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I pick her up and gently place her in the small space. When she signals to me that she’s comfortable, I place the board over her and put the luggage on top of the board. No one will suspect a thing. The trunk looks just like any other.
“I hope this works,” Andreas says as he starts the engine.
“It has to. I’d hate to have to shoot my way out of Mexico.”
“You and me both, Lucas.”
* * *
“It’s crazy busy. That’s a good thing,” I say when we wait in line at the post with the engine idling.
“We’re here, Emily,” I say loudly enough so she can hear me under all the luggage. “Don't make a sound until I tell you it’s safe.”
I’m glad it’s a chilly morning, or the poor thing would be overheating back there. It’s our turn, so we pull up and open the window. It’s the same guard we saw the night before.
“Where is your friend, the boxer?” he asks as he looks at our documents.
“He’s got a fight tomorrow, so he stayed behind,” Andreas offers.
“Open the trunk for me, please,” the guard says after looking at us for a few moments.
Fuck! I hope he doesn’t dig around in there. Not only will he find Emily, but he’ll find my handgun too.
“Sure, Officer.”
Andreas keeps his cool and gets out of the car. The two men walk around to the back of the vehicle. I don’t move a muscle. My heart is racing, but I'm determined to keep a straight face.
I can see the guard in the side mirror as he steps closer to the trunk and rummages through the luggage. Andreas is cooler than a cucumber while the border guard goes about his business. What takes him mere minutes seems like hours.
The guard slams the trunk shut.
“Okay, you’re good to go.”
Andreas gets back in the car and gives me a knowing look. One that screams relief. We start up the engine as soon as we have the green light and drive back into the US.
“Stop the car,” I order Andreas once we’re at a safe distance from the guards.
Emily is a ball of nerves when I get her out of the trunk. She throws her arms around my neck and bursts into tears.
“Oh, Lucas. I was so scared. I can’t do this anymore. I’m so tired. Take me home.”
“It’s over, my love. We’re home now.”
“No! I want to go home, Lucas. My home! I want to forget this nightmare. I’m done!”
It feels like my heart has just been ripped from my chest. The pain is excruciating.
“There’s one more thing I have to do before I can take you home, Emily.”
“No, Lucas! Please. I want to go home.”
“The man who is behind your abduction is still out there. Once I’ve dealt with him, I’ll take you wherever you want to go. I promise.”
There’s no point in making the case now for our relationship or that I want her to stay with me so that we can raise our child together. Emily is too upset right now to think rationally, so I’ll placate her.
“You know who killed David, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”