Page 29 of Depths of Destruction
We may or may not be crossing the illegal line by not delivering the women, and my guess is our careers are over after this.Unless you can prove to Interpol you did the right thing.
Right or wrong in their eyes, I'll never turn Naomi over to be used as a negotiation tool.
Hunter sighs. "Fine. Do they know coordinates and times to get out of here?"
"The last guy to leave puts a note in the tent," I instruct.
"Where are we taking them?" Axel crosses his arms and glances quickly at the tent where the ladies are all changing.
"We need to get them out of Belize for the time being." I scan the faces of my men, but no one seems to have an answer.
Minutes pass. The longer we all stare at each other, the more my gut flips.
Think. I'm the leader.
"They don't have passports. Wherever we go, we have to cross the border illegally," I point out.
"Mexico or Guatemala are the two neighboring countries. Honduras next, but only through Guatemala or by sea," Malin, who knows geography better than any of us, states.
"Zoe was kidnapped in Mexico. She won't say why, but she's petrified to step foot in it," Dirk informs us.
Hunter shifts from one foot to the other. "The Guatemalan guerillas took Vanessa originally."
"The Cayman Islands or Cuba are the next closest countries, but that'll require water transportation. Without Interpol's connections, we're going to have a harder time arranging that, especially if we're split into pairs," Axel says.
Malin points to the map he has pulled up on his phone. "We go south to Omoa, Honduras. Tinker retired there. He can get passports for the ladies."
Tinker is another military buddy of ours.
"Where to after that?" I look at my men, trying to figure out the safest place to take the women.
"I think we have to make the next decision at a later date. They all have different dynamics we're dealing with," Hunter points out.
"Emilia needs to end up wherever Naomi does," I tell Malin.
"Got it."
"Dirk's going to have the toughest time with Zoe. She may be recognized. Penelope said she is pretty famous across Latin America," Axel informs us.
"I'll be careful," Dirk states.
"We leave tonight, then. In stages, so the other guys don't notice anything," I instruct. "I'll leave with Naomi now. Everyone, stay safe."
We all fist bump and go back to the tent. I pull Naomi aside while the guys explain to the other women what the plan is and who is leaving when.
"Tell your sister goodbye. We need to leave."
Naomi's blue eyes widen. "She needs to come with us."
"No. She can't. Malin will make sure she stays safe. We can't go in groups. It's too dangerous."
"I'm not—"
I put my finger over her lips. "Take the emotion out of it."
She closes her eyes, fighting tears.
I lean down to her ear. "Trust me. Please. We need everyone to be safe. We won't be if we go in bigger groups."
