Out of Reach

by Kendall Talbot

  The reflection of flames twinkled in his eyes, making them impossible to read. “Are you going to carry him?”

  “Of course.”

  “Great.” He smiled and turned toward the packs. “Let’s get our beds sorted.”

  While he tugged a tent from its bag, Lily wondered if he would’ve left Pompa behind. He might be just a bird, but he was obviously a huge part of Otomi’s livelihood.

  The tiny plateau they’d perched upon gave little room for an additional tent. After unsuccessfully shuffling it around a few times to make it fit, they had to settle for the tent folded up as something to lie on instead. They reached for their sleeping bags. It was too hot to use them for anything other than extra cushioning.

  “Which side do you want?” Carter indicated left or right on the narrow tent bed.

  “The one closest to the fire, please.”

  “Sure.” With the flick of his wrist, his bedding unrolled. He crawled onto it and lay on his side, facing the fire. He patted the narrow space beside him. “Your turn.”

  Lily repeated his move and leaned forward to smooth out her sleeping bag. From her backpack, she tugged out a few pieces of clothing. She shoved them into a T-shirt to create a makeshift pillow and then crawled into the slot between Carter and the fire. She rolled onto her side, put her hands together, and placed them under her cheek.

  Lying out in the open in the middle of the jungle, with a man dying in a tent barely three feet away, should’ve scared the crap out of her. But with the fire in front of her and the warmth of Carter’s body at her back, she felt safe.

  “Carter?”

  “Yes.”

  “Promise me we’ll return Otomi’s body like he asked.”

  He placed his hand on her shoulder. “I promise.”

  With the enormity of that decision made, she sighed. “Thank you.”

  “Good night, Lily. Try to get some sleep.”

  Another log tumbled into the fire, and the flames flickered in protest. “Good night.”

  Lily stared into the fire, listening to Carter’s breathing grow deeper, and her mind danced around the question of what her brothers would do if she never came home.

  Chapter 10

  Carter woke to the darkness, and it took a couple of heartbeats to orient himself. He lay on his side, and his tingling fingers were a sure sign he’d been in the same position for hours. Careful not to wake Lily, he rolled onto his back, but she wasn’t there. He propped up on his elbow and searched the blackness.

  Lily was crouched by the glowing coals, a golden hue illuminating her face. The strong, confident woman he’d witnessed during the last couple of days was gone. Instead, he saw a crumbling shell. Tears had eroded streaks onto her dirt-lined cheeks. Her long hair fell in a tangled mess around her shoulders, and she hugged her knees as if they’d save her from whatever horrors her mind produced.

  His heart clenched as he assumed her defeatist appearance probably meant Otomi had died. He pushed up from his elbow. “Hey . . . you okay?”

  Lily shook her head but didn’t lift her eyes.

  Carter reached for the flashlight he’d placed at his side before he fell asleep, turned it on, and went to the tent. The second he unzipped it, the smell and heat hit him with equal intensity. Swallowing back the bile in his throat, he checked for a pulse. He needn’t have bothered though; Otomi’s tongue, purple and swollen, spilled from his mouth, and his eyes stared at nothing.

  Their guide was dead.

  Carter closed Otomi’s eyes, crawled out of the tent, and sucked in cleansing breaths.

  The sun was yet to rise, and other than his flashlight, their only light was from the glowing embers. He strolled to Lily and sat beside her. “Did you sleep at all?”

  She nodded. “Some.”

  “Okay, that’s good.”

  “I can’t believe how quickly he died.”

  Carter sighed. “I know. Me neither. He said it was a rattlesnake.”

  “No one ever said to watch out for snakes. They were more worried about me being mugged, and lucky me, I ticked that off on day one.”

  He frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

  She huffed. “My knees and hands . . . someone tried to steal my satchel on my way back from the cantina that night.”

  “Shit, Lily. Why didn’t you say something?”

  “It didn’t matter.” She curled a loose hair behind her ear. “Nothing was stolen.”

  “That’s not the point. You could’ve been seriously injured.”

  “I’m fine. The guy wasn’t, though. I think I broke his nose.”

  He did a double take. “Oh shit. Really?”

  Her lips drew to a thin line. “Heard it crack. I don’t think he’ll pick on a woman again.”

  Carter burst out laughing.

  “What?” She blinked at him.

  “I’d like to have seen that.”

  She shrugged. “I grew up with six older brothers.”

  “Right then. Mental note . . . don’t wrestle with Lily.” He chuckled and Lily scrunched her nose at him. She was fast becoming one of the most fascinating people he’d ever met. Though the jury was out on whether that was a good or bad thing.

  “Let’s get something to eat. We’re in for a big day.” He stood and hauled Lily to her feet. While she ramped up the fire, he let the rooster out of its cage and then scooped a portion of rice into the saucepan. He went to reach for his bottle and stopped. They were down to four half-bottles of water. Their next source of water was at Yaxchilan, but how long it’d take to get there was anyone’s guess. Eating only black beans was an option, but a crappy one. They needed energy to get back up that damn hill. With the decision made, he poured half a bottle of water into the rice and carried the pot to Lily, who already had the fire at full blaze.

  As the rice cooked, Carter reached for his camera, turned it on, and waited for the darkness to dissipate. Their site was nestled in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by trees and scrub. The giant boulder Otomi’s tent was perched on, was the only flat area Carter could see.

  From the fire, the terrain drove straight upwards, soaring to the temple they’d visited yesterday. Looking down, there was nothing but green. Carter tugged back the flap on Otomi’s tent, tied it open, then he took a few paces up the hill and turned to observe their campsite.

  As the miracle of daybreak unfolded, he peered through his lens, waiting for the perfect shot. Just off-center to the right of the scene was the tent. Inside, the bottom half of Otomi’s body was clearly visible. His swollen leg and foot were as ghastly from this distance as they were up close. To the left of the tent, Lily crouched by the fire and stirred the pot with a large metal spoon. As smoke drifted across the tent and the rooster fluffed up its feathers and opened its mouth to announce the arrival of a new day, Carter clicked off a dozen or so photos.

  That shot of the day was likely to be one of his most powerful and thought-provoking yet.

  With each second, the darkness drifted away and Carter was able to see more and more of their surroundings. He stood and went in search of the cliff they’d discovered last night.

  He found it quicker than expected, and as he stood on the edge of yet another giant boulder, he glanced out over the jungle below. Other than their site, there was nothing but a valley of green. The vastness highlighted their isolation. Nothing, not a single thing, showed him the way.

  They were in for a tough couple of days.

  He returned to Lily as she was pouring a can of black beans into the cooked rice. His instant reaction was to stop her, but it was too late, she’d already opened the can, and they had no means to store it. Rationing food was critical. As was nearly every other decision they’d make from now on.

  He’d been in dire situations before.

  The worst one still haunted him. The gun-wielding b
andits who’d taken him and nine other journalists hostage in Somalia were soft-spoken, but the blasts of their battle-hardened weapons forever scarred his memory. The hangover from that terrifying two-week ordeal was that loud noises often had him ducking for cover. He’d had six years to analyze why he’d lived when others hadn’t. It was a pointless reflection. That experience had taught him one thing though . . . remaining positive was just as important as food and water.

  Forcing an upbeat attitude to the forefront, he rubbed his hands together. “What yummy creation have you whipped up?”

  “Beans and rice. Again.”

  “Mmmm, sounds delicious.” He sat at her side.

  She rolled her eyes. “Liar.”

  As they ate breakfast, Carter took mental stock of their belongings and realized that between the two of them, it’d be impossible to carry everything.

  Lily paused with a forkful of rice at her lips. “So what do we do now?”

  “First we’ll need to go through our gear and pack the absolute bare minimum.”

  She nodded.

  “Everything else we’ll leave here for when we come back for Otomi.”

  Lily nodded again and placed her half-empty plate to the side.

  “We’re not starting, though, ’til you finish that.”

  She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. “I’m full.”

  “No you’re not.” He didn’t mean to sound as forceful as he did.

  Her eyes snapped to him. Her jaw clenched.

  “Sorry, but you need all the sustenance you can get. The other day I saw you devour more food than me at that lunch.”

  She unclenched her jaw. “That lunch was delicious.”

  “And this isn’t?” He flashed a cheesy grin. “Look, we won’t eat for hours and we can’t store the food, so we’re not going to waste it.”

  After a moment’s pause she nodded. “You’re right. It’s just . . . I feel sick over what happened to Otomi.”

  “I know. Me too. But we can’t think about him now. We need to think about us and how we’re going to get through this, like eating when we can.”

  She nodded, and it was a long moment before she finally picked up her plate and forked some food into her mouth.

  He could almost feel the debate raging in her mind, but there was no way he’d relent. Carter left her to finish her food, and set about rolling up their sleeping bags. Once done, he placed them in the pile of things they’d take.

  Going through his gear and Otomi’s, he separated the belongings into what they’d take and what they’d leave behind. Obviously, they’d take all the food and water. One tent and two sleeping bags were necessary. As was the saucepan, first-aid kit, socks, hat, sunscreen, insect repellant, compass and one change of clothes.

  Lily placed her empty plate aside, grabbed her pack and tipped the contents onto the rock. It surprised him how light she traveled. In the end, everything but one pair of sandals, a leather satchel and a few clothes were in one pile. The items she planned to take included her notebook and well-worn leather-bound journal.

  Carter pointed at them. “Do you really need those?”

  Her eyes snapped his way. “Yes.”

  The fight in her voice surprised him. “Lily, be practical.”

  “I see you’re taking your camera.”

  “Yes. We need to document where we’ve been so we can find our way back.”

  “I’m not leaving these behind, so you can forget it.” Her clenched jaw indicated the end of the conversation, and he pondered the importance of the journal. The leather cover was worn and looked as though it’d been handled often. It was secured with a leather strap that’d been wrapped around a few times.

  He huffed. “Okay then.” If she wanted to carry it, then it was her problem.

  Carter dropped the subject, and while he set about distributing the equipment between their two packs, Lily caught Pompa and put him back in the cage.

  The sun speared the lush canopy with equal intensity of light and heat and it wasn’t long before sweat trickled down his lower back. “Lily, I noticed you have a pocketknife. Can you help me cut this into strips?” Carter tugged Otomi’s thin blanket toward her.

  “What for?”

  “We’ll use them to mark our route and it’ll help us relocate Otomi later.”

  She flicked out the blade on her pocketknife, sat cross-legged on the rock, and began slicing the blanket into two-inch strips.

  When she finished, Carter bundled the strips and wrapped one around to tie them together. He finished the packing, zipped up the bags, and turned to Lily. She stood by the drifting smoke with her hands across her chest, hugging herself. “Ready to load up?”

  A tear spilled over her lashes and she flicked it away. “I’ll just say goodbye to Otomi.”

  She stepped into the tent, knelt down at Otomi’s side, and placed her hand on the man’s shoulder. “We’ll come back for you, Otomi. I promise.” Carter left her to say her goodbyes and walked to their gear. When Lily emerged moments later, Carter was surprised she was dry-eyed.

  He took his turn and tried not to gag as he stepped into the tent. “Hey, buddy.” He knelt on one knee and placed his hand on Otomi’s chest. “I promise you’ll be buried next to your father soon.”

  Carter backed out, untied the flap and zipped the tent closed for the last time.

  Silently, they loaded their gear onto their backs. Lily gathered the rooster cage into her arms and together they walked away from the tent and back into the dense jungle.

  Carter glanced up the hill, identified the direction on his compass as south south west, then he hooked it to the shoulder strap of his pack and took the lead. The instant he left their rocky precipice, his knees protested at the severe incline. Steps were often impossible without clutching onto a tree or branch to help haul his ass up. He had no idea how Lily was doing it and holding the rooster’s cage.

  Every fifty or so paces, Carter stopped to tie a marker in a tree. Glancing back down the way they’d come, though, he realized the fabric strips might be pointless. He could only see a handful of them. Every damn tree looked the same.

  He took photos often, seeking something different through his lens each time, but it was futile. At the rate he was going, he’d have a hundred photos that meant nothing at all.

  The monkeys swung through the trees above them as if following their progress. Or maybe they were waiting for them to tumble into a heap so they could devour their wasting bodies. Carter mentally slapped himself at that shitty thought and trudged on.

  When the sun did penetrate through the canopy it speared straight down like a laser beam, indicating it had to be close to midday. He couldn’t believe they’d been walking that long.

  When he couldn’t take one more step, he tore his pack off and tossed it down. He crumbled to the base of a mammoth tree and tugged his water bottle from his hip.

  Lily lowered Pompa’s cage and sat on it, and reached for her bottle too. She unscrewed the lid and paused. “Have you recognized anything so far?”

  “Nope. It all looks the bloody same.”

  “Mmmm, me neither. Do you think we’re doing the right thing?” She wiped sweat from her forehead.

  “What do you mean?” He feared she was talking about leaving Otomi behind.

  “I’ve been wondering if we should’ve gone down instead and tried to find our way to the river.”

  The distress in her eyes cut deep. He stewed over her statement before he answered. “I reckon we’ll be wallowing in the shade of Agulinta’s ancient walls before lunchtime.”

  She tilted her head, and he was certain she saw through his lie.

  Before she could question his resolve, he screwed his bottle cap into place and rolled onto his knees to stand. “Ready?” It took all his might not to groan as he hoisted the equipment back
onto his body.

  She huffed. “Yep. I can’t wait to get this hill out of the way.”

  “Me neither. My bloody knees are killing me.”

  “Oh, how long have you had knee problems?”

  “A decade or so, I guess.” He shrugged. “My old rugby days play havoc on them occasionally.”

  Lily grumbled as she lifted Pompa’s cage.

  “Here, let me carry the stupid bird for a while.”

  “He’s not a stupid bird.”

  “Actually, you’re right; he’s the smart one. We’re the idiots for lugging him around.”

  Carter hooked his fingers into the cage, lifted it to his chest, and took the lead again. The cage blocked his view of his feet, making it impossible to see where he was stepping. It was pointless looking up the hill too. The sea of green wasn’t going to suddenly reveal a path amongst the vegetation. He just gazed ahead and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. The extra effort with the cage had him marveling over how Lily’d done it.

  Although he could barely talk, he needed a distraction from his creaking bones. “So, tell me about your brothers.”

  “My brothers?”

  “Yes, you have six, right?”

  “Yeah. Bobby, Andy, Billy, Danny, Harry, Barry and then there’s me, Lily.”

  Carter laughed. “Bloody hell, you sound like the seven dwarfs.”

  “I guess we do.” She chuckled. “Our real names are Robert, Andrew, William, Daniel, Harrison, Barry, and I’m Liliana.”

  He paused to tie a ribbon to a tree. “Liliana . . . I like that.”

  “I was named after my mom’s grandmother, but I prefer Lily.”

  “So your parents kept trying until they had a girl?”

  It was a while before she spoke, and Carter couldn’t decide if she was out of breath or he’d hit a nerve. “I guess so. They never said.”

  “What do your brothers do?”

  She cleared her throat. “Bobby, Andy, Billy, and Barry all still work on the farm. Danny’s a vet and Harry’s a mechanic.”

  Carter missed his footing and only just avoided a face-plant. He nearly did it again, and that’s when he realized the elevation had changed. “Hey, it’s not so steep, we might be at the top.”