Page 103 of Marks of Rebellion
Julieta puts a plate of food in front of me. "Eat breakfast. You can ice after."
"Thanks."
Ryker and Tinker come into the room.
"Just in time," Julieta says and avoids Ryker's eyes.
He stares at her until she comes back to the table with two plates full of food.
"Eat," she softly instructs.
I motion for him to sit and do as he's told. He's been freaking out all morning about Julieta being upset with him. But it's like he doesn't know that you don't go against your master when you're in the doghouse.
Vanessa sits next to me, and for the first time, I look down at my plate. "What is this?"
She bites a smile. "Rice, beans, eggs, plantains, and grilled tortillas."
"For breakfast?"
"You've never heard of a Gallo Pinto breakfast bowl?"
"No. Sorry."
Julieta gapes, as if insulted. "You don't know anything about Costa Rican culture, do you?"
"No, ma'am. I would expect this for any meal except breakfast."
Vanessa snickers. "Eat your beans and eggs. They have protein. Andre and Dirk would insist."
"Hey, I'm not picky, I just thought it was interesting." I shove a forkful in my mouth.
"Mmmm. The only thing missing is Salsa Lizano," Julieta mumbles.
"What's that?" Ryker asks.
"It's like a salsa-type sauce but in a non-salsa way."
"Salsa but not salsa? That makes no sense."
She shrugs. "It's true."
We mostly eat in silence. I want to apologize again and get things back to where they were before we ever stepped foot in Tinker's house, but my gut tells me continuing to bring things up is only going to make it worse.
"I wonder how long it's going to be before the others start to arrive," Ryker comments.
"They are all on foot. It could be weeks," I comment.
"We need to figure out a landing spot. It's not safe for us to stay here too long. We're still in Central America."
"Agreed. I'm still not coming up with anywhere neutral, are you?"
"No."
"Do you still have family in Brazil, Vanessa?" Julieta asks.
She shakes her head. "Everyone left during the last rebellion."
"We need to figure it out before the passports get here. Any ideas, Tinker?" I ask and notice Vanessa shift in her seat and look at her plate.
