In the peaceful village of San Lorenzo someone yelled aggravated in the middle of the night.
"YOU IDIOTS!HOW DID HE GOT AWAY!?AND WHERE THE FUCK IS JULIO!?"
La sombra was furious with his man, everyone was afraid to explain what happen.
"Julio...is knocked out cold, señor " said one of the man terrified to speak.
La sombra turned to look at Julio who was on the ground unconscious.
"Pendejos!Who do I have to blame for this shit and someone bring me something for my damn nose!"
Muñeca ran out of the jeep with a first aid kit, while another man tried to wake up Julio. "I'm surrounded by mierda! You five go after him, I want him alive, who ever let's him go...I'll kill him!"
"I wasn't expecting you now La sombra, el plan was to wait in till we found the green-eyes first remember?" Asked Eduardo.
"Oh si...and did you know the muchacho had the eye of the forest with him!?" yelled La Sombra upset.
"No...I didn't know, I swear." answered Eduardo taking off his hat.
"He fooled you, you idiot. Te miro la cara de baboso. Arnold had the eye of the forest with him all this time, that changes my plans completely. Now my priority is the eye of the forest first before finding the green-eyes and your sobrino Jorge didn't help at all, like you predicted he would...now he will pay with his life and yours if you don't help me find them."
"No La sombra, I'll help you...and what about the girl?" Eduardo asked.
Muñeca had giving him a wet medicated tissue for his bleeding nose. "That girl is mine, she will pay for what she did to my nose...I'll deal with her personally, nobody touch her, I want her alive and unarmed." he said it with a devious smiled.
Meanwhile in the jungle behind a large rock, Jorge was on the look out while Arnold and Helga talked.
"You see Football head, I have to rescue you all the time, just like FTi, if it wasn't for me..."
"Wait" Arnold's eyes widen "Say that again?"
Helga rolled her eyes "I said, I have to rescue you all the time."
"Yes, then you said, just like FTi." Arnold was quiet thinking.
"Where are you getting at Arnoldo?" Helga cross her arms.
"I don't know...for a moment it felt like dejavú, like you have told me that before, in a situation just like this."
"Mmm...well it's not like we been in the jungle before football head."
Jorge walked up to them. "We can't stay here long, we have to keep on moving."
"Move where, it's not like we can go back to the village!" Said Helga.
Arnold began complaining in frustration "This is all my fault...I shouldn't have trusted Eduardo...I'm such an idiot, no wonder he asked me several times about my father's journal, he wanted to make sure I brought it to San Lorenzo and maybe...he was involved in my parent's death as well." Arnold placed his hands on his head pondering walking back and forth.
"But Arnold, wasn't he attacked as well when you two were ambushed?" Asked Jorge
"Yeah he was but...I was too busy with two guys that tried to take my backpack and I honestly didn't pay attention to Eduardo and Helga...when you found him, he was inside the dumpster right!?"
"No, he was walking from behind the dumpster." Answered Helga
"I guess it was all a cover up, I never should have trusted him, it was all a trapped, now I got us all in this mess." said Arnold rubbing his eyes, trying to think.
Helga lay her hand on his shoulder. "Don't feel bad Arnold, he fooled all of us."
Arnold looked at Jorge frowning "Or did he?"
He walked up to Jorge upset "He was your uncle Jorge, you should have know he worked for him! How do I know I can trust you!? For all I know you may be a spy for La Sombra acting like you didn't know about Eduardo!" Arnold elevated his voice stepping closer to Jorge.
"Arnold you have to believe me, I didn't know about my uncle!"
"I LOST MY PARENTS AND NOW I'M RISKING OF LOSING THE WOMAN I LOVE BECAUSE OF LA SOMBRA...I CAN'T AFFORD TO TRUST ANYONE! NOW TELL ME, ARE YOU WORKING FOR HIM!?" Arnold grabbed his arm and twisted it making him kneel in pain.
Jorge stared at him in the eyes and spoke out loud. "I LOST MY FATHER TOO BECAUSE OF LA SOMBRA! I rather die then to work for a killer! And if you don't believe me, then do what you must!"
Arnold kept staring in to his wide scare eyes and saw a young small boy crying for his father just like he was, when he use to wandered the boarding house halls weeping for his parents. Arnold gulped in sadness and remorse for the pain he was causing him, he let him go and walked away.
Helga had never seen Arnold so angry against someone, like if for a moment, he wanted to let go all of his rage against Jorge. She walked up to Arnold with sadness on her face "Football head, are you okay?" Arnold gazed at her with hopelessness in his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, embracing her intensely, like afraid to let go in fear of loosing her forever.
Helga POV
I never seen Arnold so angry in my life, not even when he try to fight Andrew years ago.
This time I saw fury and sorrow mixed together, when he yelled at Jorge. For a moment, I wanted to interfered when he was screaming at him but at the same time, I was in shocked for seeing him act that way.
The moment he let go of Jorge and walked away all of his rage had disappeared, he kept looking down like if he was disappointed in himself. Once he looked up and stared at me, he embraced me tightly, I could feel his body tremble in my embraced. Football head my dear loving crying heart, how can I ease your pain, it hits me like a thousand knifes feeling suffering, I can never bare the torment of seeing you this way, I want to become your golden love armor and shield you from the lightning that dares to strike you...for you are my most fragile treasure in my heart and I'll do anything to keep you safe.
"My feelings exactly." He whispered back and looked straight to her blue watery eyes "You we're thinking at loud again love"
Helga stared at him with her wide eyes confused. "Ugh? Did you heard that?" She asked shyly.
"Every word...I feel just like you. I can't bare to see you in pain or in danger and today I just witness it...I almost lost you, yet again. I refused to lose you Helga, I lost my parents I can accept that...but losing you...I can't! I just feel like all this, everything is happening because of me, because the stupid decisions I took, we shouldn't even be here, we should be on that road trip we wanted to take together...but my stubbornness to know the truth consumed me...You are worth a lot more then me finding the truth about my parents, now I know that and...I'm sorry...I'm...so, sorry for putting you in danger like that. What was I thinking?" He kneel down shedding tears.
Helga felt her heartbreaking by the sigh of seen Arnold on his knees shedding tears. "We can't fit back on what if, we are here now and we have to keep on going and stay focus on the task at hand, which is to seek the truth to everything, like you said. I'm here with you because I felt in my heart this was my place, like a calling that I had to answer. I don't feel like being here with you it's a mistake, this trip is not a mistake...we have a purpose here and you are the chosen one." Helga took off her backpack and placed his father's wallet on his hands.
"Helga how did you!?" He asked confused.
"I grabbed the wallet and your father's journal when you were beating the crap out of that ass hole."
"For a moment I thought we lost it and La sombra had it."
"Not if I'm around Arnoldo."
Arnold stood up and embraced Helga again.
"Helga your amazing!"
"Yes I know...now do you still want to find the truth or do you want to go home, I'm with you all the way...so what is going to be?"
Arnold opened the wallet and took out the green small rock. The moment he touch it he could see entire forest from above, the green-eyes hidden civilization and a sleeping volcano.
He opened his eyes heavily breathing.
"What just happen, you eyes change to a bright green color for a minute!?" Asked Helga concerned.
"The moment I held the rock, I saw our location and the entire forest...I know were we are. We have to find the green-eyes first and I know how to find them."
Arnold and Helga walked up to Jorge who was seating on a large tree branch looking up to the starts. "Are you okay?" Asked Helga
"Thanks for asking, I'm fine I guess" Said Jorge rubbing his arm.
"Listen Jorge, I apologies for grabbing your arm like that...for a minute I thought you might work..."
"You don't have to say it Arnold, I never expected my uncle working for La asombra. I always looked up to him and wanted to be like him and now I'm lost" Said Jorge looking down in despair.
"You're not lost, we're going to find a way to set things straight." Said Helga trying to cheer him up.
The sun began to rise in the hot hummed jungle and Arnold felt confident to his surrounding. "Come on Jorge follow me, I know the way."
Arnold began walking with Helga and Jorge followed them pondering if Arnold really knew where he was going. "Arnold, how do you know the way!? And how did know La sombra was in the village, I'm still confuse about that!"
"Sorry for interrupting guys but, nature call can we stop walking for a minute, I really have to go."
"Ah sure will wait here, just don't go too far." Said Arnold
"I won't be far Arnoldo but, I do want distance."
Helga ran in a different direction to find a more private spot away from the guys.
Arnold leaned against tree. "Now I know I can trust you Jorge...I have the eye of the forest, that's how I was able to see La sombra way before he arrived at the village and that's how I was able to see our location."
"You mean the eagle's spirit eye rock, how can that be!?"
"My father had it before he died and... I know the location to the green-eyes and I have a feeling once we find them they will help us with La Sombra."
"Why will they want to help us? We're outsiders to them." Asked Jorge
"Because, I'll return the lost emerald trapiche to them."
"That cant be! How can you possibly know the whereabouts for a rock that has been lost for over one hundred years!? Unless, if you're the chosen one!"
Arnold turned to look at Jorge with a strong convincing stared.
"No puede ser...can it be true, are you the chosen one."
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
Helga screamed
Arnold's heart accelerated in panic for hearing her cry.
Helga was pin against a tree with a knife to her neck, the man was behind her trying to pull her shorts down while there was another man laughing and watching. "The boss is not going to approve this!" Said a third man who was witnessing the horrible scene.
"SHUT UP! It's not like his going to know!" Shouted the man who had Helga pinned.
Arnold followed Helga's scream desperately till he saw a man pinning Helga on a tree trying to unzip his pants. His eyes widened in rage while his fist shut in fury. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!" he snatched the man and punched him hard on his face causing the man to fall on the ground with blood on his lip. Jorge jumped on one of them while the man who was laughing tried to stabbed Arnold with a knife. Helga was trying to put on her pants and yelled "ARNOLD WATCH OUT!" The man who had Helga pinned stood up, wiped his mouth and pointed his knife to Arnold ready to strike.
The first man who was laughing charge after Arnold with the knife, but Arnold moved fast, grabbing his arm and kicking him hard on his ribs with his knee causing the man to drop the knife in pain. The second man who was bleeding from the mouth was about to stab Arnold when he felt Arnold's foot on his face knocking him out cold.
Arnold ran towards Helga and embraced her.
"My God are you okay!?" He began inspecting Helga to make sure she wasn't hurt.
"I'm fine Football head, I'm so glad they didn't hurt you... when I saw them after you with a knife I panic. For a moment I thought."
"Don't worry about me, it's not like it's the first time I get attacked with a knife."
"Really? When was the first time?" Asked Helga
"Years ago I think"
"Really? How come you never told me, when did that happen!?" Asked Helga worried.
Jorge ran to Arnold "More man are coming we better go now!"
Helga put on her backpack quickly and ran besides Arnold and Jorge trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the man who were after them. It was almost impossible to ran fast in the thick vegetation that surrounded them. Exhausted, they reached the edge of a cliff...Helga looked down and saw a rapid river deep below.
"HELGA WATCH OUT, YOU MIGHT FALL!"
Yelled Arnold pulling Helga back.
"OHH, NOW WHAT!?" Shouted Helga
Arnold wrapped his arms around her and kiss her forehead with fear in his eyes.
"WE'RE SURROUNDED!" Shouted Jorge terrified.
A man laughed loudly "HA HA HA now this is what I like to see, two rats and a mouse trapped with no way out."
Two man dragged the man who had attacked Helga and threw him on the ground in front of La Sombra. The man was crying kneeling on the floor. "Please La Sombra...mercy" begged the man still bleeding from his lip.
"I said, no one may harmed her!" La sombra took out his gun and shot the man with one bullet on the head. Then, he turned to look at Helga. "You see my dear, that's what happens when someone disobeys my orders and you Helga, will become my woman."
"I RATHER DIE THEN BE YOURS!" Yelled Helga.
"IF YOU TOUCH HER I'll KILL YOU!"yelled Arnold.
"I'm touch... but no, I always get what I want, sooner or later she'll be mine and you Arnold will give me the journal and the eye of the forest...TAKE THE GIRL AND KILL JORGE!"
Arnold gazed at Helga one more time in despair, the thought of letting La Sombra take Helga from him was unbearable. He kissed her lips and said "Do you trust me?"
"Always" Replied Helga with her eyes wide reflecting her unconditional love to him.
Arnold grabbed her hand tight and jumped with Helga to the deep rapid river one hundred feet below.
Notes:
Now that's a cliff hanger.
This was another rush chapter full of drama, adrenaline and adventure.
What do you think so far?
About Arnold saying dejavú do you remember whatArnold is talking about.
We have to go back to the first book, chapter two. yes since that chapter, I already had this book two in mind.
Also La sombra wants Helga for himself and of course Arnold won't let that happen, right!
Thank you for reading and for your amazing comments and stars.
Till next one...