I run as fast as I fucking can, dress flying up around my legs. I expect to hear gunshots right away. I expect to hear screaming and yelling, and the rumble of bikes.
The crazy thing is, I don’t hear anything until I’m a good ways away. It turns out they’re not so quick on the draw when shit hits the fan.
I hear Jesco curse. He fires his weapon. Whether it’s at Andy or me, I don’t know. Either way, it’s in vain. I’m already too far from the range of his shotgun.
“Get her!” he screams. I finally hear that rumble and realize I need to find a place to hide.
Near to the right of me is the mountain. I’m completely barefoot, and when I look down, my feet are bleeding and stuck with thorns and bullheads.
“Damn,” I sigh, limping toward the rocks. I climb the base of the mountain as if I am an actual climber. I get below a ridge, and I glance to my left. There is a small cave, which I duck inside to hide.
Exhausted, I catch my breath and wipe the tears away. This was such a bad plan. I don’t know how I thought this would work. These men know these deserts like the back of their hands. They practically govern th
is entire area.
I close my eyes and actually start to pray. I never pray. I’m not the religious kind of person like my parents were. But it’s my last hope.
I silently pray, until I hear the rumble stop. Startled, I watch and wait.
Footsteps coming closer…
“Where’s she at?” I hear Andy say, sighing.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Jeffco sings, laughing a little to himself.
“Come on, sweetie-pie. You know we’re going to find you eventually. If you come out now, we won’t hurt you,” Andy says.
“Yeah,” Jeffco replies. “We just want to talk a little.” They both chuckle.
I hear their boots stomping against the dirt. Every so often, their spurs hit the side of a rock and the sound echoes throughout the small cave.
Crunch, the soles of their boots stop near the cave. “Well, I guess we won’t be able to find her, Andy,” Jeffco says.
I hear the sound of his thumb running over his lighter. I hear tobacco leaves seer against the flame. He takes a drag and sighs.
“I guess we’ll have to pack it in and send a team out in the morning. It’s too fucking hot today.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Andy says. “She won’t get too far. There isn’t another city around here for another 30 miles. She’ll never make it without being seen.”
“Tomorrow, then?” Jeffco asks him.
“That sounds pretty good to me. Let’s go have a beer. All this climbing has got me pretty damn thirsty,” he says.
I smile to myself. Everything is going to be okay. They didn’t find me. They got close, but they’re turning back around. They’re going to have a beer, and I can find that town 30 miles away.
I can make it.
I know I can.
I’ve got enough adrenaline to get me to the ends of the earth and back.
My prayers were answered.
“Wait a second, Andy. Do you smell something?” Jeffco suddenly asks.
“Why, I think I do,” he says, sniffing loudly.
“What does it smell like to you, son?” he asks.