Page 98 of Cavern of Silence

"What do you mean?"

She motions between the guys. "They look like thugs with their faces right now."

"Gee, thanks," Hunter sarcastically says.

"Sorry, but it's true."

I turn more in my seat. "What are you getting at?"

"If we're going to bring awareness to us, shouldn't we wait for their faces to heal? Then we can come up with a plan on how to navigate your situation."

"Flower, we're getting out of here on the first flight," Hunter insists.

The air in my lungs feels thicker. "Vanessa's right. Everyone from the check-in counter to security and even boarding at the gate will triple-check you two."

"So we need to wait. That will give us time to figure this out," she says.

"No. We're leaving," Hunter insists.

She's right. They can't go right now.

"If they suspect you aren't a safe passenger, they will take you to a holding area where they can question you and take your fingerprints and scan your irises. Vanessa will go back to Belize, and Interpol will escort you wherever they choose, unless they decide to keep you instead of notifying Interpol."

"Just because my face is bruised?" Hunter blurts out.

"You're a man in your forties. It's not normal to have a beat-up face," I point out.

"So, our faces have to be completely bruise-free or just better than right now?" Ryker asks.

"The more normal, the less attention you'll draw."

"Then we wait. Hunter and Vanessa will split from us when the time comes. In the meantime, we figure out how to get you through the airport unrecognized," Ryker instructs.

"You need a disguise," Vanessa tells me.

"My passport won't match."

"We'll get you a new passport," Ryker says.

"It's too risky to go back to Omoa," Hunter directs to Ryker.

Silence.

"It's time we split," Ryker states.

Hunter nods. "Agreed."

Vanessa asks, "Aren't we safer if we stay together?"

"No. We've been lucky we've gotten this far together. And our faces aren't helping this situation. It's not just the airport," Ryker replies.

More silence.

I nervously tap my thigh with my fingers, and Ryker wraps his hand over them.

He says, "I'll drop you off near the airport. You can lay low a few days until your face heals. We'll take the Jeep back to Tinker's and get Julieta a different passport."

"Sounds good," Hunter replies.