by Zoe York
“Do you think they’re coming?” Meredith asked.
“Unless something happened to them,” I said. “I sort of hope they don’t, to be honest. There’s so many of Ramirez’s men here. And they’re set up everywhere. They’d be walking into a death trap.”
Meredith shivered.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m just being honest.”
“I need to hear the truth,” she said. “I need to be prepared.”
“I know nothing will stop Matthew from getting to you.” I put my hand over my heart; it was almost as if I could feel him out there, coming for her. “I know how much he loves you, and what an amazing soldier he is. He will come for you.”
He wouldn’t leave his children without their mother, I thought, even though it pained me to even think about them. The poor little things.
“You know what I was saying before? About not liking you that much?” Mer asked.
“Um…yeah?” I asked, a little wary.
“It’s because I know you think Matthew shouldn’t become a civilian.” She paused for a beat. “And you’re right, Liberty. I’ve fought him about it for years. I’ve begged him to quit his job. But I was wrong. It took something terrible like this for me to figure it out—but I can see it now. And I might never get the chance to tell him.”
I watched her face; she was studying the guard who had his gun trained on her. “There are too many bad people in the world,” she said. “Too many people who hurt others.” She turned and looked back at me. “Matthew can help people. He has helped people, probably more than I even know. Who am I to ask him to stop?”
“You’re his wife,” I said. “Trust me, Meredith—I’ve had the same argument with John more times than I can count. Of course they help people—they’re the good guys. That doesn’t mean you want your husband to get shot.”
“I think I have to be brave. And less selfish,” she said.
“You’re plenty brave. And just because you want someone to be safe doesn’t make you selfish.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” she said to the guard. She stood up suddenly and wobbled over to him. He jumped to his feet, cursing in Spanish, as she dry-heaved on the floor next to his feet.
And then she turned backwards, just a little, so I could see her face.
Get his gun, she mouthed at me. She dry-heaved again, and I sprung up and launched myself at the guard. Before he had a chance to aim his gun at me, Meredith turned and kicked him in the balls—hard.
“Get it!” she hiss-whispered as he writhed beneath me. I slid off him and grabbed the weapon.
Then I gritted my teeth, closed my eyes, and whacked him in the head with it.
He stopped writhing. “Did I kill him?” I whispered, squinting at him through one half-opened eye.
“Nah,” Mer said. “You just knocked him out. I think.”
We just looked at each other for a beat.
“So…we need to get out of here. Now,” I said. I went towards the entrance and crouched down. I knew there were stairs on other sides of the pyramid, but the only ones that led to this chamber were the ones we’d climbed. “There are a lot of guards out there. And Ramirez,” I said, trying to count the soldiers in the plaza. “He’s down there, talking to some of his men.”
I looked back at Meredith. “We need to go down the stairs and then run for it. Whoever comes up here next, we’d just have to shoot them. And the next one and the next one. They’d figure it out and come up here with the whole army.”
“They’re going to shoot us down like dogs out there,” she said.
“Not necessarily,” I said. “Ramirez has an end game. I’m it. He doesn’t want to kill me before he gets the chance to have his fun.”
I went over to her and looked at the gun. “You know how to use one of these?”
“Not an automatic one like this,” she said.
“If you know how to fire a regular gun, you’ll like this. It’s almost too easy, so watch it,” I said.
Meredith looked at it apprehensively.
“S’okay, Mer. If I can figure out how to shoot one of these, a monkey can.”
***
The plan was simple: head down the stairs with the gun out. Make sure to remind Ramirez that he wanted to kill me in front of John, not now, which would ruin all of his fun.
“I’m worried I’m going to get dizzy,” Meredith said.
“Just don’t look down—look at each step. Concentrate on that and don’t look up.”
“You should take the gun,” she said, pushing it at me.
“No,” I said quickly. “You’re going to need it.”
“Liberty—” she started.
I held my hand up, cutting her off. “Just trust me, okay? You ready?”
She nodded, looking pale.
“Don’t look down,” I said again. “And if they start shooting, stop climbing. And shoot them back.”
I went outside the temple fist. Even though it was much later, the sky was still bright. This was the longest day ever. I counted ten men below me, one of whom was Ramirez.
I took a deep breath and crossed myself.
“Ramirez!” I shouted. All the men looked up at us and automatically trained their scopes at the top of the pyramid.
“Don’t shoot!” I called. “We’re coming down! We’re armed!”
“Where’s the guard?” Ramirez called.
“He’s…resting. He’s okay. I think.”
It sounded like Ramirez laughed a little. But then he stopped. “Mrs. Quinn, you know you are not leaving these ruins alive,” he called.
“I know,” I called back, “but we had a deal. You need to let her go. Otherwise, she’s gonna shoot a lot of you and then we’ll all die. Without you getting your revenge. That’s not what you want, is it?”
Ramirez said nothing back to us but spoke with his guards.
“Proceed,” he called finally. “She can go. It makes no difference to me.”
We took the steps quickly and carefully; Meredith only looked at her hands and feet as we climbed down the steep descent. The gun stayed strapped to her back.
“I’m not going to leave you here, again,” she said. “You tricked me into this. It’s not right. I don’t want to go—they’ll just shoot me when I run. Or worse.”
“Not if you shoot them first,” I said, breathing hard. “If you stay, you’re dead. Ramirez wants me. He’s willing to make the deal. And this time, we have a big gun. Big guns really help.”
“Do you think they’re out there?” she asked, looking up just long enough to scan the esplanade.
“Yes,” I said, “but I don’t know where. I think we’re better off trying to get out than get them in. Run back to the entrance and find a place to hide. The ticket booth was empty—see if you can get in there and barricade yourself. Or head for the road. But you keep that gun out—if anybody tries to mess with you, just shoot them.”
“I can’t,” she said.
“Oh yes you can,” I snapped. “You have two little kids that need their mother. And a husband that’s never gonna forgive me unless I get you out of here. So if someone tries to take you—shoot them. You don’t have to kill them, but you do have to hurt them enough so they can’t run after you, and you have to disarm them.”
“And then what?”
“And then you either run or you hide. Matthew will find you. I know it.” I reached over and squeezed her shoulder.
“What about you,” she asked, not bothering to make it a question.
“I’ll be just fine,” I said. I hope.
We got to the base of the temple, and Ramirez came to us. “Go,” he said to Meredith. “My men have been given orders not to shoot you. Go and do not come back.”
Meredith gave me one long last look. She appeared physically ill, but I just nodded at her. Go, I mouthed.
She nodded and ran towards the path, clutching the gun.
“You,” Ramirez said, smiling at me without warmth, “are a pa
in in the ass.”
“I kind of get that a lot,” I admitted.
“Go,” he said, shoving me. “Back up. Your time is coming near. I can feel it.”
I felt sick with dread as we climbed back up. My breath was coming in wheezes after climbing all the way down the enormous pyramid and then scaling back up. Ramirez shoved me inside the temple without even bothering to check the guard, who was still unconscious on the floor.
He sat against the wall, facing out, and pulled out a knife. The walls of the Mayan ruins felt like they were closing in on me as I watched him sharpen it. The light was starting to finally fade, but I could still make out the outline of the soldiers patrolling the ancient stone steps, waiting.
Waiting for anyone who might be on their way to rescue me.
From trouble. Again.
If I ever made it out of here, I was going to be in some trouble with my husband.
Again.
My captor sniffed in disgust. “Americans,” he said, watching his blade. “I wish our countries were further apart—you annoy me. Always pretending to be helpful and to do the right thing, when all you really do is buy our cheap goods and our drugs and then blame us for ruining this part of the continent. Hypocrites.” He spat. “You and your hybrid cars and your McDonalds. You make no sense. You think our country’s a mess? Huh?”
He worked on making his knife sharper.
I wasn’t sure why he was doing that, and I was pretty sure I didn’t want to find out.
Still, that didn’t stop me from opening up my big mouth. “Um…sir?” I asked. “I don’t personally buy your country’s cheap goods or drugs. And I don’t blame your country for our continent’s problems. Although I would probably have second thoughts about vacationing here again. But the ruins are fabulous.”
He looked up from his knife with a furrowed brow and scowled at me.
I gulped. “I’m just saying. Sir.” Sometimes, as in most of the time, I didn’t shut my mouth when I really should.
“You know what else I don’t like about Americans?” he asked.
I shook my head. No. But I had a bad feeling I was about to find out.
“They think everyone’s entitled to an opinion,” he said, and the last thing I saw was his rather large, dirty fist, on its way to punching me out.
— TWELVE —
MATTHEW
There were trees just to the edge of the plaza; we stopped there and surveyed our surroundings. A giant pyramid rose up in front of us, crumbling stairs leading to the tower, where there was a small, enclosed temple. I could see three guards patrolling the perimeter of the esplanade.
“I’m sure we’re woefully outnumbered,” John said calmly. “Not that that’s ever stopped us before.”
“Where do you think we should go in?” I asked. There were other ruins and temples spread out on the esplanade, around the large pyramid, but I was pretty sure Ramirez’s men were already infesting all of those places.
“I think he’s got them up there. In El Castillo,” John said, pointing to the top of the enormous pyramid before us. “That would be the safest vantage point for him. He can see everything. Plus, it would be nearly impossible for us to get up there without getting shot.”
Just then we heard yelling—the voice was female. It was Liberty. I couldn’t make out her words, but I knew it was her. But where was Mer? There was more yelling, some coming from Liberty and some from a man. I couldn’t understand anything; the guards were running for the pyramid, their guns out, ready to shoot. My heart was thudding so hard I felt it in my head. No, I thought, no, no, no.
Because this couldn’t be the end.
“Let’s go,” John said, taking advantage of the fact that the men were moving towards the other side, out of sight. “Cover me.”
I watched for a moment as he ran from the trees to the pyramid in plain sight. And then I followed him, my head still pounding. I was aching inside; it was as if I could feel Meredith near me. But she was woefully out of reach. We leaned against the stones, breathing hard from our sprint.
“We have to go up to the top,” John said, motioning to the steep incline. “One of us, alone. There are stairs on each side. These ones don’t look they’re our best bet. Let’s go around the side,” he said, motioning to the opposite way the guards had gone. We crept around the pyramid, warily watching the ruins for signs of Ramirez’s men.
And that’s when I saw her. Just a glimpse. She was sprinting down the path, a machine gun clutched awkwardly in her hands.
I was about to scream her name when John put his hand over my mouth. He knew me too well. “We have to get them both out,” he said quietly. “My wife’s still here.”
I nodded, and he removed his hand. “Now go follow her. I’ll cover you.”
“No,” I said, my jaw clenching. “Let’s get Liberty first.”
John’s blue eyes opened in surprise. “I can do it myself. Go get your wife.”
“Oh, I will,” I said and checked my gun. “Right after we get yours.”
— THIRTEEN —
LIBERTY
It was like there was someone talking to me, but I couldn’t really understand.
It must be John. He probably wanted me to get up and go running or something annoying like that.
Just get me a coffee, I thought grumpily. Stop talking.
Babe, he said, wake up.
“Coffee,” I mumbled, trying to roll over. My head hurt. Bad. Did I have a hangover? John had bought a case of this really good wine, and maybe I’d had too much…
“Babe,” he said. “I’m going to pick you up and carry you down.” He lifted me gently.
“Am I drunk?” I mumbled. My head was throbbing. “Did I pass out?” I was so embarrassed. John always said I was a cheap date.
“You got knocked out,” Matthew said.
Matthew. Hearing his voice made me think of something. Something bad, but I couldn’t remember just what. “I got so drunk somebody knocked me out?”
I heard John grunt under my weight as we moved. It felt like we were going down a long flight of stairs. That almost made me remember something, too, but it was unpleasant. It made a sour taste come into my mouth.
I opened one eye and then promptly shut it again, wishing I hadn’t. It was steep, stone stairs. Too steep.
And then suddenly, everything came back to me in a rush. Mexico. The Mayan ruins. Meredith. Ramirez, punching me out.
“Where is Ramirez? Why is it so quiet? Where’s Mer?” I yelled. “Oh my God, did you get Mer yet? Please tell me she’s safe! Please tell me—”
“We haven’t gotten her yet,” Matthew said, and I could hear the brittle strain in his voice. “But we saw her. We’re headed to her, now.”
“Why aren’t they shooting us?” I asked, keeping my eyes scrunched tight.
“We, uh…knocked a lot of them out,” John said.
“Knocked them out or killed them?” I asked.
“Babe. Just keep your eyes closed. Let’s get out of here.”
“What about Ramirez?” I asked.
“Oh, he’s alive,” John said. “I stole some handcuffs and left him attached to a pillar up there. That should be an interesting experience for him. Oh, and I punched him out. An eye for an eye, and all that.” His breath was coming in labored grunts.
“An eye for an eye is what got us into trouble in the first place,” I said.
“I know. I told him I was sorry about his wife. Right before I punched him out,” John said.
“I love you, babe,” I said, keeping my eyes shut tight.
***
The parking lot was still deserted. John set me down gently, and I looked up at him: he looked exhausted and worried, but he also looked relieved. I threw my arms around his neck, and he grabbed my hips, pulling me to him.
“I love that you’re brave, but I hate it when you try to be heroic,” he said and pressed his lips against my forehead.
Relief and yearning flowed through me at his t
ouch, followed closely by panic. “I’m not a hero unless we can find Mer. Right now,” I said. I could see Matthew scanning the parking lot, his jaw clenched. He looked positively sick. I pulled back from my husband even though every part of me objected to that—I just wanted to burrow into his chest and wrap his strong, powerful arms around me—but we had to find her.
“The welcome center,” I said and started running towards the low building.
“Let me,” Matthew said. He cut in front of me and headed towards the building at a dead sprint, dust kicking up behind him.
He reached it and turned back to look at us quickly. John pulled out his gun and went to guard the entrance to the path. I stood there helplessly as Matthew went through the door.
— FOURTEEN —
MATTHEW
“Mer?” I called. It wasn’t until then that I heard the tears in my voice. I wiped my face—tears were, in fact, running down my face.
I’d been shot, stabbed, and tortured, but I’d only cried twice in my adult life. The day each one of my kids was born.
“Mer. It’s me,” I said. I held my breath. She had to be alive. My wife’s life wasn’t meant to end like this. She was light and goodness. She was a mom, and she was my whole life. I knew in my heart, right then, that I would give up everything else just to be with her.
If only I got the chance.
Then I heard something, some sort of movement from back behind one of the desks in the dark room. I made sure my gun was ready.
But then I saw a familiar hand, followed by another one, on top of the desk. And she pulled herself wearily up. “Some vacation,” she said, snorting.
And then she looked at me and burst out laughing, and then she was crying, all at the same time.
I rushed to her and swooped her into my arms, crushing her against me. I had to push both her gun and mine to the side. I couldn’t even talk. I just cried, too. She looked up at me through her own tears, and I could see the surprise on her face.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” I said. It came out muffled and wet against her shoulder.
“Ohmygod I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again,” she said. She was shaking. “Do you have Liberty?” I could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
