“You assume we can just jump into the back of the truck. I’m not sure I can jump into anything at this point.”
“I’ll help you,” he said and glanced at his watch. “There’s a small store a couple of blocks from here that sells a variety of things from household products, baked goods, fresh vegetables and meat. It’s also where I got the empanada.”
“Won’t the store owner see that items are missing and be on the lookout for a thief?” Marta asked.
Crusher shrugged. “I left enough money to cover the food and supplies as well as took the time to straighten the displays so it wouldn’t be immediately obvious things were missing.” He pushed to his feet. “Before daylight, I want to get into a position where we can hide near the store and wait however long it takes for a delivery truck to arrive.”
Marta leaned onto her good, unbandaged hand and struggled to her feet.
Crusher hooked her elbow and helped. When she was upright, she drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “Okay. Since I don’t have a better plan and you’re the one with the experience, you can lead the way. I’ll follow.”
“Stay close and do as I say, as quickly as possible. If those men come back, we don’t want them to see us.”
“Got it,” Marta said with a nod.
Crusher led the way through trees and around the backs of buildings and ramshackle homes made of weathered plywood, handmade brick and corrugated tin. They passed what Marta thought might be a junkyard full of old trucks, cars and buses, but could also have been an auto repair business, or both. She moved carefully so as not to trip over old fenders, transmission cases and wheel rims.
Once past the auto graveyard, they passed what appeared to be a home with a stick fence. Marta stepped on a branch. The loud crack startled something on the other side of the fence. A loud bleating sounded from a goat or sheep on the other side.
Marta and Crusher hurried past before the homeowners came out to check the disturbance.
Finally, they arrived behind a small store with peeling paint. Crusher pulled her back into the trees near the rear of the building. He pointed to the back door and moved his mouth close to her ear. “That’s where I went in.”
“Did you damage the lock to get in?” she asked.
Crusher shook his head. “Didn’t have to. I was able to use my knife to unlock it.”
They settled into the underbrush, facing the back of the building. “If the delivery guy doesn’t unload in the rear, we’ll have to move closer once he enters the store.”
If a delivery truck appeared. Marta didn’t say the words aloud. Crusher had gotten her this far. She had to trust he’d get her the rest of the way to Miami.
As close as she was, lying next to him, Marta could see the face on his digital watch. It was nearly five o’clock in the morning. They could be waiting for hours for a delivery truck to arrive. She sighed silently and rested her chin carefully on her bandaged wrist. If nothing else, it made a decent pillow.
An hour crept by as the gray light of dawn chased away the darkness. The sky lightened, hiding the stars from view.
Marta drifted off several times, exhaustion claiming her too often to fight it.
A hand on her arm nudged her awake.
She blinked and looked around, trying to remember where she was.
Oh, yeah, she was in the jungle with Crusher. Only she was staring up at him, her head lying in his lap.
He brushed a strand of her hair out of her eyes. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she whispered back.
“Time to wake up,” he said.
She glanced around, remembering that they’d been waiting for a delivery truck to arrive.
And one had. Damn if Crusher wasn’t right.
Once she registered the truck that had stopped in front of the store, all vestiges of sleep disappeared. Her heartbeat sped in anticipation of “hopping” onto the back of the unsuspecting driver’s vehicle. She sat up straight, at once missing the warmth and comfort of resting her head in his lap. How had she gotten there? She didn’t remember moving.
She pushed her hair back behind her ears as her cheeks burned.
“I’ll go first,” Crusher half-mouthed, half-whispered, pointing to himself and then the truck. “I’ll let you know when it’s safe to follow.”
