Page 30 of Marks of Rebellion

"No. But neither of us can go back to our countries," Julieta says.

"I need to get out of Belize."

"Axel said we should find out today what is going on," Penelope tells me.

"Guess we can't stay here forever," I tease.

Penelope stirs the contents of the bowl faster. "Do you think it's strange how Naomi and Emilia showed up, and Interpol came to rescue them right away?"

"Well, I'm glad they were able to find them so quickly," I reply.

"That's not what I mean."

"Sorry. What are you getting at?"

"How did their intel have paperwork on all of us for the guys? Did they know about us for months but only rescued us because Naomi and Emilia were there?"

"Naomi asked the same question last night," I inform them.

"They could have just rescued Naomi and Emilia," Julieta says.

"No. I spoke to Axel about it. He said that Interpol teams would come back and rescue others if they didn't know about us and discovered us during a mission. So their intel pretty much had to tell them about us, or it could have put the team in more danger and cost them more money."

Julieta pours her mixture onto the griddle. The smell of pancakes hits my nostrils and my stomach growls.

"Tell me they have syrup," I mutter.

She reaches down into a plastic crate and pulls it out.

"Yes."

"Vanessa, focus," Penelope instructs.

"Oh. Sorry. I don't know what to tell you. We all know things we are keeping secret. Does it matter at this point?"

Penelope blinks hard and puts the bowl down. "Eighteen months. That's a year and a half of my life and my daughter's. And who knows where she is."

I rise and put my arm around her. "Hey, I didn't mean to be insensitive."

An ocean of tears covers her face. She shrugs out of my grasp and walks away.

"Penelope," I call out.

Axel jogs over. "Where is she going?"

"She's upset about her daughter," I say.

Axel's eyes widen. "She has a daughter?"

"Yes. She doesn't know where she is. Didn't her paperwork have her daughter listed?"

"No. It didn't." He takes off after her and shouts, "Penelope." She doesn't look back and disappears into the woods.

Emilia steps out of the tent, and Malin goes to her. Hunter and Ryker join us.

I turn to Hunter. "Wouldn't her daughter be on her paperwork?"

"It should be, yes."