Risen To The Top

Chapter 10

He had taken some of the drugs he found on the cabinet and he felt better.

He watched her eyes blink several times.

She didn't look worried but he knew he still had to put her at ease.

“No one knows what happened to me. It’s all over the news that a lot of us were killed in that explosion." Alex said as he motioned towards the black couch.

 " Yeah, you guys don't have much time.

I'll call them to set the record straight,” Marshall chipped in.Alex glanced over at him, he looked like he was prepared for whatever storm was coming

“What—what would happen if they get hold of you? or if they know I'm with you?” She twisted her hands in her lap, starting to look very nervous.

Alex shook his head firmly and she relaxed a little in her seat. 

“We shouldn't be worrying about that, we should be preparing to leave here before twelve.

once it's twelve, every of the city's exits would be shut."

“What did the police say?” She leaned closer to his chair as she asked Marshall,who stood across the room.

“I didn’t get to talk to the police. I talked to the feds, they plan on bringing in the special forces to help them round up the escaped prisoners and the people who helped them escape.”

She gasped and started choking. Alex quickly slapped her back lightly a few times until she could breathe smoothly again.

“Easy, Princess. There’s nothing to get worked up about.”

She glared at him, “Would you stop calling me that. Besides, there is plenty to get worked up about. 

You talked to the feds, the head of the network.” She quickly stood up and started pacing the floor. 

He watched her for a few seconds, then decided to go back to eating as she paced around.

When he was almost done with his meal, she sat down next to him and took a small bite.

She knew she had to eat to gather strength for what was coming.

“What else did they say?” She asked Marshall,who was already seated at the table

He rolled his eyes and set his fork down. “I think y'all should get out of here as soon as possible.

I'll help you though, I intend on doing that as soon as I finish these eggs.”

She looked at him and he could tell he’d crossed the line. Her blue eyes showed signs of stress and lack of sleep. Not to mention the knot that was still on her forehead. Actually, it was the first real look he’d gotten of her since she’d come out of the restroom, when he was unconscious. He’d been too occupied with getting his knees and body to cooperate that he hadn't noticed any of her features, shoveling away the thoughts.

 He knew he’d need the energy for the trek they were going to have to make later.

Her dark hair suited her, suited her very well. Her blue eyes looked lighter than the old pictures he saw of her from prison and it was more noticeable. When she talked, the dimples at either side of her mouth showed. Her pants and shirt were a perfect fit, and he saw with some humor that she was shoeless.

“I guess I’d better call everyone myself…my workers….” He could see her mind whirling to the people around her

He wondered what her workers must mean to her.

He thought he knew how she’d feel if she knew the whole truth. He needed her to cooperate with him and if she knew the whole truth, she might decide to try and make it back home by herself.

He knew there was no way she’d make it out of Colombia by herself, let alone all the way back to the United States.

Marshall had gone out on recon early this morning. He needed to know who was after them. Well, maybe not who, but at least how many troops would be looking for the escaped prisoners.

Marshall had been his right hand over the last one year. 

Ethan’s security business in the prison didn’t even have a name. 

He didn’t need one. Word of mouth was the only way he was hired. High-powered accounts and high powered clientele hunted him down to handle their risky security needs. 

During the last year, he had been paid massively to protect any high or rich official in prison.

The first year he’d gone into business, he’d had more jobs than he could handle alone.

 So a year after working alone, he’d hunted down several of his closest buddies in prison and hired them all. Now he was praying most of them made it out alive.

He was thinking of hiring more of his old friends to help out, now that they were out of prison.

He was thinking hard and fast.

This time around he had a plan, one he’d used last year on another job.

 He knew it was most likely their best option for getting out of Colombia alive. Roughing it had always been in his blood. He’d spent countless summers as a child camping in the Pacific Northwest with his father, when his father was still alive. Then when he’d been in prison, he’d spent even more time roughing it.

Looking over at Ann, he doubted she knew the true meaning of roughing it. Although he had to admit that after all he had heard about her, he had a little more respect for her.

 Not once had she complained about the situation and she’d even traveled all the way from the United States overnight, with an unmatching pair of socks for him.

Sure, she had every right to question him, he’d done nothing so far to earn her trust. So far all he’d shown her was that he was a self-absorbed, male chauvinist. 

Getting up from the table, Marshall walked into the next room without a word. When he came back, he had a pair of tan boots hanging by the shoestrings and a large black bag draped over his shoulder.

Tossing the shoes down next to their feet, he carried the bag over to the stove and started filling it with items from the cupboards, making sure to only grab what they could use.

His bag was already full of other items from the back room, items meant to keep them alive in the following days.

Alex immediately joined him,

“Listen, Prince—” He stopped when she glared at him. “Listen, Ann. We have quite the journey ahead of us. 

It would be better for us to trust each other's decisions than to go against one another. I know it’s hard thinking about your father, I’m just as sorry to know that he's gone. 

But we have to think about ourselves for a while. Getting back to the States is top priority and in order to do that, we will need to stay low. No phones, no credit cards, no buses, no planes, nothing.

 We’re going to be roughing it for a while, and I need you to keep the complaining to a minimal. Is that acceptable?”

He waited as her eyes flashed with nervousness.

“I don’t complain. Besides, why can’t we just hop on the next plane?”

He sat back down and felt his patience wearing thin. “Did you forget what Marshall just said? The government is working together with every special forces to round up the prisoners, this is an important issue, important enough that the second we step foot in a public place and try to get out of Columbia…well, you can figure out the rest.”

She quietly thought about it while eating the toast and eggs.

 “Is there any other way?” When he shook his head no, she asked, “What are your plans?”

He could tell she didn’t trust him yet.

“We hike. We’ll be out of Columbia by sunset and heading into Darien Gap by nightfall. We travel as far as we can each day until we reach Panama.”

“Panama? Isn’t that south of here?” He nodded, and she continued, “How will going south get us back to the States?”

“Because, Princess, they will be thinking we are heading north, and I have connections in Panama that will take us to Peru. From Peru we will head to the US. But until we get to Panama, we are going to be traveling light. So if there is anything you need, you’d better get it now. Marshall has a fully stocked room in the back.” He pointed towards the supply room. “Grab whatever you want and put it in the brown backpack on the floor. But pack light, you’ll be carrying it all yourself.” She got up and started walking towards the door. “Oh, and Princess?” 

He waited until she turned and glared at him before finishing. “Make sure you pack a blanket, rain poncho, and more socks. We’ll be going through the jungle.”

Marshall watched her walk down the hall and disappear into the room, then he picked up his phone and dialed his cell.

“How’s it looking out there?” He asked the person on the other end of the call.

“Not so good. The people aren't happy about escaped prisoners, they are protesting for the government to take immediate actions." The caller replied

“Yeah, I figured that. What do the paths look like?”He asked as he made a mental calculation.

“Not so good. I think they’ll be safe taking the route you have in mind. I can make sure to spread the word that I saw you heading north. Not too sure if the path will be completely cleared.”

“Thanks, they should be out of my place before you get back.”

“No problems, man. Hey, Marshall?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry about your job,  I know you didn’t deserve it.”

He smiled. “Sure, I did.” Then he hung up and went to see what they were packing in their bags.