The Irresistable Pendant (closed for me and CrimsonKitten)

[Wolk]

The long halls of richly decorated Holden Manor were imposing and beautiful at the same time. Our steps echoed through the old arches made of strong dark wood, disturbing the ghosts that were sure to live in a place like this. It was amazing that the place was built only half a century ago and was in the middle of America, in hot Dallas, Texas, where a much different architecture would've been more suitable. But once in the manor, one felt like he was walking down the cool halls of an old place in some small town in Europe, with rich history behind every grain of dust.

Finally, the butler, who lead them, opened the door, and announced:

"Mister Douglas Hammer," he said in a classical butler's voice. He then introduced the woman, and the two of them were admitted inside.

Doug Hammer was a tall, slender and agile man, flexible and strong without looking like a brickhouse. He looked every bit the adventurer he was: ruffled dirty blond hair, attentive emerald eyes, a tough overcoat on top of equally practical dirty green jeans and shirt. A pair of slender glasses straddled his nose, completing the image of a scholar who wasn't afraid of a little travel in pursuit of knowledge. And in pursuit of money.

Behind the massive oak desk sat Mr. Holden himself, an aging wealthy man with a taste for history and culture. He lifted his eyes at them and stood up.

"Ah, sir, lady," he smiled. "Thank you for coming. Please make yourselves comfortable."

Doug pulled out a chair for the woman, then sat down himself.

"I have summoned you because I have a very lucrative proposition for you. How would you like to help science, and yours truly, and to receive five million dollars for your efforts on top of expenses? Each, of course."

He chuckled: "Ah, I see I got your interest. I would like you to retrieve for me a fascinating item, which my researchers have finally tracked down enough clues for to organize an expedition. I am talking about the Irresistable Pendant of Mayan legends. Nobody has ever seen it for thousands of years, but mentions of it are abundant in Mayan and Spanish texts. Even today there are living legends in that part of the world. It is said that the pendant is a centerpiece of an ancient temple, built by a civilization that predated even the Mayas, as was then wiped out by a mysterious plague. I have a map for that temple now!" He rubbed his hands excitedly. "The trouble is, that it is located in a very remote area: few roads, no willing guides, druglords and rebels, whose territory you must pass through. But, to be blunt, I do suppose this is what you do in your line of work. I hope you are up for the job. This is truly a wonderous item, and as you can see I am sparing no expense to get it. Get it for me." He leaned forward, eyes sparkling.

Doug looked at the woman who was to be my partner for this expedition. He had checked her out enough to trust her with his life - something he would likely have to do at some time, if the adventure was to be nearly as dangerous as he imagined. Still, five million was a lot of money, and the historian in him itched to get to explore a place where nobody has been for thousands of years.

"I'm in," he finally said, then turned to look at the other treasure hunter to wait for her answer.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

Katherine MacKinnon chewed almost fretfully at her lower lip. All eyes were on her and it made her nervous as a toy poodle. Crossing her slender arms over the crisp linen of her blouse seemed to comfort her, shutting out some of the scruitiny. It was an offhandedly ridiculous amount of money, and fame does have its price.

Searching her memory for anything of note about the talisman, a warning to herself, she came up with only past due notices and the need for a vacation. From behind the thick frames of glasses she didn't really need, wary eyes the color of cloudy peridot regarded the man who was to be her partner in the expedition. He, unlike her, belonged here.

Mousy, was the perfect term to describe herself, she thought almost grudgingly. She'd swept her long waves of auburn tangles into a messy bun, her hair had been unruly for as long as she could remember. Her blouse nearly matched the color of her eyes and had been a gift from her mother just before she passed away. Jeans, a size too big perhaps, but comfortable enough to suit her were matched as closely to the top as possible. He fit the part of the handsome and daring relic aquisitioner, she, was a counter girl at a coffee shop with a penchant for old legends and broken heirlooms.

She could recite nearly verbatim most of the common knowledge lore of the Popol Vuh, the Mayan's sacred creation text as well as most of their theology and ritual behaviors. That wasn't what frightened her. Her reservation came in the usual hazards of being a "grave robber." The mysticism, the unknown was what always made her think twice. She nodded slowly, unable to trust her voice from betraying her hesitancy.

She was as in as she could be, and there was no turning back.

 

[Wolk]

"Excellent," their wealthy patron beamed. "I knew you would agree." Indeed, with the amount of money he offered, it was hard to refuse for anybody. Doug suspected they were the first candidates, and was somewhat honoured by it.

Mr. Holden then picked up two thick folders off his desk and hend them out towards the pair of adventurers.

"Here is all we were able to find out about the Pendant. It should serve as a sufficient starting point in your search."

Doug immediately snatched his folder and began studying a map, which was on the very first page. Meanwhile, Mr. Holden continued.

"I was so confident you would accept that I booked you two tickets to Bogota. It's not far from the location on the map."

He held out the tickets, and for a moment there was a pause. Doug stopped examining the map in his hands and looked straight at the older man. He tilted his head to the side, running his eyes over Mr. Holden's figure as if trying to decide if the man was malicious, out of his mind, or simply ignorant. Finally, he voiced his verdict:

"Sell them."

He nodded good day to the wealthy man, turned around and left the office with the folder in his hand and the ticket on the table. Outside the manor, he waited for Katherine to join him.

"Quite a story, don't you find?" He lifted his eyes off the papers when she approached. "An amulet that makes one cause great attraction, sexually and otherwise, in everyone around. And lost forever when the temple it was held in was overrun by hordes of horny invaders." He chuckled.

"Well, let's go find the old man his aphrodisiac," he said with a hint of irony, and held the door of his car open for her. "Get in. I'm sure Mr. Holden will look after your car."

"You are wondering why I didn't take the tickets?" He began the conversation again. "Because it's suicide to try to go deep into the Columbian countryside from Bogota. There are spooks everywhere and every single crook, kidnapper, and druglord will know you are coming." He pulled out a pair of paper envelopes form the center console and handed it to her. "I got these instead. Tonight is our flight to Brasilia. We're now Doug and Katherine Smith going on a honeymoon trip up the Amazon." He winked. "Passports inside."

 

[CrimsonKitten]

"Excellent," their wealthy patron beamed. "I knew you would agree."

She blinked warily as she nudged her heavy glasses up with the knuckle of her index finger and reached for the folder with her unoccupied hand. Her eyes grazed the paper, immediately soaking in the wealth of knowledge. No good at math and figures she simply digested the lore with practiced speed-reading grace.

"Here is all we were able to find out about the Pendant. It should serve as a sufficient starting point in your search."

Her cohort was studying the map, thank whatever gods were out there. Hand her a map of a city and she'll never make it out alive. Lead her through the streets once, and in a few days she'll be able to take you anywhere you want to go, and some places you didn't know existed.

"I was so confident you would accept that I booked you two tickets to Bogota. It's not far from the location on the map."

Oh that was rich. Confident, he said. Arrogant more like. Katherine didn't like anyone who pretended to know her better than she knew herself. She didn't like people predicting her decisions either. Knowledge is power, and he was a bit too powerful for her liking. She cast a sideways glance to her companion and he must have read her expression well.

"Sell them."

Breathing a soft sigh of relief, she returned her eyes to her folder and barely noticed when she was suddenly in the room alone with the old buyer. Clearing her throat almost inaudibly, she clutched her folder to her chest and nodded a good-bye walking quickly to catch up.

"Quite a story, don't you find? An amulet that makes one cause great attraction, sexually and otherwise, in everyone around. And lost forever when the temple it was held in was overrun by hordes of horny invaders."

A nervous smile was all she could manage. Warning bells were going off in her head now... Gee, what timing. Overrun and Invade were not words she liked to hear on trips such as these. She liked them fine when she was safely at home watching a history program in which one of the ancient conquerors was doing the overruning and invading, but not where she was involved.

"Well, let's go find the old man his aphrodisiac. Get in. I'm sure Mr. Holden will look after your car."

She nodded, still not trusting her voice at all, she didn't want this man thinking she was truly as much a liability as she looked in comparison.

"You are wondering why I didn't take the tickets? Because it's suicide to try to go deep into the Columbian countryside from Bogota. There are spooks everywhere and every single crook, kidnapper, and druglord will know you are coming."

He was prepared, well prepared. How did he know she'd accept too?? Maybe, he didn't. He probably had a friend, a fellow dashing reliquary hero waiting to help him should she have politely declined.

"I got these instead. Tonight is our flight to Brasilia. We're now Doug and Katherine Smith going on a honeymoon trip up the Amazon."

After he'd said it, it finally sunk in. She turned to him slowly as he winked at her.

"Passports inside."

Her voice finally found her, timid, soft, but with a rich, deep contralto tone that somehow didn't match the facade.

"We're parading as newlyweds?"

She hadn't even brought any clothes. What kind of vacation does a woman go on and she brings no clothes.

"I might need to get a change of clothes and some personal items. I .. wasn't exactly prepared to travel today."

 

[Wolk]

"We're parading as newlyweds?"

She finally spoke. It was a very pleasant voice to hear - not brash, or arrogant, nor silly, one of which many women had in their speech. Katherine's was simply... nice. It caressed his ears.

"Yes, honey," he gave her a smile, turning for a second from the road.

"The Amazon is a popular destination. Nobody is going to blink twice if a pair is taking a cruise through it. Not the shortest way, but I like my skin without bullet holes in it."

He glanced at her again and wondered for a moment if he was saying too much. The young woman, for all her smarts, didn't come off as a regular jungle-explorer. Maybe mentions of its numerous dangers were just scaring her. On the other hand, if he was to travel with her through those dangers, it's better that she knew about them in advance. He wasn't quite sure how much he should reveal.

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her finally.

"I might need to get a change of clothes and some personal items. I .. wasn't exactly prepared to travel today."


He shrugged his shoulders: "That's what the rest of the day is for. Sears, Gap? Holden's paying, so you might as well get something new." Doug grinned.

He punched the big store name into the GPS guide on the front console, and a short while later they were inside.

"Now, I don't know how much you know about the jungle," he quickly lead her past sections with pretty dresses and costumes, stopping near isles that contained rugged, rough clothes. "Practical is the name of the game."

'You do not want to wake up to a snake crawling up your skirt,' he wanted to say, but bit his tongue in time. It wouldn't do to scare her off - he would likely need her knowledge, and even just an extra pair of eyes.

"Well, I'll see you in two hours by the car?"

 

[CrimsonKitten]

"Well, I'll see you in two hours by the car?"

She nodded and glanced around more warily in the store than she probably would have in the depths of the jungle world to which they were headed. People made her nervous. Ah.. amendment, living people made her nervous, where the dead were concerned she was quite at ease.

A sales woman, noting her lost expression, made a bee line for her and she ducked behind a rack of thick sweaters. She could screw up on her own, she didn't need the added pressure of some woman saying "You look FAAAAAAABULOUS" confirming the fact that she looked like a complete touristic disaster.

She picked through the various textiles with disinterest, chewing at her lip once more. Terrible nervous habit, she had to remember to watch that or she'd bloody her smile. After having spent a goodly amount of time trying on whatever struck her at the moment, she'd amassed a small new wardrobe. Enough clothing to last her at least a week, possibly a few days more.

She left the store with two, ridiculously large bags in hand and attempted to adjust her glasses with her right hand. The awkward maneuver almost made her lose her grip and she recovered just before her footing was lost completely. Heading to the car, Katherine idly wondered whether or not the things would meet... Doug's approval. 'Get a grip,' she told herself. 'Doesn't matter what he thinks, it's function not form. Sheesh.'

Approaching the car, she announced just as softly as before. "These should work. I just need a few personal items and I'm ready. Sorry to be so much trouble."

 

[Wolk]

Having had his own belongings packed and prepared in advance, Doug roamed the store, idly looking at this and that. He bought new sunglasses, a few hawaian-patterened shirts, and a hat with the city's sports team logo imprinted on it. Putting all those on top of his practical clothes, he looked at himself in the mirror and grinned with satisfaction. He could now come off for a typical obnoxious tourist.

"Giza, huh? Ya know, back ome in Texas we also got a few nice pyramids. Betcha they're bigger than these, too." He grinned, greeting her by the car with this masquerade on.

He helped her handle the piles of clothes she bought, noting with approval that they were quite practical and complete. People tended to forget things on their first expedition, yet there is nothing worse than having a full suit of tough, sturdy camos, and only high-heeled shoes to wear with it. He made sure she wouldn't fall into this hole.

"Take your time," he offered. "The plane isn't for another five hours." It wasn't too much time, but they'd manage, he was sure.

While she was away, he continued studying the plans and papers. Remarkably, they had very little to go by, for all the papers in the folder. The most valuable thing was the map, while the rest consisted mostly of legends written in various languages and translated versions by the side. Suddenly, he stopped, and realized he had forgotten something that could turn out rather important.

"Katherine," he grabbed her by the hand after she came back and unloaded the purchases again, "come on, we need something else." He pulled her back into the mall, and after a brief search found the boutique he was looking for. "You'll see," he said with a mysterious grin and lead her inside. Sparkling jewelry nearly blinded them from all sides, displayed in showcases, polished to perfection.

He then hugged her around the shoulders and looked in her eyes with a smile.

"I think we'd better pick out wedding rings, Mrs. Smith."

 

[CrimsonKitten]

"Katherine, come on, we need something else."

She felt as though he were a child, dragging his parent excitedly by the hand towards the toy store to pick out his christmas gifts. Good thing she'd chosen sensible green flats, if she'd been in heels, hed have had to carry her at this pace.

"Where... where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Oh, joy, she didn't like surprises. She wasn't sure she quite trusted him with that either. Surprises from a man she didn't know, this could be ...

"I think we'd better pick out wedding rings, Mrs. Smith."

She wasn't quite sure which was more jarring, the fact that he'd pointed out the most important part of their ruse being the rings they were missing, or the arm that suddenly found itself around her shoulder.

Katherine wormed her way slowly away from him, obviously a bit uncomfortable, almost shaken by his quick familiarity. They weren't "married" yet.

"I.. well I suppose you're right, but, I.. should we really.. "

 

[Wolk]

He almost laughed at how cute she was, slipping away like a frightened kitten from his hands. She was very tender, he realized, and he would have to be more careful about brash comments and moves that were part of his free-spirited, wilderness-roaming nature.

"Why? You don't like diamonds?" He softened it up a little.

He picked out a pair of rings and asked the salesman to show them.

"Look at this," he held it up between them, studying the gem and letting her have a look as well. "Like a little star."

Eventually, the rings were picked, and Mr. Holden's issued credit card once again served its purpose. Inside, Doug grinned when he imagined what the old man must be thinking when he gets the bills for these purchases. He didn't particularly care.

Finally, they were back in the car once again, pulling out of the store's parking lot.

"Almost time to go to the airport," he noted. "Do you need to go home to pack up first? I already did." He pointed at the suitcase in the back of the car, then poked the GPS navigator and prepared to enter the route into it. "What's the address?"

 

[CrimsonKitten]

The whole ring situation had been almost a breaking point for her. She had NOT signed on to get married! She understood the caution, and the reason for their honeymoon cover story, but Katherine felt she'd be best off sleeping with one eye open for the duration of their trip.

"Almost time to go to the airport. Do you need to go home to pack up first? I already did."

She followed the direction of his pointing and spied the suitcase. 'You wanna be married so bad? Fine...' She thought derisively and grabbed the bags that held her clothing. Pulling his suitcase beside her on the seat without so much as a word of explanation, she opened it and began somewhat selectively emptying enough room for her things, leaving half of his clothing strewn haphazardly around the car.

Nodding, self satisfied, she fastened the case back and glanced at her folder reading off the address to him.

 

[Wolk]

With a raised eyebrow, Doug turned and watched as the contents of his suitcase were being methodically devastated. It was a somewhat morbid fascination, with which one watches a trainwreck, or an explosion. Little emotion other than wondering appeared on his face.

He turned and drove ahead, waiting for her to calm down a little bit more.

"Katherine, you're fairly good at Biology, aren't you?" He finally spoke, probably not at all what she expected to hear.

"Tell me then, what is the name of that thing, which bit you just now?"

 

[CrimsonKitten]

"Katherine, you're fairly good at Biology, aren't you? Tell me then, what is the name of that thing, which bit you just now?"

She idly spun the alien metal band on her ring finger not really hearing him at first. Pushing up the thick lenses of her glasses with the back of her hand, she turned to look at him.

"What was that? B..bit? What are you talking about?"

 

[Wolk]

Doug nearly chuckled. Quite a character she was, to throw about all his stuff and then forget about it as though nothing happened.

"Never mind," he smiled politely.

"Don't worry about it," he tried to cheer her up, slightly concerned that she was already acting as if stressed. Perhaps it was his fault, partially. "This trip might go a lot easier than you think. Jungle is just like a forest, only a little thicker." And has flesh-eating predators, venomous reptiles, blood-sucking bats, poisonous fruits and flowers, and people who are all seem to be trying to kill you, he didn't add aloud.

Eventually, they got to the airport, went through awfully thorough security, and several hours later were comfortably seated in the belly of an airplane as it turned through the maze of tarmac and finally started to run faster and faster ahead, about to take off.

"Do you like flying?" Doug asked idly, turning the glance of his green eyes towards her.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

"Do you like flying?"

Oh, no more than she would like having her eyes gouged out with a wooden spoon. In truth she hated flying. No. No, hate wasn't strong enough. Her stomach lurched as the inertia pressed her into the seat, already fair skin going even paler. Her knuckles were ghostly white as she clung to the armrests, eyes focusing on the ring around her finger.

"I like landing... safely."

 

[Wolk]

Pale as a ghost, as the saying went, she was a living illustration for fear of heights and flight. He felt a bit sorry for her, knowing that their route laid through the Caribbean Sea, over which hurricanes and storms, or at least somewhat rough weather was common this time of year. The Hurricane Valley, it was called for a reason. The right might get a little bumpy.

"Found out anything of interest from the notes we got?" He inquired, trying to take her mind off the fact that they were in a screaming aluminium cigar thousands of feet in the air.

"Something to drink," the stewardess interrupted after they got up to cruising altitude and the plane steadied.

"Orange juice with ice will do," Doug selected.

"And you, miss?"

He didn't hear what exactly Katherine asked for. The stewardess, a rather well-endowed blonde, leaned forward, and slightly more of her bust showed than was decent. But it wasn't male interest that caught his attention; it was the edge of a tattooed sign on the inner side of her right breast that made him freeze for a moment. He encountered people with this sign before, and never got anything good from them. Inevitably, they showed up on the most interesting of his hunts. He wasn't sure what they wanted exactly. Sometimes they outwitted him and took what he was after, he suspected, other times they helped him, by design or accident. But their mere presence here was noteworthy.

After the woman left, having given them their drinks, Doug felt rather quiet for an extended period of time, milling the thoughts and theories in his head.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

Her nerves were shot, the entire time. He'd asked her questions, and she simply nodded, whether an appropriate answer or not. Why in the HELL was she on an airplane pretending to be his wife, heading to the darkest jungle to get a necklace for a horny old man?!

Katherine tried some calming breathing techniques but to no avail. Sipping idly at the water the flight attendant had brought her, she finally noticed Doug had not said anything for a long period of time. Slowly loosening her grip on one of the armrests, she turned to him. The softer her whisper became, it seemed the more her tone went from just deep to an almost sultry lilt.

"You're.. quiet. Something wrong?"

 

[Wolk]

Doug debated for a few moments if he should hide his suspicions from her. After all, she was not experienced in matters like this, and knowing what he saw, she might inadvertedly give this knowledge away by careless word or deed. But on the other hand of the balance was the fact that she was his partner in this adventure. That ment keeping secrets from her would be wrong, and possibly harmful. He wouldn't want her to keep secrets from him, after all.

"Mmm, maybe there's something," he smiled at her playfully, he leaned over the armrest separating them, thankful that she can't withdraw in the tight confines of an airplane seat, since she didn't seem the type to take an advance like this with enjoyment. When he did get his lips to her ear, however, he sounded very different. The playful voice evaporated and was replaced by a serious whisper.

"I think we're being watched," he whispered, then chuckled, withdrawing a bit. "I'm serious," he added in another whisper, leaning in to her ear again. "Just don't do anything to show we know." He finally gave her a peck on the cheek and sat back, looking at her with adoration for a while, and smiling, before casually shifting his glance away to check the rest of the cabin. Everything seemed to be quiet, only that buxom blonde stewardess with a tattoo on her right breast went about on her rounds.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

"Mmm, maybe there's something."

Tensing as he leaned in, she swallowed hard, her eyes wide as a deer in high-beams.

"I think we're being watched. I'm serious. Just don't do anything to show we know."

Why in the world was.. oh! Right! Married.. well, not just married but newlyweds! She sat, still stunned by both his words and his deeds, but to any onlooker, it may have been that he suggested something far too brazen for an innocent young bride. She swatted at him playfully, in an attempt to keep up their guise of honeymooners.

Settling into her seat, she fidgeted with the foreign metal, twirling it about her finger. If you'd told her when she woke this morning that she'd be married and headed to Brazil by late afternoon, she'd not have believed a word of it.

Sliding her glasses from her nose, she gently rubbed her eyes with her fingertips as her vision readjusted. The lenses weren't prescription, but had a slight curve for a magnification effect. In truth, she saw much better without them. She slid them carefully into the pocket of her blouse and did her best to stifle a yawn. For the first time today, she wasn't anxious.

Katherine wouldn't let herself believe it was anything to do with her partner, though, she had to admit, she felt better with him close. 'Watched,' she mused. 'But who and why?' Letting her head fall to his shoulder, she tentatively slipped her arm through his and held his hand, lacing their fingers together. Might as well ham it up if they have an active audience.

His skin was warm against hers, and she was thankful for the small comfort it seemed to provide. Inhaling slightly, he had a light cologne smell over the clean scent of soap and aftershave, like a man should smell. Maybe... being with him on this trip wouldn't be so bad afterall.

 

[Wolk]

The rest of the flight was rather uneventful. They were being watched, Doug was sure of it for he had noticed regular and unwarranted glances from several people on the plane in addition to the stewardess, but there was little they could do about it. The ruse they were playing was not going to fool these people. If they were so organized on the plane, then certainly, they must have found out that neither he nor his new partner married anybody lately, let alone each other.

"There you go," he noted, happy enough to have the first phase of their adventure complete when the plane hit the hard tarmac in the Brazilian airport and bounced slightly under its own hefty weight. "Nice and safe, just how you like it."

Unlike the gloomy, rainy city they left, Brasilia was tropically hot and sunny that day. People here dressed lightly even on this late fall day, with women prefering loose dresses and men chosing blindingly white suits, light as a feather, and equally thin.

A taxi to the docks, then a good two-hour-long process of selecting a boat to hire, and they were finally settled in for the next leg of the trip, which was to last several days. The old, shaky big boat made its way up the mighty river, blades of its propeller digging into the water with dedication.

It was hard: hot and humid. Most passengers stayed in their tiny private quarters, which were in essense tiny compartments separated from one another by shaky old boards, with holes and cracks big enough to see into the next 'private' compartment. At least it offered protection from the scorching sun. The days dragged on slowly on such trips, the only entertainment being a big old radio of the captain, which spewed fast-paced and energetic local beats non-stop, and each other's company. There were three other passengers, all of them local men with grim faces, who staid quiet and secluded, resting in their hammocks with their eyes closed most of the time.

Doug came up to Katherine, aiming to use the time to get to know his partner a little better, what made her tick and cover in horror, and what made her smile.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

Katherine was thankful for the small battles of the day having been won. They arrived unscathed, their bag hadn't been lost, and they had managed to find a boat.

Boredom set in after a short while, she'd all but memorised her folder and wasn't daring to chance bringing it out here in front of these men they didn't know. She watched in awe as the world seemed to regress around them, these darkened shores steeped in mythos and mystery of far more ancient times.

She knew that this was the part of the trip she lived for. The real "dirty work." She could hardly wait to make it to the temple as Mayan history began to run through her mind like a slide-show. Jumping softly, she glanced to see Doug standing right beside her.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack, don't sneak up on me like that."

 

[Wolk]

"You nearly gave me a heart attack, don't sneak up on me like that."

He smiled in response. Not wishing to give her a lecture about being aware of one's surroundings in these parts, he also realized that 'sorry' wasn't appropriate. He settled beside her, relaxing.

"How are you holding up, Kathy?" He judged her reaction to the shortened name with interest.

"Boredom. It's the toughest enemy to beat in places like this. Fascinating the first time you go through, boring after that." He closed his eyes. "Have you been on the Amazon before?"

Suddenly he opened his eyes and listened, hushing her. For a good several minutes there was nothing, and then everybody else, too, could hear the soft whipping of rotating blades. A helicopter flew low over them, circled around, then disappeared back into the sunset. The captain mumbled something in Portugese.

"Weird. He said they don't usually fly here."

The next day this visit continued, and two days later the chopper was replaced by a small airplane. They must have gone out of helicopter range. Four days later the planes stopped visiting, too, but instead there were two smaller boats that seemed to be shadowing them wherever they sailed.

"There's your adventure, hun," Doug said, coming up to Katherine and nodding towards the boats. "We are going to hit the place where we get off tonight, but we can't let them see us do it. Who knows what they have in mind when we are alone in the jungle. Any ideas besides dumping luggage and quietly swimming to shore at night?"

He could see the idea of swimming in the Amazon must not have appealed to her, probably conjuring up images of giant anacondas and flesh-eating pirahnas. Nonetheless, he saw that as their best bet at the moment.

 

[CrimsonKitten]

"How are you holding up, Kathy?"

"Katherine, please. It's beautiful, just ready to be on land again. I never really liked the water, and well, this water is full of things that don't like me either."

"Boredom. It's the toughest enemy to beat in places like this. Fascinating the first time you go through, boring after that. Have you been on the Amazon before?"

With a soft shake of her head she glanced to some movement she saw amidst the foliage on land. "I can't say that I have ac.." She went immediately quiet at his insistance and quite possibly last of all of them, noted the helicopter.

"Weird. He said they don't usually fly here."

"There's your adventure, hun. We are going to hit the place where we get off tonight, but we can't let them see us do it. Who knows what they have in mind when we are alone in the jungle. Any ideas besides dumping luggage and quietly swimming to shore at night?"

Her face paled and she could tell that he had noticed that.

"Well, they're looking for a man and a woman right? Can't I just look like a 'man' and we might not be noticed? It might buy us some time. I can .. well I can do some laundry, and hang it along a small line on the back of the boat where they can see. Just some things I won't need so that we can leave them behind. They might follow the boat for a half day, even a full day before they catch on."

She crossed her fingers in her mind, hoping against hope that they wouldn't have to wade through that dirty infested water.

 

[Wolk]

He listened to her idea carefully. Pondering it thoroughly, Doug tried to find a way to make it work. It wouldn't be possible in its original form, he thought, but perhaps if she switched clothes with somebody else on the boat... Only, how do you convince any one of these locals to switch clothes with a woman?

"Hun, there aren't that many people on this boat, and those guys have been trailing us for days. I bet you anything that they got down every single passenger now and a new 'man' would tip them off just like that," he snapped his fingers, displaying the speed with which their pursuers would be on their tails. "Even if we go unnoticed, they will still catch on to our absence next morning in the latest. But at least we win some time."

"Don't worry," he teased, "crocodiles don't eat good girls."

 

[CrimsonKitten]

Her frown was deep enough to make her seem years older in an instant.

"Should you really be joking at a time like this if these people are as dangerous as you say they are?" It was a rhetorical question and she didn't give him time to answer. "Losing the luggage isn't an option, you know that and I know that. We'll need those things. I can swim well enough. We may have to just swim and hold the suitcase together."

If the next morning was all the time they could buy, then they would have to go tonight, almost as soon as it got dark to really make advantage of the trouble they were going to go through. They would have to be moving through the jungle at night, a scary prospect in the daytime, nevermind being in pitch darkness. They really had no other choice.