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“This is the last stop,” Jorge said. “As soon as the group is ready, we’ll head to the exit.”

Carson hunted for his shoes. Ah, there. He smacked them together, upside down, to shake out any creatures or ghosts, then slipped them on. Ugh. Wet socks and wet sneakers.

More tourists joined him, including Julia.

“You’re acting weird,” she said. “Twitchy.”

“ I’m acting weird? Ritually sacrificed humans surround us. Why are you blasé about it?”

“They’ve been dead for a thousand years. People tour the Paris catacombs, don’t they? The cemeteries in New Orleans? They walk right over the tombs in Westminster Abbey. Lots of people are fascinated by and okay with being in the presence of death.”

This so did not track with her love of pink. He loved that she embraced the darker side of Belize’s culture. But he’d love it more out of these caves and in the sunshine.

“Fine. I’m the weird one.” To Jorge, he called, “Can I climb back down the boulder?”

“Yes, but stay at the base, please.”

“Like I’d wander through a tomb,” he muttered. He’d already shimmied onto the ledge when Julia dangled her legs over.

“Little help?” she asked.

He wrapped his hands around her waist. “I’ve got you.”

As she let go of the ledge, he caught her to his front and let her slide down his body. The armful of her curves was everything he dreamed it could be.

“Thanks,” she said.

Once the full group gathered around them, they trawled through the subterranean river. Once again, Carson’s balls threatened to climb back up inside him.

Caves could go fuck themselves.

“Is this different from the way we came?” Carson asked Julia. “Did you drag me here to seek revenge in the bowels of Belize?”

“Jesus, relax.” She dipped her body low into the calm water and bobbed until just her head and helmet were above the surface. “Literally go with the flow.”

Easy for her to say. Little Miss I-Grew-Up-in-Wild-Wonderful-Belize had done this before, but he was literally in the dark.

Their tour group abruptly stopped.

“Is this a dead end?” he asked as they huddled around their guide.

Pedro shook his head, then pointed his flashlight to a small hole above the waterline. “It’s the way out.”

Carson shook his head. “That’s a solid block.”

“Shh,” Julia said. “He’ll give you instructions.”

“For what? Teleporting?”

“Listen closely,” Pedro said. “We call this spot the Decapitator.”

Carson sucked in his breath. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

“Your helmet will fit through this crevice. The wall narrows below the widest part, but there is room for your neck. Most of your body will be submerged as you shimmy though the passageway. One caveat—if you’re wearing a life vest, you’ll have to take it off. It won’t fit.”

Shedding life vests seemed…not good.

“Watch me.” Pedro vanished through the crevice.

The retirees followed him. Were none of them scared of decapitation? Did growing older make you that reckless?

“We’re doing this, huh?” He clamped his hands behind his neck. “Seems like a bad idea.”

“A worse idea is staying without guides.” Julia edged forward. “Carson, come on. I wouldn’t bring you into anything dangerous.”

“I hate this,” he said. Dark paths, blind curves. Those had cost him everything in the past. This was Mulholland Drive all over again. Risks were a part of life, but he had to see the risk. Not take a careless run at it and hope nothing bad happened.

“I can tell,” she said. “You go first.”

He stopped. “What if I get stuck?”

“You won’t. Pedro’s bigger than you, and he got through.”

“Unless a cave monster ate him.”

“Dude. Go. Now. You’re holding up the line.”

“If a cave monster eats me, that’s on you.”

Deep breath, and he angled his head to fit through the narrow channel.

The cave wall brushed his throat. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

This was terrifying. The crazy part was some explorer went through this system and was like, Huh, I wonder what’s over there , and shuffled forward, hoping they didn’t get stuck, and—

Oh. He was through. Shaking, but through.

“Congratulations,” Pedro said.

Once Julia popped through, Carson hauled her to him. “That is the dumbest thing anyone’s ever made me do.”

“I didn’t make you do anything. You said you wanted to see things you’d regret missing. You can’t beat glittery skeletons.”

“I’d regret dying in a cave.”

“Kids do this.” She pushed away from him. “There was a sign at the trailhead that said you have to be at least four feet tall.”

“It should also say tourists should be less than six-two.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “That felt like the trash compactor scene from Star Wars .”

“Excuse me?” Jorge interrupted. “Could you proceed so we don’t lose the group?”

“Sorry, yes,” Julia said.

Around the bend, relief flooded through Carson. Glorious natural light glinted against the river. They were nearly free of the dark. Outside, the vibrant greenery seemed to glow after spending an hour in the dark. It might take a minute for his eyes to adjust.

“Ready for our next thing?” Julia asked.

“Anything that gets me away from the cave.”

“Great,” she said. “There are changing stations at the park entrance. Once we’re in our dry gear, we’ll be on our way.”