The Climb Downward
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Chapter 30
Lee, Amanda, and Pepita had been hiking the mountains in darkness, well into the night. They slept very little. Their goal was to reach the town of San Cristobal, on the other side of the mountain. Once there, they'd hope to find sanctuary in one of the satellite offices of the American Embassy.
All was going as planned until from up above the mountains, they heard the sound of whirling blades.
Flwooop! Flwoooop! Flwooop! Flwoooop! Flwooop! Flwoooop!
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Though they had no way of knowing, the aforementioned helicopter was being piloted by none other than Francine. Next to her sat Billy, who was busy scouring the mountainous terrain with his binoculars.
The noise of the rotating blades almost drowned out Francine's words to Billy.
"See anyone down there?!" she yelled over the noise to Billy.
"I don't see a soul down there, not a soul!" he shouted back.
She steered the helicopter higher so the whirring noise wouldn't be as loud, "Okay, I just...(YAWN!)
Her explanation was interrupted by a huge yawn.
Billy remarked about the yawn, "Tired, eh? I told you yesterday we needed to head out well before dawn, but noooo, you had to have a nightcap at that hole-in-the-wall cantina, making it difficult for you to rise and shine!"
She defended herself, "Oh, I can rise and shine alright; just not at the same time! Believe you me, Billy, I am très alert, thank you very much!"
"Is that so?" Billy looked unconvinced, "Then tell me, what's the square root of 196?"
Her face scrunched up,"Huh?"
"Which orange came first...the fruit or the color?"
"What!?"
"-What's the world's most populous country?"
"Billy, I don't see-"
"-How would you handcuff a one-armed person?"
"Stop, just STOP!" Francine was completely baffled, "Billy, what the hell are you rambling on about?"
"Just testing you to see if you're as alert as you claim to be!" Billy grinned.
"I am NOT answering any absurd questions! I did one little yawn-it's no big deal! You don't need to make a quiz show marathon out of it! Besides, you know already that I am NOT a morning person!"
"-Afternoon isn't your high point, either!"
"Very funny!" Francine snapped back, then after some thought, she asked him, "but since you've asked, how WOULD you handcuff a one-armed person?"
"Easy," he stated, "I'd cuffed the existing arm behind the suspect and then put the other cuff through that person's belt….Isn't that how you would do it?"
Francine answered in all seriousness, "No."
"No?"
"No, I'd knock the person out cold first. Then after he's been immobilized, I'd cuff the existing arm to his ankle. That way, when he comes to, he'd not only find himself arrested, but extremely uncomfortable as well!"
He straight-faced her, "I sometimes worry about how I'm training the people under me."
Then bringing his binoculars to his eyes, Billy diligently looked out on the rocky landscape as Francine lowered the chopper again.
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Flwooop! Flwoooop! Flwooop! Flwoooop! Flwooop! Flwoooop!
Meanwhile, at the sound of the helicopter coming closer to them, Lee, Amanda, and Pepita had scrambled for somewhere to hide. They had crowded together and crammed themselves into a narrow space behind some big rocks, just as the sound of the helicopter turned into a roar, meaning it was getting closer.
They had no way of knowing if this helicopter contained friends or foes.
"Duck!" Lee ordered them, as the helicopter seemed to almost hover directly over them.
Flwooop! Flwoooop! Flwooop! Flwoooop! Flwooop! Flwoooop!
It was so low and near that the wind from the blades whipped around them, forcing Amanda and Pepita to both cling onto Lee. Time stood still as they waited, their limbs stiffening up from not moving. Then after what seemed like an eternity, the helicopter slightly lifted and left to search a different area. Soon, the noise of the whirling blades diminished off into the distance.
Flwooop! Flwoooop! (Flwooop Flwooop Flwoooop...)
"That was close!" Amanda commented afterward, "Do you think the helicopter was searching for us?"
"Could be," Lee answered, as he came out of hiding, "but at this point, I don't want to take any chances of getting discovered."
Pepita piped in, "Do you think the helicopter people will come back?"
"Probably," Lee stated, "But until it does, we need to keep moving forward; the further we walk, the closer we'll be to safety."
They left their refuge and continued on, moving more cautiously, their senses on high alert. Although not daylight yet, it was getting lighter, allowing them a better view of the helicopter, off at the other end. Silhouetted against the sky, it looked like a huge insect, searching for its prey. After some time, it flew to its next destination.
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After hiking a bit, Lee, Amanda, and Pepita decided to rest near an opening surrounded by big rocks. It looked to be the ideal place.
"I think we should eat something to keep up our energy," Amanda suggested.
From her bag, she produced some chicken rolled taquitos and cornbread that Tia Frieda had packed for them, along with some bottled water. It was a feast for them.
"How much further before we reach this town of San Cristobel?"she asked Lee, while taking a bite of her cornbread.
Lee checked his map, "Not much further, although the climb down may be steep. In a little while, it'll be dawn and we'll be able to see better, so that will work in our favor."
"We need to find the easiest path with the most few rocks if we are to reach flat-land," Pepita explained. Then after savoring her meal, she stood up, wiping her hands on her dress, "Perhaps I will go down a bit and see what is the best way for us to make our way down the mountain."
"I'll go with you," volunteered Lee.
Pepita shook her head, "No, you stay, Señor. I think I can go faster down by myself."
"Are you saying I'll be slowing you down?"
"Well..." Pepita began, trying to be diplomatic, "It IS so very rocky down there. But do not worry, Señor, I can do it on my own! After all, I have been climbing mountains since I have learn to walk!"
Lee reasoned, "if you've been climbing all your life, Kid, that means you've been climbing for less than a decade, whereas I have been hiking for at least two decades!"
"If you want to come, of course, you can," Pepita politely invited, "but be careful. Some places have much smooth rocks that will be hard to grab with your hands and the tiny pebbles under your feet will be like...how you say...like marbles."
"Uh..." Lee looked hesitant, "Perhaps I'll just walk you to the edge of this ledge and make sure you start off right. I'm sure you'll be able to find the best path to go down on your own. After all, you've been doing it all your life!"
"Okay!" Pepita agreed, as she instantly took off.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Lee yelled out, starting to get up. But Pepita was well ahead of him.
"You better hurry!" Amanda jokingly warned him, "She'll be long gone before you're even able to stand up!"
"Hmmph!" Lee gruffed, "Always rushing with all that ridiculous energy! That's why kids are so frustrating! I think they were put on this earth to replace us older models!"
He then quickly rushed to catch up with Pepita, who was giving Amanda a backward wave goodbye.
Amanda laughed and then things went quiet as she sat all alone. She hadn't wanted to complain earlier, but her leg muscles were extremely sore, which caused her to unconsciously rub her legs. She looked down at her already worn-down huaraches. The bottom was wearing down and she was starting to get a hole near her big toe. On top of that, when she ran her fingers through her hair, she could tell it was all matted, with lots of tangles. And her clothes were full of dirt.
I must look a mess! She concluded., what I wouldn't give for a hot bath!
But...she realized, at least we are safe.
She decided to keep herself busy by cleaning up the campsite. When she stuffed the bottled water into her own bag, she saw inside her bag, one of the keychains she had purchased for the boys. It was in the shape of a miniature donkey piñata.
She removed the keychain out of the purse, and sat down on the dirt ground, turning it over and staring at it. The piñata keychain was the one she had purchased from the Mexican store she had shopped in during her first identification.
Poor Miguel Esteban, the shopkeeper, who was murdered right after she shopped there. He was so kind and helpful; he didn't deserve to die.
The keychain was also a reminder that she had a real purpose in getting back home.
My boys. How I've missed them, she thought as she held the keychain next to her heart.
She may be a spy for the country, but first and foremost, she was a mother of two wonderful boys.
Amanda suddenly shivered from the cold. She wrapped her arms around her knees and placed her chin on top of it. Curled into a ball, her mind was a million miles away.
She could almost hear the sounds of her two boys arguing and right now, and all that arguing sounded like music to her ears.
She was now imagining how excited Jamie would be to get something from another country. Then, of course, Philip would chime in and claim his identical keychain was bigger and brighter. Mother would also be there, getting in the middle and yelling above the boys not to argue and allow Amanda some quiet time after a hectic trip.
Amanda shook her head at her crazy but loving homelife.
She suddenly felt so far away from home.
What if I never escape from here? she miserably thought, What if I never see my boys grow up, graduate, and have a family?
She laid her cheek against her knees. Exhaustion must be taking over her mind and body and that's why her thoughts were so sad. That must be it, she thought.
Then out from the darkness of her thoughts, Amanda suddenly felt strong arms going around her shoulder.
"Hey, you okay?" she heard Lee ask her.
Amanda's lips quivered; she couldn't answer Lee for fear her shaky voice might reveal her homesick feelings.
Without asking, he gently pulled her even closer to him, allowing her head to rest on his chest. She felt like a tiny puppy that needed comforting as he rocked her gently.
"Amanda, whatever it is, it'll be okay."
The warmth of his voice brushed against her tear-stained cheek (she hadn't realized she'd been crying).
Lee knew this wasn't the time to talk with her. He wasn't going to tell her not to cry; he wasn't going tell her she was acting silly. He was just letting her know he was here for her.
And Amanda appreciated his thoughtfulness.
"You must think me weak for being such a downer," she sniffed, still unable to look at him as she stayed in his warmth.
She could feel his chest vibrating as he spoke.
"Not at all, Amanda. People don't cry because they're weak," he sagely noted, "they cry because they've been strong for too long."
She smiled into his shirt.
"Well, I don't know if I'm being too strong since I-"
"Ssshhhh," he interrupted her, "for once, Amanda, let silence be your comfort."
He said it in a light, non-threatening way, and that's how she took it, so she kept quiet. Instead, she watched as dawn was about to make its appearance. She could hear Lee's heart beating next to her ear and his slow, steady breathing calmed her. And suddenly she couldn't remember why she had felt so low as she snuggled even closer in the safe cocoon of his arms.
Finally, when she felt comforted enough, she pulled herself away from him so she could see him.
His eyes gazed adoringly back at her. He already missed the heat of her body against his. He missed their closeness. The remembrance of their first kiss together had held so much promise.
"I want to kiss you again, Amanda," he gruffly whispered, scrutinizing her face for a reaction.
Amanda's heart skittered into her throat as a familiar fluttering consumed her body. Then when he moved closer and their lips were about to touch, she gasped as her nerves sparked in sudden alarm.
"Dean!" she announced out loud, her eyes suddenly wide, as she placed a hand on his chest to stop him.
The desire in his eyes turned to concern, "What?"
She began to nervously prattle, "Dean! I forgot about Dean! I'm sorry, Lee, I can't allow anything to happen between us...I mean, I can, but please understand... it wouldn't be right... I'm dating Dean!"
Lee looked surprised by that admission, "I...I didn't realize it was serious between you two."
"-it's not," she quickly answered back, "at least, not yet. It's just...we are seeing one another, so this...this thing between us... it's not right...I just couldn't..."
Lee noted the flush of her cheeks as she awkwardly looked away, and then he looked off into the distance as well, his voice sounding so far away, "Yeah… okay, I get it..."
But it was obvious that he didn't.
Shortly after that, they heard the sound of tiny, quick footsteps. Turning their heads, they saw Pepita was fast approaching them.
"I have found a good path to lead us back down!" she happily announced.
Lee instantly popped up and held out his hand to help Amanda up. When he looked her way, she was smiling as she stood next to him.
"Thank you for making me feel better," she softly told him and then added, "...and for understanding, too."
He cleared his throat, "Yeah...so...are you ready to move on?"
Move on. That's what she needed to do.
She wiped the last of her tears away, and when she looked into Lee's face, she determinedly answered, "I'm ready to move on."
They checked to make sure their camp had been cleaned up thoroughly. They must not leave any evidence that they had stopped here. Amanda made sure there was no trash or food left behind. With a branch, Lee did his best to brush away their footsteps.
And they soon began their descent.
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The rocky land soon had dirt beneath their shoes as they continued downward. When they reached a small ledge, Pepita abruptly stopped.
"Wait!" she enthusiastically stated, "Listen!"
They paused to listen.
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The early morning breeze had carried the sound of a rooster crowing.
"A rooster crows!" Pepita happily reported, "Do you know what that means?"
"I do," Lee confirmed with a smile, "It means there is a village nearby!"
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