“They’re in the British Intelligence Services. I know them because my company does some work for them.” As he spoke, Rob kept a close eye on both Freja and their host. He was relieved to see that the latter did not react at all to the conversation, but merely continued with her tidying up. Freja, on the other hand, covered her mouth, looking unnerved. “It’s okay, they are good people. I will tell you about my company later.”
Freja nodded and regarded Rob in a different way. “I suppose that’s why you know how to fight so well.”
Rob chuckled. “Actually, no. I learned how to fight before I met these friends – I compete internationally at the Combined Martial Arts and Unarmed Combat championships. But my friends did teach me how to shoot.”
Freja nodded again, looking at Rob quizzically for a few seconds before walking over to speak with their host. The woman frowned, concern etched across her face at the prospect of being seen with Rob, but she eventually agreed. Everyone knew where she worked, so being seen with a foreigner so soon after the attack on the resort would be highly suspicious.
Rob thought about this for a few moments but there was no alternative. He quickly showed Freja how to use one of the guns taken from the two men and pocketed the other himself. The woman and Rob then left, picking their way through the myriad of narrow alleyways that meandered between the dozens of tiny shacks. The dirt and filth in places made Rob gag as they passed open channels for raw sewerage, some of which overflowed on to the path. His heart went out to these people, particularly as all about him he mostly heard positive sounds of laughter, singing and cheerful chatter. I will definitely help this lady if I get out of this alive he thought as they walked. Rob also tapped out a text message to Laura that he would send as he called Gurning. Whether or not she fancies me, she’s a friend. I owe her that.
Forty minutes later, their path emerged from the forest providing Rob with a glorious view of open countryside and the Pacific beyond. Some time later, a commercial passenger plane came into view as it descended towards an unseen airport. Seeing that gave Rob real optimism for the first time; the woman was definitely leading him towards somewhere that would have a signal, but at the same time, it would be far more populated and they would have to be careful.
“Puerto Escondido,” she said.
Rob nodded. He had flown into Puerto Escondido from Mexico City and had been met by the resort’s car to whisk him off to the hotel. He wished they had a drink, but knew that the three of them had virtually eaten and drunk everything in the woman’s home.
Having walked for what appeared to be an age, they entered the town’s outskirts, and Rob became uneasy. They first joined a dusty dirt road between low, pale-coloured houses and Rob kept glancing at his phone, desperate for a signal. Soon they were walking on rough concrete roads. Rob knew that Puerto Escondido was a tourist destination, so with luck, he might not stand out too much.
A bashed-about car drove by and the occupants gave them a hard stare, loud cheerful music blaring from the open windows. Shortly afterwards, a motorbike growled past. Still no signal. They passed some children playing in a front yard, an elderly man sitting beneath a canopy at another house. It was, unsurprisingly, becoming more populated and busier. They turned a corner and Rob saw a shop and, pointing, tapped the woman on the shoulder. As they approached, Rob’s heart leaped; he had reception!
On entering the shop, Rob quickly bought cold drinks, some for immediate consumption, some for later. Then, using some basic sign language, Rob encouraged the woman to buy as much as they needed, handing her plenty of cash. She tried to push most of the money back to him, but he refused.
As she shopped, Rob went back outside, sent Laura his text and called Gurning on his mobile.
“Rob! How are you and, more to the point, where are you?” Gurning had seen Rob’s name on the display.
“Fine, thanks Steven. I’m currently in Puerto Escondido because that is the only place I can get a signal. However, I’m with a boy, Alvaro Estes, and his Swedish nanny, Freja Karlsson. We’re hiding out a couple of hours walk away in the hills because there are people looking for us – I presume you are aware of the attack on the resort where I was staying?”
“Yes. And also that Henrique Estes was murdered. Are…”
“Who was he, Steven? Clearly, not a good guy – he effectively kidnapped Freja, so please let the Swedish authorities know; her parents will want to know she is safe and accounted for.”
“I will do. Estes not only owned the resort you were staying at, he was also the head of a major drugs cartel, so you need to be very careful if you have his son. Intelligence sources are aware that the Estes boy escaped and think he remains a target. Whoever murdered Estes will be looking for you. The Estes cartel will also want to find him.”
“Oh great! Look, Steven, can you get us out of here? I can’t keep appearing in public in case I’m noticed.”
“Now I know where you are, let me have a think. Find another place with reception tomorrow morning your time and call me. I will have a plan ready by then.”
“Okay. How’s Laura, I… Shit!” Just then, two cars arrived from opposite directions, stopped and, when four men got out of each, Rob knew he was in trouble. He cut his call and dashed back into the shop where his host had fortunately finished packing all her shopping into his backsack. He grabbed her hand and the bag and ran out of the back, kicking down two doors on the way as bullets thudded into the walls and door frames.
Once outside, Rob pulled his host back and under the building which was built on short, wooden stilts. The eight pursuers came tumbling out the back door and stumbled to a confused halt, looking about. Leaving her beneath the building, Rob leaped up, shot three of the men and whacked another across the face with his pistol butt as he ran between them. As he went, Rob grabbed two of the guns that had been dropped. Tripping, Rob rolled, kicking up dirt into another man’s eyes to hinder the man’s aim. Bullets thudded into the ground next to him. Rob high-kicked the man’s chest, sending the him crashing back into the others.
Sirens could be heard in the distance as Rob darted round the side of the building. He squeezed off another three shots and saw another man fall. As bullets slammed into the walls, sending splinters flying, Rob called out to his host. She had already crawled and scrambled to the front of the shop and joined him running to one of the cars. They leaped in and, relieved the key remained in the ignition, Rob started the engine and sped-off, the other car in close pursuit.
Sounding the car horn as they sped along the streets, Rob desperately tried to lose their pursuers. However, with one man hanging out of the passenger window shooting at them and the driver being clearly skilled at his role, Rob was not succeeding. People scattered as he swerved from side to side trying to avoid the pursuers’ bullets and oncoming vehicles.
As they passed another junction, a second pursuit car joined the chase, narrowly missing them. Cursing, Rob flung the car around more corners, bumping up on to the sidewalk as he was unable to swing round the tight bend. Entering a busy shopping street, Rob continued to sound the car horn, driving over the pavement, scattering people in fright. As he slid around yet another corner a lorry pulled out from a junction. Rob swerved passed, side-swiping the radiator, giving the driver such a fright that he both accelerated and spun the steering wheel at the same time. The lorry jack-knifed, crashing into the front of a market stall, blocking the road and stopping the pursuit. Rob’s car clipped another market stall, sending fruit flying and the unfortunate stall owner running for her life, screaming.
Reprieved, Rob turned the car in the direction from which they had come. A few minutes later, he turned into the front yard of a nearby house. Rob breathed a deep sigh of relief as he spun the steering wheel and brought the car to a halt, relieved that, for once, the area appeared to be deserted. For the first time in his extraordinary recent life, Rob was grateful for some of the training and experience that had come his way.
Throwing a nearby tarpaulin over the car, Rob grabbed his host’s hand and dragged her across the rear of the yard into the open countryside beyond. As they ran, Rob sent a final text to Laura:
Let Steven know am ok. Will be in touch. R xx
Glad that there was no such thing as fences, they soon found the path on which they had come and headed back to the woman’s shack, carrying a heavy bag of food and soft drinks.
Freja became very agitated upon seeing them, their appearance telling the story of a far from simple journey. While Rob calmed Freja down, their hostess quietly prepared an evening meal, lost in her own, terrified thoughts and recollections. Once Alvaro was asleep on a mat in the corner of the room, Rob invited the two women to sit at the table once again.
“Freja, I need you to translate again please.” Rob waited for the two women to settle before continuing. “I will need to contact my friends again tomorrow, but I don’t want to go back to Puerto Escondido. Looking at the map, San Pedro Mixtepec is the next nearest place large enough to have certainty of reception. I need our host to either guide me there, or tell me how to get there.”
Following a short discourse in Spanish, Freja replied. “She will take you using the longer route that is mostly in the trees.”
“Fantastic! That’s great thinking. Crucially, I also need to be able to say where we are now, so that we can be found. What’s the name of this place?”
Freja’s next round of discourse was a lot longer, with their hostess frequently shaking her head. Freja kept pressing, asking questions but the shake of the head kept coming, their host looking down at the table. Eventually Freja reached out and held the woman’s hand, comforting her, talking more softly.
Rob waited patiently, it was clear something was up. This doesn’t look good, I wonder what’s up?
Still holding the woman’s hand, Freja looked up. “This is an illegal settlement – there is no name. They are not on any map. Many of the paths we’ve used are not mapped out either, people simply learn them.”
“Drat. I suspected as much from the conversation. Is she okay?”
“She’s fine, just ashamed at having to admit it to us. She feels inadequate allowing us to see where and how she lives when we are used to places like the resort.”
Rob felt his shoulders sag. “Please assure her that we think she is wonderful and we are so grateful. Don’t worry, I will find somewhere else for a pick-up.” As Freja continued to comfort and encourage the woman, Rob studied a map that he had downloaded on to his iPad, soon finding a remote, yet very identifiable place; La Cascada Encantada. On the plus side, the area was forested to provide plenty of cover and the river afforded a barrier between the primary track leading to the minor tourist spot. That meant he could study every vehicle that arrived, decide if they were friendly, or not, and determine if their contact was being followed. On the downside, one way in meant one way out – unless they crossed the river and tried the narrow, rough track. The problem with taking that route was that it was a very long way round to get to a town.
That night, Rob slept fitfully, haunted by his narrow escape earlier that day.
* * *
