and had hidden Manny’s blanket, hoping the gunmen wouldn’t find it if they searched the shed. Each woman hugged the small boy and thanked him. Jack shook Manny’s small hand and this time the boy didn’t flinch as Jack removed his Saint Christopher medal from his neck and draped it over the boy’s head.
Manny rubbed the pendent between his fingers and smiled at Jack. The boy tucked the chain inside his shirt and darted into the rainy night.
Jessica, Megan and Jack slipped out of the shed and scrambled toward the trees not far from the building. As soon as they reached the shadows, they paused and watched as two flashlights bounced down the path toward the shed.
A beam from the second man’s light illuminated the first so that Jack could see the PJE patch on the leader’s uniform and the automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. He was sure they were the same two men he had seen when he’d returned the pack full of drugs. Their captors were still looking for them, as expected, and this time, they were too close.
The second man swept his light toward the trees. Jack, Jessica and Megan dove to the ground just as the beam swung over their backs. Jack’s hand rested on the small of Jessica’s back, holding her to the ground. She tilted her head to the side in order to breathe and tried to blow a puff of air out her nose to dislodge the mud that had been forced up her nostril in her dive for cover. Jack’s face tilted toward hers and she could see the look of concern in his eyes.
The light swept over them a second time, making Jessica fear something had caught the man’s eye on the first pass. Jack’s hand left her back and eased toward the gun in his waistband.
Both men scanned the trees and the mud around the shed with their flashlights. Jessica held her breath. Had they left tracks in the mud during their hasty exit, giving away their presence? The illumination danced over the trees as the men slid their weapons off their shoulders, held them ready for use, and moved cautiously in their direction. If they tried to stand and run they would be spotted, but if the men’s path didn’t divert soon, they would be right on top of them.
Jack drew his weapon and steadied it in front of him as they continued to lie on their bellies in the mud. Thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by a series of loud thuds coming from the shed. The sound made the men stop and look back.
Manny raced from the house toward the shed, yelling at the two men. Jessica knew the boy was coming to comfort the cow, but feared for his safety if gunfire erupted. She said a quick prayer urging the men to move on. The thought of having a shootout here made her sick to her stomach. Manny was so young ¾ he didn’t deserve to die from an errant gunshot wound or even to witness such violence merely for trying to help a group of strangers.
After what seemed like an eternity, her prayers were answered. The men turned toward the shed and went inside with Manny. Jessica imagined the men wanted to ascertain it was the thunder that had enticed the cow to kick at the sides of the building and not three wayward Americans.
As soon as the door slapped shut, Jessica, Jack and Megan leapt to their feet and fled the homestead. The sound of the storm drowned out the noise of splashing through puddles as they made their rapid retreat. With any luck, the rain would quickly wash away all evidence of their presence left in the mud, though the further they penetrated the forest, the less their tracks showed amidst the growing amount of dead leaves cushioning the ground.
As dawn approached, the rain slowly gave way to scattered clouds. They had put an hour between them and Manny’s home, enough for them to slow the pace and take occasional breaks. The rain had made for tough going, but Jessica was thankful the steady downpour had washed the mud off her face, legs and arms. Her clothes were pretty much destroyed, but at least her skin was now clean.
“What
Manny rubbed the pendent between his fingers and smiled at Jack. The boy tucked the chain inside his shirt and darted into the rainy night.
Jessica, Megan and Jack slipped out of the shed and scrambled toward the trees not far from the building. As soon as they reached the shadows, they paused and watched as two flashlights bounced down the path toward the shed.
A beam from the second man’s light illuminated the first so that Jack could see the PJE patch on the leader’s uniform and the automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. He was sure they were the same two men he had seen when he’d returned the pack full of drugs. Their captors were still looking for them, as expected, and this time, they were too close.
The second man swept his light toward the trees. Jack, Jessica and Megan dove to the ground just as the beam swung over their backs. Jack’s hand rested on the small of Jessica’s back, holding her to the ground. She tilted her head to the side in order to breathe and tried to blow a puff of air out her nose to dislodge the mud that had been forced up her nostril in her dive for cover. Jack’s face tilted toward hers and she could see the look of concern in his eyes.
The light swept over them a second time, making Jessica fear something had caught the man’s eye on the first pass. Jack’s hand left her back and eased toward the gun in his waistband.
Both men scanned the trees and the mud around the shed with their flashlights. Jessica held her breath. Had they left tracks in the mud during their hasty exit, giving away their presence? The illumination danced over the trees as the men slid their weapons off their shoulders, held them ready for use, and moved cautiously in their direction. If they tried to stand and run they would be spotted, but if the men’s path didn’t divert soon, they would be right on top of them.
Jack drew his weapon and steadied it in front of him as they continued to lie on their bellies in the mud. Thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by a series of loud thuds coming from the shed. The sound made the men stop and look back.
Manny raced from the house toward the shed, yelling at the two men. Jessica knew the boy was coming to comfort the cow, but feared for his safety if gunfire erupted. She said a quick prayer urging the men to move on. The thought of having a shootout here made her sick to her stomach. Manny was so young ¾ he didn’t deserve to die from an errant gunshot wound or even to witness such violence merely for trying to help a group of strangers.
After what seemed like an eternity, her prayers were answered. The men turned toward the shed and went inside with Manny. Jessica imagined the men wanted to ascertain it was the thunder that had enticed the cow to kick at the sides of the building and not three wayward Americans.
As soon as the door slapped shut, Jessica, Jack and Megan leapt to their feet and fled the homestead. The sound of the storm drowned out the noise of splashing through puddles as they made their rapid retreat. With any luck, the rain would quickly wash away all evidence of their presence left in the mud, though the further they penetrated the forest, the less their tracks showed amidst the growing amount of dead leaves cushioning the ground.
As dawn approached, the rain slowly gave way to scattered clouds. They had put an hour between them and Manny’s home, enough for them to slow the pace and take occasional breaks. The rain had made for tough going, but Jessica was thankful the steady downpour had washed the mud off her face, legs and arms. Her clothes were pretty much destroyed, but at least her skin was now clean.
“What
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