"Well, might as well get this crap over with," he said. They sat still until the plane had come to a complete stop, then stepped down the staircase to the ground. Sands found Nat's hand, not only to stop him bumping into things but to keep up their charade of husband and wife. She collected their luggage and as soon as they were outside of the airport, Sands' phone rang.
"Hey."
"Sands. It's Trent. You and Nat will be staying in the Golden Crown Hotel about ten miles from the airport. I arranged a cab to pick you up from the doorway."
"Golden Crown? Sounds pretty classy for Mexico," Sands replied.
"Yeah well, it's not bad. About the best I could find, I'm afraid. Now I'm waiting for information concerning the Cartel from a couple of spies of mine. I happen to have a contact in Mexico at this moment, looking out for any signs. His name's Simon Clarke. No doubt you'll meet him soon enough."
"Thanks, Trent."
"No problem, buddy."
Sands hung up and turned to Nat. "There a cab at the doorway?" She looked at the black cab waiting patiently a few feet away. The driver was leaning against it, looking tired and hot. She took Sands' hand and led them to him.
"Golden Crown?" the man demanded a heavy accent. Sands nodded and the driver took their bags to load into the trunk. They clambered into the back seat, still clutching each others' hand.
"So you're here on honeymoon yes?" The cab pulled away.
"Uh huh," Nat answered, trying to sound at least a little excited. She saw the driver's black eyes appear in the mirror.
"You look like a nice couple."
Both Sands and Nat shifted uncomfortably at this. They didn't answer. All the time in which they had been together people had constantly told them that they suited each other. They had liked it at the time.
"So what made you think of Mexico? It is not the safest place at the moment, you should know that. There are bad people about. People have been killed. It was on the Day of the Dead. People are saying that someone tried to kill Presidente."
"Is that so?" Sands replied in a bored tone.
"The mariachi saved him. He killed General Marquez. People were very frightened at the rumours. People were saying that General Marquez was trying to overthrow the government. Mariachi is a hero. Have you heard of him?"
"We heard something, yes. Listen, how long will it take to get to our hotel?" Nat tried to change the subject.
"There is no traffic around here anymore. Everyone has been afraid. Many have left Mexico to go to some place safe. So we should be there in ten minutes." He seemed to take the hint and shut up. Nat looked out of the window at the dusty landscape, dead trees and small falling down houses. People walked quickly avoiding other people's eyes. It was like something out of a horror movie.
Finally the cab pulled up at a large hotel. It didn't look exactly luxurious but compared to some of the places they had passed, it was a rare and welcome sight. Natalie pulled Sands out of the car and the driver passed them their luggage, smiling and wishing them an enjoyable visit. He gave a cheeky wink to Sands, who obviously didn't notice, before looking Nat up and down quickly and jumping into his car. The pair entered the hotel, signing in and taking the elevator to their floor. They didn't say a word to each other. Sands followed Nat down the corridor to their door and listened to her turn the key in the lock.
The room was nice. It was clean with a large bathroom and a balcony. There was a thing carpet on the floor but Nat noticed there was only one double bed. She made a decision to ensure one of them slept one on the small couch in the corner. Sands set about feeling his way around the room, getting accustomed to the layout of the furniture, before laying down wearily on the bed.
"So how long's this gonna be kept up?" he asked
"What?"
"The silent treatment, Nat. I'm guessing I've done something wrong here, huh?"
"This isn't going to be a picnic for either of us, Sands."
"Fine," he snapped, sitting up. "Don't you dare try and make out that I'm the one at fault here. You were the one who decided to waltz back into my life. You were the one who left."
"I didn't decide to waltz anywhere. You were the one who got yourself hooked onto god knows how many drugs. So don't you try to put all the blame on me."
"Is that why you left, huh? You couldn't handle the fact I was meddling with a few drugs? Christ…"
"No Sands. This is about you lying to me. About standing me up over and over again. About the girls you slept with. About refusing me when I tried to help you. When all I was trying to do was show you that I cared." With that she broke down into tears. Sands was shocked. She'd only ever cried in front of him once before and that had been a year after they'd met, when her grandmother had died. It still shook him to the bone whenever he heard those heartbreaking sobs. He stood from the bed and moved over to the sound of her crying. He hated not being able to see her. He knew she was beautiful, even when she was in tears.
"Nat, baby. Please don't. I'm sorry." He reached his hand out to her but she backed away from him, tears still pouring down her cheeks. He felt hurt but knew he deserved it. He was such a jerk. Did he really think that he could treat her like dirt and she'd still be there for him by his side?
"No, Sands. Stop it. Please just leave me alone. I'm fine without you. I never chose to come back to you. Please just… just go away for now…I need a shower. I'll see you later maybe." Her voice was shaky and the pain and sorrow was evident. Sands listened as she walked to the bathroom and shut the door. He needed some air. He shouldn't have hurt her like that. Maybe it really was all his fault she had left. He decided to leave the hotel for a while. He could still remember the streets of Mexico like he knew the back of his own hand. He would be safe enough. Perhaps he could go for a tequila. Fuck, he needed one about now. He left and quietly shut the door behind him.
Natalie stepped into the hot shower and let the water run over her aching muscles. Why did he have to be such an asshole? She'd loved him and she thought he knew. He had broken her heart and then he wondered why she had left. Did he care? Did he feel something for her? Did she still feel something for him? The thoughts battled around her head, making her feel upset and tired. She washed herself down and wrapped a towel around her body. Turning off the lamp by the bed, she lay down on her front, falling asleep immediately.
When Sands returned to the hotel room he knew by the still silence that Natalie had gone to sleep. He stood and listened carefully to her soft breathing before silently walking towards her. He knelt beside her and felt for the covers, pulling them up higher around her neck. Her hair was damp; she must have taken a shower. Sands gently drew it back and lay it over her shoulders. He wished he could see her pretty face with its pale skin and tiny nose and full lips. She must look angelic right now. Maybe when all this crap here was over they'd be able to start again where they left off. If she still felt something for him. If she'd let him. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't. He sighed and moved towards the couch, curling up on it and falling asleep.