Page 30 of Here for a Good Time
There are two paths from our villa to the reception area: the massive open-air stairs that run directly through the middle of the resort, and the longer winding vehicle path that spirals around the side. As we make our way forward, I realize that Zwe is picking the latter, probably because while the stairs are much quicker, we’d have nowhere to hide if someone spotted us.
Every time we hear a noise, we duck behind a tree or a bush. We’re approximately halfway up the path when I tap Zwe on the shoulder, and make a time-out motion with my hands. There’s an ever-increasing pain in the side of my gut, and my lungs and calves are both on fire.
A water bottle appears in front of my face. While I was hunched over and leaning on a tree, trying to take deep breaths without making any noise, Zwe unzipped his bag and opened his water bottle.
Thank you,I mouth. Aware that we have to conserve as much water as possible, I try to take the smallest of sips. The moment the cool liquid hits the back of my throat, though, my body screams for more. Instinct overrides guilt, and I put the metal opening to my lips once more, and take a second drink.
You good?Zwe mouths when I hand back the bottle.
I nod.Thanks,I say.
I see the way he hesitates before he takes a tiny swig as well, his brain doing some sort of calculation that involves the amount of water we have left, the number of miles we have to go, and how much longer our two bottles need to last us.
We resume the uphill climb, him in front. He’s going slower than he would if he were on his own, and, feeling guilty again about being the one holding us back, I try my best to keep the panting to a minimum. We’re one step away from rounding the next set of sharp corners when we both see it: two bright yellow headlights, four speeding wheels. A buggy.
I’m about to be a literal deer in headlights but before I can process it, Zwe’s strong arms close around my waist and yank me to the side, the suddenness of the movement propelling an “Oomph” out of me.
“Ssshhh,” he whispers into my ear. Not trusting myself, I clamp my own hand over my mouth this time.
He’s pulled both of us into the shrubbery, half a second before one of the resort buggies drives by. They’re so close that if even an inch of the top of our heads were peeking out, we’d have been made. And although it’s only for a moment, I catch two maskedpeople inside: one at the wheel, the other in the passenger seat, the latter with two rifles in hand.
I don’t even exhale for fear of a rogue sob escaping.
When I’m at last certain that the coast is clear, I finally,finallybreathe in, and then out. “Oh my god,” I whisper.
“They must be rounding up anyone left,” Zwe says.
“They know we’re here. We’re the only guests, it can’t be difficult to go on the computers and find out which room we’re in. Oh my god, they’re going to our room and we’re not going to be there and… and…” My tongue stops working. My brain stops working. All of my senses begin distorting my surroundings. The sound of the ocean suddenly becomes loud in my ears, like I’m right at the shore. I can even smell the sweet woodiness of sea salt.
“Hey.” Zwe gives my shoulders a rough shake, and it sort of works. I return to my body, although it doesn’t feel like it’ll take much for me to drift away again. “We’re still good. By the time they find us, we’ll be in the woods. Let’s keep going.”
“But—”
“We’re going to keep going,” he states, refusing to hear my spiral. Which is for the best. I gesture at him to start walking, and I keep my eyes down on the ground, my mind occupied with stepping in the exact same spots that he does. It works so well that I’m startled when he stops walking. When I look up, we’ve made it, and are standing just a few feet away from the brightly lit reception area. Zwe points at a giant tree a few paces away, and we rush on our tiptoes until we can hunker down behind it.
Once we’re both hidden, I motion that I’m going to peek. Craning my head as far as I can, I try to take stock of the scene. It looks like all of the staff members—ornearlyall of them, depending on how many there are—are gathered in a circle in the middle,hands tied behind their backs. I spot Antonio and Leila and Sandra and Eka. There are two armed guards around them, and two more stationed at the front steps that connect the reception area to the rest of the resort.
I return to the safety of our giant tree. “Women,” I whisper, frowning as I try to recall something.
“What?” Zwe asks.
“They’re all… women,” I say slowly. “Or at least… most of them are.”
“How do you know? Can you see their faces?”
“No, they’re wearing masks,” I relay. “But it’s their hair. The ones with long hair at least have their hair braided. And also their… general physique. I think…”
“What?”
“I think… the people in the buggy were women, too.”
“Are you sure?” he asks.
I gasp. “The perfume.”That’swhat I smelled.
“What perfume?”
But I’m already thinking aloud. “It’s Jo Malone. Wood sage and sea salt. I thought I was smelling the ocean but it was their perfume.”
