Elemental: Earth (10 page)

“Demasiado tarde. Too late.” A gruff voice, the stench of evil, and the nose of a machine gun greeted the brothers. “Bienvenidos, Fuerzas. Capo is going to be sooooo happy to see you. You three are going to improve my station around here.”

Gavin put his hands up as his eyes zeroed in and darted from tent to tent, from armed soldier to armed soldier.

“Hey. Easy. No need for aggression,” Giles said. “We were just admiring your digs. Quite the set-up. I’m impressed.”

“You can smooth-talk the muchachas, but it won’t work with me. Now rise and walk.”

The brothers sighed lowered their shoulders, and slowly rose with their heads hung low. The soldiers couldn’t see the grin on their faces. The brothers were in their elements. They needed this release.

“Move,” the soldier growled as he guided them with a gun to Gavin’s back.

Gavin slowly raised his head and the green vines tattooed on his arms seemed to become greener. The ground beneath their feet began to quake, and he could hear the shouts of the soldiers in surprise. His brothers were the only ones to stand firm.

Vines hanging and creeping all around the camp began to descend or move almost like snakes seeking prey. The shaking intensified a bit, and the soldier behind them screamed.

“Es El Diablo!” Several soldiers looked at Gavin, uttered a few ‘Dios mio’ and ran like hell to get away from him. This gave the brothers enough freedom to break away.

But another soldier saw them and started firing. He was yelling to the company about being cowards and goats, that they were stupid and knew nothing. These were the brothers with the special powers, and they should be going after them, not running from them.

The brothers had a great lead as they darted deeper into the jungle. Each of them could see clearly in the night as if it were day, one of the aspects of their genetics that had been coveted by The Hatch. Gavin remembered being poked and prodded and giving up more tissue than he thought one body could afford only for the scientists at The Hatch to come back disappointed every time, thinking they had isolated the gene, only to find the mutation they had seen had somehow disappear, as if the Fureza’s mutations possessed some safety alarm, causing another mutation to form in order to protect the gene’s mutation. Science had never seen anything like it, and that made them want it even more.

Wish we had Dallas here, Gavin thought as he dodged his way through dark jungle. The sound of a Jeep was closing in on him, so he cut a sharp left through thick limbs and vines. Pulling himself up by the vines, he made short work of hiding in the treetops as the Jeep mauled over the jungle terrain. He couldn’t help but think of that story about the man on the island who’d become bored with big game hunting and opted to hunt humans for the challenge and thrill. Is this what we’ve come to, Gavin wondered? He knew that there was a thirst for adventure and danger that struck many men and women. He knew the ordinary became mundane, but to rob a person of natural rights simply because you we’re bored was cold-blooded.

Do we devalue lives other than our own that much?

His thoughts turned towards Tessa. Had she devalued his life enough to lure him into her bed only for a chance to take the life he’d worked so hard to make for himself and his brothers? Had none of that been real? What about the night they spent together? It transcended any experience he’d ever had. It redefined his ideas on sex and human connection. He knew he’d fallen in love with this one. He didn’t know how it happened or when, and he couldn’t really put into words how he knew she was his and he was hers. He simply knew. He also knew it was the same for the other three. Somehow, the gods had conspired and decided that these brothers had suffered enough for a few lifetimes and granted them a reprieve and a lifeline.

I’ve gotta get back to her, Gavin thought. Back at the camp and down below him was still astir with panic. He saw a couple of soldiers sneaking through tall jungle grass beneath him. They were equipped with night-vision goggles, and they held their machine guns at the ready. Concentrating on zeroing in, he allowed the men a few more steps. Then a sudden and violent shaking of the earth threw the soldiers off balance, so Gavin released his grasp and descended upon the men, pinning them both underneath his weight. With one quick elbow between the eyes, the bigger of the two grunted and flattened, face-up on the ground. Gavin grabbed the machine gun and used it to drive the butt into the back of the other’s skull. Gavin jumped to his feet, machine gun in hand, checked the bodies grabbing two pistols from each, and headed in the direction of camp. He knew that Reed and Giles would be fine. In fact, they were probably better off than he was. These moments were the only ones he knew that the twins would actually be in sync. All the times they had to fight for survival, there was an unspoken, unseen thread between the four of them, but it was especially strong between Giles and Reed. Maybe it was the twin element, but the synergy of those two when it was needed most was amazing.

He knew there were a few mercenaries still hoping to recover Giles and Reed, but Gavin figured most of them (if they were able to) were at the camp scrambling to recover their assets. If this was the case, then he may have a chance to get to Tessa, perhaps even all of the girls.

As he settled in to watch the camp from a safe distance, Gavin once again felt enveloped by the rich soil and the verdant lushness of the jungle. Their embrace warmed him with their transferred energy. He could feel himself reviving as the leaves of the palmetto caressed and dressed him as the ferns cradled his head, sweeping his hair back much like a mother would her child. Minutes later, Gavin felt as if he were awaking from a deep sleep. Sitting up slowly, he spied the troops from camp driving forklifts and filling the beds of a small bakery truck with what looked like clay bricks in plastic wrap. There were bulging duffle bags and a few briefcases being packed and a few being exchanged by men who were obviously not soldiers considering their tailored clothing, large gold jewelry, and relaxed demeanor. Orders were being shouted, but they all seemed to be regarding productivity and transference.

Gavin saw what must have been a guard step out of the cabin and down the wobbling steps, stop, and light a cigarillo. Calling out and laughing, the big guy sauntered over to one of the well-dressed men, clapped him on the back, and engaged in a quick-paced conversation. This was his chance. Gavin slid quietly to the steps and almost effortlessly pounced up the stairs and slipped through the door.

Inside, the lights were low and he heard the sound of old Mambrú, a once-popular boy band from Buenos Aires. He tried the doorknob to the first room he found. It wouldn’t turn but when he pushed a bit, he was allowed entrance. The room was disheveled with sheets thrown over the window for curtains. There was a sleeping bag on the floor and in one corner a chair with what seemed like a female figure slumped over in it. Quickly checking that no one was coming up behind him, Gavin stole into the room and to the chair. He recognized Melissa’s spikey haircut immediately and winced at the dried blood around her nose and mouth. She had a large bruise forming on her cheek as well, and her clothes had been ripped. This was a different picture than when he’d watched those goons place her gently in the back of the car, but this one matched his expectations and the situation more. He reached gently and checked her pulse.

At his touch, Melissa bolted upright and withdrew as much as she could. There was fire in her eyes, though, as if she were challenging her captor. Then, Gavin saw the recognition. He removed the gag.

“Are you okay?”

“Jesus, Gavin! How did you even get in here? Where are we? It seemed like we drove forever and everything is so spookily quiet. Where’s Reed? Is anyone hurt? Have you seen any of the other girls? Tell me what’s going on!!”

“SSSSHHHHH! You’re the first I’ve seen. Reed and Giles are out in the jungle, and it seems we’re at some drug smuggling operation.” As he whispered, Gavin checked her zip-tied wrists and ankles. “Are these too tight?”

“Too tight? Hell, they’re on me. Isn’t that enough? Aren’t you going to get me out of here?”

“No. I don’t know enough about the building, the area, or the guys and their schedules. I need to get the layout and find the other girls, then meet up with my brothers to decide exactly how this is all going down. But don’t worry. We aren’t going to just leave you here.”

Melissa was obviously trying to control her heart rate and her emotions by taking deeper breaths and thinking through the situation. Gavin could practically see her thinking as her eyes darted and her lips barely moved.

“You’re right. I was too reactionary. You’ve got to get out of this room and see about everyone else. I’m okay, but I can’t guarantee that Dara hasn’t shit herself or completely passed out into a coma of shock and disbelief.”

“Now you sound like Melissa,” Gavin smiled.

“I can’t tell too much because the sounds are way too low and muffled, but I’m pretty sure I heard a chair slowly scraping against the floor next door. It would scrape a bit and stop, then scrape a bit and stop. It kept doing that for what I think was about ten minutes, and towards the end of the ten minutes, it seemed I could feel the slightest vibration in this corner. Maybe one of them is next door. Also, we were all in the same room at first. The man in charge, they call him ‘Capo’, let us see each other, then threw our hoods back on us and took Dara, Gillian, and me away, leaving Tessa in there. We traveled approximately fifty paces, and someone split off. Ten more paces, and other split off, and then fourteen paces and I was shoved in here, pushed down on the chair, and bound to it.”

“That’s terrific information, Melissa. That will help.” He softly touched the split skin on above her eye. “Have they hurt you in any other way?” Gavin dreaded the answer to the question. Even if it hadn’t been part of the plan, sometimes men would risk going against orders when it came to a female captive—especially a beautiful female captive—especially four beautiful female captives.

“No. I think for the most part these are amateurs. They don’t hit that hard, for sure. I think I most likely got what I got because I was running my mouth. They say they took us for ransom, that it’s nothing personal. Oh, the capo guy is really protective of Tessa. Has this thing for her. He’s commanded that there better not be a mark on her body, and he’s usually the one keeping an eye on her.”

Gavin felt more confident now that he knew a little more of what he was up against. He kissed her forehead and said to hold tight. Then, checking all was clear, he slipped back into the dim unknown.

Tessa had been drifting in and out of sleep. Her captor, who had finally told her to call him “Gustavo,” had been providing her with food and water. In fact, he’d actually cooked the food himself, which she rejected at first. He simply sat down and ate half of the plate in front of her.

“Mi vida, why would I do anything to harm you? I’m merely holding you for a ransom. If I won’t let my goons touch you or speak ill to you, do you think I would try to kill you? Perhaps you have not understood the depth of my love for you-- you have given me new life. I’m honored to be in your presence, and for the little time that you’re with me, I will do all I can to treat you like the goddess that you’re. It is what we do. It is who I’m. What do they say? ‘I’m a lover, not a fighter?’”

She found herself wanting to believe him, but her training and experience in the field had destroyed her ability to always trust what she saw. Yet, her intuition had proven her correct time and time again, and her intuition was saying that she could believe him. While he may be involved in horribly criminal activity, she felt that she could trust what he was saying about his feelings for her. he’d brought her water even before she requested, and just a few minutes ago had brought a large glass of wine for them to share, even wiping the corners of her mouth with his handkerchief to avoid a wine stain. he’d asked questions about America and answered hers about Colombia. Other than holding her hostage, Gustavo was the perfect date.

She had tried to entice Gustavo to relinquish information, especially on his contact with Zinsser and what their connection was, but Gustavo politely refused her advances. She knew that part of his reasoning for taking the women was to also draw out the Fuerza brothers. He wasn’t an idiot. Even if Zinsser didn’t care to come after his pretty little agents, then he’d come out of hiding if he heard that there could be a trade for the Fuerzas. Then, he’d still be able to return to the States with his integrity in tact by ‘fulfilling’ his mission, even at the cost of a few girls. Gustavo knew exactly how to work Zinsser and how to predict his moves and motives. He’d been Adolfo Zinsser back in Medellin.

A whispered brush of fabric caught her ear, and she instantly felt Gavin’s presence in the room. She didn’t know how she knew it was him, but she did. Her heart fluttered and her body trembled and ached for him.

“You can’t stay here long,” she barely breathed. “He’ll be back at any moment.”

“How did you. . .,” Gavin said and then broke off.

“I’m sorry,” Tessa interrupted.

“We can’t. . ..”

“I know. I, it’s just. . ..”

“It’s fine. Look, I just wanted to see you, know that you’re ok. Are you hurt? Have they hurt you?”

“No,” Tessa answered. “But I can’t say the same for the others. I think I’m just lucky because of this crush the capo has on me. I’m worried about Dara especially.”

“I saw the others and they’re fine.” Gavin wasn’t going to give her any details. It wouldn’t do her any good to know details right now anyway. Melissa had definitely looked the worse, but Dara did seem traumatized. For all of her big talk, it did nothing to help her in this situation, and she was scared to death. She kept asking why Giles wasn’t there, saying it was an assignment but she fell in love. She begged Gavin to take her with him, and began to raise her voice to a panicked scream when he told her he couldn’t yet. He’d needed to quiet her quickly, so he clamped down on mouth and nose until she passed out. Checking to see that she was still breathing, he left feeling heavy-hearted.

“Tessa, I have to go. I’ve spent too much time in here already and had a few close calls, so I need to stop pressing my luck. Don’t give up. We’re going to get you. . .”

The sound of boots began and got closer. Tessa’s eyes were wide. Gavin stood and flattened himself against the wall where the door would hide him. She knew it was Gustavo, but what she didn’t know was what he would do if he found Gavin lurking in the corner.

“Mi’mor, te extrañé. I missed you,” Gustavo quietly opened the door and left it barely cracked without shutting it all the way. Tessa locked her eyes with his, willing him not to shift his gaze.

“Sí.” She nodded. “You’ve taken such good care of me that I begin to feel lonely when you leave. I feel depressed, and then I feel guilty because I should be trying to get out of here and find my friends, get us back home, then report Zinsser. But. . . I like your company, and I like being treated so well, and. . . it’s. . . well. . .” Here Tessa worked up some crocodile tears and sniffed femininely, playing on Gustavo’s chivalrous nature to care for her. She had already envisioned it as it happened-- he would approach her, bend down on one knee, flourish his satin handkerchief, and wipe her tears gently, all the while whispering a soothing mixture of Spanish and English expressions.

This was when Gavin saw his opportunity and hurried quietly out of the room, only to run full force into the man who’d taken a smoke break what seemed like hours before.

“Como?” came the grunt of the big man. Gavin wasted no time in punching him between the eyes, but the big man barely lost his balance.

Taken aback, Gavin stumbled backwards, losing his footing. The big man bent down and picked Gavin up by the front of his shirt and brought him eye-ball to eye-ball.

“Quien eres?” he growled.

“No one. I was just leaving. I had been hearing of the beautiful captives, and some of the fellas bet I wouldn’t try to go see them. Now Capo is in there with la favorita, and I know he does not like to be disturbed.” He was making it all up as he went along. “They’re muy bonita, sí? Son mas bonitas que las burras que tenemos aqui en Argentina.”

Gavin held his breath, waiting to see what would happen. The big man squinted, and then burst into a grin and began nodding. He put Gavin down and clamped him on the shoulder like they were great friends.

“It’s okay, mi’mor,” Gustavo was saying, brushing the tears from Tessa’s eyes. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief for Gavin’s escape. “It is because you have the heart of a lioness that you feel this. You want to protect the cubs entrusted to you. But you’re human, too, mija. You have needs too, yes? You have feelings and emotions. I’m honored that you feel this for me.”

He bent forward and gently kissed Tessa’s dry lips. Well, that was played a little too well, she thought.

Gustavo pulled back at the indifferent reception of his love. “We will not tell, mi corazon. Do not worry. You will remain the lioness with your cubs. Let me make love to you like the queen that you’re.”

Alarmed, Tessa thought quickly to try and back out of this. Angering him or rejecting Gustavo could turn out even worse no matter how chivalrous he’d been up until now. But she also did not want to sleep with him. The thought made her shiver, and he mistook it for a chill.

Taking off his jacket, he placed it around her shoulders. He got right up against her ear and whispered.

“I have watched you. . . with the Fuerza, the one they call Gavin. I know why you had to lure him to your bed, and that does not make you a golfa. I understand. It was your job. You had your orders. Your body is a most beautiful instrument, and I would very much like to make you sing. . . like you did with the Fuerza, only this time it will be for love.”

His fingers dropped to her blouse, the zipper in the front. He began to softly kiss the side of her neck as he slowly brought the zipper lower, exposing a pale, yellow lace bra. Her breasts rose just above the lace, and Gustavo’s breath caught when he saw them.

“Quiero ser tuya. Tú me vuelvas loco,” and Gustavo brought his mouth to the rising flesh of her breasts, gently kissing and breathing her in.

“Gustavo,” Tessa whispered.

“My love,” he said as he looked up.

“I cannot in good conscience do this.” She would continue to play this “lioness” he believed her to be. If he truly admired this part of her, maybe it would be what saved her. “I do not want to be that woman. Could you really look at me the same afterward?” She saw a shift in his eyes. A fire flickered, and it scared her.

“Do you think your Gavin believes your little ruse?” Gustavo laughed. “Do you think your Zinsser is going to come and get you? It will not happen, mija. Zinsser loves only one-- himself. The Fuerza brothers are smart, but they’re not as smart as I’m. They knew your trick. They played you girls as you played them. You’re here, mija, because I desire you. You’re alive, corazon, because I love you. I have saved you, and you will come to see it very soon. You may not love me, Tessa, but that does not matter. You’re mine, now. But don’t worry. I take good care of my property, and I know a precious gem when I see it.”

It was hard for Tessa to control her ire. She wanted to kick his ass, and she was positive that she could, but there was nothing she could do. Maybe Gustavo was right. Zinsser wouldn’t make a deal. Gavin could be setting them up to exact his revenge. What if it was true?

“I will make you more comfortable,” Gustavo said, seeming to get his anger under control. “We will be moving out in two days, and then you will have all that you have ever wanted. Until then, I will set you up in my room. Then, you will be with me always. There are no chairs, but my bed will be better for us both.”

This was it-- Gustavo would have her one way or the other, chivalrously or not. She had made her choice by rejecting him.

Then, the ground beneath her seemed to quiver in the slightest. She could hear the wind outside rustle the palm fronds and stir the vines.

“A storm?” Gustavo asked and then chuckled. “Even the gods are not pleased with your rejection of me tonight,” he scolded Tessa.

Her chair vibrated with force as the ground shook more violently. She looked to Gustavo in alarm. He quickly cut the ties on her ankles that bound her to the chair and picked her up. He sat her inside the doorway and then went to the other side. The earth continued to quake.

“Capo!” Nico Gonzalez appeared out of nowhere and began rattling off that many of the soldiers had run off in fear. Gustavo yelled that they should keep them in place. Then he told Nico to stay with Tessa, mumbling that he’d to do everything himself.

Outside, Gustavo was met with a sight that, had he not seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed. A deluge of rain was just starting and the ground, shaking and quaking even more, was beginning to separate into jagged chasms. Some soldiers were shooting into an area of the jungle while others were running, calling for Jesus and Mother Mary. Gustavo was trying bravely to stand his ground and yell at these “stupid goats” to get back to work instead of being afraid of a little rain, but it was requiring some fancy footwork on his part to stay on any piece of solid ground.

The sound of rushing water distracted him, and suddenly, Gustavo watched a tidal wave of muddy river water race into the camp through the jungle, making its own pathway. Soldiers stupidly tried to outrun it, which forced them into the chasms Gavin had created. Once in, the water filled it hurriedly and the sound of their cries drowned.

Still plenty of soldiers and emissaries were running, talking into radios attached to their shoulders. Some were coming out of the barely-standing tents. A few came rushing out of the Gonzalez brothers’ rickety cabin. There were more trying to run away than Gustavo had ever banked on.

* * * *

“It’s your turn, little brother.” Gavin winked at Giles.

“Thought you’d never ask,” Giles replied as his entire being swelled, turning into a column of yellow and red radiance. Tree leaves and fines overhead caught fire and quickly shared with the others until the camp was surrounded in a massive glow. Some soldiers called for buckets and tried to use water from the chasms to douse the flames in the trees around them. Giles’ hands created perfect spheres, and he wound up and pitched like he was playing a friendly game of baseball rather than hurling balls of fire at the makeshift headquarters of one of the biggest drug gangs in the Americas.

“Don’t get to hot-headed,” Gavin laughed. “Remember we need to keep the girls safe and get them out of here.”

At this scolding, the flames seemed to diminish just slightly.

“Our best bet is to disappear into the jungle for a while,” Reed suggested. “We’ve created a diversion, and now they’ll be too concerned about their precious money and product, that we can slip away.”

“Your best bet is to have the final piece to your puzzle.” Dallas’ voice came out of the darkness, and he materialized in front of them, smiling.

“Glad you could make it,” Giles clamped his brother on the shoulder. “But who’s babysitting?”

“He’s fine. Passed out cold. Not going anywhere for a while I’d say except to prison. Got the U.S. ambassador and the Federales on the way to make a little discovery,” was Dallas’ response. “Just figured I hadn’t heard anything for a while and thought I’d better check up on things. Glad I did because it looks like you need a little wind in your sails.”

The brothers rolled their eyes at the horrible pun, and Dallas laughed as his long, raven hair began to dance around his shoulders. Dallas’ grey eyes focused on the command center, and soon the rain was falling in slanted sheets as the air shifted. Debris began to spin with the wind as flames increased all around the camp.

“We’ve got ourselves a full-on apocalypse!” Giles laughed.

“Bet the padre is going to be busy at confession tonight,” Reed added.

“If they live to see it,” Dallas commented.

“Okay, here’s what I’m thinking,” Gavin voiced over the noise of their attack and the voices of desperate men. “We may not have a lot of time. Your fire is spreading really quickly. We need to get in, get girls, get out. I’ll tell you where each girl is, then I’ll hold off the soldiers that are left for you three to get the girls. I’ll get Tessa once you’re out. I may have to go toe-to-toe with the capo. Seems he’s got quite the crush on her, the main reason they kidnapped them anyway. We split up and meet in Rio in two weeks.”

They all agreed, and Gavin told them in detail how to find each girl. He knew he could hold off the soldiers until the six of them were safe. What wasn’t certain was getting Tessa out of the clutches of her captor, but at least the capo was out here and pissed off about the situation. Maybe he’d stay here long enough for Gavin to make his move.

The three younger brothers darted into the cabin as Gavin employed the assistance of vines and roots to trip and encircle some of the soldiers, pulling them down to the soil that would begin to swallow them. Out of nowhere, a fresh battalion of young soldiers arrived in a rusty Jeep firing incessantly towards Gavin. He dodged and dipped behind scrap metal and skeletons of cars on cinder blocks. One bullet grazed his temple, and he tenderly touched to see the blood, a red-green color, oozing from the wound.

The sound of the roof caving in just behind him, alerted Gavin that his time was quickly fleeting. Hoping that his brothers were out of the house, Gavin held his breath wondering how he’d be able to rescue Tessa and keep himself alive as well. The wind shifted, swirling Giles and puddled water around Gavin, but allowing a reprieve to enter the danger zone. He found a hole, squeezed himself through, and picked his way over charred wood and blackened furniture, all the while breathing through his soaked t-shirt. He slowly navigated to the front room where he’d seen Tessa, and there lay Nico, sweat covering his body and blood streaming from his mouth and nose. No one else was around.

“Tessa?” Gavin called. “Tessa! Answer me!”

A sense of panic hit him in the gut. Gavin would never forgive himself if he didn’t find her. He should have taken her when he could have. He should have never watched these goons abduct them in the first place. He should have never fallen for her either, but now that he had, he couldn’t let anything happen to her.

He frantically began kicking through fiery walls and flipping over debris when he could, but he wasn’t finding anything. he’d almost made it to the front door when he could hear a faint call of “Gavin! Help me!”

He was amazed he’d heard it in the crackling of the fire and the moaning of the wind. “Heard” wasn’t exactly the word, though. More like “felt”. Then, he felt it again and knew exactly where she was. Seeing a ratty, smoking leather sofa tipped forward, he picked it up and saw where the floorboards had fallen in. Tessa looked up from below, standing mud-streaked in a dark cellar under the house.

“You sure are a lot of trouble,” Gavin said, but smiled as he said it. He got down on his belly and extended his arm, reaching out his large, sure hand.

Tessa barely had to stretch to reach Gavin’s hand, and he pulled her up effortlessly. He got her up to the main floor, helped her find her footing, checked her for injuries, and then swept her up in his arms and bolted for the door, greeted by the sound of rapid firing again.

He hurried to a Jeep, shoved her behind the wheel, and told her she was driving. Then he climbed in the back to face what was left of the makeshift operation.

“Drive!” was all he barked at her, but as Tessa was just about to turn around and put her foot to the floorboard, she saw a calm literally come over Gavin’s large frame. Then the ground began to shake.

She let out a surprised scream and gripped the wheel.

“DRIVE!!” Gavin shouted at her again, not changing his position at all.

Tessa threw the Jeep into first and stamped her foot on the accelerator, only for the tires to spin in the mud. She tried “reverse” but got nowhere. She threw it back into first. “Damnit! There’s too much mud!!”

Gavin didn’t respond and didn’t move. Frantic, she looked back to Gavin to solicit his help only to notice a customized Hummer come splashing through mud and scattering soldiers and even a few chickens. Someone was leaning out the passenger-side window firing directly at their Jeep. Then, the ground ripped wide open, and Tessa watched in disbelief as the Hummer clumsily dropped bit-by-bit into the giant hole. Not even registering what she had seen, she tried to back up again when suddenly, a gust of wind almost palpable whipped up around her and pushed the car forward. She gunned the engine and took off to the sight of Dallas, spinning his motorcycle around with Gillian on the back hanging on for dear life.

Who are these brothers?

Hours later, Gavin patted Tessa’s knee and motioned for her to pull over onto the shoulder.

“We’re ditching the ride,” he instructed.

“What? Why?” Tessa was already mentally and emotionally exhausted. She hadn’t eaten for at least a day and a half. She’d hardly rested in spite of the sleep she’d gotten back at the Gonzalez hut.

“Surely you don’t think I’m going to walk!”

“Turning ‘princess’ on me?” Gavin was clawing through the glove compartment for anything of use.

“Um, how about ‘human’?” Tessa corrected. “You do know what that is, right?” She regretted the question as soon as she’d uttered it, for that was exactly what she had been wondering for the last few hours as they drove along in silence.

She hadn’t spoken because she couldn’t speak. She didn’t really know what to say after an experience like that. She felt like at any moment she was going to wake up from this crazy dream. It couldn’t be real. he’d made the ground split open and swallow up that Hummer. And if he’d made that happen, he must be responsible for making the earthquake.

And what about Dallas? She was certain he’d helped her get the Jeep out of the mud with his little ‘nudge’. They’d done all of that—the brothers. The Fuerzas had caused all of that to happen—the fire, the crazy monsoonish rain and flooding river, the tornadic winds, and the earthquakes that had gulped men down like candy. No wonder the government had wanted them. How many other catastrophes had they caused? What about these natural disasters everyone hears about on the news all of the time? Are they all real, or are they caused by these brothers? Should she be worried?

No, Tessa thought. Just stop it! You’re letting your imagination run away with you. You’re sleep and food-deprived, that’s all. It’s been crazy. There’s just some weird atmospheric mess, I’m sure. At least you’re out of that hellhole and away from Gustavo. It didn’t seem like that was going to end well. Be thankful Gavin came when he did. Don’t question how he did.

“Let’s go,” Gavin commanded.

Without a sound, Tessa slipped off her safety belt and climbed out of the Jeep. She looked at the terrain that lay ahead of them-- sloping and lush with jungle. She leaned down, rolled up the legs of her pants, took a deep breath, and started in just behind Gavin.