El Corazon (6/10)
El Corazon (6/10)
Author: Amy
Pairing: Orlibean
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Never happened. This has been adapted from the movie Romancing the Stone - it does not belong to me no harm is meant and no money is being made.
Beta: The lovely giselleslash all remaining mistakes are mine.
Summary: Romance writer Orlando Bloom travels to Colombia to save his sister who has been kidnapped.
Note: This is for the orlibean Summer Movie Challenge. The movie I chose was Romancing the Stone. There are still plenty of movies to choose from so if you're interested in participating please follow the link above and join the fun.
Note #2: The Next part will be Posted on Sunday 8/19.
Previous Parts
Thanks to cammissbloom for my lovely banner and icon!
~ ~ ~
He was in hell.
Since crossing the ravine they had been trekking through the woods without stop for hours. During that time it had started and stopped raining no fewer than 10 times. It was easy to lose count after a while. Between these deluges of water were stretches of intense heat and biting bugs so big and annoying that you found yourself longing for the rain to come even though you knew that the relief would only last for a few minutes before the sheer amount of water became overwhelming. They were currently in a dry period and well to the point that praying for rain was on their minds.
Sean stared forlornly at the jungle in front of them, wiping the sweat off his forehead and trying to ignore the river of sweat that poured down his back with the movement. It looked exactly like the rest of the jungle they’d traveled through that day. It was thick, tangled, dark, dangerous and never ending. His hands ached around the machete, his head ached, his back ached and his feet ached. It felt to him that if he went another foot his body would shut down on him. Taking a stilted breath he sank his knife into a nearby tree and sank tiredly against the other side of it.
“Are we stopping?” Orlando asked from behind him.
Sean lifted his head wearily and pinned him with an annoyed glare. “Yes, we’re stopping.”
“We can’t stop,” Orlando pleaded softly. “I have to get to my sister.”
“Look,” Sean said. “We’re not getting anywhere, I don’t even have any idea where we are. If we stay here we’ve got a little bit of a clearing and can make some easy shelter from the coming rain. We’re going to need shelter if you plan on getting any decent sleep. And I’m going to need it if you want me to keep up the trail making tomorrow…”
“Look, Sean,” Orlando continued. “I know you’re tired but it’s not raining now and it’s still light out we could cover…another mile maybe and that’s one less that we won’t have to cover tomorrow. Please…”
“I can’t lad,” Sean answered with a frown, he did feel sorry but he just couldn’t go another foot. “Physically my body is saying no more.”
“I can do it,” Orlando said after a long thoughtful moment where he worried his bottom lip in a distracting manner.
“Ah…what?” Sean said realizing that Orlando was looking at him expectantly.
“I can make the path,” Orlando said again sounding a little more sure of himself.
“You want to try to make the path yourself?” Sean asked again incredulously.
“Yes…I can do it,” Orlando snapped in irritation.
Sean stepped away from the tree and held up his hands in surrender. “Fine…go right ahead…”
He watched with amusement as Orlando gave him a huffy look and tried to pull the machete from the tree. It took a few tugs before he finally managed to get it loose. Then he began to hack away at the jungle. His movements were slow and unsure but he eventually got the hang of it and the path though ragged was passable. Sean hung back letting Orlando work his aggression out. He didn’t think that Orlando would last very long, at the rate he was going they’d be close enough to double back to the clearing.
He continued to watched Orlando move in front of him with a small grin. There was that delectable ass right in front of him again. He paused and closed his eyes. He really needed to visit a few…friends when they got to Cartagena; it had been way too long. This was not the time or place and certainly not the person to be having these sorts of thoughts about. Satisfied that Orlando wasn’t going to chop his hand off he let him move in farther in front. Best to take that temptation as far away as possible and hopefully the thoughts would go with it.
There was a startled yelp from where Orlando had disappeared into the trees. Fear coursed through Sean and he cursed himself for forgetting that he was supposed to be keeping an eye on his trouble making partner. He hurried forward hoping that Orlando hadn’t hurt himself or worse stumbled upon the people that were looking for them or even worse part of a drug cartel.
Bursting through the trees with his gun drawn Sean found himself coming face to face with a melted gummy corpse. He grimaced and swung his eyes around to Orlando. Orlando was crouched looking like he’d either just thrown up or was very close to it.
“You okay?” he asked gently.
“Yeah,” Orlando croaked and coughed violently.
Sean turned his attention back to the body. It was hanging out the smashed window of a plane. It hadn’t been in the jungle too long judging from the amount of growth that had started to reclaim the plane. Probably 4 or 5 years at the most. He walked carefully down the side of the plane, stopping at the gaping whole in the middle of it. Peering inside he saw what looked to be storage containers that looked untouched other than to have been tossed around in the crash. That bode well for there being usable supplies, possibly even some food, in the plane that they could use.
But most importantly it would prove a dry place to spend the night where they didn’t have to spend any time building a makeshift shelter. He was thankful that a dull roll of thunder sounded somewhere in the distance. It would be easier to convince Orlando that they’d gone as far as they could for the day if it was pouring outside. Orlando’s desperation to get to his sister as quickly as possible rather astounded Sean. He understood the need to be with her to support her through the grieving process of losing a husband but Orlando’s almost desperation seemed to border on pure fear at times. Sean couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something that he wasn’t being told.
“Any more…passengers?” Orlando asked hesitantly as he joined Sean near the opening.
“No,” Sean reassured him with a shake of his head. “I think it’s a cargo plane of some kind.”
“Pretty empty looking for a cargo plane,” Orlando mused as he finally peered inside. “What do you suppose they were carrying?”
Sean stared at Orlando in momentary disbelief and then chuckled. “We’re in the middle of Colombia, lad,” he said with a smirk. “What do you think they’d be carrying?”
Orlando’s brow crinkled in confusion and then his eyes widened in shock and he sent a few nervous glances into the jungle around them. “Oh,” was all that he said until Sean started to crawl into the plane. Carefully trying not to cut himself on the twisted metal surrounding the opening. “You’re going in there?”
“There might be some supplies in here that we can use,” Sean answered easily, he didn’t mention his plans to camp inside for the night. Best to let it start pouring before he brought that up.
Orlando remained outside the plane for a long moment, his face twisted in indecision, and then he carefully followed Sean into the plane. The inside was dry with a slight musty smell to it. It was practically empty save for a few containers here and there but it didn’t look as if it had been picked clean which gave Sean some hope that there might be something that could prove useful to them inside. He began to open containers and paw through them, Orlando followed his lead. There was nothing inside them beyond woven blankets and other native trinkets. Sean’s gut told him that that was the pilot’s cover and he began to walk around examining the metal plates along the floor and the side for hidden compartments that could be used in a drug smuggling operation.
Near the shattered cockpit he found what he was looking for, two hidden compartments. The first contained the pilot’s private stash of dirty magazines, a few jars of sealed olives and two bottles of rum that had somehow managed to survive the crash. Sean pulled out the bottles of rum with wide appreciative eyes. It was an expensive brand well prized throughout the world. He pried it open and took a large swig. It burned down the back of his throat but felt wonderful when it hit his stomach.
“God, I love these flyboys,” he crowed as he handed Orlando the second bottle.
Orlando ran a hand over the label and frowned. “This is Samantha’s favorite,” he said softly and then pried the bottle open and took a small sip.
Sean eyed him suspiciously for a moment. Something in Orlando’s voice finally trigging the thought that perhaps this Samantha was the reason they were being tracked by the Colombian police. “I think it’s time you tell me about this sister of yours,” he said evenly.
“I already told you,” Orlando said hurriedly. “She recently lost her husband and I’m here to comfort her and take her back to New York with me.”
Sean didn’t buy it. It was a little too quick and neat and Orlando seemed way too uncomfortable. But instead of pressing it he turned his attention to the second hidden panel. There’d be time enough for more questions later, when Orlando had had time to drink more of the rum. He cackled as he viewed the contents of the compartment. It was the mother load.
“Is that…?” Orlando trailed in awe as he viewed the contents over Sean’s shoulder.
“It is,” Sean answered with a nod pulling one of the neatly bundled packages of pot out of the compartment.
“That’s….that’s a lot of it…” Orlando said nervously backing away. He made the mistake of looking into the cockpit and grimaced at the sight of the pilot’s decaying body.
“It certainly is,” Sean mused as he eyed the contents of the compartment he gave a delighted laugh as he realized just what this meant. “You did good lad, you did very good.”
“Ah…thanks…I think…” Orlando said in a startled tone of voice, blinking owlishly at him in confusion. “What did I do?”
“You found us a good shelter for the night,” Sean said as he reached around and shut the door to the cockpit. “A very good shelter.”
“Here…with…with…that…” Orlando said gesturing towards the now closed door.
“He’s dead,” Sean reminded Orlando dryly. “He’s the least of our problems at the moment. This is a good, safe place to spend the night that no one knows about.”
“How do we really know that no one knows about it? Surely a plane crash would garner some attention from the locals,” Orlando said sourly.
“You’ve seen the jungle we’ve been trekking through. There’s no one around for miles. Besides if they knew about it this stash would have been picked clean ages ago, right?” He waited as Orlando thought about what he’d said and finally nodded his head in agreement. “It’s starting to rain and it’s dry in here. Or would you rather spend the night on the soggy ground outside?”
“No…” Orlando said nibbling his bottom lip. “I suppose you have a point.”
“Good,” Sean said, happy that Orlando was being reasonable. “We’ll be dry and warm once we get the fire going. There should be enough ventilation from the holes in the plane that we can build it right inside.”
“Build it with what?” Orlando asked curiously. “Everything outside is mostly wet and there’s no wood inside the plane.”
“With this,” Sean said gleefully as he held up the package of pot in his hands. “This is going to make one hell of a fire.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sean had been right, it had made one hell of a fire. Orlando coughed and then giggled as he watched Sean lean in and take a big deep breath of the smoke rising up from the fire and then lean back with a satisfied grin. Orlando enjoyed the way the firelight glinted off the blond hair that fell in a wave down to Sean’s shoulders. His stomach rumbling dragged his attention away from his admiring with a jolt.
The only problem with this particular fire was that it had made them both hungry. They’d shared the two jars of olives that had been in the pilot’s compartment but there was no other food to speak of. Orlando realized with a frown that he’d not had anything decent to eat since the bagels at the coffee shop before his life had been turned upside down. He grinned triumphantly as a thought came back to him that had been lost in the rush and stress of the day. He picked up his bag and opened it up, pushing through its contents until he found the two candy bars he’d purchased from a vending machine at JFK airport before departing. From the feel of them they’d clearly melted in the heat over the past few hours but anything was better then nothing. Fishing them out he handed one to Sean who regarded it with wide eyes.
“You’ve had these this whole time?” he growled with annoyance as he opened one and took a small bite.
“I’d forgotten them until just now,” Orlando explained, opening his own and nibbling the top off it. He knew they were probably not going to have much access to food until they got to a decent town so he planned to make his last as long as possible.
He set his pack between them and inched a little closer to where Sean was sitting. It just felt…safer near him. Sean would help him if only to get the $10,000 that much he was sure of. He sighed and leaned back against the containers they’d set up as a seating area. He felt lethargic and strange and was sure it was from the smoke. He’d smoked pot before on occasion, Elijah managed to get some every now and again when they had something to celebrate and Samantha had gotten him to try some when they’d been traveling together for those few short months. It wasn’t something he particularly liked at the time and he definitely didn’t like the way it was making him feel now. Like he might just let forth more information then he should to this stranger.
“So, Orlando,” Sean said his rough accent sliding over the name in a way that made Orlando shiver. “How does someone, such as you, get into writing romance novels?”
Orlando blinked, taken aback by the question. He had expected Sean to press him about Samantha. He realized that Sean was smart enough to see that he was more than a little desperate to get to her, much more desperate than he should have been had she simply needed help mourning the loss of her husband. He’d probably already started to put together that Sam might be the reason that they were being pursued by the police. It was still mind boggling to Orlando that the man who had tricked him into getting onto the wrong bus and had accosted him after it had crashed was a cop. What did the police want with him? He knew it was probably about the map and he couldn’t let them get their hands on it. It was the only way he had to get Samantha back.
“Orlando? Hey lad, you okay over there?”
“Wha…” he mumbled and then realized he’d never answered the question he’d been asked. In fact he couldn’t even really remember what the question was even though he knew he’d been surprised by it. “What was the question?”
Sean gave a slight snort but repeated the question. “How did you come to be a romance writer? A writer I could understand but a romance writer? Not exactly something most men look into becoming when they grow up.”
“Hey, now,” Orlando said defensively. “There’s nothing wrong with romance novels!”
“Yeah…sure…I’ve been in the jungle for a while but not that long,” Sean said with a shake of his head. “I’ve seen the covers in the ones at the stores…”
Orlando shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “That’s just a marketing tool to get people interested in reading them,” he insisted. “I don’t write those bodice ripper ones, I write smart stories that just happen to fall under the romance genre.”
“That sounds remarkably like a party line,” Sean taunted.
Orlando’s eyes narrowed, he had a feeling he was being played but gave into it anyway. “Well people enjoy my work,” he snapped irritably. “I’ve won lots of awards and have made heaps of money…more than enough to pay you.”
“That’s true,” Sean said in a musing tone. “Sorry.”
“Whatever,” Orlando mumbled with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Still doesn’t answer my question though,” Sean said pointedly. “Unless you got into it only for the fame and fortune?”
Orlando sighed and nibbled on his bottom lip nervously. He’d never really told anyone besides Elijah the story about just how he’d gotten into the romance writing business. He avoided the question when he could and gave one of the stock answers he and Elijah had come up with when he couldn’t. It was just way too personal a thing to be shared with the public. But Sean had saved his life and was owed the answer and something about Sean made Orlando trust him even though he’d only known him for such a short time.
“My grandmother raised me after my parents died when I was young,” Orlando said softly after a minute. “I was sick as a child and she home schooled me. We were very close,” he said pausing a moment. “She got sick…cancer…and I’d read to her. She was always a great reader, taught me to like all sorts of books, but she had a real soft spot for romance novels and when she got very sick towards the end I’d read them to her…”
“Orlando,” Sean interrupted softly his voice strained. “You don’t…I’m sorry I didn’t know…”
Orlando shrugged his shoulders and then continued calmly. “After…after she died I was alone mostly, my sister was in and out of the country and I found the books again and thought I’d try my hand at one on a lark and I managed to sell it and people liked it and offered me a lot of money to write more…so I did. But I enjoy writing them, I really do.”
“I’m…sure you do, lad,” Sean said in a weary voice. “I’m sorry I gave you a hard time.”
“You didn’t know…” Orlando said and yawned. “It’s okay, I know it’s strange me writing them.”
They descended into silence after that statement watching the fire which was starting to go down, the smoke wafting up from it dwindling with each passing moment. Sean mumbled something to himself and leaned over to where they stacked a few bricks earlier and took one off the top and leaned towards the fire.
“Really…” Orlando said lazily. “I don’t think you need to add another one.”
“Gets cold here at night,” was all Sean said as he dropped it in, taking another deep breath as a large puff of smoke shot up as the fire wafted to life again.
Orlando yawned again as the smoke drifted over to him. He tried to fight the sleep that was pulling at him. Through slitted eyes he watched Sean polish off his candy bar and lean back with his eyes closed as he chewed. Orlando took his own bar and wrapped the paper back up around it. He kept his eye on Sean as he tucked it back into his backpack then laid down using his pack as a pillow and pulled the woven blanket up around him as he drifted off into a welcomed sleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sean watched out of the corner of his eye as Orlando curled up and drifted off to sleep. His stomach grumbled slightly as he opened his eyes fully after giving Orlando a good ten minutes to fall asleep. He grabbed one of the blankets and with practiced ease replaced Orlando’s pack with it and settled back in his seat. He just wanted to fish out the candy bar and have a little nibble, he wasn’t going to eat the whole thing, just a little bit. He was hungry, too hungry to concentrate on anything else. He opened the pack and grabbed the candy bar which had only been placed on the top. He was closing the pack back up when he noticed a piece of parchment encased in a plastic protective sleeve. Pulling it out he realized quickly that it was a map.
“Well what do we have here,” he murmured to himself.
He opened the candy bar and began to nibble it as he slid the map out of the plastic sleeve and unfolded it carefully. His eyes widened as he read the faded script on the side. It seemed authentic enough, he’d seen enough real Colombian treasure maps to be able to tell and this looked like the real deal. He wondered just what the El Corazon it was supposed to lead to was. It struck him that Orlando must know this was important and that this was most definitely the item the police were after them for. Whatever was at the end was important and probably worth a lot of money.
“Bloody hell…” the words were sharp and a lot louder than he had intended them to be.
Orlando stirred, his eyes blinking open and regarding him blearily in confusion for a moment. Then he seemed to realize what Sean was looking at he bolted straight upwards in his seat and was across the short distance that separated them clutching at the end of them map.
“Hey…what are you doing with that!” he yelped, fear clearly evident in his voice.
“Where did you get this?” Sean asked evenly.
“It’s mine!” was Orlando’s only desperate answer. He tugged a little on the map but seemed to realize that too much pulling would tear the parchment easily and didn’t tug too hard.
“I never said it wasn’t,” Sean said calmly. “I just asked where you got it from.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Orlando said loosening his grip a bit on the parchment and taking a step backwards. Sean could see the wheels turning in his head. “It’s not important…just a map for an upcoming book, I’ve got copies.”
Sean forced himself not to grin at this change of tactic. If the desperation wasn’t so clear on Orlando’s face and so many things didn’t point to the map being important he might have believed him. “Oh you do, so…you won’t mind if I add it to the fire…” He leaned over to dangle the map closer to the fire but far enough that it wouldn’t catch fire from the sparks.”
“No,” Orlando said with a strangled cry. “Please, don’t!”
“So it’s not important, eh?” he said with a smirk as he leaned back, Orlando’s eyes never left the map as it was brought safely back from the fire and rested in Sean’s lap. “So I ask again. Where did you get this from?”
“Someone sent it to me,” Orlando said grudgingly running his hands through his dark curly hair.
“Who?” was all Sean said. He needed to know, it would be easier to tell if it was authentic or not that way.
“My brother in law,” Orlando finally said after a long moment of thought.
“The one that just passed away?” Sean asked, the pieces of the puzzle were slowly starting to fall into place.
“Yes, I got it after….after…” Orlando trailed off with a sigh.
“He was murdered wasn’t he?” Sean asked gently.
Orlando started at him in open shock for a moment and then gave a small nod. His shoulders slumped and he moved his pack aside and sat down next to Sean. Sean was surprised by this but didn’t say anything, he’d let Orlando tell his story in his own time. But he was going to tell it that much Sean was sure of.
“Yes,” he admitted in a soft voice.
“So you were planning to follow it when you got here to see your sister then?” Sean asked it seemed logical to him to finish what his brother-in-law had started.
“No,” Orlando said quickly with a shake of his head. “I…I don’t even know anything about it but I had to bring it…I…for Samantha.”
“Did she ask you to bring the map with you?” Sean asked curiously.
“No…I mean yes but…not really,” Orlando answered with a mumble. “It’s complicated…she…she’s…” he winced and then stopped talking.
“What happened after you got the map?”
“I was out and discovered it when I was going through my mail and when I got back to my apartment it had been trashed. It looked like someone was looking for something.”
“The map,” Sean said, it wasn’t a question but Orlando answered it anyway.
“I…I think so,” Orlando answered with a frown. “Yes…probably. I, I didn’t really have long to think about it because Samantha called as I was looking over it to see if anything had been taken.”
“And she asked you to bring the map?”
“Well…yes…”
“Orlando…you need to tell me the truth here,” Sean said shortly. “It could be important.”
“I know it’s important!” Orlando snapped at him. “She’s been kidnapped and I have to bring them the map to get her back.”
“Oh,” Sean said in shock, he hadn’t thought about that possibility, but it made sense. It also didn’t really ring true to anything else that Orlando had told him. The home invasion and the kidnapping didn’t really seem to fit together why would they need to look for the map if they were already having it brought to them? “They’re not connected,” he said firmly as the thought came to him.
“What?” Orlando asked in a startled tone.
“Whoever broke into your apartment looking for the map and whoever is holding your sister, they’re not working together,” Sean explained and Orlando flinched visibly at the mention of his sister but didn’t break. Sean was very impressed with how well Orlando was doing if his own sister was being held captive he didn’t think he’d be so calm. He wondered if Orlando even realized what he was doing.
“I…I kind of figured,” Orlando said after a long moment. “I mean at first I thought they were but now…since that man on the bus tricked me…I’m sure that they aren’t. But that man is a cop…I don’t understand why he’s chasing me…he should want to help me get my sister back.”
“I think your brother-in-law caught the attention of a very bad man, Orlando,” Sean said deciding that the truth was the best way to go. “He killed your brother-in-law to get the map and somehow found out that it got sent to you and now Viggo’s after you.”
“Viggo?” Orlando asked blankly.
“He’s the head of the secret police. He’s a very dangerous man and doesn’t stop until he gets exactly what he wants.” Sean pondered this information with a frown. If Viggo was after them it was going to make things a lot more complicated. He stared down at the map wondering again what was at the end of it that had everyone so interested in finding it. “I thought I recognized him at the bus…but I’ve only ever seen the one picture of him and didn’t know at the time if it was really him or not.”
“And this Viggo…wants the map?” Orlando interrupted Sean’s thoughts with his question.
“Yes,” Sean answered, not taking his eyes off the map.
“We can’t let him get to it Sean,” Orlando said, desperation returning to his voice. “I need that map to get Samantha back. It’s the only way.”
“Don’t you wonder where it leads to?” Sean asked softly, finally looking up at Orlando. “What’s at the end that has everyone so intent on getting the key to finding it?”
“I…I haven’t thought about it,” Orlando said with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s not important, just getting the map to the people who have Sam is.”
“But…” Sean prodded gently. “What if you brought them whatever it leads to instead?”
“They…they want the map,” Orlando insisted. “They can have it and find it themselves…I don’t care.”
“You’re not the least bit curious at all?” Orlando shook his head and Sean frowned, trying a slightly different tactic. “Your brother-in-law was…don’t you think that he wanted you to find it? I mean he sent it to you to keep it safe and to use it.”
“You don’t know that,” Orlando said dully. “Karl sent it to me out of desperation and it got him killed. If he’d still had it with him when they caught him maybe he’d still be alive right now.”
“That’s not how Viggo works,” Sean said with deadly honesty. “He would have taken the map from Karl and then he would have killed him anyway to tie up the loose ends. He probably would have killed Samantha too…because she knew about the map as well.”
“All the more reason to have nothing to do with the map,” Orlando said with a shudder. “Give it to the kidnappers in exchange for Samantha and let them deal with this Viggo guy.”
“This part right here,” Sean said holding the map out towards Orlando. “That says El Corazon. Do you know what that means?” Orlando shook his head, his eyes trailed to the map proving to Sean that he was actually interested in it a little bit. “That means The Heart. The Heart of what I wonder…or whom. Whoever or whatever it is it has to be worth a lot, what with all the people who are after it.”
“I…don’t…care…” Orlando reiterated his point slowly like he thought he was talking to a simpleton.
Sean rolled his eyes but continued with his train of thought undeterred. “Just think of what would happen if you walked into Cartagena not with a simple map but with El Corazon. Think of how much power you’d wield over all of them.”
“And what if the kidnappers get tired of waiting while I’m traipsing around the country looking for something that might not even be there anymore? Or what if they discover what I’m doing? What then? You don’t think they’d take it out on Samantha? If they haven’t already…I was supposed to be there hours ago and I haven’t showed up yet…”
“Orlando…” Sean said his heart sinking as he watched Orlando start to shake slightly. “I’m sorry…I didn’t think…”
“What if she thinks I’ve abandoned her?” Orlando said in a tiny voice.
“I’m sure she won’t think that,” Sean reassured him. He was at a loss as to how exactly to respond to this whole situation.
“This map,” Orlando said reaching out with a shaky hand to slide it off of Sean’s lap. Sean didn’t stop him. “It’s the only guarantee I have of bringing her home. She’s the only family I have left now Sean. I can’t risk that…I can’t risk her…for anything.”
Sean couldn’t argue with that and he nodded his head as he watched Orlando fold the map back up and slide it back into it’s protective plastic sleeve and place it back into his backpack. His heart sank as he watched it disappear, the thoughts of what he could do with the money only for the first time coming into his head. But it didn’t belong to him and he wasn’t willing to risk a girl’s life just to make some extra money. He might be a bastard but he wasn’t that big of one. His frown deepened as Orlando’s stomach rumbled softly. Orlando had leaned back against the side of the plane and his eyes were closed again.
“I ate your candy bar,” Sean said lamely.
“It’s okay,” Orlando said with a shrug.
“I’ll buy you a new one,” Sean said sharply, surprising even himself. “When we get to Cartagena, I promise.”
Orlando’s eyes opened and Sean was struck with how dark they were. His grandmother would have called them soulful and for the first time Sean fully understood what she meant by that particular statement. Orlando’s brow crinkled in confusion and then a grin broke out across his face that Sean was sure he felt right to his toes.
“You’re so nice,” Orlando said in a voice clouded with sleep, his hand reached out to brush against Sean’s hair. “Not like him at all.” He lowered his hand and started to drift back into sleep before he did he mumbled just loud enough for Sean to make out. “His eyes were as green and mysterious as the jungle that surrounded them.”
Then sleep claimed him and Sean was left alone with his thoughts.
* * *
TBC
Forward to: Part Seven
Back to: El Corazon Fic Index
Author: Amy
Pairing: Orlibean
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Never happened. This has been adapted from the movie Romancing the Stone - it does not belong to me no harm is meant and no money is being made.
Beta: The lovely giselleslash all remaining mistakes are mine.
Summary: Romance writer Orlando Bloom travels to Colombia to save his sister who has been kidnapped.
Note: This is for the orlibean Summer Movie Challenge. The movie I chose was Romancing the Stone. There are still plenty of movies to choose from so if you're interested in participating please follow the link above and join the fun.
Note #2: The Next part will be Posted on Sunday 8/19.
Previous Parts
Thanks to cammissbloom for my lovely banner and icon!
~ ~ ~
He was in hell.
Since crossing the ravine they had been trekking through the woods without stop for hours. During that time it had started and stopped raining no fewer than 10 times. It was easy to lose count after a while. Between these deluges of water were stretches of intense heat and biting bugs so big and annoying that you found yourself longing for the rain to come even though you knew that the relief would only last for a few minutes before the sheer amount of water became overwhelming. They were currently in a dry period and well to the point that praying for rain was on their minds.
Sean stared forlornly at the jungle in front of them, wiping the sweat off his forehead and trying to ignore the river of sweat that poured down his back with the movement. It looked exactly like the rest of the jungle they’d traveled through that day. It was thick, tangled, dark, dangerous and never ending. His hands ached around the machete, his head ached, his back ached and his feet ached. It felt to him that if he went another foot his body would shut down on him. Taking a stilted breath he sank his knife into a nearby tree and sank tiredly against the other side of it.
“Are we stopping?” Orlando asked from behind him.
Sean lifted his head wearily and pinned him with an annoyed glare. “Yes, we’re stopping.”
“We can’t stop,” Orlando pleaded softly. “I have to get to my sister.”
“Look,” Sean said. “We’re not getting anywhere, I don’t even have any idea where we are. If we stay here we’ve got a little bit of a clearing and can make some easy shelter from the coming rain. We’re going to need shelter if you plan on getting any decent sleep. And I’m going to need it if you want me to keep up the trail making tomorrow…”
“Look, Sean,” Orlando continued. “I know you’re tired but it’s not raining now and it’s still light out we could cover…another mile maybe and that’s one less that we won’t have to cover tomorrow. Please…”
“I can’t lad,” Sean answered with a frown, he did feel sorry but he just couldn’t go another foot. “Physically my body is saying no more.”
“I can do it,” Orlando said after a long thoughtful moment where he worried his bottom lip in a distracting manner.
“Ah…what?” Sean said realizing that Orlando was looking at him expectantly.
“I can make the path,” Orlando said again sounding a little more sure of himself.
“You want to try to make the path yourself?” Sean asked again incredulously.
“Yes…I can do it,” Orlando snapped in irritation.
Sean stepped away from the tree and held up his hands in surrender. “Fine…go right ahead…”
He watched with amusement as Orlando gave him a huffy look and tried to pull the machete from the tree. It took a few tugs before he finally managed to get it loose. Then he began to hack away at the jungle. His movements were slow and unsure but he eventually got the hang of it and the path though ragged was passable. Sean hung back letting Orlando work his aggression out. He didn’t think that Orlando would last very long, at the rate he was going they’d be close enough to double back to the clearing.
He continued to watched Orlando move in front of him with a small grin. There was that delectable ass right in front of him again. He paused and closed his eyes. He really needed to visit a few…friends when they got to Cartagena; it had been way too long. This was not the time or place and certainly not the person to be having these sorts of thoughts about. Satisfied that Orlando wasn’t going to chop his hand off he let him move in farther in front. Best to take that temptation as far away as possible and hopefully the thoughts would go with it.
There was a startled yelp from where Orlando had disappeared into the trees. Fear coursed through Sean and he cursed himself for forgetting that he was supposed to be keeping an eye on his trouble making partner. He hurried forward hoping that Orlando hadn’t hurt himself or worse stumbled upon the people that were looking for them or even worse part of a drug cartel.
Bursting through the trees with his gun drawn Sean found himself coming face to face with a melted gummy corpse. He grimaced and swung his eyes around to Orlando. Orlando was crouched looking like he’d either just thrown up or was very close to it.
“You okay?” he asked gently.
“Yeah,” Orlando croaked and coughed violently.
Sean turned his attention back to the body. It was hanging out the smashed window of a plane. It hadn’t been in the jungle too long judging from the amount of growth that had started to reclaim the plane. Probably 4 or 5 years at the most. He walked carefully down the side of the plane, stopping at the gaping whole in the middle of it. Peering inside he saw what looked to be storage containers that looked untouched other than to have been tossed around in the crash. That bode well for there being usable supplies, possibly even some food, in the plane that they could use.
But most importantly it would prove a dry place to spend the night where they didn’t have to spend any time building a makeshift shelter. He was thankful that a dull roll of thunder sounded somewhere in the distance. It would be easier to convince Orlando that they’d gone as far as they could for the day if it was pouring outside. Orlando’s desperation to get to his sister as quickly as possible rather astounded Sean. He understood the need to be with her to support her through the grieving process of losing a husband but Orlando’s almost desperation seemed to border on pure fear at times. Sean couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something that he wasn’t being told.
“Any more…passengers?” Orlando asked hesitantly as he joined Sean near the opening.
“No,” Sean reassured him with a shake of his head. “I think it’s a cargo plane of some kind.”
“Pretty empty looking for a cargo plane,” Orlando mused as he finally peered inside. “What do you suppose they were carrying?”
Sean stared at Orlando in momentary disbelief and then chuckled. “We’re in the middle of Colombia, lad,” he said with a smirk. “What do you think they’d be carrying?”
Orlando’s brow crinkled in confusion and then his eyes widened in shock and he sent a few nervous glances into the jungle around them. “Oh,” was all that he said until Sean started to crawl into the plane. Carefully trying not to cut himself on the twisted metal surrounding the opening. “You’re going in there?”
“There might be some supplies in here that we can use,” Sean answered easily, he didn’t mention his plans to camp inside for the night. Best to let it start pouring before he brought that up.
Orlando remained outside the plane for a long moment, his face twisted in indecision, and then he carefully followed Sean into the plane. The inside was dry with a slight musty smell to it. It was practically empty save for a few containers here and there but it didn’t look as if it had been picked clean which gave Sean some hope that there might be something that could prove useful to them inside. He began to open containers and paw through them, Orlando followed his lead. There was nothing inside them beyond woven blankets and other native trinkets. Sean’s gut told him that that was the pilot’s cover and he began to walk around examining the metal plates along the floor and the side for hidden compartments that could be used in a drug smuggling operation.
Near the shattered cockpit he found what he was looking for, two hidden compartments. The first contained the pilot’s private stash of dirty magazines, a few jars of sealed olives and two bottles of rum that had somehow managed to survive the crash. Sean pulled out the bottles of rum with wide appreciative eyes. It was an expensive brand well prized throughout the world. He pried it open and took a large swig. It burned down the back of his throat but felt wonderful when it hit his stomach.
“God, I love these flyboys,” he crowed as he handed Orlando the second bottle.
Orlando ran a hand over the label and frowned. “This is Samantha’s favorite,” he said softly and then pried the bottle open and took a small sip.
Sean eyed him suspiciously for a moment. Something in Orlando’s voice finally trigging the thought that perhaps this Samantha was the reason they were being tracked by the Colombian police. “I think it’s time you tell me about this sister of yours,” he said evenly.
“I already told you,” Orlando said hurriedly. “She recently lost her husband and I’m here to comfort her and take her back to New York with me.”
Sean didn’t buy it. It was a little too quick and neat and Orlando seemed way too uncomfortable. But instead of pressing it he turned his attention to the second hidden panel. There’d be time enough for more questions later, when Orlando had had time to drink more of the rum. He cackled as he viewed the contents of the compartment. It was the mother load.
“Is that…?” Orlando trailed in awe as he viewed the contents over Sean’s shoulder.
“It is,” Sean answered with a nod pulling one of the neatly bundled packages of pot out of the compartment.
“That’s….that’s a lot of it…” Orlando said nervously backing away. He made the mistake of looking into the cockpit and grimaced at the sight of the pilot’s decaying body.
“It certainly is,” Sean mused as he eyed the contents of the compartment he gave a delighted laugh as he realized just what this meant. “You did good lad, you did very good.”
“Ah…thanks…I think…” Orlando said in a startled tone of voice, blinking owlishly at him in confusion. “What did I do?”
“You found us a good shelter for the night,” Sean said as he reached around and shut the door to the cockpit. “A very good shelter.”
“Here…with…with…that…” Orlando said gesturing towards the now closed door.
“He’s dead,” Sean reminded Orlando dryly. “He’s the least of our problems at the moment. This is a good, safe place to spend the night that no one knows about.”
“How do we really know that no one knows about it? Surely a plane crash would garner some attention from the locals,” Orlando said sourly.
“You’ve seen the jungle we’ve been trekking through. There’s no one around for miles. Besides if they knew about it this stash would have been picked clean ages ago, right?” He waited as Orlando thought about what he’d said and finally nodded his head in agreement. “It’s starting to rain and it’s dry in here. Or would you rather spend the night on the soggy ground outside?”
“No…” Orlando said nibbling his bottom lip. “I suppose you have a point.”
“Good,” Sean said, happy that Orlando was being reasonable. “We’ll be dry and warm once we get the fire going. There should be enough ventilation from the holes in the plane that we can build it right inside.”
“Build it with what?” Orlando asked curiously. “Everything outside is mostly wet and there’s no wood inside the plane.”
“With this,” Sean said gleefully as he held up the package of pot in his hands. “This is going to make one hell of a fire.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sean had been right, it had made one hell of a fire. Orlando coughed and then giggled as he watched Sean lean in and take a big deep breath of the smoke rising up from the fire and then lean back with a satisfied grin. Orlando enjoyed the way the firelight glinted off the blond hair that fell in a wave down to Sean’s shoulders. His stomach rumbling dragged his attention away from his admiring with a jolt.
The only problem with this particular fire was that it had made them both hungry. They’d shared the two jars of olives that had been in the pilot’s compartment but there was no other food to speak of. Orlando realized with a frown that he’d not had anything decent to eat since the bagels at the coffee shop before his life had been turned upside down. He grinned triumphantly as a thought came back to him that had been lost in the rush and stress of the day. He picked up his bag and opened it up, pushing through its contents until he found the two candy bars he’d purchased from a vending machine at JFK airport before departing. From the feel of them they’d clearly melted in the heat over the past few hours but anything was better then nothing. Fishing them out he handed one to Sean who regarded it with wide eyes.
“You’ve had these this whole time?” he growled with annoyance as he opened one and took a small bite.
“I’d forgotten them until just now,” Orlando explained, opening his own and nibbling the top off it. He knew they were probably not going to have much access to food until they got to a decent town so he planned to make his last as long as possible.
He set his pack between them and inched a little closer to where Sean was sitting. It just felt…safer near him. Sean would help him if only to get the $10,000 that much he was sure of. He sighed and leaned back against the containers they’d set up as a seating area. He felt lethargic and strange and was sure it was from the smoke. He’d smoked pot before on occasion, Elijah managed to get some every now and again when they had something to celebrate and Samantha had gotten him to try some when they’d been traveling together for those few short months. It wasn’t something he particularly liked at the time and he definitely didn’t like the way it was making him feel now. Like he might just let forth more information then he should to this stranger.
“So, Orlando,” Sean said his rough accent sliding over the name in a way that made Orlando shiver. “How does someone, such as you, get into writing romance novels?”
Orlando blinked, taken aback by the question. He had expected Sean to press him about Samantha. He realized that Sean was smart enough to see that he was more than a little desperate to get to her, much more desperate than he should have been had she simply needed help mourning the loss of her husband. He’d probably already started to put together that Sam might be the reason that they were being pursued by the police. It was still mind boggling to Orlando that the man who had tricked him into getting onto the wrong bus and had accosted him after it had crashed was a cop. What did the police want with him? He knew it was probably about the map and he couldn’t let them get their hands on it. It was the only way he had to get Samantha back.
“Orlando? Hey lad, you okay over there?”
“Wha…” he mumbled and then realized he’d never answered the question he’d been asked. In fact he couldn’t even really remember what the question was even though he knew he’d been surprised by it. “What was the question?”
Sean gave a slight snort but repeated the question. “How did you come to be a romance writer? A writer I could understand but a romance writer? Not exactly something most men look into becoming when they grow up.”
“Hey, now,” Orlando said defensively. “There’s nothing wrong with romance novels!”
“Yeah…sure…I’ve been in the jungle for a while but not that long,” Sean said with a shake of his head. “I’ve seen the covers in the ones at the stores…”
Orlando shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “That’s just a marketing tool to get people interested in reading them,” he insisted. “I don’t write those bodice ripper ones, I write smart stories that just happen to fall under the romance genre.”
“That sounds remarkably like a party line,” Sean taunted.
Orlando’s eyes narrowed, he had a feeling he was being played but gave into it anyway. “Well people enjoy my work,” he snapped irritably. “I’ve won lots of awards and have made heaps of money…more than enough to pay you.”
“That’s true,” Sean said in a musing tone. “Sorry.”
“Whatever,” Orlando mumbled with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Still doesn’t answer my question though,” Sean said pointedly. “Unless you got into it only for the fame and fortune?”
Orlando sighed and nibbled on his bottom lip nervously. He’d never really told anyone besides Elijah the story about just how he’d gotten into the romance writing business. He avoided the question when he could and gave one of the stock answers he and Elijah had come up with when he couldn’t. It was just way too personal a thing to be shared with the public. But Sean had saved his life and was owed the answer and something about Sean made Orlando trust him even though he’d only known him for such a short time.
“My grandmother raised me after my parents died when I was young,” Orlando said softly after a minute. “I was sick as a child and she home schooled me. We were very close,” he said pausing a moment. “She got sick…cancer…and I’d read to her. She was always a great reader, taught me to like all sorts of books, but she had a real soft spot for romance novels and when she got very sick towards the end I’d read them to her…”
“Orlando,” Sean interrupted softly his voice strained. “You don’t…I’m sorry I didn’t know…”
Orlando shrugged his shoulders and then continued calmly. “After…after she died I was alone mostly, my sister was in and out of the country and I found the books again and thought I’d try my hand at one on a lark and I managed to sell it and people liked it and offered me a lot of money to write more…so I did. But I enjoy writing them, I really do.”
“I’m…sure you do, lad,” Sean said in a weary voice. “I’m sorry I gave you a hard time.”
“You didn’t know…” Orlando said and yawned. “It’s okay, I know it’s strange me writing them.”
They descended into silence after that statement watching the fire which was starting to go down, the smoke wafting up from it dwindling with each passing moment. Sean mumbled something to himself and leaned over to where they stacked a few bricks earlier and took one off the top and leaned towards the fire.
“Really…” Orlando said lazily. “I don’t think you need to add another one.”
“Gets cold here at night,” was all Sean said as he dropped it in, taking another deep breath as a large puff of smoke shot up as the fire wafted to life again.
Orlando yawned again as the smoke drifted over to him. He tried to fight the sleep that was pulling at him. Through slitted eyes he watched Sean polish off his candy bar and lean back with his eyes closed as he chewed. Orlando took his own bar and wrapped the paper back up around it. He kept his eye on Sean as he tucked it back into his backpack then laid down using his pack as a pillow and pulled the woven blanket up around him as he drifted off into a welcomed sleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sean watched out of the corner of his eye as Orlando curled up and drifted off to sleep. His stomach grumbled slightly as he opened his eyes fully after giving Orlando a good ten minutes to fall asleep. He grabbed one of the blankets and with practiced ease replaced Orlando’s pack with it and settled back in his seat. He just wanted to fish out the candy bar and have a little nibble, he wasn’t going to eat the whole thing, just a little bit. He was hungry, too hungry to concentrate on anything else. He opened the pack and grabbed the candy bar which had only been placed on the top. He was closing the pack back up when he noticed a piece of parchment encased in a plastic protective sleeve. Pulling it out he realized quickly that it was a map.
“Well what do we have here,” he murmured to himself.
He opened the candy bar and began to nibble it as he slid the map out of the plastic sleeve and unfolded it carefully. His eyes widened as he read the faded script on the side. It seemed authentic enough, he’d seen enough real Colombian treasure maps to be able to tell and this looked like the real deal. He wondered just what the El Corazon it was supposed to lead to was. It struck him that Orlando must know this was important and that this was most definitely the item the police were after them for. Whatever was at the end was important and probably worth a lot of money.
“Bloody hell…” the words were sharp and a lot louder than he had intended them to be.
Orlando stirred, his eyes blinking open and regarding him blearily in confusion for a moment. Then he seemed to realize what Sean was looking at he bolted straight upwards in his seat and was across the short distance that separated them clutching at the end of them map.
“Hey…what are you doing with that!” he yelped, fear clearly evident in his voice.
“Where did you get this?” Sean asked evenly.
“It’s mine!” was Orlando’s only desperate answer. He tugged a little on the map but seemed to realize that too much pulling would tear the parchment easily and didn’t tug too hard.
“I never said it wasn’t,” Sean said calmly. “I just asked where you got it from.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Orlando said loosening his grip a bit on the parchment and taking a step backwards. Sean could see the wheels turning in his head. “It’s not important…just a map for an upcoming book, I’ve got copies.”
Sean forced himself not to grin at this change of tactic. If the desperation wasn’t so clear on Orlando’s face and so many things didn’t point to the map being important he might have believed him. “Oh you do, so…you won’t mind if I add it to the fire…” He leaned over to dangle the map closer to the fire but far enough that it wouldn’t catch fire from the sparks.”
“No,” Orlando said with a strangled cry. “Please, don’t!”
“So it’s not important, eh?” he said with a smirk as he leaned back, Orlando’s eyes never left the map as it was brought safely back from the fire and rested in Sean’s lap. “So I ask again. Where did you get this from?”
“Someone sent it to me,” Orlando said grudgingly running his hands through his dark curly hair.
“Who?” was all Sean said. He needed to know, it would be easier to tell if it was authentic or not that way.
“My brother in law,” Orlando finally said after a long moment of thought.
“The one that just passed away?” Sean asked, the pieces of the puzzle were slowly starting to fall into place.
“Yes, I got it after….after…” Orlando trailed off with a sigh.
“He was murdered wasn’t he?” Sean asked gently.
Orlando started at him in open shock for a moment and then gave a small nod. His shoulders slumped and he moved his pack aside and sat down next to Sean. Sean was surprised by this but didn’t say anything, he’d let Orlando tell his story in his own time. But he was going to tell it that much Sean was sure of.
“Yes,” he admitted in a soft voice.
“So you were planning to follow it when you got here to see your sister then?” Sean asked it seemed logical to him to finish what his brother-in-law had started.
“No,” Orlando said quickly with a shake of his head. “I…I don’t even know anything about it but I had to bring it…I…for Samantha.”
“Did she ask you to bring the map with you?” Sean asked curiously.
“No…I mean yes but…not really,” Orlando answered with a mumble. “It’s complicated…she…she’s…” he winced and then stopped talking.
“What happened after you got the map?”
“I was out and discovered it when I was going through my mail and when I got back to my apartment it had been trashed. It looked like someone was looking for something.”
“The map,” Sean said, it wasn’t a question but Orlando answered it anyway.
“I…I think so,” Orlando answered with a frown. “Yes…probably. I, I didn’t really have long to think about it because Samantha called as I was looking over it to see if anything had been taken.”
“And she asked you to bring the map?”
“Well…yes…”
“Orlando…you need to tell me the truth here,” Sean said shortly. “It could be important.”
“I know it’s important!” Orlando snapped at him. “She’s been kidnapped and I have to bring them the map to get her back.”
“Oh,” Sean said in shock, he hadn’t thought about that possibility, but it made sense. It also didn’t really ring true to anything else that Orlando had told him. The home invasion and the kidnapping didn’t really seem to fit together why would they need to look for the map if they were already having it brought to them? “They’re not connected,” he said firmly as the thought came to him.
“What?” Orlando asked in a startled tone.
“Whoever broke into your apartment looking for the map and whoever is holding your sister, they’re not working together,” Sean explained and Orlando flinched visibly at the mention of his sister but didn’t break. Sean was very impressed with how well Orlando was doing if his own sister was being held captive he didn’t think he’d be so calm. He wondered if Orlando even realized what he was doing.
“I…I kind of figured,” Orlando said after a long moment. “I mean at first I thought they were but now…since that man on the bus tricked me…I’m sure that they aren’t. But that man is a cop…I don’t understand why he’s chasing me…he should want to help me get my sister back.”
“I think your brother-in-law caught the attention of a very bad man, Orlando,” Sean said deciding that the truth was the best way to go. “He killed your brother-in-law to get the map and somehow found out that it got sent to you and now Viggo’s after you.”
“Viggo?” Orlando asked blankly.
“He’s the head of the secret police. He’s a very dangerous man and doesn’t stop until he gets exactly what he wants.” Sean pondered this information with a frown. If Viggo was after them it was going to make things a lot more complicated. He stared down at the map wondering again what was at the end of it that had everyone so interested in finding it. “I thought I recognized him at the bus…but I’ve only ever seen the one picture of him and didn’t know at the time if it was really him or not.”
“And this Viggo…wants the map?” Orlando interrupted Sean’s thoughts with his question.
“Yes,” Sean answered, not taking his eyes off the map.
“We can’t let him get to it Sean,” Orlando said, desperation returning to his voice. “I need that map to get Samantha back. It’s the only way.”
“Don’t you wonder where it leads to?” Sean asked softly, finally looking up at Orlando. “What’s at the end that has everyone so intent on getting the key to finding it?”
“I…I haven’t thought about it,” Orlando said with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s not important, just getting the map to the people who have Sam is.”
“But…” Sean prodded gently. “What if you brought them whatever it leads to instead?”
“They…they want the map,” Orlando insisted. “They can have it and find it themselves…I don’t care.”
“You’re not the least bit curious at all?” Orlando shook his head and Sean frowned, trying a slightly different tactic. “Your brother-in-law was…don’t you think that he wanted you to find it? I mean he sent it to you to keep it safe and to use it.”
“You don’t know that,” Orlando said dully. “Karl sent it to me out of desperation and it got him killed. If he’d still had it with him when they caught him maybe he’d still be alive right now.”
“That’s not how Viggo works,” Sean said with deadly honesty. “He would have taken the map from Karl and then he would have killed him anyway to tie up the loose ends. He probably would have killed Samantha too…because she knew about the map as well.”
“All the more reason to have nothing to do with the map,” Orlando said with a shudder. “Give it to the kidnappers in exchange for Samantha and let them deal with this Viggo guy.”
“This part right here,” Sean said holding the map out towards Orlando. “That says El Corazon. Do you know what that means?” Orlando shook his head, his eyes trailed to the map proving to Sean that he was actually interested in it a little bit. “That means The Heart. The Heart of what I wonder…or whom. Whoever or whatever it is it has to be worth a lot, what with all the people who are after it.”
“I…don’t…care…” Orlando reiterated his point slowly like he thought he was talking to a simpleton.
Sean rolled his eyes but continued with his train of thought undeterred. “Just think of what would happen if you walked into Cartagena not with a simple map but with El Corazon. Think of how much power you’d wield over all of them.”
“And what if the kidnappers get tired of waiting while I’m traipsing around the country looking for something that might not even be there anymore? Or what if they discover what I’m doing? What then? You don’t think they’d take it out on Samantha? If they haven’t already…I was supposed to be there hours ago and I haven’t showed up yet…”
“Orlando…” Sean said his heart sinking as he watched Orlando start to shake slightly. “I’m sorry…I didn’t think…”
“What if she thinks I’ve abandoned her?” Orlando said in a tiny voice.
“I’m sure she won’t think that,” Sean reassured him. He was at a loss as to how exactly to respond to this whole situation.
“This map,” Orlando said reaching out with a shaky hand to slide it off of Sean’s lap. Sean didn’t stop him. “It’s the only guarantee I have of bringing her home. She’s the only family I have left now Sean. I can’t risk that…I can’t risk her…for anything.”
Sean couldn’t argue with that and he nodded his head as he watched Orlando fold the map back up and slide it back into it’s protective plastic sleeve and place it back into his backpack. His heart sank as he watched it disappear, the thoughts of what he could do with the money only for the first time coming into his head. But it didn’t belong to him and he wasn’t willing to risk a girl’s life just to make some extra money. He might be a bastard but he wasn’t that big of one. His frown deepened as Orlando’s stomach rumbled softly. Orlando had leaned back against the side of the plane and his eyes were closed again.
“I ate your candy bar,” Sean said lamely.
“It’s okay,” Orlando said with a shrug.
“I’ll buy you a new one,” Sean said sharply, surprising even himself. “When we get to Cartagena, I promise.”
Orlando’s eyes opened and Sean was struck with how dark they were. His grandmother would have called them soulful and for the first time Sean fully understood what she meant by that particular statement. Orlando’s brow crinkled in confusion and then a grin broke out across his face that Sean was sure he felt right to his toes.
“You’re so nice,” Orlando said in a voice clouded with sleep, his hand reached out to brush against Sean’s hair. “Not like him at all.” He lowered his hand and started to drift back into sleep before he did he mumbled just loud enough for Sean to make out. “His eyes were as green and mysterious as the jungle that surrounded them.”
Then sleep claimed him and Sean was left alone with his thoughts.
* * *
TBC
Forward to: Part Seven
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