Retribution Road by Jon Coon (e reader comics .TXT) 📕

From out of the shadows, several armed men appeared. They split into two groups, one going north, the other south. They stayed off the road, working the edges. Angelica motioned for him to back up, and slowly they dissolved into the underbrush. The soldiers passed within feet, feet that felt like inches, and continued their sweep. The jungle remained deathly quiet, and Paul realized he was sweating profusely in the black hoodie, but was afraid to move.

Just as he was about to take his first deep breath, he felt something brush over his legs. He fought the urge to jump and run, and stayed frozen. The big snake paused, raised its head, and stared into his eyes. Then went on about his or her business. From the ground beside him, he heard Angelica softly laugh. “She won’t hurt you. She’s here to protect us. Just stay still.”

From the jungle, in the direction the men had been moving, they heard a scream. Not quite human, but angry enough to have been a wife with a drunken husband. The scream was followed by several shots and then a chorus of jungle sounds. They heard crashing through the trees, men running and swearing. “Jaguar,” she said in a whisper. “Stay still.”

As if hearing its cue to come onstage, the big cat dropped from the trees to the ground in front of them. Instantly aware of them, it lowered into an attack position, snarled, and was ready to pounce. Paul was shaking but held fast. There was a crash behind the cat as one of the men broke into the clearing. The cat spun and lunged, the man fired into the air but was too slow and too startled to have a target. The cat tore out his throat with one swipe and was gone before he hit the ground.

“Move.”

“Yeah.” They grabbed the bikes and cleared the area just ahead of the dead man’s team. She led him back to the trail, and they broke into record speed, away from the shouting.

Dawn was breaking as they entered the outskirts of Tulum. There were several hotels along the road. Angelica picked one, parked the bikes, ditched the bags, and went in. Paul followed. They found a map of the property and the main dining hall. They shed their hoodies, and running her fingers through her hair, she said, “Take me to breakfast.”

They walked into the dining room, gave a fake room number, and filled plates full of steaming food. They were nearly finished when a large man walked to their table and asked to see their room keys.

“We haven’t checked in yet, but we were starved,” Angelica said with a warm smile.

“I think you should come with me,” he said.

“Please, officer, this is just a mix-up. Give me a minute to go to the desk and we will straighten it out.”

“Fine, let’s go.” He waited while they got up and turned toward the door. As they got to the open walkway between reflecting pools, she took Paul’s hand and said, “Run.”

The officer was older and overweight by nearly a hundred pounds. They weren’t. They cleared the lobby and the front doors before he was halfway down the hall. She grabbed their bags and tossed one to Paul. There were tour buses loading for departure in the drive. One had mostly younger folk carrying masks, fins, and snorkels from bins by the bus door. “There,” she said and ran to the bus. They grabbed snorkeling gear and jumped aboard just as the driver was ready to close the door.

The blonde female guide looked confused. “Are you on my list?”

“We just checked in and didn’t want to miss the trip. Please let us stay and we’ll square things up as soon as we get back,” Angelica purred.

“Well, I guess so. But if you don’t, it will be my neck.”

“Don’t worry. Your neck will be fine.”

They found a seat, settled in, and held hands. Paul was still trembling. Angelica looked at him and smiled.

“We’re going to make it,” she said. “We’re really going to make it.”

Chapter 21

THE BUS PULLED INTO A large, gravel-and-shell parking lot at the cenote. Excited passengers began off-loading. The perky blonde guide smiled and said, as she pointed the way, “Your belongings will be safe on the bus. Dressing rooms are in the main building, and I’ll meet you down the steps at the dock.”

“Got any idea where we are?” Paul asked Angelica.

“I was here years ago, before I joined the Army. Some of us from nursing school came.”

“So what is this place?” he tried again.

“Dos Ojos. Two Eyes. It’s the longest underwater cave system in the world. Over fifty miles.”

A passenger behind her heard and corrected her. “A discovery team from the States found a dry passage connecting it to Sistema Sac Actun. It’s over a hundred miles long.”

“Impressive,” Paul said. “Thanks.”

They moved off the bus and toward the desk. As they waited, a military police car pulled in behind the bus. Two men got out and Angelica cringed. “They are from our squad,” she whispered. “We’ve got to vamoose.” She turned and went back on the bus. Paul followed. “Find a phone,” she said. She began looking through passenger’s bags.

She found several that wouldn’t open without passcodes and replaced them. After eight, she found the one they needed. It opened without a passcode, and she tossed it to Paul. Their guide and the bus driver had been talking with other drivers but had seen them run back on board. Angelica had locked the door and they were banging on it. The ruckus they made drew the attention of the men from Angelica’s unit, and soon they were shouting and making threats.

Paul dialed his grandfather’s cell phone and waited. He got voicemail and shouted in his message. Angelica was in the driver’s seat. She found the key and started the engine. Then she slammed the bus into gear, but a car