ESCAPE

Chapter 5

“Why have we stopped?”

Rey turned to face her and collected his emotions as though he was about to address an adolescent with difficulty in understanding the obvious.

“We have stopped because we need to hide this car and continue on foot to a place I know where we can hide for a few hours or day and strategize what to do.” He deliberately didn’t say days, he had a strong intuition that would have birthed a very long discussion. Although from the look of things he still had one hell of an argument coming his way. Taking a deep breath, he mentally counted the seconds it took for her to explode.

Daisy slowly turned her head towards the window and looked out to the trees surrounding them, who knew there could be a disadvantage to watching National Geographic. Every documentary she had ever watched on dangerous, deadly creatures found in the wild flashed through her mind.

She turned sharply back to Rey who seemed to have been watching her, waiting for her response. “You have got to be joking, have you any idea what we could come across in there?” She pointed her thumb in the direction of the trees as she spoke with a look of total disbelief and disgust on her face.

“Fifteen seconds,” he said.

Dumbfounded by that response, Daisy shook her head as though trying to clear it of cobwebs. “What?”

“Fifteen seconds, it took you fifteen seconds to blow,” he said this so calmly Daisy had to wonder if they were speaking of the same topic or even the same language for that matter.

“Am talking about dying in that jungle from a bite from some endangered species and you are making jokes!”

Rey lifted his right hand to cut off her rantings, and then began counting off his long fingers as he spoke. “Firstly, that is a Game reserve park not a jungle as you so eloquently put it. Secondly, let’s not get ahead of ourselves on the poisonous insects lurking around, from what I have heard, if you do not provoke them they will leave you alone and safe. Thirdly,”

“Oh! Really? And where did you hear that from exactly?” she interrupted. “I didn’t know you where an expert in forest dwelling creatures, I must have missed the title of Doctor being addressed to you somewhere.”

“Daisy, there is no need to be so rude and unbecoming. I am just trying to do the best for us right now.”

“Are you trying to f*****g patronize me?”

Rey rubbed his fingers over the bridge of his nose, he really did not expect her to just go along with it, but he had at least hoped she would see reason much faster and they could get a move on before they lost precious day light hours. If she was terrified now, wait till it got dark, then she would have reason to fear. He had to make her see reason fast.

Her cheeks were flushed red with anger. She was literally vibrating with the effort to keep her mouth shut. Rey observed her for a moment, he had never realized before, she was actually a pretty woman, not pretty by movie standards but still quite eye catchy. Add to that her current flush of rage and she was damn well intriguing. Taken aback by the direction his thoughts had travelled, Rey leaned back to give himself as much space as possible in the confines of the car.

“Look, you have little to no idea what exactly you landed yourself in the middle of. But I do, and I will explain it all to you when we are safe, but for now I need you to trust me and follow my directions. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.” He had no idea why he felt the need to add that last part. He was beginning to take up a hero complex or something.

Something in his voice as he promised had Daisy feeling all warm and fuzzy. Not trusting her voice to not reveal too much of her current emotions, she just nodded her head in agreement.

For the next half hour they worked together in silence, coordinating by instinctively following each others lead. They gathered the snacks they had got at the store in a small back pack Rey kept in the trunk of the car. A bottle of water that had obviously been forgotten in the back sit days ago went in next. Rey produced a pair of socks and an old t-shirt from some hidden compartment in the car Daisy hadn’t noticed earlier. A picnic blanket and a first aid kit were the last items to be added to the bag.

“We need to turn off our phones and leave them here.” Rey couldn’t believe he had forgotten that phones could be tracked. They should have switched them off long before now. He was quickly taking care of his phone when he noticed Daisy was not doing the same but just watching him. “I said switch your phone off now!” He didn’t want to believe she would argue even this. Before he could address her she just lifted her hands up and stared at him as though the answer was obvious. “What?”

“I don’t have my phone with me, I don’t have anything with me, it was all in my bag on my desk this morning when all this started. But as we ran out I didn’t see my bag where I had left it, so I didn’t grab it. I have nothing, no ID, phone, cash or credit cards.”

Rey slowly absorbed this new information, someone got her bag and that was how they knew who was with him and went to the media with both their names. This however was not the time to analyze the nitty-gritty details of this storm, .Doing what he did best, Rey ordered her to grab a few fallen branches to hide the car with. When he was satisfied with their work, he headed them off into the trees.

He was walking ahead of her, keeping up a steady pace not too punishing and covering distance in good time.

Daisy ran her eyes over his broad back, appreciating the view. She did like a man with strong arms and a broad back, even though she had ever really just admired them from afar.

Before she left home for the city at the age of 21, she had never had a boyfriend. Sure guys had admired her, but none had dared approach her. The reputation of her father and elder brother Joe had been enough to discourage any relations from sprouting.

Even when she had moved to the city she had been too busy finally enjoying a little freedom to pay much attention to the opposite s*x. Guess she did not want to exchange one overbearing control for another. She had seen how her father controlled every aspect of her mother’s life, down to the very clothes she wore. And Joe had not fallen very far from that tree.

Beatrice, Joe’s wife had been a very lively social person before she had gotten involved with her brother. 5 years of marriage and you could barely recognize her. Daisy had not been willing to take the chance. So she had made some acquaintances with colleagues at work, nothing to serious to be called a friendship, but enough to allow get a together for a few drinks or a movie.

Rey had never of course been part of those outings. She had always kept her distance from him, although now that she thought about it, she couldn’t take full credit, he had also been avoiding her quite intentionally too.

He did however have a beautiful back. She could at least appreciate that. Still admiring the view she missed a step and stumbled, shooting out her hands to brace for impact she closed her eyes. That’s when she felt them. Strong hands gripped her upper arms and held her off the ground.

“Are you ok?” He was holding her so close to his chest he could feel her warmth. Her eyes were still closed and her breathing rapid. He held her closer and repeated the question. “Are you ok Daisy?”

Slowly opening her eyes she looked up into the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. They were a light brown shade, almost golden and right now they were focused on her with an expression of deep concern. “Wow.” She hadn’t even realized what she had said until she was him begin to frown. s**t, not cool at all. Before she could recover all her brain cells and say something more intelligent, he had already put a distance between them both physically and mentally, she could almost feel the ice dipping from his voice when he spoke.

“Let’s cover a little more distance then we can rest and eat something, I think you are exhausted,” he said.

Ok that deserved a wow! But she was not going to voice it. Just shaking her head she gestured for him to go ahead.

“So, you didn’t answer, what kind of car is it?” She had to find something to fill the silence and stop her mind running off into admiring body parts she had no business admiring, and that was the first thing to jump in mind. She just hopped he played along instead of question her sanity.

“It’s a Ford Edge,” he said calmly.

Daisy may not know much about cars, but she knew enough to know Ford was not a cheap car. Giving a slow whistle she voiced her opinion. “Isn’t that like an expensive car? And you just left it like that in the middle of nowhere, ouch, that’s going to hurt your bank account to replace”

“What would you have suggested I do, carry the car on my shoulders through the park?”

“Ok, that was uncalled for. I am only saying it’s a nice car. Geez, guess you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

“And you had obviously woken on the sunny bright side of your bed, but somehow we are both stuck in this hell of a situation. Guess it changes nothing which side you wake up on.”

“In your previous life you must have been a stand up comedian, I feel the humor just rolling off you in waves, it’s almost overwhelming, am laughing myself silly over here.”

Rey was glad he had his back to her so she couldn’t see the smile that broke out on his face. He fought very hard not to laugh out loud. Her sarcasm just kept catching him off guard. What she did not know was that, contrary to popular belief around the office Rey was actually not living hand to mouth on his salary. He had a very impressive nest egg that would have her spinning if she knew just how much he was worth. He could actually afford to lose the car and have it replaced before night fall. He just preferred to live a simple life and keep his finances secret.

They reached a small clearing with a fallen tree that could double for a bench to rest on. Without speaking a word, Rey walked to the tree, dropped the backpack off his shoulders and sat down extending his legs in front of him and moaned pleasantly at the release of pressure in his muscles.

Daisy remained standing watching the long legs stretch out and the man closing his eyes with his head thrown back. Damn, it had never truly occurred to her how handsome Rey actually was. Mesmerized by the display of muscles before her eyes, she did not notice he had opened his eyes and was now watching her with undisguised interest. As she ran her eyes slowly over his body, from his out stretched legs all the way to his head, she was almost out of breath with emotions she could not understand, but it was the look she met in his eyes when their eyes met that had her shivering to the core with a conflicting flight or fight emotion.

She suddenly felt like a deer caught in the line of sight of a cheetah, with its strong lean body ready to bounce on her and devour her. Daisy gave a small delirious chuckle. She was truly not in her right state of mind if her thoughts were any evidence to go by.

“Do you plan to stand there all day, or are you going to sit down and rest your legs?”

The earlier expression she had seen in his eyes was completely gone and was replaced by the one she had come accustomed to, arrogant with a slight touch of tolerance wearing thin.

She sat down on the tree as far away from him as was safely possible and tried her best to ignore him and massage her thighs and lower back.

“Here.” He was extending to her half of an energy bar. Taking it, Daisy inspected the bar closely.

“Did you bite directly into the bar before giving it to me?” She asked this with so much horror in her voice Rey had to wonder what he had missed.

“Hmmm_” he paused still chewing the bite he had taken, “_is there a problem?”

“Is there a problem? You are asking if there is a problem…. You put your teeth and saliva all over this end and you expect me to eat it! Am not eating your spit! Do you have any idea how gross that is?”

He stared at her as if she had just suddenly grown an extra head. Even his mouth fell open though no sound was forthcoming.

“What?” she wondered.

“So I guess kissing you is out of the question then, wouldn’t want you swallowing my spit and all.”

She was blushing red in record time, not knowing if he was joking or serious, she couldn’t decide on a response to give. Quickly stuffing her mouth with the energy bar, she began to chew while trying to avoid his gaze at all cost.

Snorting, Rey leaned back on the tree and closed his eyes.

He had planned to have them rest for at least an hour and half, enough time for her to regain some energy and he too. For here on the path would be more tasking and with evening fast approaching vision would also be challenged.

His eyes were still closed when he first heard it. Slowly opening his eyes he looked around. Daisy had made herself comfortable, managing to tuck her entire small figure on top of the tree and appeared to have dosed off into a peaceful nap. He wouldn’t want to wake her prematurely for nothing. Trying to pay closer attention to all the sounds around to confirm his suspension, Rey took to his feet.

This time when he heard it, it was loud enough to not be doubted, in fact so load it woke the sleeping beauty with a jolt, almost throwing her off balance where she had positioned herself.

“What was that?” she queried.

“Helicopter, we have to move now!” he ordered.