Chattel

CHAPTER ONE
Tuesday

They woke to pop music from the alarm clock early Tuesday morning. It was strange to hear an American song followed by an advertisement spoken in Spanish. Moving quickly, they dressed in cool comfortable clothing: cropped pants and light-colored cotton shirts. They stuck their feet in sneakers, tugged on hats, and grabbed up their tote bags. The girls had to be at the landing strip early to catch their chartered flight from Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to Chichen Itza. There was no airport, only a small landing strip where the plane would pick them up.

Sara Lewis, her two BFF’s (best friends forever), Amber Hale and Michelle Marshall, were taking a much-needed vacation together; the first since graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2000. They were on the third day of their all-inclusive stay at a resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. No husbands, no children, just the three of them. It was early November, and they were having a wonderful time.

When they arrived at the landing strip two men directed them to board an old, small airplane. With a pang of anxiety, Sara swept her eyes over the shabby interior. It held approximately ten seats, all empty. Why are we the only passengers? Sara wondered.  When they tried to confirm this was the correct plane they learned that the crew seemed to speak no English. No matter the questions asked, the crew nodded their heads for “yes,” even when the answer should have been a shake of the head, “no.” The crew consisted of the same two men—the only humans at the landing strip.

Sara felt very uncomfortable. This was not at all what she had expected. She did not know whether to remain on board and go through with it, or to suggest they leave.
“Chichen Itza?” Sara asked. One of the crew nodded and said something in Spanish. She had taken one year of Spanish in school, but could understand nothing he said. Amber chose a seat and Sara sat beside her at the window. Michelle sat behind Sara. They buckled their seat belts and tried to give each other comforting looks, but Sara saw bewilderment on her friends’ faces and thought hers must mirror theirs. Fear shone from Amber’s eyes and dread seemed to seep from her pores.
“Amber, I am so sorry, sugar, I forgot about your fear of flying.” Sara said. “We should have taken a bus.”

“No, don’t apologize. I didn’t want to take a bus. Remember, the guy at the resort told us it takes at least three hours to go by bus. That would have been roughly six hours on the road for the day. We’ll get there much faster this way. I can do it—it’s only the take off and the landing that scares me.”
“Bless your heart! You’re a trooper, Amber. I still feel badly about this. Plus, I had no idea the plane would be so small. Don’t y’all think it’s strange that we are the only passengers?” Sara asked.

They did not answer, only shrugged and looked at each other with mixed expressions of doubt, bewilderment, and anxiety.

Within a few minutes the plane was taking off. The runway was old, decrepit, and was full of cracks. Vegetation grew through the cracks, making for a bumpy ride. It was like riding through a pasture on a tractor, Sara thought. Iguanas ran for their lives from the path of the plane. Birds flew beside them for a while, making Sara worry that they would get sucked into one of the noisy engines. The runway was surrounded by thick jungle. Sara’s nose was full of its fecund scent as the plane bounced toward the end of the airstrip. She began to feel claustrophobic, and wondered if the plane would run out of concrete before becoming airborne. Her hands were locked onto the armrests as the plane lifted into the air. She looked at Amber. This was worse for her. Sara could not imagine how terrible she must be feeling. Sara turned to look back at Michelle, whose eyes were as big as golf balls. Finally, the plane lifted off and the girls breathed a collective sigh of relief.

When it seemed the airplane had only just gotten off the ground it began to descend. Now Sara was truly frightened. There was no way they could have arrived at Chichen Itza already. All sorts of terrifying thoughts went through Sara’s mind. Did the plane have a mechanical problem? Were they on the wrong plane after all? Three women the only passengers…were they being kidnapped? Sara wished desperately that her husband, Mike were here with her.

Before they knew it the plane was on the ground again. The girls looked out the windows, but could see only jungle. One of the crew opened the door and soon several individuals boarded. With intense relief Sara overheard them visiting with one another about the Mayan ruins. They took seats, buckled in and sat back as the plane began moving again; this time headed for Chichen Itza. To this day Sara does not know where they landed, but she could see relief on the faces of her friends, and she was sure they could see the same on hers.

Their relief was short-lived, however, as the remainder of the trip to Chichen Itza was nearly as frightening as the beginning had been. The plane pitched sharply up and down and from side to side most of the time. Sara thought that if the passengers had been cream when they took off, they would have surely been butter when they landed. She was in fear of the plane falling from the sky every second of the trip. Normally she loved to fly. This was by far the worse plane ride she had experienced. She fretted and prayed, “We should not have gotten on this plane…God please save us…please don’t let us crash.” Sara glanced at the other passengers, noted that some had green faces, which confirmed that she was not the only one wishing to be safe on the ground.
In spite of the roller coaster ride, the old plane landed normally, and it was with great relief that the passengers left it. Michelle took photos of the plane for a future show and tell. No one wanted to think about the return trip, indeed did not have time to do so, for they were immediately herded onto a modern tour bus.

CHAPTER TWO

After stopping at a restaurant for breakfast, the bus arrived at Chichen Itza at about 10 a.m. In no time the girls had put the terrifying plane experience out of their minds. Chichen Itza was awesome and huge. The portion of the city that had been cleared of jungle covered four square miles. It was an incredible place. Everything was much larger than it looked in the brochures.

Subtropical forest seemed to wait all around the city for the chance to reclaim Chichen Itza once again. The heavy air was laden with the scent of masses of growing and decomposing plants, earth, and creatures that make the jungle their home. The atmosphere was extremely humid. The girls began perspiring immediately when they stepped off the bus. Breathing required more effort than they were used to. 
Chichen Itza felt somber to Sara, similar to a mausoleum. She supposed it was because everyone who had lived there in ages past was now gone. She felt sorrow for those who had been sacrificed to their gods, and wondered how a civilization could believe that killing innocent beings would be a good thing. But, she supposed they had been a happy people, going about their lives like any others.

Hopefully, they would not run into Eddie Johnson here. It was unnerving to her that he seemed to turn up everywhere they went. The first time Sara saw him was on the ferry ride from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen on their first day in Mexico. He had stared at them—at Amber in particular—with a frank intensity throughout the nearly hour-long trip. Sara thought nothing of it at the time because everyone stared at Amber; it was to be expected. She was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. If anything, she had grown more beautiful since college. She was half Chickasaw, and had an olive complexion with long brown-black hair and eyes that matched her name. She was charming and charismatic; everyone who knew her loved her.

Then Eddie had turned up at the club they had gone to that night. It turned out that he was staying at the same resort. Sara remembered pointing him out to Amber and Michelle. “There’s that guy again…staring at us. Do you think I’m getting paranoid?”
They glanced his way then giggled. “I’ll just go check him out for you,” said Amber, putting down her drink. “I’ll tell him you’re married and not interested. How’s that?”
Now Sara’s face was red enough to match her hair. “Oh, stop it! But, don’t you think it’s a little too coincidental that we see him everywhere we go?”

“You mean you see him everywhere we go,” snickered Michelle.

“Yeah, I agree with you, Sara, and I don’t want you to worry and spoil our vacation. I’ll just go over and ask a few innocent questions,” replied Amber.

The next thing Michelle and Sara knew, Amber and the man were dancing together to a lively salsa. Amber danced with the grace of a mistress of her craft. When the dance ended, flushed and breathless, she brought the man to their table and introduced him as Eddie Johnson. “Eddie, these are my best friends in the world, Sara Lewis and Michelle Marshall.”

“Hello ladies. It’s nice to meet you,” he said, as they shook hands. “I apologize for staring, but in my defense, you are all so beautiful that I can hardly take my eyes off you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen three such beautiful women together before. And now I’ve met you, you are even more beautiful up close.”

Michelle rolled her incredulous eyes. She and Michelle were not ugly by any means, but could not hold a candle to Amber.

Eddie was certainly charming and handsome; and definitely American, perhaps from the west coast. He told them he was a corporate CEO, and that his job created a lot of stress. His prescription for stress relief was diving. He said the coral reefs in the area made for great dives, and that he went to different parts of the world to dive several times a year. With a significant look at Amber, he also told them he was single.

He kept the girls company the rest of evening. Several times Sara noticed him sitting quietly, watching Amber as if she were the sole object of his ambition. He didn’t volunteer any further information about himself; in fact he was rather reticent. Their attempts to draw him out had been futile, and they had tried plenty. Sara pondered the mystery of Eddie’s brash presence and didn’t know what to think. Something just didn’t ring true, but she could not put her finger on it. There was something unsettling about him, a hint of menace. He creeps me out, she thought.

Sara also spotted Eddie the next day while shopping with Amber and Michelle, and again as they relaxed on the beach that evening. Each time he stared blatantly at Amber.

Thank goodness she had not spotted him thus far at Chichen Itza. Sara put him out of her mind.

Two hours later, the trio were overheated and a little less enchanted with the city. They moved lethargically from building to pyramid to ball court listening to the tour guide while rivers of perspiration ran off them. They drank all of their water and bought more at the Sacred Cenote refreshment center. The air seemed to be short of oxygen; instead of air it felt like they were breathing liquid. This was more humidity than Sara had bargained for. She wanted to climb to the top of the great pyramid, but even had it had been allowed, she lacked the energy to do so. The emotional atmosphere of the place, which felt sort of evil after listening to tales of human sacrifice, helped to sap her strength also.

The vendors, who seemed to fill the park, sapped their energy also. Sara felt the phrases, “One dolla lady, or one dolla amiga, and almost free,” beat against her ears hundreds of times. The words were like little pebbles being thrown at her. The vendors were only trying to make a living, after all. But they were so danged annoying with their constant pestering. It was simply exhausting.

All Sara wanted to do was go back to the resort. Her friends agreed, but they could not leave until time for the bus to depart. Sara was definitely glad she had seen the ruins, but wished for more stamina. She trudged after the tour guide from one ruin to the next, keeping an eye out for some shade in which to sit and rest.

The trio felt like a group of wimps, but they were actually in good physical shape. All three women had been athletes in college. Athletics had played a role in bonding their friendship. The girls had supported one another and made a point of being at as many games and meets as possible. In that way they had shared the joys of winning, and of course, tears of defeat. When in school, Sara ran track from junior high through college, and still ran five days a week. Amber attended college on a volleyball scholarship, and she still played on an amateur league. Michelle had been a competitive gymnast, winning several metals. She stopped competing after college, but still worked out and taught once a week at Bart Connor’s Gymnastic Academy. However, the girls felt like limp noodles in this climate.

Finally, Amber said, “I need more water. I cannot believe a place this large has water in only two locations. I’m going to go find us some. You two stay here—don’t move—until I come back.”

“Amber, are you sure you want to do this?” Sara asked. “Our bus leaves in about forty minutes. We can get water at the souvenir shop at the gate.”

“I don’t think I can stand it any longer. I think the Sacred Cenote is pretty close. I’ll be right back.”

“I’m hungry…get some chips too…or something salty; it wouldn’t hurt to have some salt after all this sweating,” called Michelle after her.

“Glowing, remember,” Sara smiled, “women do not sweat, we glow. Also, I can tell you this since I’m a nurse…we actually don’t need extra salt.”

“Okay, I stand corrected, All Wise and Knowing One. Perhaps you should have been a teacher, since you seem to feel a need to educate the world,” Michelle said with a challenging smile.

“I’m sorry if I’m behaving insufferably. Feel free to slap me if you want…I’m too depleted to resist.”

Michelle and Sara sat, talking dejectedly, while waiting for Amber’s return. The tour had ended a few minutes earlier and they were on their own until time for the bus to take them back to the airstrip. According to the map they had been given at the entrance, and the thick jungle to their right, they were at a border of the city. All they could see of the area outside the ruins was vegetation, thickly leafed and stirred by gentle breezes. Sara wished she could feel those breezes on her skin; none reached them near the ground. 

This area was rather isolated compared to the rest of the city. Perhaps it was time to make their way to the exit. They had time to purchase refreshments and souvenirs before boarding the bus. Sara looked at her watch. She was concerned about Amber. She could not overcome her caretaker instincts. They were ingrained, first be being the eldest sibling, second by her profession. “Amber has been gone twenty minutes, shouldn’t she be back by now?”

“There was probably a long line…maybe she needed to use the restroom too. She’ll be here any minute now.” Michelle said, wiping her forehead with a tissue, looking toward the path Amber had taken. The heat and humidity had made both women testy. They were in an area where no vendors were allowed; they had chosen the area for that purpose. Actually, at the moment no one else was around either. “Wait—here she comes.”

Sara turned her head just in time see Amber disappear into the jungle. She had a quick impression of a man grabbing Amber by the neck and pulling her into the trees. Sara could not see the face of the individual, but the build definitely looked male. “Oh God—what just happened?” she asked.

Simultaneously, Michelle jumped to her feet and exclaimed, “Did you see that?”
Sara sprang to her feet, all tiredness forgotten, and ran down the path toward the spot she had last seen Amber. She expected to find Amber beside the path, minus her tote bag, so Sara was startled to find the tote bag, but not Amber. If it had been a purse snatching, the perpetrator had been unsuccessful. Michelle and Sara paused for a second and scanned the jungle. It was thick with vegetation, and looked impenetrable. Vines ran every which way. They heard a muffled scream and took off in the direction from which they thought it had come. Sara believed Amber was chasing her assailant, which was not a good idea in her estimation.

After hurrying as fast as they could--little faster than a crawl, dodging tree limbs, vines, and bushes for several yards, Michelle spotted a flash of white. “That way—I think I saw Amber’s shirt,” she said, pointing to the left. “Hurry, we can’t let her get out of our sight!”

“Why is she chasing him—she must be really pissed off!” Sara said, untangling herself from something thorny.

“I don’t think she’s chasing him. I think he has her…as in abducted!”

That shocked Sara…she had not considered that possibility. “One of us should go back for help,” Sara called after Michelle.

“No, we can’t risk it. There isn’t time. You might not be able to find us by the time you get help and come back here. If you can even find ‘here’ again,” Michelle panted, “from what I’ve seen so far, this jungle looks all the same. Besides, if we can catch up with whomever grabbed Amber, you and I can probably take him down together, but I doubt I could do it by myself.”

That made sense to Sara, so they continued chasing the flashes of white, but they did not seem to be gaining significantly on the pair. They eventually had to pause to catch their breath. “Did you see that square of cloth a ways back?” Sara gasped.
“Yes, what was it—a handkerchief?”

“Probably. I think it was used with some kind of anesthetic to subdue Amber. That bastard!” she choked. Sara tried to figure out what was going on. Who would abduct Amber? Why? Amber worked as a drug representative and spent her workdays visiting physician offices. She was divorced and led a quiet life with her seven-year-old daughter. It was crazy! What was happening? She wanted to catch the bastard and see him in jail with every fiber of her being.

Michelle said, “Look, Sara…see these cut branches? He has to be cutting as he goes. Let’s watch for cut foliage and follow the trail he’s making. That would be a lot easier.”

“Let’s go—we can’t afford lose them. If Amber is unconscious he’s carrying her. He’ll need to rest soon,” said Sara.

Sure enough, about ten minutes later they heard talking and slowed down to orient themselves to the voices they heard. The girls did not want to reveal their presence until they could find out what they were up against, and had a plan in mind. They crept closer until they heard two male voices conversing. This was bad news…more than one man. Sara looked at Michelle and saw Michelle looking back at her in dread. Each knew what the other was thinking. What do we do now? They were not close enough to see anything; nor could they understand what was being said. They bent down and tediously crept as close as they could without risking exposure. They could not afford to make a sound. Each footstep had to be carefully placed so as not to snap twigs underfoot and alert the kidnappers.

Hiding behind a particularly thick clump of broadleaf trees, Sara peered out slowly. She could see two dark skinned men in a small clearing in the woods, with Amber lying at their feet. They were dressed identically in camouflage shirts, pants, and hats. They had to be only resting, for the clearing was empty—no vehicles or structures of any kind—only jungle. Amber lay unmoving, apparently unconscious.

“I think Amber is unconscious…but all I can see is that she’s lying down,” Sara whispered softly.

“I’m too short to see anything. What are we going to do?” Michelle whispered back.
Sara put her mouth next to Michelle’s ear, “I don’t know. I’d give anything for a gun. We need to put those guys out of commission. We need help, but I’m afraid for us to separate. I don’t know where we are. I have a terrible sense of direction. I could be lost in these woods for days looking for a way out. What about you, do you have a good sense of direction?”

“No, I turn a corner and am immediately lost. Let’s check our cell phones to see if we can get a signal.” They did not actually believe the cells would pick up a signal, but were hoping against hope. They pulled the phones out.

“Nothing,” Michelle mouthed.

“Me either, I’d be surprised if there were cell coverage anywhere around here.” Sara whispered back.

“We have to stay with them,” Michelle breathed.

“I agree. But let’s look for something to use as a weapon. A heavy stick would be good; something solid enough to pack a good wallop. If we can sneak up behind them and whack them on their heads hard enough to knock them out, we can tie them up with some vines. There are enough of those around.”

Michelle glanced down around them, hoping to spy a stout limb, but froze. Her mouth open in an O of horror.

Sara was peeking at the kidnappers again—they were drinking from canteens. God that looked good! She and Michelle had nothing to drink. “Help me watch for water, Chelle. There are supposed to be lots of natural springs around here, according to the brochures.” There was an empty water bottle in her tote bag. She had put it there when they were in the park so she could deposit it into the next waste container she saw. Thank goodness for my aversion to littering, she thought.

The men picked Amber up and set off again. Sara could see that they had Amber cradled in some sort of sling or hammock. The man in front wielded a machete that he used to clear their path through the forest.

“Come on Chelle, time to move out.” Sara glanced back to see that Michelle was not moving. Her eyes were focused on something Sara could not see. “What…?” Then Sara saw the snake, and froze in fear. She knew nothing about types of snakes and which were poisonous, outside of rattlers and water moccasins. But it was large. It hung from a branch about two feet from Michelle’s face, watching her.

The three of them waited motionlessly, petrified, their instincts telling them to flee or fight. In seconds that felt like hours, the snake finally withdrew up into the tree.

“Oh, my gosh, I thought I was dead!” whispered Michelle.
“Scared me too. We have to hurry now.”

Sara and Michelle were soon following along in the path the men had taken. The abductors seemed content now to take their time. This was a boon for the females for two reasons: they were too exhausted to move quickly, and it meant the men had no idea they were being followed. The men were probably tired too, since they had a burden to carry and the path to clear. The two girls set off behind their quarry again, this time watching for a water source, something to use as a weapon, and snakes.
An hour later they passed within thirty feet of a pool of water. Sara told Michelle to keep going, while she hurried quietly over to the water and filled her water bottle. The water looked green from the reflections of the verdant forest, but it was clear when in the bottle. Sara drank the whole thing quickly—not caring if the water was safe to drink—she was so thirsty. She then refilled the bottle and hurried to catch up with Michelle.

A few hours later Sara took a mental inventory: they had no water, but they did find sturdy sticks that could be used as clubs, as well as walking aids. They had not encountered more snakes, or vicious creatures of any kind. In addition, they cherished the hope of being able to rescue Amber. On the other hand, they had no idea where they were, where they were going, or whether there would even be an opportunity of rescuing Amber. Nightfall was only a couple of hours away, but they had no shelter.

Twenty minutes or so later the men stopped and lowered the sling. One of the men pulled Amber to her feet. She had regained consciousness. Sara could see that Amber’s mouth was taped and her hands tied. One man said something to Amber with a warning look, then ripped the tape off. The men drank again from their canteens, offering none to Amber. She was made to walk between the two, staggering, as they set off again. One of the men grabbed her by an arm and pulled her along. This made Sara so angry she wanted to catch up to them and club them senseless. She fervently hoped she and Michelle would get a chance to do something to turn the situation around before anything worse happened. Michelle’s gritted teeth and fierce look spoke volumes of agreement.

They walked for a long time—another hour or so according to Sara’s watch. The farther they walked the more it seemed the vegetation was conspiring to hamper them. They stumbled over more and more vines and roots as the evening wore on. They had dirt, scratches, and insect bites all over them, especially their faces, arms and legs where their skin was exposed. Sara felt like a wet, dirty pincushion. It was still incredibly humid and not a feather of breeze made it through the foliage. Perspiration dripped from them. They could still see, but not very well—the light was quickly fading.

CHAPTER 3

Sara had plenty of time to think as she made her way through the woods in pursuit of Amber and the kidnappers. Besides trying to figure out what she and Michelle should do next, Sara thought about what had happened and wondered why it had happened. Why had these two men abducted Amber? Sara had checked the internet site of the American Embassy in Mexico on the World Wide Web before leaving home. Several reports of kidnappings for ransom had been listed, but they had occurred in heavily populated areas such as Mexico City. None of them had occurred in this part of Mexico. According to the reports, once the ransoms had been paid the victims had been freed. Was that what was happening here? If so, Sara realized with a feeling of dread, she and Michelle might be putting Amber in greater danger by following instead of returning to someplace they could be reached by phone.

What other explanation was there? Why would a couple of strangers abduct Amber if not for ransom? Sara arrived at no conclusions. She did not know if she and Michelle were doing the right thing by going after Amber, but she was afraid to do anything else.

Finally, a hut came into view. It was obviously the destination of the abductors. The hut was native in design, and very small. It was topped with a thatched roof. There was a door at the front, but no windows. It was made of sticks standing on end and bound together somehow. It reminded Sara of her favorite childhood book, The Three Little Pigs. There was a picture in the book that looked just like that hut; the picture of the house make of sticks.

Sara had loved that story as a child because her father had read it to her and acted out the characters. He used his highest voice when speaking for the pigs and his lowest voice when speaking for the wolf. Sara had felt a little sorry for the wolf at the end, but was glad that he got his just desserts, because he would not be able to go after her when she was alone.

She hoped now that these criminals would receive their just desserts as well.
The abductors dragged their resisting captive inside and closed the door.
Sara fantasized that they would be able to rescue Amber soon and find food and water in the hut. Michelle and Sara had occasionally passed trees and bushes with fruit hanging on them. They had eaten some of the fruit they thought was safe. But they were hungry for something more solid, and were becoming dehydrated from excessive perspiration and not enough water.

“Chelle, let’s get closer and formulate a plan, I’ve been thinking about some possibilities.” Sara whispered. When they were within twenty feet of the hut, they sat down behind some trees.

“Sara, we need to go around the back of the hut and see what’s there.”

“Yeah, a car and a road are at the top of my wish list. Listen, if one of them comes out alone we have to try to get him. They will probably take turns coming outside to relieve themselves. That will be our chance to reduce the odds.”

“Sounds like a good plan. Should we stay together, or split up and rush him from two sides?”

“Probably split up—but first, let’s go see if there is anything behind the hut. If someone lives here shouldn’t there be a well or water supply nearby?”

“That would be logical.”

They walked carefully and quietly around to the back of the hut, keeping hidden behind foliage the whole time in case the door opened, or in case they could be seen through the cracks between the sticks that made up the walls of the hut. They did find a pool of water several yards behind the hut, and they stopped to fill up their stomachs and Sara’s bottle. That was all that their search uncovered. There was nothing that indicated human habitation in the area other than the hut, and it had no windows, only the door in front.

“Let’s move closer,” Michelle suggested, “maybe we can hear something…find out what those bastards are planning.”

“It’s risky, but worth a try. If you hear someone coming, run to that clump of bushes over there. He will probably think it’s some kind of animal.”

The two crept near the back wall of the hut and listened. They could hear sounds from within, but could not make out words. They could hear Amber crying though.

“Those bastards!” whispered Michelle.

“Shhhh…let’s move away from here.”

They sneaked around to the front of the hut, concealing themselves from the view of the doorway. “Let’s rethink the idea of splitting up,” Sara said. “The problem with that is…one of us might fall asleep without the other there to help keep her awake. Also, it would be more frightening to be alone, especially with all these strange animal noises. I have no idea what is making those sounds. Didn’t the tour guide at Chichen Itza say there are jaguars in this jungle? Didn’t the ancient Mayans have a jaguar god and snake gods? That would mean jaguars and snakes are here—right?”

“Yeah, we heard about animal gods, and I know you are frightened. I am too, but I still believe we need to split up. It would give us the best chance of success. If an animal comes close enough for you to reach it, hit it hard with your stick. Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep. I think each of the kidnappers will come out to urinate before going to sleep. If we can’t take advantage of that, then we will get together and think up a plan B, okay?” said Michelle.

“You’re right, of course. I’m sorry for sounding like a baby. God, I just want this to be over. I want to wake up at home in my bed and for this to be only a dream. I am so terrified, Chelle, and ashamed of myself. Amber is in there crying and who knows what is going on, and I am out here having a pity party. I’m disgusted with myself.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re exhausted. I feel the same way. Don’t give up on us. We must be strong. We know where Amber is, and we have a plan and a good chance of accomplishing it. Now, you go over to the left, in that clump of bushes,” she said pointing to our left, “and I’ll go over there to our right.”

“Okay,” Sara said. She was scared stiff. Truth was, she did not want to be separated from Michelle. They had been hearing all sorts of sounds that neither could identify, and Sara did not want to encounter one, or both, of those kidnappers alone. She might not be safer with Michelle by her side, but she would at least feel more comfortable. The old adages of “safety in numbers” and “misery loves company” ran through her mind. She did have hope that they could rescue Amber. But hope and confidence are two different states of mind, and Sara was terrified that they would not be able to pull off a coup.

Michelle put her arm around Sara and said, “Sara, when we are in place we have to be very quiet or we’ll not hear them come out. Thank God it’s not completely dark yet…we have a little light. Although, dressed as they are we’ll not be able to see them well. They’ll be able to see us though, in these light colored clothes. Be very careful.”
“I will. You be careful too, Chelle.”

Sara gave Michelle a quick hug, then they split up and went to their respective hiding places. All day Sara had worn her tote bag around her neck with one shoulder through the strap. Now she quietly checked the bag to see if it contained anything useful—perhaps something she had forgotten about. She found half a roll of breath mints, tissues, camera, bug repellant, sunglasses, empty water bottle, lipstick, wallet, passport, and fingernail clippers. She took off her hat and stuffed it inside the bag…she wouldn’t need it in the dark. She used the bug spray again. Sara had sprayed herself a few times earlier that day. It seemed to help a little, but her body still sported numerous bites. She belatedly realized the fragrance of the insect repellant could be detected in the air if one of the men came out too soon. Stupid, she remonstrated with herself. Her fear of snakes was enough to keep her awake, even though she felt dead tired.

After what seemed like a long time Sara heard a noise near the hut--a scraping sound. With her eyes trained on the door, she thought she could detect the silhouette of a figure leaving the hut. She heard the scraping sound again. She thought it must be the door closing, and she was correct. It looked like one of the kidnappers was walking straight out from the doorway and would pass between Michelle and Sara momentarily. For a second Sara remained frozen in place, too frightened to move. Then her anger overcame her fear and she began moving to her left so that she could get behind the man. Sara hoped Michelle was awake and following the plan. She thought her heart would beat right out of her chest. She thought that the creep must hear it beating it was so loud. Sara then detected the unmistakable sound of a man  urinating outside, so she quickly crept up behind him. Michelle startled her as she brushed against Sara’s left arm.

“Now!” she whispered, and they hit the man with their clubs. As he went down Sara felt a desperate flare of hope, but her hope crumpled and turned to horror as the bastard cried out before losing consciousness. Appalled at her viciousness, Sara hit the man again for good measure.

“Dammit—hide quick! The other one had to have heard him,” Sara breathed.
Sara did not look back to see which way Michelle ran. Like a scared rabbit she hurried to the side of the hut nearest her and leaned against the wall, out of sight of the doorway.

The other man stepped out of the hut. He carried a flashlight and cast it’s beam about in search of his companion. When he spied him lying on the ground several feet away he ran over to him. Sara hoped Michelle would use her club on him. In the meantime she determined to go after Amber. Sara told herself that she had to exploit this opportunity to get Amber out of the hut and away. She listened to the second man trying to rouse his partner as she slowly slipped around the hut to the door. The door had been left it open and Sara hurried inside.

In the pool of light from one candle, Sara saw that the hut was empty except for a couple of backpacks, a wooden crate, and Amber who was lying on the ground. There was no floor. Amber looked like a rag doll lying there. Her mouth was still free of tape, but her face was swollen nearly beyond recognition. The bastards had beaten her.
Fury mobilized Sara, as she bent down to Amber and said, “Amber can you get up, sweetie? We have to get out of here—come on—hurry!”

“Sara, is it really you?” Amber asked, battered but undefeated.

“Yes, come on, dear heart!” Sara helped Amber to her feet. Her hands were still tied, but her feet were not. There was no time to untie Amber here.

“We have to run, sweetie—as fast as we can—follow me.” Sara looked out the door toward the enemy just in time to see Michelle strike the second man with her club. However, instead of falling over, he drew a gun.

“No!” Sara yelled.

His reflexes took over, and the man jerked the gun toward Sara and pulled the trigger. It took a second for Sara to realize he had missed her. She heard the clicking sound his gun made as the man pulled the trigger again, this time pointing the gun at Michelle. The gun failed to fire. Sara saw Michelle hit him again and watched as he fell over. Sara yelled, “Get the gun!”

Sara turned her head to tell Amber to run, but Amber was not there. Then she saw her on the ground. At that moment it seemed that Sara could feel their rosy future leaching into the Mexican soil. She rushed to Amber and saw that a dark spot was spreading larger on Amber’s white shirt. Sara touched the spot. It was sticky and smelled like blood. “Oh God! Amber…. Amber please be okay! Oh God please,” Sara begged. Michelle was beside her in an instant. They were filled with fear and dread. Each held one of Amber’s shoulders.

“Amber, honey? Is she breathing Sara?” Michelle asked in a voice filled with fear and horror.

Amber didn’t move or make a sound, and then she coughed and whispered faintly, “run.”

“Not without you, Amber,” Sara cried, “We won’t leave you. You are going to be okay. You have to stay with us, sweetie. Hold on—please,” Sara pleaded even though she knew it was no use. She had too much experience as a nurse not to recognize a fatal chest wound. The thought of losing Amber was too horrible to contemplate.

“Madison…” Amber murmured. Sara could barely make out the word. Amber coughed again, and then went still.

She never spoke again.

CHAPTER 4

In shock, Sara and Michelle sat beside Amber, one on each side, crying and holding her shoulders, it seemed like hours went by, but it was only a few moments.
“Chelle, she’s gone…our Amber is gone. Oh my God! What have we done?” Sara sobbed uncontrollably. As she cried, dozens of scenes, memories of Amber flickered through her mind. The first time they had met, Amber’s team winning a volleyball tournament and Amber’s pride in her trophy, graduation, Amber’s wedding, Amber as a bridesmaid at Sara’s wedding, Amber at Madison’s birth, her anger and grief when she filed for divorce, and finally, Amber raising her cup to Sara’s and Michelle’s the other evening on the beach as they toasted themselves. Best Friends Forever.
Forever was supposed to last longer than this.

“She can’t be gone…this can’t be happening, Sara,” Michelle answered in tears. Goddam those bastards…”

She suddenly stopped talking and looked over her shoulder as if she had only just then remembered that the men were still there, “Run! Sara, run!”