#the cha

Suddenly someone clapped in her ear rocking her out of sleep and out of the passenger seat as she heard him snicker. Gabby stared at him before taking a deep breath

“Was that necessary?”

“I was just checking you weren’t dead. I’ve never known anyone who could sleep almost thirty hours straight”

“I’m jet lagged, Garcia”

“Oh I’m sorry Ms ‘The Hague’ ”

“Where are we?”

“Bolivia”

“Why are we going around?”

“The scenic root?”

“Isn’t that insult to injury”

“Also it wouldn’t be expected” he said jumping back out of the car “Your rendezvous with your boyfriend is going to have to wait a little longer”

“He’s not my boyfriend. We’re not twelve”

“What is he? Your co-worker. Your lover?”

“You’re very interested today”

She was actually happy about it. The longer she could keep Seb out of this thing, the better. She didn’t want him involved at all. If she led Rojas to Seb and the worst happens. Gabby would never forgive herself.

She opened the car door and hopped out walking over and standing next to Benny before he handed her a bottle of water.

She didn’t know how thirsty she was until she started drinking.

“What’s the plan?”

“We’re saying with the vans and you and Pope are going into La Paz for supplies”

“What?”

“Since you’re so rested and all” Pope smiled

“Maybe you’re the one that should stay and get some sleep since you’re such a grumpy bum today”

“That’s what happens when you’ve been driving for thirty hours, Babe”

“Frankie’s been driving for thirty hours and he’s not a prick”

Any worry or tension that Frankie may have had about Gabby being mad at him disappeared instantly.

“We can’t all be Saint Frankie. Come on, let’s go”

“We’re walking?”

“It’s only a mile”

She stared at him in shock and suddenly felt tired again.

“Get road trip food” Benny called out to her as she started walking

“No”

“Flamin Hot Cheetos!”

She couldn’t help but laugh. On the run with millions of dollars and the guy wants Cheetos. There was a sweet innocence there. That or vast amounts of stupidity.

They walked that mile in silence, the first half was tense but the last half mile was peaceful. She stayed a step behind him, maybe a few steps behind. She was sure Santiago had been in worse situations then this.

Who was Gabby kidding?

She had been in worse situations then this but she didn’t know her way through it, and he probably did. As much as she hated to admit it. Gabby needed to follow his lead.

They headed to a small corner store she headed for the snacks and Santiago went for practicality.

She was out of the store by the time he was finished. He panicked for a second before he spotted her standing in front of a store window looking at a lavender dress. It wasn’t like it had flowers on it or anything but it was far more feminine then he had seen Gabby be.

“It’s a bit” he started

“A bit what?”

“Girly”

To his surprise Gabby laughed and shook her head

“I do get girly on occasion, Santiago” she chuckled before strolling off slowly “I promise”

He watched her for a few seconds before following. She stopped in front of a drug store and pointed

“We have stuff, Gabs”

“Band-Aids. Sinus medication. Ibuprofen. Do you really wanna be running from bad guys with a head full of snot or sore back” she smiled and looked at his legs and back up to his face “Or knees”

Santiago narrowed his eyes playfully at her

“I hate it when you’re right”

“Get used to it”

He stayed outside and kept an eye on her but also on the street too. He didn’t think that Rojas was on to them, but he wasn’t going to let his guard down until they were free and clear

That was going to be a long time.

She stepped out of the pharmacy and went to walk farther down the street before he grabbed her elbow and pulled her in the direction of the vans

“We need to get back”

“We don’t have enough”

“Do you really want to carry anymore back all that way”

“Okay, good point but can we just stay a little longer. Get something to eat that’s not freeze dried. Get a cup of coffee?”

“We have coffee”

“That’s not coffee. That’s swill”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were such a coffee snob”

“Come on. Half an hour of stillness will do you some good. Watch the world go by. Get out of our own heads”

“One coffee?”

“A single one”

“For the woman who slept for thirty hours?”

“Ugh, this again?”

“No. It’s actually impressive considering your head was on a shaking window”

“I’ve slept in worse places. Trust me”

“One coffee?”

“Yes”

“Would seem to be a good cover story if people ask”

“We’re just a couple of tourists” she chuckled “See, I’m smart sometimes”

She playfully twirled once before walking ahead down the cobblestone street.

“Ain’t no doubt about that” Santiago muttered to himself as he kept an eye on her.

He shook his head and mentally slapped himself

He had a job to do.

#

Her hair seemed more red in the sunlight.The sun was working its magic. Gabby had no clue she was under such scrutiny. She would have been uncomfortable if she had. She wasn’t one who enjoyed being the centre of attention. She was too busy enjoying the rays. Her head resting on the back of her chair, feet resting over the one another and empty coffee cups in front of them.

He playfully knocked one foot off the other and smiled

“Are you right?” she asked trying not to laugh

“We have to get you new shoes. You can’t go where we are going where ballet flats”

“Wow fancy. A man who knows what ballet flats are”

“I’m serious. You can’t run in them”

“I have hiking boots at Seb’s uncle’s farm. Stop worrying. It will all be okay”

Santiago frowned at her as she lifted her head off the chair, looking over at him.

“Is he older?” Santiago asked “Sebastian?”

“Where did that come from?”

“Is he?”

She smiled this smile that was cheeky and almost child-like

“Why would you ask that?”

“How much older?”

“Does it matter?”

“Decade?” he teased “Over a decade?”

“Santi” she warned

“Tell me”

“Sixteen years”

It was more than he had thought, more than he had guessed. Suddenly he wondered what the attraction would have been. How he had charmed her. Gabby wasn’t easily charmed.

“Wow, really?”

“Don’t do that. He’s a good guy. When you’re in some shithole in a part of the world no one cares about, life can be different”

“Hey” he said holding up his hands “Honey, I’m not judging. I’ve worked in places like that too. I get it. Comfort is comfort”

She let her head full back on the chair and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“I’ve missed it here”

“Bolivia?”

“Latin America. It’s different here. It’s simple”

“You like simple?”

“I love simple” She looked over at him and moved her glasses to the bridge of her nose “What?”

“Nothing” he chuckled “We should get back to the guys”

She nodded her head knowing he was right. They still had enough daylight for a few more trips into town for other supplies, but it was nice for a few minutes to pretend that they weren’t in the situation they were in.

#

Frankie, Benny and Will waited at the vans for them. They knew that Santiago and Gabby’s trip would take a while and it wasn’t because of the walk into town. It wasn’t difficult to see why Santiago gave Gabby a hard time, most of the time. Anybody who had seen kids in a playground, could see what was going on. Santiago was just falling short of pulling her hair.

After all he had a mostly working pair of eyes.

They all did.

She was beautiful and not just the packaging.

They just didn’t know if the attraction was mutual.

“Hey” Will said grabbing Frankie’s attention “Why doesn’t she drink?”

Frankie chuckled bitterly before taking a deep breath

“When they took her. They had her for almost month. The company she was working for at the time wasn’t going to pay the ransom. The US certainly wasn’t going too. So they had her for a long time. You’ve seen how fiery she is and that’s just with Pope. Imagine how Gabby would be when she was fighting for her life”

“They picked the wrong gal”

“They wanted her alive and there were only so many times they could knock her over the head. They kept her sedated by pouring homemade booze down her throat. Kept her quiet, kept her compliant” Frankie shook his head “She hasn’t been able to touch it since”

“Jesus Christ” Benny barely muttered

“Did they?” Will began to ask but couldn’t finish the question

“A bunch of men living in the jungle, who haven’t seen a woman in months? Yeah, they did. The only reason she is here right now is the fact that she refused to let them get the better of her. Gabby refused to die. The way I found her. She will never be in that state again as long as I’m breathing”

Will swore under his breath.

Even though they had known the sugar-coated story of how Gabby and Frankie met. The whole truth was a little too difficult to even want to understand.

“Heads up” Benny warned quietly

Santiago and Gabby appeared on top of the hill they were on.

She searched through the plastic bag she was holding before handing the bag to Santiago and throwing Benny his bag of chips, as if it was a football. She started laughing as she did it.

“She’s had Cuban coffee” Santiago explained

“Dude, I can see colours” she laughed

Frankie laughed but frowned “Where did you find Cuban coffee?”

“Café. It was on the menu. The cups were cute”

Frankie looked over Santiago “Fun walk, was it?”

“Interesting”

Before she knew what was happening Will had wrapped her up in a hug that came out of nowhere. Not that she minded.

“Aww” she cooed “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m good” he answered kissing her on top of her head

“I should leave you more often”

“Don’t you dare”

“See Garcia. I’m easy to love”