Liza cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe you just met, but the fire is there between you. Falling in love doesn’t always take time. It can happen like a bolt of lightning. You never know when it will strike, but it will go straight to your heart. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it.” She hugged Marta again. “Be good to him…and to yourself.”
They carried their coffee cups out to the driveway, where a white van had pulled in.
Liza brought a third cup of coffee with her as she joined Crusher and Marta at the van.
A man dropped out of the driver’s seat. “Liza, mi amor,” he said, took her empty hand and pressed a kiss to the backs of her knuckles.
Liza’s cheeks blossomed a pretty pink. “Oh, Raul, you’re a charmer.” She pulled her hand free and waved it toward Marta and Crusher. “Please, take care of my new friends. And here, a cup of coffee for you as well.”
“You are as kind as you are beautiful,” Raul said. “Escape with me, and we’ll make amazing music into the night.”
Liza shook her head. “As much as I’d love to escape with you, I have a son I care about.” She patted Raul’s cheek. “You know, as a mother, I could never leave my boy.”
Raul cocked an eyebrow. “But he is un hombre adulto.”
“And alone in a different country without me.” She handed Raul his coffee. “Now, go. Before I change my mind.” Liza winked at Raul and smiled toward Marta and Crusher. “I hope we meet again, preferably under better circumstances. You’re always welcome here. Mi casa es su casa. Stay safe.”
Raul went straight for the driver’s door and climbed in.
Marta approached the back of the van.
“Are you coming, amiga?” Raul asked.
“We’re not riding in the back?” she asked.
Raul shrugged. “If you want to ride in the back, you can get there from the front.”
Crusher grinned and opened the passenger side door, holding it for Marta. “You can have shotgun if you like.”
Marta climbed in, glanced out the front windshield, and shook her head. “No, thanks. I’d rather not give anyone a chance to recognize me. I’ll sit in the next row.” She took a seat behind the driver, where she had the pleasure of watching the side of Crusher’s face. He must have found a spare razor among the toiletries Liza kept in the guest bathroom, along with combs, hairbrushes, wrapped toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Marta had tucked the toothbrush into the side pocket of her yoga pants. After all that had happened, she didn’t trust she’d get another anytime soon.
The drive out of Panama City was blessedly uneventful. Soon, they picked up speed, heading north toward the Costa Rica border.
Every so often, Crusher brought up the map on the burner phone, holding it so Marta could see it as well. They stopped for fuel, a bathroom break, and food during the eight-hour drive. As the road left the coastline, they entered a more mountainous region that was cooler and even more humid.
Marta dozed off several times while the men talked about football teams, both American football and international football, aka soccer. Each had a favorite team.
Having spent little time watching sports, Marta had nothing to contribute. Now, if they’d wanted to discuss DNA, RNA, viral evolution, pathogenesis and transmission, she’d happily jump in.
She listened absently to the hum of the men’s voices as they talked about sports, wondering if someone like her could ever fit into the same world as someone like Crusher. Everything about him was so intensely physical. But if she thought about it, he was always thinking ahead, trying to get in front of the next conflict or roadblock that could arise.
He was always thinking on his feet, adapting quickly to changing circumstances and seeking ways to neutralize his opponents. Marta, on the other hand, focused for days on the same pathogen, trying to find other ways to approach it and neutralize its effects.
In a way, they both wanted to prevent bad things from happening. Was that enough in common for two people to make it as a couple?
A couple? Where had that idea come from? She was an asset to him. Nothing more. Once he handed her off to the State Department, he’d move on to the next mission, the next asset to rescue.
Marta would go back to a lab somewhere and study another virus, another killer disease.
Her heart felt incredibly heavy at the thought. She’d miss Crusher and his larger-than-life presence. She stared out the van window as tree-covered mountains whooshed by.
The trip was long but thankfully uneventful. By mid-afternoon, they slowed, along with other vehicles, as they neared the border crossing.
A dark SUV was parked along the side of the road ahead.
“Madre de Dios,” Raul said softly. “These are not border personnel.”
Crusher nodded. “Looks like trouble.”
