Page 48 of Depths of Destruction

"Yeah."

"So it's just when you're in survival mode you don't sleep a lot?"

"Guess that's one way to put it." He pecks me on the lips. "Time to go."

I put my arms around him. "No playtime?"

He hesitates, glances at my naked body again, then rises. "We gotta go."

"Aww." I pout but get out of bed to quickly dress. I use the bathroom, which I also have a sudden appreciation for, even though it doesn't have indoor plumbing. Andre packs a paper bag with food from the cabinet. He also puts the remaining case of water on the table.

"How are we going to carry everything?"

He dangles keys in his hands and grins.

"Please tell me those are to the truck outside."

"It's gotta be. Let's hope it runs." He points to two red gas tanks by the door. "Found those in the cabinet."

We leave the cabin. I carry the water and brown bag. Andre takes the fuel and puts it in the back of the truck bed. We get inside. It takes a few tries, but it eventually starts.

"Woo-hoo!" I call out.

Andre chuckles. He reverses, and we continue down the small path in the jungle.

"Do you think the main road is near?" I ask.

"Let's hope."

I rifle through the paper bag and tear open a granola bar then hold it to Andre's mouth. "Have some breakfast."

He bites it. "Mmm. Chocolate chips. Breakfast of champions."

"Gotta love a sugar jolt in the morning." I take a bite.

"I'd kill for some coffee, bacon, and eggs."

"Ugh. Don't torture me talking about it." I put another piece to his lips then finish the last part.

I turn the dial on the radio. After several minutes of static, I finally pick up a reggae station.

A Bob Marley song comes on, and Andre and I both sing along. Halfway through it, the music dies, a beeping blares through the speakers, and the radio DJ cuts in.

"We're sorry to interrupt, but we just received notice investigative journalist, Naomi Salazar, and her sister, Emilia, have been missing for over forty-eight hours. It's believed Colombian drug lord Santiago Gómez's cartel kidnapped the sisters."

I turn the volume up. Goose bumps break out on my arms.

"Shit," Andre mumbles.

"Footage from the parking garage of the TV station where Naomi works revealed two men, identified as members of the cartel, forcing her into their vehicle. Authorities have discovered close to three dozen of Santiago's men dead, southwest of Belize City. Police aren't disclosing the location of where they found the bodies but stated it was somewhere in the jungle. At this time, officials are not sure if the Salazar sisters are still with the cartel or if another organization has abducted them. Possible suspects would be the Torres Cartel or Guatemalan guerrillas. The Belizean government has issued a twenty-thousand-dollar reward for the recovery of either Salazar sister. If you have any information on either sister, please call your local authorities immediately."

"Great," Andre groans.

A chill runs deep in my bones. "Twenty thousand dollars is a lot of money. People won't think twice about reporting it if they see my sister or me."

"Pull my baseball cap out of my bag. As soon as we get on the main road, put it on. We can't risk anyone seeing you. It's not a big disguise, but it will give you some coverage."

"What about my sister? Is there a way to warn her and Malin?" I dig into the bag to find the hat.