Ryker's knuckles turn white as he grips the wheel.
Julieta and I scream, and Hunter takes his arm and holds it to my chest so I'm firm against the back of the seat.
We hydroplane near a tree, and Ryker regains control just in time for us to not smack into it. He manages to get us back to the middle of the track, but the brakes aren't slowing us down.
The rain is steady, but at the bottom of the hill, we fly through a muddy swamp and spin out. The vehicle makes several full circles, and my heart about stops.
Hunter keeps his arm secure across me, and when we finally stop, thick mud covers the windshield. The inside of the Jeep is darker, and I'm breathing hard.
"Everyone okay?" Ryker booms.
"Flower?"
Julieta puts her arm in the air. "Woo-hoo!"
"That was awesome!" I blurt out.
Hunter's eyes widen. "You enjoyed that?"
"You didn't?"
"Not with you in the car."
"That's too bad. That was fun!"
"Is your neck okay?"
"Yeah. And you can remove your arm now."
"Oh, sorry." He takes his arm away.
"Nice driving." Julieta beams and kisses Ryker on the cheek.
"Add it to my list of skills."
Her face reddens, and she bites her lip and softly laughs.
Hunter groans. Only I can hear, but I squeeze his knee.
I think Julieta and Ryker are cute together. Hunter seems a bit weirded out by it though.
"Let's hope we have enough fluid to wash this off. I need to see to get out of this mud pit." Ryker sprays the windshield for several minutes until the fluid is all gone. It's semi-clear. Not great, but enough to see.
The swamp we stopped in is about two feet deep. Ryker moves the gear and turns the vehicle about ninety degrees then continues forward.
"You're lucky we aren't stuck in that," Hunter comments.
"Would you carry me out of it?" I tease.
"If we were stuck?"
"Yes."
"Of course I would."
"Then I guess you're the lucky one!"
He grunts. "Aren't you getting awfully sassy?"
I release my seat belt and slide over. I murmur in his ear, "Dirty and sassy."
"Just how I like you," he mumbles.
My stomach growls. "Julieta, can we eat now?"
"Yep. That's it for the adrenaline rush."
Ryker gets us onto firmer ground. The rain helps wash the mud off, and we decide to take advantage of it and stay put to eat breakfast.
Julieta distributes food to Hunter and me, and I help refill coffee.
Hunter takes a bite and groans. "This is so good. These eggs are perfect."
Julieta passes another sandwich covered in foil to him. "I made you two."
He hesitantly reaches for it and swallows. "Thanks."
"Aren't you going to eat?" I ask.
Ryker eyes Julieta. "We already did."
She hides her smile by taking a sip of coffee.
Okay, those two definitely got down and dirty.
We finish eating in silence, and the windshield is clearer from the rain. Ryker drives straight to a gate, and the rain stops once we are out of the jungle.
We remove the tarp, and Julieta instructs us to leave it on the ground. Ryker refills the wiper fluid. Hunter grabs the red fuel can from the trunk area and fills the tank.
Julieta unlocks the gate and Ryker drives the vehicle through. "Welcome to Guatemala." She slides back into her seat.
My stomach flips. I almost forgot where we were going with all the excitement.
They can't find us on their land.
Panic rises. "Julieta, we shouldn't—"
"The coast should be okay. Don't worry. It's only a few hours to get through."
"Do you own more land going into Honduras?" Hunter skeptically asks.
"No."
"Then how are we getting past the border?"
"I know a guy."
"You know a guy?"
"Yep."
"Who?"
She sighs. "I'm not trying to be secretive, but I can't get into it. But please trust me."
Hunter clenches his jaw.
"Let's drop it," Ryker calls out.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat and take deeper breaths.
"Flower, you okay?"
"Yeah," I lie. My anxiety is growing. I can feel it, and I want to stop it, but I'm not sure how.
If the guerrillas find me in Guatemala, I'm screwed. They would sell me back to Santiago. Or, depending on what has developed with Carlos since my abduction, use me as a tool to get what they want. I will end up back with Carlos. Or they could sell me to another communist leader. Any way I look at the situation, I'm leverage against Carlos.
From the little information I know about Julieta's situation, she's not safe in any communist country, either.
The Global Leaders have split into two sides, but the war doesn't stop there. Everyone is fighting for power. No one's loyalty can be trusted. Every man wants to control drug trafficking into their countries and others. That includes all the billions of dollars a year that goes into the War on Drugs campaigns.
These corrupt politicians line their pockets from both illegal and legal funding. What goes on behind closed doors is the opposite of what gets reported to the public.
Carlos's objective is to become the Prime Minister of Belize. The Global Leaders know this. They will support him when the time comes. While they would backstab him in a heartbeat once he's in power, they will do whatever they can to get him into that position. The more Global Leaders that are in full control of their country, the more stabilized the movement will become.
Once it's stabilized, the real war for power will begin.
And two of the biggest players in the movement are the U.S. President and Prime Minister of the U.K. No one would ever contemplate they would be a part of what Carlos is involved in.
I've dined and attended other events with every global leader and the heads of the most powerful drug cartels. In some instances, I've stayed in their homes or vacationed with them.
The events are how I met Penelope and Zoe before we were ever abducted. I didn't know Penelope had a daughter before my week in the pit.
And the parties I attended are how I know that the recently deceased daughter of the President of the United States didn't meet Nicolas Gómez in the way the President has portrayed it. They've known each other for years.
Ryker drives through the jungle and the terrain becomes bumpier. As my body gets jostled around, the pain in my chest becomes tighter. The more I think about the men I know and what they might do to me, or the possibility of being sent back to Carlos, the faster my heart thumps.
My vision blurs, and Hunter slides me onto his lap. "Flower."
Breathe. I need to stop these episodes.
Why is it so hard?
Stop thinking about Carlos.
But all I see is his face. Hunter tilts my chin up. He comes into vision but has two heads.
"Flower, look me in the eyes," he barks.
The weight of Carlos's hands around my neck feels so real, I start choking.
"Ryker, pull over," Hunter yells.
We stop moving, but I can't stop gasping for air.