Chapter 21
I'd slept on the plane and what we were doing today was going to be relaxing so I was up for going out. I knew it was early in the morning, having taken a night flight, but probably needed to shower first just to freshen up.

"Have I time for a shower?"
"Yes, I'm going to read the report from Gael"
I collected some clean clothes from my bag and headed into the bathroom, stepping into the large shower cubicle allowing the multiple jets to spray me with hot water. I wasn't aware that Ranger had come into the room until I felt him behind me. I was pleased in more ways than one that he'd made the move to join me.

I felt thoroughly relaxed as I dried and straightened my hair and was looking forward to the day. I'd never really done much site seeing in a city before and knew it would be a whole new experience.

We walked from the hotel hand in hand, a relaxed feeling between us toward our first destination. La Candelaria was Bogota's vibrant heart, with landmarks like the colonial-era cathedral and neoclassical Capitol flanking Bolivar Plaza. There was an eclectic juxtaposition between old and new, historic and modern. The beautiful buildings were typical of Spanish colonial architecture, while the streets boasted some of the most unique graffiti murals I'd ever seen. We made our way down narrow streets lined with shops selling emeralds and handicrafts. Ranger and chatted as looked through some of the things and I had my first glimpse of a man that I had never seen before. He was eager to tell me so much information and of course could translate signs and interject when shop keepers tried to sell me their wares. After a coffee we made our way to the plaza. It wasn't what I expected, it was literally a large square surrounded by old beautiful buildings. We laughed and joked as we visited the chubby bodies at the Museo Botero, I was taken away with how such large people could be depicted in such a way as to make them look so natural. It made me think of Lula and how she referred to herself as a big beautiful woman. Instead of eating at the place where Ranger had first suggested we bought food from a simple delicatessen and sat and ate our food in a park next to the gold museum. I was blown away with the exhibits at the gold museum. Some were so intricate in their detail while others were so large. As we walked back to the hotel my hand being held by Ranger's I was suddenly aware of a feeling of being watched.

"Are we being followed?"
"Yes, but Caleb has been with us all of the time"
"Someone's watching us, just a feeling"
"Okay, let's swap out where we walk"

I watched as he talked into a phone and then stayed very close to him as we walked into shops and out again, stopped to look in windows, of course checking the reflection of who was behind us. I can honestly say I didn't spot anyone and was confused when Ranger pulled me into an alley.

"What did you see?"
"A man's been following us, but I think we may have lost him. Caleb will keep an eye on him"

"Who knew we were here?"
"I don't know. I told Marin it would be a few days before I made the trip"
"Did you say I was coming with you?"
"No, I would never do that"
I felt myself being pushed against the wall, as Ranger's mouth came down hard on mine, memories of the alley by the bonds office came back to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss, getting totally lost in the feelings flooding through me. As he pulled away, he kissed the tip of my nose and all too soon we were back on the street heading to the hotel. I'm not too sure what happened when we got to our room. Ranger was busy talking on his phone while I relaxed on the bed. The melodic sound of his voice as he spoke in Spanish, having a full stomach and being warm and comfortable, had the effect of me falling asleep.

I woke feeling disorientated. The darkness was interrupted with sways of lights coming in through the drapes. Enough light for me to recognize where I was. I lay still on the bed, almost afraid to move. Somehow, I was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, no doubt Ranger's doing. How he managed to change my clothes without me waking up mystified me. I knew I was alone in the bed but was confused at what had woken me up. I didn't need the bathroom so was listening for any noises. For some reason I felt that there was someone close by, and it wasn't Ranger. I slowly sat up and quietly moved the covers away from me, trying to see into the darker corners of the room. No, if Ranger were here, he would have made himself known, he wouldn't want to frighten me. My attention was drawn to the door that led into the other room, sure that I had seen a brief flash of light. As I continued to look, I was almost sure it had just been my imagination, but I very quietly started to walk over the carpet toward the door. As my hand reached out for the handle, I felt a change in the air around me and suddenly a hand was over my mouth and an arm was pulling me back into a tight embrace. An arm that was wrapped tightly around both of my arms and body stopping me from moving. I was locked solid against someone, someone that I knew wasn't Ranger. As I began to panic and squirm a hot breath against my ear and cheek caused my breathing and heart rate to increase. A million thoughts flashed through my head, and none of them were good. Was someone here to hurt me, kidnap me or worse still, was this a trap for Ranger. Were they waiting for him to come into the room and then to attack him?

As a soft whisper penetrated through my swirling mind, I eventually stilled to listen to it.

"Shush, Ranger told me to watch out for you. I'm here to protect you"
As soon as he said Ranger, I stilled and listened to the voice. A man's voice with a thick accent, low and yet spoken with authority.

"Someone is in the other room, so we need to hide"
I nodded my head but that didn't have the desired outcome I had expected. Instead of releasing me, his hand and arm remained just as tightly around my mouth and body. Maybe he knew I would make a sound, because a cry came to my lips as I felt myself being lifted from the floor. I heard him moving as he carried me across the room and then suddenly, I was plunged into total darkness. His hand left my mouth and I felt his arm rise above me, I had no idea what he was doing but as soon he'd done whatever he was doing I felt myself being turned and pushed up against the wall. My only idea of where we were was in the closet that was at the back of the room. There was hint of a light from my side and as I turned my head, I could see he was working on his phone, sending a message to someone. It appeared to be in Spanish, so I had no idea what it said or who he was contacting. As soon as his phone disappeared into a pocket his body was up against my back. He was protecting me with himself if anyone looked inside. The biggest problem I was having now wasn't the fear of someone finding us, it was the fear from being in a dark place unable to move. Images flashed through my mind. A coffin, a cupboard, the trunk of a car. I knew my breathing was coming in short gulps and going into panic mode really wasn't something I wanted to happen. I scrunched my eyes up tight and began to repeat my mantra over and over again in my head.

You are braver than you believe

Stronger than you seem

Smarter than you think

And loved more than you'll ever know

With the repetition of the last sentence I forced the image of Ranger into my head. How he had looked at me when he had added that last sentence. Then of course I couldn't help seeing the character of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh. It had the desired effect though because I could feel myself calming down. That is until I heard something coming from the bedroom. Drawers were being opened and slid shut, a zip slowly being pulled. Whoever it was, they were looking for something. I just hoped that the bag Ranger had taken from the taxi was very well hidden. I know I flinched at the creak of a door opening and felt the man behind me tighten his hold around me. Shit, they were opening one of the doors to the closet. I held my breath waiting for the inevitable moment when we would be found.

It never came, how we weren't found I had no idea, but the door was firmly closed again. I felt the arm around me relax and knew then that for the moment we were safe. Time seemed to go so slowly. Sounds never reached me. I could only hope that the suite of rooms we were in had now been vacated by the mysterious visitor. The longer we stayed the more the panic rose, where was Ranger, was he alright? I jumped as the door suddenly opened and from the tone of the voice from the man behind me was sure he was a little bit annoyed.

"Gilipollas, la asustaste hasta la muerte"

"Ella está bien?"

Even while the words were spoken in Spanish, I would know that voice anywhere, so knew that I needed to peak out.

"I'm here"

The man behind me turned me to face the door and there beyond the robes hanging from the rail was Ranger. I took his hand as he helped me to get out of the closet. There was light now coming from a single lamp by the bed, but even from where I was, I could tell from his expression that he was annoyed.

"You okay Babe?"
"Yes, the man?"
"That's Gael, I asked him to keep watch over you"
"Who broke in here?"

"Not sure, Caleb is following him"
"What do you think he wanted?"
"I think maybe he was trying to find out who we were. He disturbed the paperwork in my bag where our passports were"
"So maybe we've kept our cover?"
"Maybe"

As we moved to sit on the bed, I could see Ranger looking carefully around and then he turned to Gael saying something in Spanish to him. Gael nodded his head and had soon left the room. I decided to stay still, expecting Ranger to say something, at least an explanation of where he'd been.

"I told Gael we'd swap our days around. We'll visit the caves tomorrow"
"Okay. Are you going to tell me anything else?"
Again he was silent, probably deciding what to tell me. The problem with Ranger had always been him keeping things from me. He saw it as a way of protecting me, but I was always hurt that he never confided in me. I know I was curious by nature and always wanted to know everything but surely, he could see how much it hurt, almost as if he didn't trust.

I went to move from the bed, but Ranger caught me by the hand and pulled me back down. His silence was beginning to worry me now.

"I don't know whether to be annoyed or confused. Caleb and Gael have been keeping surveillance of the address I was given. The man who lived there fit the description I'd got from Marin, but something just didn't feel right about it. While Caleb kept watch on the apartment, I went in to look around. Everything points to him having nothing to do with any of the problems about Fábrega. I had Santos run a search and he came up clean. The facts supported what Caleb and Gael had found out. He's just an ordinary guy who drives a truck so sometimes spends time out of town"
"Nothing hinkey about the company he works for or what he might be carrying?"
"No. Gael managed to trail him yesterday and everything in the truck was what it was supposed to be"
"So has someone purposely passed on false information or was it just a guess?"
"That's why I'm between being annoyed and confused"
Ranger leaned back to lie on the bed, taking me with him. As I turned into him, his hands cupped my face and began a kiss that was intense. I blame the adrenaline that was surging through my body after the incident with the intruder, because I was soon demanding far more than just gentle. I pushed his shoulder to force him onto his back, straddling his hips as I forcefully controlled the kiss. Our mouths were hungry as we moved over each other and tongues dueled for control. My hands went to the shirt he was wearing, and I pulled it apart, unaware of buttons flying off into the room. I continued my journey from his neck down his chest, nipping and biting as my mouth moved over his muscles, delighted in the shivers and moans that passed through him. The button and zip of his trousers were soon dispatched as my mouth came down hard on his erection. Every nerve inside of me urging me on. I felt hands at my breasts, tweaking at my hardened nipples but that didn't deter me from my ministrations. I was so turned on by what I was doing, by what I knew Ranger was feeling from his responses

"Not like this"
Was all I heard as I felt hands lifting my shoulders up and as Ranger sat up and bent his legs, I felt him at my opening. I was so turned on, so close to climax that all it took was him entering me for me to explode. A final thrust from his hips had him buried deep inside of me and the resulting throbs as he came, extended and prolonged the clenching of my muscles as my climax rolled through me. I was aware of my name being called but the cry from my lips seemed to obliterate all senses. As I gained control of my body I was laid on Ranger's chest, his hands gently rubbing me up and down my back. I could feel him hardening inside of me and yelped as I was quickly rolled onto my back.

"My turn now"
Was all I heard before Ranger returned my moves on him to me. This time it was slow, sensual and gentle allowing me to feel every nuance of his touch.

I can't say I wanted to wake up, I was still feeling a bit tired and maybe a bit stiff. That didn't deter Ranger from picking me up from the bed and walking with me into the bathroom. I had no idea that he was going to put me into a tub of hot water and yelped in surprise as the hot soapy suds surrounded me.

"Relax Babe. You have an hour and a half before we leave"
I know I heard him but didn't listen properly, instead I sank down into the hot water, moaning softly as the heat seeped into my muscles. I was hardly aware of a sponge running up and down my legs until I felt an arm around my shoulders sitting me up. Ranger was with me and he was running a soapy sponge over me. As he soaped my back, I heard him chuckle.

"Babe if I leave you in here any longer, you're going to fall asleep"

"I just need to wash my hair"
"The shower's running"
Once I was dry and had combed conditioner through my hair to make it easier to plait, I ventured into the bedroom. On the bed were clothes that I presume Ranger saw as being good for going down a cave. There was a pair of ski pants, a long sleeved T-shirt and thick socks. I had to rummage through my bag to find some underwear. Did Ranger think I'd go commando like he did? No way! I picked up some boots and a jacket and found Ranger sat at the small table in the lounge area. I could already smell the food as I came closer. I looked at the plate that was laid out on the table trying to work out what exactly I would be eating.

"It's a traditional Colombian breakfast. Colombian beans, white rice, plantain, and steak served with eggs, arepas, and coffee or hot chocolate"

A look at Ranger's plate showed he was eating the same as me, so I tentatively picked up my knife and fork to start eating.

"There's chorizo in here as well"
"Yes. Originally a breakfast like this would be made from leftovers from the day before but I presume each place has their own recipe"

I was surprised it wasn't spicier, but the flavor was still good. I was quiet as I ate my way through my meal, I didn't realize just how hungry I was, but then again, I think we missed an evening meal last night. I poured some coffee from the pot, adding milk and sugar, loving the taste of the coffee.
"This coffee is really good"
"They grow it here Babe, that coffee is probably from freshly ground beans locally grown"

"So, what are the plans for today?"
"Gael will drive us to the caves, it should take about an hour. Then we do the tourist thing"
"So you don't expect any trouble?"
"No. Caleb will be there as a tourist with us but I don't see any reason to be worried"
That might be what he thought, I wasn't so sure. I mean come on since when do I go somewhere where it should be nice and simple and not end up in trouble?

"Babe, it's perfectly safe. We're just a couple taking a tourist tour, you'll love it"

An hour later we were stood with a small group of people waiting for our guide to start the tour. With more poetry than precision, our guide Johamn Bohorquez introduced himself to his morning tour. Instead of the door to a home, we stood in front of the dimly lit entrance to a mine shaft, ready to begin a mile-long walk through a mountain of salt.

"Hollowed out of the middle of this mountain and 600 feet below our feet lay our destination: the magnificent Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, one of the most popular tourist and pilgrimage sites in Colombia, where as many as 3,000 Catholic faithful gather each Sunday for religious services in a former salt mine"

As everyone listened to our guide, I turned slightly noticing another guide had joined us. I suppose having one at the front and one at the back ensured we didn't get split up or lost. The group started to shift uneasily on their feet, ready to follow Bohorquez into the gloom. Bohorquez led us through a turnstile and down into the darkness. I kept my hand firmly in Ranger's for some reason I wasn't liking how I was feeling. Every few feet, thick metal beams, covered with a heavy layer of protective red paint, ran up from the floor and overhead and then down to the floor on the other side of the wide passageway. Eucalyptus logs lay across these metal arches. I suppose something had to be holding back the rocks above our heads. For about 100 feet, small floodlights embedded in the floor next to the walls set the crimson-red arches ablaze in the dim light. The effect was striking, if not a bit unnerving: The entrance to the Salt Cathedral looked more like the gateway to hell than a pathway to heaven.

"Further down, no bracing is needed; the salt has fused into solid rock, known to geologists as halite, or rock salt"

The passageway sloped down past a series of room-size chambers. The signs attached to the walls told us that these were where miners had dug out salt rock on either side of the tunnel. Apparently, we were following the Way of the Cross.

"For three years, 127 artists and craftspeople from in and around Bogota labored to repurpose 14 of these cavities into rough-hewed devotional chapels. Each chamber represents a key event that occurred on the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus took to his crucifixion"

A look inside one of the chambers, showed polished blocks of solid rock salt, each the size of a small filing cabinet, each faced with a carved salt cross.

"These objects are called in situ prayer stools,"

"My guests, if you want to taste this, you can do it"

I looked up at Ranger in the dim light, it was obvious there was no way he was going to do that. Me though, hell the chances of me ever being here again were slim to none so I rose to the challenge. Pushing aside thoughts of how many others had placed their tongues on this rock, I leaned down and licked one of the salt blocks. The intensity of the taste surprised me. Bohorquez said that the salt that I had just tasted was 135 million years old, a relic of the vast Tethys Ocean that once covered this area. Wow that made the taste even more amazing.

"The indigenous Muisca people first discovered these salt deposits more than six centuries ago. Spanish conquistadors searching for El Dorado in the 16th century stumbled across the salt mountain. Instead of a city of gold, they discovered a city of salt"

We were now back to following our guide. As I had taken on the challenge to taste the rock we had ended up near the back of the group. It gave me a chance to look at the young guide behind us. Definitely younger than the main guide but the hat pulled over their head and the collar pulled up to their chin made it very difficult to identify any features. My attention was drawn to the guide once more as he continued to walk and talk.

"Successions of adventurers, plunderers and entrepreneurs followed. Salt from these mines paid the bills for the military campaigns of the liberators Simón Bolívar and Antonio Nariño, who brought independence to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Today, the salt mountain finances roads and parks. The mayor said his city now owns the Salt Cathedral complex. In the past year, 600,000 people visited the 79-acre cathedral park, which is now the main source of government revenue for this city"

We stopped again in front of another chamber where our guide stood in front of its entrance to speak to us.

"The story of the Salt Cathedral begins in the 1930s. Miners carved out a makeshift chapel in the mine tunnel. There, they prayed for their safety each day before starting work. From that humble beginning arose the first cathedral, consecrated in 1954 as a shrine to the patron saint of local miners, the Virgin of the Rosary of Guasa. The cathedral shared space with a working salt mine, with predictably calamitous results. Years of blasting, jackhammering and drilling weakened the cathedral walls, forcing authorities to close it in 1992 before the whole thing came crashing down."

I couldn't even imagine what it must have been like to spend your working days down tunnels in the middle of rocks and earth. To use hand tools to literally hack away at the rock in order to push the tunnels onward. It reminded me that Fábrega had died when one of those tunnels had collapsed. That thought sent a shiver through me and I scared myself thinking what it would be like with no lighting down here. I felt Ranger squeeze my hand.

"You okay?"
"Yeah, I was just thinking how horrendous it must have been to work down here, always worrying if a tunnel might collapse"

"It happened, and no doubt in some of the other working mines still does"

The answer to my next question came from our guide, although I was curious at how big the tunnel complex actually was. Obviously, there were more tunnels than what we'd seen.

"It still shares the mountain with a working salt mine located several hundred feet below the sanctuary complex. Today, water has replaced dynamite as the salt miner's tool of choice. The space between these bolts is carefully monitored. Researchers found that the weight of the mountain is closing the cathedral in on itself at a rate of six millimeters a year"

We walked deeper into the old mine. To our right I could see a steep set of stairs descending into a dark side tunnel.

"The place here is called the "Penitent Stairs" and is an exit from the main cathedral. When you go up the stairs and feel tired and exhausted, that means you have many, many sins."

A short way down, the Way of the Cross ended. We had reached our destination: the vast central nave of the Catedral de Sal.

"My guests, this beautiful place is the cupola or dome of the cathedral. The chamber, more than 250 feet deep and 30 feet wide, soars more than 70 feet above our heads"

The rough walls were partially bathed in purplish-blue light. Our guide directed our attention to the front of the nave, where a glowing, 50-foot-tall cross seemed to float in space before the dark rock wall. But it was no salt-mine miracle. The cross was chiseled into the wall. Concealed lighting illuminated the recessed channels.

"You see it as three dimensions, but the effect is created by the lights"

It was then that the guide seemed to disappear, leaving us to walk around the area on our own. I have to say the overall effect that the lighting gave to the place was spectacular. The carvings on the walls and the statues that depicted Holy events gave a spiritual feel to the place. I could understand why people would come here just to soak up the atmosphere. It had been an amazing place to visit and one I would remember for a long time to come. I felt Ranger pull on my hand and noticed that most of our group were slowly leaving the area. I suppose with so many groups coming down here there was a need to keep people moving. We headed back to the entrance where people were leaving. The young guide was there waiting I presume to pick up the strays and the fact that she followed us out probably meant we were the last of this particular tour group. We seemed to be returning on a different route from how we'd come in and there didn't seem any urgency to how fast we walked. As we came to a particular junction, I saw the stairs that had been mentioned earlier and thought that we would climbing up these. It was single file now and I was following Ranger with the guide behind me. The lighting was dimmer here and the air seemed cooler, damp really, with a need to watch where I was walking. I suppose I must have slowed down slightly because Ranger was further ahead of me when there was the feeling of a vibration that came from the floor and up into my feet. I stopped, worried at what that might be.

"They may be doing some blasting in another section of the mine"

Was the explanation that came from behind me. It was the voice that had me turning around to look at the guide, because I hadn't expected it to be the voice of a woman.

"Does it happen often?"
"It can do"

Okay so she wasn't very talkative but at least she had understood me. I was aware of more footsteps behind me and assumed another group had caught up with us, what took me by surprise was the guide pushing into the back of me and of us suddenly being pushed and manhandled off the main route and into a narrow dark tunnel. I'm sure I called out, I'm sure I heard the echo of my shouts around me, but I wasn't sure how long I shouted for. A pain on the back of my head had me falling forward onto my hands and knees and stars suddenly exploding behind my eyes.

"Just move both of them and then let's get out of here"
Were the only words that registered before a darkness overtook me.