and turned to the passengers sitting on the back of the flat bed. Each of the riders pulled out a few pesos and handed them to the driver. Jessica remembered they had taken some money out of the pack before returning the drugs and pulled out a few bills for the driver. He seemed pleased with the amount and resumed filling the truck.

  Jessica’s gaze darted around, taking in her surroundings. Nothing about the village indicated it was frequented by tourists. She saw no hotels, taxis, rental cars or restaurants. The people glanced at them with cautious, unsmiling faces as they passed by the truck, carrying buckets of water from the community well or bundles of firewood balanced on their heads. The children played in the streets and dogs lay prostrate under shade trees. The village was littered and had the smell of rotting food and the sound of buzzing flies hummed in the background, and the sight of people didn’t make Jessica feel much better.