Page 32 of Cavern of Silence
"We can do that in the early morning, close to sunrise. That would be okay, wouldn't it?" Julieta looks to me for approval.
"I suppose."
"We would be crossing the Honduras border in the middle of the day," Hunter points out.
"Neither border will be a problem," Julieta says.
"Why not?"
"I can't get into it. Just trust me."
"Julieta, I need more than that," I tell her.
She gets out of the car and goes back into the front. "I can't. Sorry."
As much as I don't want to hurt Julieta, everyone's safety needs to stay the top priority. "What do you want to do, Hunter?"
"What are the options for setting up camp tonight?"
"Don't need to worry about that, either. I know where we can go. Drive south," Julieta insists.
I put the pump back and get back in the vehicle. "Julieta, you can't just tell us to do something without explaining the details. We need to know—"
"So we're supposed to trust you unconditionally, but you two don't trust us? Is that how this works?"
She has a point.
"I didn't say that."
"Sounds like it to me."
"Julieta, is it in Belize or Guatemala?" Vanessa asks.
"Southern border of Belize. No one will know we are there."
"How do you know that?" I ask.
She puts her hands over her face, takes a few deep inhales, then looks at me. "Because I do."
"Ju—"
"Drive, Ryker," Vanessa blurts out.
I turn to her in shock.
"If she says it's safe, and it's in Belize, then we should go. She isn't going to lead us somewhere that will harm us."
I refocus on Julieta, who is blinking hard.
"Ryker, let's get moving," Hunter says.
I start the Jeep and drive forward. I have to keep both hands on the wheel. The road is bumpy, and there is only enough room for one car. Trees surround us, and I concentrate to not run into anything, especially since it's gotten so dark and there aren't any streetlights.
After several miles, Hunter barks, "Ryker, turn some music on."
"Can you help me, Julieta? This road isn't the best."
"Sure." She turns on the radio and tunes it to a reggae channel.
