Page 88 of Cavern of Silence

"Just in time," I say and avoid Ryker's eyes, but I feel him staring at me, and when I turn, he looks like a sad puppy. I set the plates down and softly instruct, "Eat."

Vanessa cautiously sits next to Hunter, and he asks, "What is this?"

She bites a smile. "Rice, beans, eggs, plantains, and grilled tortillas."

"For breakfast?"

"You've never heard of a Gallo Pinto breakfast bowl?"

"No. Sorry."

I gape at him. "You don't know anything about Costa Rican culture, do you?"

"No, ma'am. I would expect this for any meal, except breakfast."

What is with these guys and the ma'am?

Vanessa snickers. "Eat your beans and eggs. They have protein. Andre and Dirk would insist."

"Hey, I'm not picky, I just thought it was interesting." He shoves a forkful in his mouth.

"Mmmm. The only thing missing is Salsa Lizano," I mumble, happy to be eating a meal I haven't had in months.

"What's that?" Ryker asks.

"It's like a salsa-type sauce but in a non-salsa way."

"Salsa but not salsa? That makes no sense."

I shrug. "It's true."

We mostly eat in silence. I concentrate on my food, and Ryker's pinky finger grazes my thigh, and I no longer can ignore what's between us. No matter what he did, I can't walk away from him, and I don't want to continue dwelling on it. And I refuse to continue to hurt him by avoiding him.

I move my hand under the table and brush my finger against his. Upon contact, he grasps my hand and squeezes it. I reciprocate, and he lets out a long breath.

He clears his throat and continues to hold my hand tightly. "I wonder how long it's going to be before the others start to arrive."

"They are all on foot. It could be weeks," Hunter replies.

"We need to figure out a landing spot. It's not safe for us to stay here too long. We're still in Central America."

"Agreed. I'm still not coming up with anywhere neutral, are you?"

"No."

My gut flips with uneasiness. The Global Leaders are so powerful and connected, I don't know where we can hide. "Do you still have family in Brazil, Vanessa?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Everyone left during the last rebellion."

"We need to figure it out before the passports get here. Any ideas, Tinker?" Hunter asks.

"Still thinking," he replies.

We eat in silence until Vanessa scoots her chair back, picks her plate off the table, then scrapes and rinses it before putting it in the dishwasher. "I'm going to get some air."

As soon as she's out the door, Hunter follows her.

We finish in silence, and Ryker squeezes my hand again. "Can I talk to you in private for a moment?"