"You smell like air freshener." He laughed, making it obvious he knew exactly what I'd been up to in the bathroom.
"It’s impolite to mention a lady's bathroom habits, Elias," I said with authority, cheeks flaming. "Now, what's up for today?"
"I'd considered giving us a day of rest, but I'm too paranoid about being caught. I think we should keep moving." He rubbed his eyes. "I hope to charter a small plane from the guy Anthony heard about. Flying commercial from here straight to Peru would be easiest, but I don't want to risk our identification papers being too closely scrutinized when we go through customs. They’re much more relaxed for private airstrips. Sometimes nonexistent."
"Eli, please sleep some more. You look exhausted." I tugged on his shirt to pull him down onto the bed with me. We fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.
* * *
The morning passed in a rush. We packed up and checked out after a quick breakfast from room service. I exited the hotel in the same fashion that I entered it, hope blossoming about our journey as we encountered no problems getting out of the city.
Anthony drove us out, headed south toward Córdoba. They hoped the pilot would be willing to take us to Panama or Peru in exchange for the SUV and some cash.
I dozed for a while, and when I woke, my dream from the night before was fresh in my mind. "Uh, guys?" I was nervous about the news I was about to deliver. "I had another one of those dreams."
Elias whipped his head around toward me. "Now?"
"No, it was early this morning. I didn't remember it until I napped. The voice told me he's coming for me now. He said we're each other's destiny and that he’d find me wherever I am." I twisted my hands in my lap. "How could he find me like that?"
"He would need the help of a powerful witch to track you from anywhere in the world," Elias explained.
"And the witch would need your blood," added Anthony.
"How in the world would someone have my blood?" I exclaimed.
"We won't know until he catches up to you.” Elias turned to face the road ahead. “The best thing we can do is keep moving and get lost in Peru. Maybe, by some miracle, we'll find the entrance to the underworld soon. If we can get that spring water into you, we'll be safe…and most likely lauded as heroes." He scrubbed his hands through his hair and gazed out the window.
Anthony drove all the way. I spent part of the ride dripping blood into a bag and storing it in our cooler. Our conversation was full of silly getting-to-know-you questions like favorite colors, favorite foods, and bucket lists.
Anthony’s favorite color was red, his favorite food was rare steak, and his biggest dream was to create a strong family unit for his children and future children. Elias's favorite color was navy, his favorite food was chocolate, and he agreed with Anthony about his biggest dream. He also wanted to go on a safari.
* * *
We arrived in Córdoba with little fuss. After a quick bathroom break at a questionable gas station, we went straight to what appeared to be an abandoned military air base. I stayed in the car with a gun in each hand—paranoid—as Elias and Anthony bartered with a pilot near the small dirt runway.
I fixated on the petite white plane. I'd never been on an airplane in my life, and I was about to get in one with a seating area smaller than our SUV. My stomach rolled.
Anthony opened the back door and pulled out the first of our bags. "I'm so glad he was willing to take the SUV. We wouldn't have had enough cash otherwise. In this size plane, he'll have to refuel five times on the way there. But he’s willing, and we should have enough cash left to carry us for at least another month in Peru if we're still there."
My nose tickled from some kind of random Mexican allergen as I climbed out to help unload the car. I stayed quiet as we loaded the plane with our bags and cooler of blood.So much could go wrong.We were trusting our lives to a random pilot, so far from home. I’d never even been out of the US before!
My mind raced with possible dangers. “I wish we’d flown commercial,” I grumbled to Anthony as we grabbed the last of the bags out of the SUV.
“Coya, love, I will protect you. I will see you safely to Peru.” His intense gaze unnerved me, even as I saw love in his eyes. “I wish I could calm you. I would be more relaxed if you were at peace.”
I picked up the cooler. “I’ll have peace when this journey is done, and we are back with our children in Tennessee.” I kissed his cheek to show I wasn’t biting his head off and turned on my heel toward the minuscule plane.
The pilot smiled warmly and motioned for me to enter and sit. He handed me ear protection that was similar to what I used at the gun range.At least he looks like a nice person.I buckled the harness-style seatbelt in the Cessna but my hands trembled. Anthony sat beside me and took over the straps. I chuckled.
“It is going to be okay, my Coya. Elias has some experience with this size plane, so he'll sit beside the pilot.” He deftly buckled me in. “In case of an emergency, he’d get us to the ground.” He smiled and tucked my hair behind my ear.
“I was laughing because I’m nervous, and it popped into my head that you were strapping me in. It was sexy. I’m sorry, I’m scared.”
My hand came up and clasped his. He twined our fingers and set our hands in my lap. His sure grip calmed me. The seats were so close together our bodies were pressed tightly against each other, and I welcomed the contact. After so many years without a loving touch or any sort of embrace, it was heartening, even with the heavy load of guilt accompanying his touch.
I jumped and put on the headset as the pilot turned the engine over. The plane engine put me in mind of the old muscle car my mom owned when I was a teenager. I could feel the car engine rumbling in my bones—the plane was much like that. I peered around the shoulder of the pilot at the small runway. How could we take off in that short span of dirt? My legs bounced with my nervousness.
We lurched forward. “He’s putting it at full throttle!” Anthony yelled into my ear. I looked at him incredulously—he was thrilled to be taking off in the death box. He bounced in his seat with an enormous grin on his face. I watched his excitement and tried to forget to be nervous.
