“The other one they took with me.”
He purses his lips. “I don’t remember asking for another one.”
“Good, then let him go.”
“Even if I wanted to, it’s not like I can send Jay a message.”
“Speak to him like you’re speaking to me.”
“Don’t be a fool. Do you have any idea how draining this conversation is? If your friend behaves, he should be fine for the rest of the journey. Jay only cares about getting back to his fat wife, Linda.” He lowers his voice. “Rumor has it she only lets him fuck her from behind.”
Before I can figure out how to respond, Hector sharply turns to look at the nearby fog. I follow his gaze, not sure what it is he’s seeing, but I do notice a metallic scent in the air.
Hector sighs. “They never give up. Stubborn bastards.”
I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about, but it only takes a few seconds for a thick and yellowish liquid to emerge from the fog, sliding toward us on the ground. I’ve never seen anything like this. The strange scent grows heavier—not unpleasant, just not something I’ve smelled before.
“What the hell is that?” There’s a faint glow to the yellowish liquid. It keeps sliding toward us, more of it emerging from the thick fog.
“As I said—stubborn bastards. Ignore them.”
Unlikely.Whatever this thing is, Hector clearly doesn’t like it, or them. I squint when I notice a dark shape shifting through the liquid. I stand up to have a better look. The shape shifts again, and I might be crazy, but it appears to have the outline of a man.
“There’s something in there.”
“More than one, but they are insignificant.”
“Then why do you sound afraid?”
“Trying to analyze me is the last thing you should waste your energy on.” He clears his throat. “We’re done here. I’m looking forward to seeing you in person again. Try not to get yourself killed in the meantime.”
A wave of dizziness washes over me. I shut my eyes until the feeling passes, and when I blink, I’m no longer on the mountain. Snoring Raiders lie around the dying fire, and my body aches from being tied to the same tree for hours. Josh is tied to a different tree, his head bowed as he sleeps. I go over my conversation with Hector, thinking of the weird substance that showed up at the end. I can’t even begin to guess what it was.
I thought that speaking with him would give me some answers, but I’m left more confused than before. Whatever shitshow this is turning into, I’m starting to think I haven’t seen half of it yet.
*
I wake up to the sound of Josh shouting.
I look around in a frenzy, blinking through the beating sun, but I can’t find him. His shouts are coming from behind the thick bushes to my right. I catch the sound of nasty laughter from the same direction.
My mouth isn’t gagged, so I scream,“Get the fuck away from him!”They continue to laugh, and Josh continues to shout.
“Jay!”
He comes over from my other side. “Keep it down, Defender. The boys deserve to have some fun.”
“You better get them to stop, or I swear—”
He kicks my thigh. “Shut it! He’s gonna get a lot more action once we’re in Denver.”
I try to pull at my bindings, but it’s pointless, and the rope digs into my flesh. “Hector said that if any of you touch Josh, he’d skin you alive.”
Jay laughs. “Did he know? I must have just missed his visit.”
“He’s gonna start with Linda.”
The laughter dies in his throat. “The fuck you just said?”
