El Corazon (9/10)
El Corazon (9/10)
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.
For those readers not on my FList that would like a glance into just what makes Viggo tick please check out the little companion piece I wrote called Red Dawn which is Located: Here. Please read the warnings before reading the fic.
Previous Parts: Here
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.
Thanks to cammissbloom for my lovely banner and icon!
Note #2: Sorry this has taken so long to get out it was giving me fits. Only one more chapter and then an epilogue left. I really hope the last chapter doesn’t take too long to get out. However, it’s pretty much pure action so it might take a bit as action and I don’t seem to get along too well. But hopefully soon.
Note #3: I've ended up snipping quite a few scenes from this part between Orlando and Sean. They interrupted the flow of the chapter. Since they're written I will most likely be releasing a "Deleted Scene" dealie with them because I really liked the scenes they just didn't work in the overall chapter. I will also be writing up a few scenes that I can picture in my head but that also didn't fit in the structure of the fic. That being a scene between Ian and Viggo and at least one scene between Samantha and Colin. I make no promises but I think they will appear at some point...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Instead of waking in a leisurely fashion during which he’d enjoy the feeling of having Orlando curled up beside him and then follow through on that promise to repeat their actions of the previous night, before they left that morning Sean found himself startled awake by the sound of shouting and banging in the hall outside the room.
“Wha?” Orlando murmured sleepily as Sean sat straight up in bed. “Wha’s happening, fire?”
“Police, police,” was the shout outside the room accompanied banging.
Orlando jerked upwards exchanging a terrified glance with Sean who all but pushed him out of the bed. They were still a ways down the hall from their room. It might give them just enough time to get away. Luckily their clothing was strewn about on the ground by the bed making it much easier to get into it in a matter of seconds. Sean shouldered his pack and eyed the room around them. He knew there was no way that they’d be able to get out by the door but their room had a balcony so he hurried over and threw it open and stepped outside, Orlando following close behind him.
He was thankful to see that the police were occupied with the room searches and didn’t have this small back road staked out, at least not in any obvious fashion. There was a beat up car parked close by next to a tree that rose up to their level of the hotel a short distance away. If they could get to it Sean knew he could easily hotwire it. He glanced at the sloping roofs around them. They didn’t look too steep and led all the way to the tree. He pushed Orlando towards the side railing.
“Climb over onto the roof and head to the tree,” he said ordered hoping that Orlando wouldn’t argue with him. They didn’t have time for reassurances at the moment.
To his relief Orlando didn’t argue just slipped his pack onto both shoulders and carefully hoisted himself over. He began the agonizingly slow process of walking across the roof and Sean waited until he was halfway before joining him. The roof was more treacherous then it looked but they somehow managed to get across and then down the tree a short time later without slipping. Orlando was panting when Sean dropped down next to him.
“Now what?” Orlando asked tightly. “We’re not going to be able to out run them on foot or even be able to hide from them for very long.”
“Well I said last night we’d get a car,” Sean said gesturing to the car in front of them. “It’s not much but it’ll do.”
“We can’t do that,” Orlando said with a look of pure shock on his face. “That’s stealing!”
“Look,” Sean said mildly. “I admire your sense of decency I really do but as you said we’re not going to be able to out run them on foot and we’re not going to be able to hide until something opens, they’re sure to have the bus depot staked out as well as all the rental places. It’s this or being captured.”
“But…how…” Orlando said with a frown.
Sean reached out and tried the door, it was locked. He reached into his pack and pulled out his pocket knife and selecting one of the smaller blades he rarely used he set to work picking the lock. There was a soft click and the next time he tried the handle it opened. He gestured for Orlando to climb inside and then set to work hotwiring it.
They were only stopped once on their way out of town. Somehow they’d managed to stumble upon one of the less used roads and so the only person guarding it was a bored looking police officer who clearly had no idea just who he was looking for so was easily fooled by Sean’s Spanish speaking abilities and let them through. Even so they both let out twin breaths of relief when they got well away from town and back up the hill towards the Devil’s Fork. Sean brought the car to a stop in front of it and they both stared at it through the front windshield. Even though Orlando had agreed to searching for the treasure the night before, that was before Viggo had come across them again.
“Orlando,” he said softly. “You don’t have to do this…it’s probably better if we don’t.”
“I said I would and I meant it. Besides, they’ll expect us to head for Cartagena first thing. Maybe this will throw them off our trail a little bit.”
“It could…” Sean trailed a little doubtfully, he couldn’t help but feel he was putting Orlando at undue risk for this little venture.
“Come on,” Orlando said with a playful twinkle in his eyes. “We have a treasure to find and the faster we find it the faster we can get to Cartagena and the faster we can do what you promised me we’d do before we left.
Sean started the car up with a chuckle and quickly got them under way. Far be it from him to argue against that logic.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dominic muffled a yelp of pain as they hit another bump and his knee came in uncomfortable contact with the bottom of the car. He hoped that they were both too distracted to hear it or would just think it was junk bumping around in the back. Though the heat was stifling he pulled the blanket tighter around him and made sure his gun was within grabbing distance and tried to make himself as comfortable as humanly possible.
It was a loosing battle but well worth it in the end.
When they’d first hijacked his car he’d been furious and that had only grown when he realized that instead of heading toward Cartagena they were planning on looking for the stone, though it was clear they didn’t know what it was they were looking for, and then planning on taking the map to Cartagena and still exchange it for his sister. But just as quickly as it had bubbled up the anger disappeared, he certainly couldn’t fault them for double crossing Colin, not when he wouldn’t hesitate to do so in an instant himself.
Not only that, but it had hit him that they were going to lead him directly to the stone, and the image he’d had earlier of Colin’s reaction when he’d sauntered in with the map was replaced by his reaction should he walk in with the stone had solidified his decision. He’d wait for them to do all the work for him and then he’d take it and leave them there.
And he’d be the one to get the last laugh.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“There, that rock formation,” Orlando said excitedly as they rounded the bend and he spotted it. “It looks just like the Lion’s Gate on the map.”
Sean slowed the car down near the formation and reached for the map. Orlando handed it over easily. He knew that it wasn’t that Sean didn’t trust him that he wanted to double check and Orlando would certainly want to do the same thing if the roles were reversed. He waited impatiently as Sean looked at the map and then grinned when Sean nodded his agreement that it did match the one on the map and they started on again.
“We’re getting closer,” Orlando said softly examining the map. “But it’s a little ways away yet.” He frowned and leaned forward to the radio and turned it on even though he knew there’d only be static. “Too bad we can’t get a signal out here…or had tapes or something to listen to, not that we’d know if there was,” he said glancing around the car’s interior with a grimace. “Whoever this car belongs to is a pig.”
Sean laughed in agreement and just under it Orlando could make out a faint bump from the back of the car. He turned his head and shot the apparently empty space a suspicious glance but there was nothing there, just a discarded suitcase and a jumbled up blanket. They’d been in the car for almost an hour and he couldn’t imagine anyone hiding out back there for that long without more than a little bump. He sighed and turned his attention back to the scenery they were passing outside the car.
“Bored Orlando?” Sean teased. “Isn’t your imagination enough for you?”
“I…it usually is,” Orlando admitted after a moment. “But…this whole situation is just…a little much and my muses are just not talking to me at the moment. I need a distraction or I’ll…” he trailed off with a frown and sank back into his seat. It seemed strange to be at this place with Sean where he was going to have to go into details about his illness and his attacks. Usually he never let people get that close to him.
“You’ll…” Sean prompted softly when it became clear that Orlando didn’t want to continue.
Orlando sighed and turned his head to stare out the side window. “I have…attacks…” he started mildly. “Panic attacks when I get too stressed or well just about anything can set them off really. I think I mentioned I was sick as a child well…it was pretty bad. I was in and out of the hospital for a long while and even when I was well enough not to be I was kept at home and…I guess I never got used to really dealing with the real world. I can’t cope with it for very long.”
There was a long moment of silence before Sean finally spoke. “You haven’t had one yet in all of this,” he said quietly.
Orlando turned his wide eyes on Sean and contemplated what he had said. While there had been many moments that he’d been close there had always been something that had pulled him back just from the verge of doing it. “I’ve had to be strong for Samantha,” he said firmly. “And…I haven’t had to face it alone…you’re a good distraction.”
“Well then,” Sean said a smirk cracking his lips. “I guess I’ll have to keep on being a distraction then.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Viggo felt the satisfaction shoot through him as fast and sure as the bullet that had just left his gun. He watched the policeman crumple to the ground with a tight smile and shook his head as the others moved to check on the man.
There was no need, Viggo always shot to kill.
It had not been a kill that he’d wanted to make but it was necessary. If the regular police had gotten the idea that they could do a paltry job when they were assigned a task by him then they needed to be reminded just where they fit into the chain of command. This one had had Bloom and his companion in his grasp and had been foolishly swayed by a little bit of Spanish. If not for bad timing and the continued incompetency of those around him Viggo would have the map and the boy in his grasp.
He turned his back and walked away from the scene without a second glance. Let the others run to their fallen comrade, it would do them no good he was already long gone. And soon Bloom would be too. It was clear from the direction they’d traveled that he and his companion had not headed towards Cartagena, probably hoping to throw them of the trail, but Viggo would not be fooled so easily. Not when he was this close to something he wanted.
He’d track them down and then he’d make them pay for the annoyance they had been. It would not be quick and almost painless like the officer behind him. Oh no, they would feel every single detail until their last dying breath.
And then he would make a masterpiece out of their blood.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“There…there it is!”
Orlando’s voice was excited as they crested the top of a hill and saw the rocky formation they’d been aiming for on the map on top of another nearby hill. It was large, almost a hill in itself, and through the open window there was the sound of rushing water filling the air. The map showed the location of the treasure they were after along with a drawing of a waterfall and it sounded like there was one near by. Orlando had the door open and was almost out of it before Sean even pulled the car to a stop near the formation.
“Orlando, are you sure about this?” halting him with a hand on his arm. “We haven’t done anything yet, we can still just go and get Samantha.”
“We’ve come all this way, Sean,” Orlando said softly a smile crossing his face at the gesture. “Too far to turn back now, so you can come with me or wait in the car…”
“Like I’m going to wait in the car,” Sean said with a grin as he opened the door.
Orlando grinned back and they hurried towards the formation. They entered through a large cave. The inside cavern started wide and open but got more narrow and closed off the longer they traveled down it. The deeper into the formation they walked the louder the sound of rushing water became. After ten minutes of walking they found the source.
“Oh my…” Sean murmured awe filling his voice as he took in the sight in front of them.
They were in a rock clearing with almost sheer cliffs surrounding them. On the other side of them was the waterfall. It wasn’t too big but it was large enough that the sound of the water blocked out almost everything else. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant but it took some getting used to. At the bottom of the cavern was a crisp blue pool lined with rocks and the green of trees and bushes. It looked like something you’d see on a postcard for a tropical location and Orlando made a mental note to ask for the copy of the map that Sean had made so that he could bring Samantha and take pictures. It would make the perfect location for a future book.
He pulled out the map and looked at it, trying to get his bearings on the final location of the treasure to where they were now. “I think…” he said, speaking loudly to be heard over the roar of water. “That we have to go behind the waterfall.”
Sean gave him an incredulous look and took the map from him. His forehead creased and then finally he nodded his agreement and handed the map back to Orlando. Orlando folded it carefully and sealed it in the plastic casing, hoping to keep it from getting too wet, then they set off down the steep slope to the pool below. The going was slow, the rocks were slick and sometimes they had to backtrack as they found themselves off the trail and into dangerous territory, but soon they managed to get to the bottom and walked around the small pool to the waterfall.
Orlando was relieved when they stepped through the rushing water into the cavern behind the waterfall. He’d half been expecting to find a dead end and that he’d somehow managed to read the map wrong. There was no sign of any treasure just smooth rock walls and a small pool of water. They crouched down beside it and looked at the muddy water.
“Maybe it’s buried here?” Orlando murmured hopefully. “It’s the only place back here it could be.”
Sean said nothing, just pushed his hands into the water and mud and began to dig around in it. Orlando watched not knowing whether trying to help would be welcomed or a hindrance. He didn’t have to wonder long, Sean made a triumphant noise and seconds later he pulled something out of the pool. But excitement turned to shock and confusion as they realized that what they’d pulled out of the pool was a cheep ceramic statue of a white rabbit.
“What the…” Sean growled as he brushed the mud from the statute. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”
Orlando shook his head in confusion as he stared at the statue. Disappointment and fear welled up inside of him as he looked at the mocking expression on the rabbit’s face. Did this mean that someone had gotten here before them? That didn’t make sense though, if someone had gotten to the treasure first surely they wouldn’t have taken the time to bury the rabbit in its place. They wouldn’t be around to witness the reaction of whoever followed behind them. He watched as Sean lifted the rabbit up and made to toss it into a nearby wall. He found himself wondering if the rabbit was hollow inside like the chocolate ones that came out around Easter time.
“Wait!” he said, the idea hitting him in that instance. “What if the treasure is inside the statue? The map isn’t that old you can tell from looking at it that it’s not…”
Sean lowered his hand and stared at the rabbit in his hand. He shook it, his eyes widening as he placed it on the ground and reached for a rock. He exchanged a glance with Orlando who watched nervously as Sean used the rock to crack open the rabbit. In amongst the shattered pieces was a bundle of cloth. Sean reached for it and peeled the layers back with hands that were shaking slightly. They both watched with wide eyes as a large emerald was revealed. It was far larger than any stone that Orlando had ever seen almost the size of the rock that Sean had used to break open the statue a few seconds earlier. He reached out and brushed his finger against it, the surface was smooth and cool to his touch.
“Bloody hell,” Sean said disbelief coloring his voice.
“It’s beautiful,” was Orlando’s only response as he picked it up. It was solid and real in his hand and he swallowed hard as he slid his hand over into a patch of light to examine it closely.
“No wonder everyone wants it so badly,” Sean murmured. “Do you have any idea how much this must be worth?”
Orlando nodded his head; he really didn’t know exactly how much the stone was worth but just from the size and weight of it he could tell it would be a lot. The possibilities that lay with it were staggering. “What…what do we do now?” he asked a little nervously swallowing to wet his dry throat.
“You can start by handing that over to me.”
The voice was hard and cold Orlando almost dropped the stone as he whirled to face the speaker. It wasn’t Viggo and he was thankful for that but that was about the only good thing. The man was scruffy looking with a hooded sweatshirt pulled up over his head as he regarded them with cool grey eyes that were lined with dark circles adding to his overall haggard appearance. He was holding a gun and pointing it directly at them.
“Hand it over,” he said, taking a step in their direction. He gestured with his gun before pointing it directly at Orlando and held out a bag that Orlando recognized as being in the back of the car in his direction.
Orlando felt Sean stiffen beside him as the gun waved in his direction. Not wanting Sean to do something stupid and get shot, Orlando did as he was told quickly and then moved to place his hand on Sean’s arm to stop him from doing anything.
“Now,” the man continued as he zipped the bag up and glared at the two of them. “You’re both going to march like good little boys ahead of me back up to my car and you’re going to drive us to Cartagena without any funny business, Mr. Bloom.”
Orlando’s eyes widened and his eyes shot over to Sean. This man knew who he was. They’d never exchanged last names in the car and it was doubtful that he would have been able to see him long enough to recognize him if he happened to read romance novels. No this man was somehow involved in the whole process and didn’t seem too thrilled with the prospect. That idea was shown quickly in man’s next words.
“I’ve had a rough couple of days and it’s all because you couldn’t manage to get on the right bus,” The man said tightly. “So now it’s my time to do the leading and you’re going to do everything I tell you.”
Orlando felt Sean tense further at his side and answered quickly. “Okay,” he said softly wincing as the man turned his eyes fully on him. “We’ll go with you…no trouble.”
“Get going then,” the man said and gestured with his gun towards the mouth of the cave.
Orlando reached out and grabbed Sean’s arm pulling him forward so that they could walk out side by side. He looked up at Sean and saw the twitching and bloody murder glinting in his eyes. “Please…don’t…” he said in as low a tone as he could manage to still be heard over the roaring of the waterfall.
“I have my gun pointing directly at Orlando,” the stranger said coming up a few steps behind them, but his comments were clearly directed at Sean. “You do anything funny and it won’t be you I shoot.”
Orlando stiffened at the comment but forced himself to remain calm and to continue to walk forward as evenly as he could manage. If he gave Sean a reason to do something stupid he had no doubt that the other man would follow through.
And he had caused Sean enough trouble already.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dominic breathed a sigh of relief as they finally reached the car. He’d thought that at any second Bloom and his companion were going to call him on his bluff and try to do something stupid. Dom knew that there was no way he could shoot anyone, but thankfully Bloom seemed think that he would and if the other man thought that he wasn’t serious he wasn’t going to test that theory and get Bloom shot.
“Get in,” he ordered Bloom, gesturing with the gun. “You’re going to drive.”
Bloom nodded and went towards the car door. The other man didn’t seem as eager to comply with the orders. “Why make us go back with you at all, you’ve got what you’ve came for, why not just leave us here?”
“Because Bloom has to finish what he came here to do and he won’t get his sister back if he doesn’t bring the map to Cartagena,” Dom said reasonably.
“And the stone?” the man asked with narrowed eyes.
“It will be with me and I’ll be long gone by the time you set up the drop,” Dominic said in as controlled a voice as he could manage. He had finally decided on the trip that it would probably be better for everyone that Colin not know that Dominic had the stone until after Samantha was free. That way he’d take the brunt of the reaction, something he was looking forward to, to an almost unseemly degree.
“And what’s to stop us from telling the kidnappers the truth?” the man asked dryly.
“You can tell him whatever you’d like,” Dom said with a shrug of his shoulders. “As I’ll be long gone and he won’t be able to touch me. But I don’t think you’ll want to do that. Farrell is highly…unpredictable and you wouldn’t want to do anything that would put Mrs. Urban in danger now would you?”
Bloom visibly flinched at that comment and then frowned. “If you’re working with the kidnappers then why…why are you doing this?”
“Because I can,” was the first thing that popped into Dom’s head. “Let’s get this clear,” he continued, sizing the stranger up before turning his attention back to Bloom. “I’m outright stealing it from you…but at least I’m not trying to romance it out from under you.”
Dominic didn’t know what possessed him to make the remark. Yes he’d had a bad few days and yes he blamed these two men, particularly Bloom, but it was still a rather nasty thing to say. He was probably channeling Colin just a bit too much in his attempt to come across as menacing. Bloom flinched again, his eyes moving to the side to stare at the other man for a moment before turning his attention back to Dominic, he looked more annoyed then anything at the implication.
“It was my idea to come out here,” he insisted quietly.
Dominic laughed and shook his head, ignoring the thunderous look on the stranger’s face. “All good con men can get you to do things and make think it was your idea. Now get in the car,” he said evenly.
Bloom did as he was told quickly and quietly, his posture seemed to have curled inward on himself just the slightest bit, a sign that Dominic’s words had hit their intended mark. Dominic then turned his attention towards ordering the other man into the car, something he realized was probably going to be a lot harder. “You’re going to go in the back…we’ll see how you like…it…”
Any response the man would have made was drowned out by the screeching tires and a swarm of police cars that crested the hill and bore down on them. In one of the open carriages of a jeep was Viggo. Dominic didn’t think, he just turned on his heel and took off in the opposite direction, behind him he could hear the thick Sheffield accent ordering Bloom to drive.
It took Dom a moment to realize that they were coming after him. He flailed, knowing there was no way he could outrun a car. and foolishly fired his gun back over his shoulder as he ran. He didn’t even bother to check if he’d actually managed to hit anything as he kept moving. It was foolish to think that he could out run a car and he felt it as the car got closer to him. It wasn’t that thought made him stop in his tracks and stare in front of him in pure horror. No that was because of the sight of an army of men on horseback which appeared over yet another hill and started bearing down on them from that direction.
Mind reeling, he didn’t even have a moment to catch his breath before a hard body contacted with him sending him to the ground. He looked up into furious green eyes as a fist connected painfully with his face. He tried to keep his grip on the bag with the stone but it was a loosing battle. The man managed to yank it away from him and stumbled back into the car yelling at Orlando to get them out of there. The car took off as the cars and the men on horses converged on their spot. Viggo and a few of the cars took off after the car the rest of them encircled Dominic making any hope of escape futile. Dominic clutched his aching jaw and dropped himself prone onto the ground with a sigh.
He really was starting to think he’d been born under an unlucky sign.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Orlando knew he didn’t have full control of the car as he careened around corners trying to get as far away from their pursuers as fast as they could. They’d seen a glimpse of Viggo as they’d fled so they both knew how important it was to get away. At least they had the stone and for the moment they seemed to have lost the police. Sean had checked the bag to make sure it was in there and then shoved the whole thing into his pack, getting rid of some of his clothing to do so.
They were running alongside a river and were hunting for a bridge that would let them cross but there didn’t seem to be any. “What are we going to do?” he asked, feeling as helpless as he’d felt since the beginning of the journey.
From the moment he’d realized he was on the wrong bus it had been his mission to get himself to Cartagena and help his sister. He’d allowed himself to get distracted by thoughts of the treasure and while he knew the man with the gun had been trying to make him doubt Sean and that he was pretty sure that Sean hadn’t been playing him in that way there was still the niggling of doubt left over from Craig.
“Just keep following the river,” Sean said. “There has to be a bridge someplace. Orlando I…” Sean started but stopped as an outcropping of rocks appeared in front of them. “Look out!”
Startled by the unexpected appearance of the rocks Orlando jerked the wheel. The car swung towards the river and though he struggled to right it the tires caught in the mud on the bank and went sliding into the river. The car smashed into the river bottom and then the fast current picked it up and sent them shoot down stream. With shaky hands he tried to steer the car away from the boulders that sat in their path he knew it was useless, but it gave him something to concentrate on other than the sheer terror that was threatening to overwhelm him.
One of Sean’s hands slipped over his and stopped his movement, the long fingers caressing against the shaky ones on the wheel in a soothing matter. “Are you okay?” he asked pulling Orlando’s attention away from the raging river in front of them.
“Yeah,” Orlando answered his voice shaking. “Are you?”
“I’m fine,” Sean reassured him quickly. “I think the car has probably had it.”
Orlando looked down and saw water that was seeping in through the bottom of the car. He shivered and pulled his feet up since there was no need to use the pedals. He wondered how long it would take the car to sink in the rushing current and figured they were probably safe for a little while. As if Sean could sense his wayward thoughts he broke them.
“At least Viggo can’t follow us in here, right?” he asked with a grin.
Orlando laughed at that and it felt good. For a moment anyway, then a strange and eerily familiar roar started filling the car. It sounded a lot like the waterfall they’d just seen, only it sounded a lot bigger and like they were heading towards it. Looking forward he realized that the river in front of them seemed to be dropping away from them and it was coming fast.
“Oh gods…” he muttered wondering if he was ever going to get a break, even for just a moment. An image of a night spent in Sean’s arms flittered across his mind and he felt a little calmer. “Sean…” he said tensely in case Sean didn’t realize what they were headed for.
But Sean had realized it as well and he was already in action, kneeling on the seat to push the sunroof of the car open. He shouldered his pack and reached down for Orlando. “Come on.”
“But…” Orlando said even as he was moving to join Sean in climbing out onto the top of the car and shouldering his pack.
“When I say jump you jump clear of the car, okay?” Sean said tensely.
“Okay,” Orlando agreed his heart thudding painfully in his chest.
He watched as the car started to tip over the edge. Sean grasped his hand and gave it a tight squeeze and then let go. “Now,” he yelled as the car started its descent.
Orlando thought briefly how insane it seemed to be jumping off the top of a car going down a waterfall but he supposed it made more sense than staying inside the car. He watched as Sean leapt from the car and disappeared. Then his own eyes slid shut as fear engulfed him.
And then he took a deep breath and jumped.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The rush of water surrounded Sean completely. Entwining, pushing, pulling, and fighting him as he surged towards the surface. Finally, after a concentrated effort, he managed to break free and struggled against the rushing current towards the shore. He breathed heavily when he finally reached it and then glanced around expecting to see Orlando struggling up next to him.
Orlando wasn’t there.
Terror filled Sean as he glanced up and down the bank of the river seeing nothing but rocks and rushing water. He swung around, eyes sweeping down the river, and was momentarily relieved to not see a bobbing form too far out of reach to rescue. The fear didn’t dissipate because if Orlando wasn’t near him or still in the water then where was he? Remembering the fight he’d had to break the surface, Sean surged to his feet, ready to dive back in to pull the other man out.
Relief swept through him as he spotted Orlando struggling to the shore on the opposite side of the river. He was coughing and sputtering but seemed otherwise unharmed. Shouldering his pack he called out to let Orlando know where he was.
“Are you okay?”
Orlando’s head shot around and his body seemed to sag from relief as he saw Sean. “Yeah, are you?”
“Yeah,” Sean answered back.
“Can you get over here?” Orlando called back, looking doubtfully at the raging river.
“No,” Sean answered. “I don’t want to chance it without a bridge.”
“Do you think there’s one close by?” Orlando called back his eyes still trained on the river.
“Probably not,” Sean said with a sigh, he didn’t want to say what he had to next, but he knew it was the only thing there was to do. “You’ll have to go on without me.”
“What!” Orlando yelped sharply.
“You have to…I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to get over there,” Sean insisted. “You’ll be fine, Orlando,” he said firmly. “Just head in that direction,” he continued point in a straight direction towards where Orlando was staring. “The main road to Cartagena is about ten miles away, you’re bound to find someone who’s heading in that direction…use the money if you have to.”
“But…” Orlando called worriedly. “What about you?”
“I’ll keep looking for a way across and I’ll meet you…”
“Sean no…” Orlando yelled worriedly. “I can’t…”
“You can,” Sean yelled sharply. “You have the map and you know what to do with it. It’s what you’re here to do. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” Orlando called, but again Sean could make out a slight tinge of doubt on the man’s face even across the distance.
“I promise,” he yelled back before he realized what he was doing. “Now go before they catch up with us! And be careful!”
“You too,” Orlando said with a wave.
He stood there for a long moment his eyes trained on Sean. Sean shifted uncomfortably under the weight of it even across the river. Before he could yell at him again to get moving Orlando finally turned and started walking off. Sean watched until he’d disappeared and then dropped back down to the ground. He opened his pack and unzipped the bag inside. Both were waterlogged but the emerald glittered in the depths.
He sighed again, there was no doubt what Orlando was doing with that long stare before he’d left. It was a last look. Orlando thought he’d never see Sean again. Sean could understand the doubt. Sean had the emerald and the man with the gun had no doubt planted a soft seed of doubt into Orlando’s head with his earlier comment. Sean hated to think that Orlando would think that he would just turn around and leave him alone now that he had the stone, but he couldn’t blame him.
Resolve filled him as he stood back up and shouldered his back. He’d have to move quickly, he didn’t know how long it would take Viggo to figure out that they had gone over the falls with the car, so he had to get out of there before he did. He’d have to hope that there was a bridge somewhere close down river and he’d have to move carefully not to be seen. And most importantly he had to do it fast.
He had a promise to keep.
* * *
TBC
Note #4: It never really struck me how illogical some of the landscaping in the film was until I sat down to write the fic. For the most part it's as it is in the original though I've done some slight altering.
Forward to: Part Ten
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.
For those readers not on my FList that would like a glance into just what makes Viggo tick please check out the little companion piece I wrote called Red Dawn which is Located: Here. Please read the warnings before reading the fic.
Previous Parts: Here
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.
Thanks to cammissbloom for my lovely banner and icon!
Note #2: Sorry this has taken so long to get out it was giving me fits. Only one more chapter and then an epilogue left. I really hope the last chapter doesn’t take too long to get out. However, it’s pretty much pure action so it might take a bit as action and I don’t seem to get along too well. But hopefully soon.
Note #3: I've ended up snipping quite a few scenes from this part between Orlando and Sean. They interrupted the flow of the chapter. Since they're written I will most likely be releasing a "Deleted Scene" dealie with them because I really liked the scenes they just didn't work in the overall chapter. I will also be writing up a few scenes that I can picture in my head but that also didn't fit in the structure of the fic. That being a scene between Ian and Viggo and at least one scene between Samantha and Colin. I make no promises but I think they will appear at some point...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Instead of waking in a leisurely fashion during which he’d enjoy the feeling of having Orlando curled up beside him and then follow through on that promise to repeat their actions of the previous night, before they left that morning Sean found himself startled awake by the sound of shouting and banging in the hall outside the room.
“Wha?” Orlando murmured sleepily as Sean sat straight up in bed. “Wha’s happening, fire?”
“Police, police,” was the shout outside the room accompanied banging.
Orlando jerked upwards exchanging a terrified glance with Sean who all but pushed him out of the bed. They were still a ways down the hall from their room. It might give them just enough time to get away. Luckily their clothing was strewn about on the ground by the bed making it much easier to get into it in a matter of seconds. Sean shouldered his pack and eyed the room around them. He knew there was no way that they’d be able to get out by the door but their room had a balcony so he hurried over and threw it open and stepped outside, Orlando following close behind him.
He was thankful to see that the police were occupied with the room searches and didn’t have this small back road staked out, at least not in any obvious fashion. There was a beat up car parked close by next to a tree that rose up to their level of the hotel a short distance away. If they could get to it Sean knew he could easily hotwire it. He glanced at the sloping roofs around them. They didn’t look too steep and led all the way to the tree. He pushed Orlando towards the side railing.
“Climb over onto the roof and head to the tree,” he said ordered hoping that Orlando wouldn’t argue with him. They didn’t have time for reassurances at the moment.
To his relief Orlando didn’t argue just slipped his pack onto both shoulders and carefully hoisted himself over. He began the agonizingly slow process of walking across the roof and Sean waited until he was halfway before joining him. The roof was more treacherous then it looked but they somehow managed to get across and then down the tree a short time later without slipping. Orlando was panting when Sean dropped down next to him.
“Now what?” Orlando asked tightly. “We’re not going to be able to out run them on foot or even be able to hide from them for very long.”
“Well I said last night we’d get a car,” Sean said gesturing to the car in front of them. “It’s not much but it’ll do.”
“We can’t do that,” Orlando said with a look of pure shock on his face. “That’s stealing!”
“Look,” Sean said mildly. “I admire your sense of decency I really do but as you said we’re not going to be able to out run them on foot and we’re not going to be able to hide until something opens, they’re sure to have the bus depot staked out as well as all the rental places. It’s this or being captured.”
“But…how…” Orlando said with a frown.
Sean reached out and tried the door, it was locked. He reached into his pack and pulled out his pocket knife and selecting one of the smaller blades he rarely used he set to work picking the lock. There was a soft click and the next time he tried the handle it opened. He gestured for Orlando to climb inside and then set to work hotwiring it.
They were only stopped once on their way out of town. Somehow they’d managed to stumble upon one of the less used roads and so the only person guarding it was a bored looking police officer who clearly had no idea just who he was looking for so was easily fooled by Sean’s Spanish speaking abilities and let them through. Even so they both let out twin breaths of relief when they got well away from town and back up the hill towards the Devil’s Fork. Sean brought the car to a stop in front of it and they both stared at it through the front windshield. Even though Orlando had agreed to searching for the treasure the night before, that was before Viggo had come across them again.
“Orlando,” he said softly. “You don’t have to do this…it’s probably better if we don’t.”
“I said I would and I meant it. Besides, they’ll expect us to head for Cartagena first thing. Maybe this will throw them off our trail a little bit.”
“It could…” Sean trailed a little doubtfully, he couldn’t help but feel he was putting Orlando at undue risk for this little venture.
“Come on,” Orlando said with a playful twinkle in his eyes. “We have a treasure to find and the faster we find it the faster we can get to Cartagena and the faster we can do what you promised me we’d do before we left.
Sean started the car up with a chuckle and quickly got them under way. Far be it from him to argue against that logic.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dominic muffled a yelp of pain as they hit another bump and his knee came in uncomfortable contact with the bottom of the car. He hoped that they were both too distracted to hear it or would just think it was junk bumping around in the back. Though the heat was stifling he pulled the blanket tighter around him and made sure his gun was within grabbing distance and tried to make himself as comfortable as humanly possible.
It was a loosing battle but well worth it in the end.
When they’d first hijacked his car he’d been furious and that had only grown when he realized that instead of heading toward Cartagena they were planning on looking for the stone, though it was clear they didn’t know what it was they were looking for, and then planning on taking the map to Cartagena and still exchange it for his sister. But just as quickly as it had bubbled up the anger disappeared, he certainly couldn’t fault them for double crossing Colin, not when he wouldn’t hesitate to do so in an instant himself.
Not only that, but it had hit him that they were going to lead him directly to the stone, and the image he’d had earlier of Colin’s reaction when he’d sauntered in with the map was replaced by his reaction should he walk in with the stone had solidified his decision. He’d wait for them to do all the work for him and then he’d take it and leave them there.
And he’d be the one to get the last laugh.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“There, that rock formation,” Orlando said excitedly as they rounded the bend and he spotted it. “It looks just like the Lion’s Gate on the map.”
Sean slowed the car down near the formation and reached for the map. Orlando handed it over easily. He knew that it wasn’t that Sean didn’t trust him that he wanted to double check and Orlando would certainly want to do the same thing if the roles were reversed. He waited impatiently as Sean looked at the map and then grinned when Sean nodded his agreement that it did match the one on the map and they started on again.
“We’re getting closer,” Orlando said softly examining the map. “But it’s a little ways away yet.” He frowned and leaned forward to the radio and turned it on even though he knew there’d only be static. “Too bad we can’t get a signal out here…or had tapes or something to listen to, not that we’d know if there was,” he said glancing around the car’s interior with a grimace. “Whoever this car belongs to is a pig.”
Sean laughed in agreement and just under it Orlando could make out a faint bump from the back of the car. He turned his head and shot the apparently empty space a suspicious glance but there was nothing there, just a discarded suitcase and a jumbled up blanket. They’d been in the car for almost an hour and he couldn’t imagine anyone hiding out back there for that long without more than a little bump. He sighed and turned his attention back to the scenery they were passing outside the car.
“Bored Orlando?” Sean teased. “Isn’t your imagination enough for you?”
“I…it usually is,” Orlando admitted after a moment. “But…this whole situation is just…a little much and my muses are just not talking to me at the moment. I need a distraction or I’ll…” he trailed off with a frown and sank back into his seat. It seemed strange to be at this place with Sean where he was going to have to go into details about his illness and his attacks. Usually he never let people get that close to him.
“You’ll…” Sean prompted softly when it became clear that Orlando didn’t want to continue.
Orlando sighed and turned his head to stare out the side window. “I have…attacks…” he started mildly. “Panic attacks when I get too stressed or well just about anything can set them off really. I think I mentioned I was sick as a child well…it was pretty bad. I was in and out of the hospital for a long while and even when I was well enough not to be I was kept at home and…I guess I never got used to really dealing with the real world. I can’t cope with it for very long.”
There was a long moment of silence before Sean finally spoke. “You haven’t had one yet in all of this,” he said quietly.
Orlando turned his wide eyes on Sean and contemplated what he had said. While there had been many moments that he’d been close there had always been something that had pulled him back just from the verge of doing it. “I’ve had to be strong for Samantha,” he said firmly. “And…I haven’t had to face it alone…you’re a good distraction.”
“Well then,” Sean said a smirk cracking his lips. “I guess I’ll have to keep on being a distraction then.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Viggo felt the satisfaction shoot through him as fast and sure as the bullet that had just left his gun. He watched the policeman crumple to the ground with a tight smile and shook his head as the others moved to check on the man.
There was no need, Viggo always shot to kill.
It had not been a kill that he’d wanted to make but it was necessary. If the regular police had gotten the idea that they could do a paltry job when they were assigned a task by him then they needed to be reminded just where they fit into the chain of command. This one had had Bloom and his companion in his grasp and had been foolishly swayed by a little bit of Spanish. If not for bad timing and the continued incompetency of those around him Viggo would have the map and the boy in his grasp.
He turned his back and walked away from the scene without a second glance. Let the others run to their fallen comrade, it would do them no good he was already long gone. And soon Bloom would be too. It was clear from the direction they’d traveled that he and his companion had not headed towards Cartagena, probably hoping to throw them of the trail, but Viggo would not be fooled so easily. Not when he was this close to something he wanted.
He’d track them down and then he’d make them pay for the annoyance they had been. It would not be quick and almost painless like the officer behind him. Oh no, they would feel every single detail until their last dying breath.
And then he would make a masterpiece out of their blood.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“There…there it is!”
Orlando’s voice was excited as they crested the top of a hill and saw the rocky formation they’d been aiming for on the map on top of another nearby hill. It was large, almost a hill in itself, and through the open window there was the sound of rushing water filling the air. The map showed the location of the treasure they were after along with a drawing of a waterfall and it sounded like there was one near by. Orlando had the door open and was almost out of it before Sean even pulled the car to a stop near the formation.
“Orlando, are you sure about this?” halting him with a hand on his arm. “We haven’t done anything yet, we can still just go and get Samantha.”
“We’ve come all this way, Sean,” Orlando said softly a smile crossing his face at the gesture. “Too far to turn back now, so you can come with me or wait in the car…”
“Like I’m going to wait in the car,” Sean said with a grin as he opened the door.
Orlando grinned back and they hurried towards the formation. They entered through a large cave. The inside cavern started wide and open but got more narrow and closed off the longer they traveled down it. The deeper into the formation they walked the louder the sound of rushing water became. After ten minutes of walking they found the source.
“Oh my…” Sean murmured awe filling his voice as he took in the sight in front of them.
They were in a rock clearing with almost sheer cliffs surrounding them. On the other side of them was the waterfall. It wasn’t too big but it was large enough that the sound of the water blocked out almost everything else. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant but it took some getting used to. At the bottom of the cavern was a crisp blue pool lined with rocks and the green of trees and bushes. It looked like something you’d see on a postcard for a tropical location and Orlando made a mental note to ask for the copy of the map that Sean had made so that he could bring Samantha and take pictures. It would make the perfect location for a future book.
He pulled out the map and looked at it, trying to get his bearings on the final location of the treasure to where they were now. “I think…” he said, speaking loudly to be heard over the roar of water. “That we have to go behind the waterfall.”
Sean gave him an incredulous look and took the map from him. His forehead creased and then finally he nodded his agreement and handed the map back to Orlando. Orlando folded it carefully and sealed it in the plastic casing, hoping to keep it from getting too wet, then they set off down the steep slope to the pool below. The going was slow, the rocks were slick and sometimes they had to backtrack as they found themselves off the trail and into dangerous territory, but soon they managed to get to the bottom and walked around the small pool to the waterfall.
Orlando was relieved when they stepped through the rushing water into the cavern behind the waterfall. He’d half been expecting to find a dead end and that he’d somehow managed to read the map wrong. There was no sign of any treasure just smooth rock walls and a small pool of water. They crouched down beside it and looked at the muddy water.
“Maybe it’s buried here?” Orlando murmured hopefully. “It’s the only place back here it could be.”
Sean said nothing, just pushed his hands into the water and mud and began to dig around in it. Orlando watched not knowing whether trying to help would be welcomed or a hindrance. He didn’t have to wonder long, Sean made a triumphant noise and seconds later he pulled something out of the pool. But excitement turned to shock and confusion as they realized that what they’d pulled out of the pool was a cheep ceramic statue of a white rabbit.
“What the…” Sean growled as he brushed the mud from the statute. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”
Orlando shook his head in confusion as he stared at the statue. Disappointment and fear welled up inside of him as he looked at the mocking expression on the rabbit’s face. Did this mean that someone had gotten here before them? That didn’t make sense though, if someone had gotten to the treasure first surely they wouldn’t have taken the time to bury the rabbit in its place. They wouldn’t be around to witness the reaction of whoever followed behind them. He watched as Sean lifted the rabbit up and made to toss it into a nearby wall. He found himself wondering if the rabbit was hollow inside like the chocolate ones that came out around Easter time.
“Wait!” he said, the idea hitting him in that instance. “What if the treasure is inside the statue? The map isn’t that old you can tell from looking at it that it’s not…”
Sean lowered his hand and stared at the rabbit in his hand. He shook it, his eyes widening as he placed it on the ground and reached for a rock. He exchanged a glance with Orlando who watched nervously as Sean used the rock to crack open the rabbit. In amongst the shattered pieces was a bundle of cloth. Sean reached for it and peeled the layers back with hands that were shaking slightly. They both watched with wide eyes as a large emerald was revealed. It was far larger than any stone that Orlando had ever seen almost the size of the rock that Sean had used to break open the statue a few seconds earlier. He reached out and brushed his finger against it, the surface was smooth and cool to his touch.
“Bloody hell,” Sean said disbelief coloring his voice.
“It’s beautiful,” was Orlando’s only response as he picked it up. It was solid and real in his hand and he swallowed hard as he slid his hand over into a patch of light to examine it closely.
“No wonder everyone wants it so badly,” Sean murmured. “Do you have any idea how much this must be worth?”
Orlando nodded his head; he really didn’t know exactly how much the stone was worth but just from the size and weight of it he could tell it would be a lot. The possibilities that lay with it were staggering. “What…what do we do now?” he asked a little nervously swallowing to wet his dry throat.
“You can start by handing that over to me.”
The voice was hard and cold Orlando almost dropped the stone as he whirled to face the speaker. It wasn’t Viggo and he was thankful for that but that was about the only good thing. The man was scruffy looking with a hooded sweatshirt pulled up over his head as he regarded them with cool grey eyes that were lined with dark circles adding to his overall haggard appearance. He was holding a gun and pointing it directly at them.
“Hand it over,” he said, taking a step in their direction. He gestured with his gun before pointing it directly at Orlando and held out a bag that Orlando recognized as being in the back of the car in his direction.
Orlando felt Sean stiffen beside him as the gun waved in his direction. Not wanting Sean to do something stupid and get shot, Orlando did as he was told quickly and then moved to place his hand on Sean’s arm to stop him from doing anything.
“Now,” the man continued as he zipped the bag up and glared at the two of them. “You’re both going to march like good little boys ahead of me back up to my car and you’re going to drive us to Cartagena without any funny business, Mr. Bloom.”
Orlando’s eyes widened and his eyes shot over to Sean. This man knew who he was. They’d never exchanged last names in the car and it was doubtful that he would have been able to see him long enough to recognize him if he happened to read romance novels. No this man was somehow involved in the whole process and didn’t seem too thrilled with the prospect. That idea was shown quickly in man’s next words.
“I’ve had a rough couple of days and it’s all because you couldn’t manage to get on the right bus,” The man said tightly. “So now it’s my time to do the leading and you’re going to do everything I tell you.”
Orlando felt Sean tense further at his side and answered quickly. “Okay,” he said softly wincing as the man turned his eyes fully on him. “We’ll go with you…no trouble.”
“Get going then,” the man said and gestured with his gun towards the mouth of the cave.
Orlando reached out and grabbed Sean’s arm pulling him forward so that they could walk out side by side. He looked up at Sean and saw the twitching and bloody murder glinting in his eyes. “Please…don’t…” he said in as low a tone as he could manage to still be heard over the roaring of the waterfall.
“I have my gun pointing directly at Orlando,” the stranger said coming up a few steps behind them, but his comments were clearly directed at Sean. “You do anything funny and it won’t be you I shoot.”
Orlando stiffened at the comment but forced himself to remain calm and to continue to walk forward as evenly as he could manage. If he gave Sean a reason to do something stupid he had no doubt that the other man would follow through.
And he had caused Sean enough trouble already.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dominic breathed a sigh of relief as they finally reached the car. He’d thought that at any second Bloom and his companion were going to call him on his bluff and try to do something stupid. Dom knew that there was no way he could shoot anyone, but thankfully Bloom seemed think that he would and if the other man thought that he wasn’t serious he wasn’t going to test that theory and get Bloom shot.
“Get in,” he ordered Bloom, gesturing with the gun. “You’re going to drive.”
Bloom nodded and went towards the car door. The other man didn’t seem as eager to comply with the orders. “Why make us go back with you at all, you’ve got what you’ve came for, why not just leave us here?”
“Because Bloom has to finish what he came here to do and he won’t get his sister back if he doesn’t bring the map to Cartagena,” Dom said reasonably.
“And the stone?” the man asked with narrowed eyes.
“It will be with me and I’ll be long gone by the time you set up the drop,” Dominic said in as controlled a voice as he could manage. He had finally decided on the trip that it would probably be better for everyone that Colin not know that Dominic had the stone until after Samantha was free. That way he’d take the brunt of the reaction, something he was looking forward to, to an almost unseemly degree.
“And what’s to stop us from telling the kidnappers the truth?” the man asked dryly.
“You can tell him whatever you’d like,” Dom said with a shrug of his shoulders. “As I’ll be long gone and he won’t be able to touch me. But I don’t think you’ll want to do that. Farrell is highly…unpredictable and you wouldn’t want to do anything that would put Mrs. Urban in danger now would you?”
Bloom visibly flinched at that comment and then frowned. “If you’re working with the kidnappers then why…why are you doing this?”
“Because I can,” was the first thing that popped into Dom’s head. “Let’s get this clear,” he continued, sizing the stranger up before turning his attention back to Bloom. “I’m outright stealing it from you…but at least I’m not trying to romance it out from under you.”
Dominic didn’t know what possessed him to make the remark. Yes he’d had a bad few days and yes he blamed these two men, particularly Bloom, but it was still a rather nasty thing to say. He was probably channeling Colin just a bit too much in his attempt to come across as menacing. Bloom flinched again, his eyes moving to the side to stare at the other man for a moment before turning his attention back to Dominic, he looked more annoyed then anything at the implication.
“It was my idea to come out here,” he insisted quietly.
Dominic laughed and shook his head, ignoring the thunderous look on the stranger’s face. “All good con men can get you to do things and make think it was your idea. Now get in the car,” he said evenly.
Bloom did as he was told quickly and quietly, his posture seemed to have curled inward on himself just the slightest bit, a sign that Dominic’s words had hit their intended mark. Dominic then turned his attention towards ordering the other man into the car, something he realized was probably going to be a lot harder. “You’re going to go in the back…we’ll see how you like…it…”
Any response the man would have made was drowned out by the screeching tires and a swarm of police cars that crested the hill and bore down on them. In one of the open carriages of a jeep was Viggo. Dominic didn’t think, he just turned on his heel and took off in the opposite direction, behind him he could hear the thick Sheffield accent ordering Bloom to drive.
It took Dom a moment to realize that they were coming after him. He flailed, knowing there was no way he could outrun a car. and foolishly fired his gun back over his shoulder as he ran. He didn’t even bother to check if he’d actually managed to hit anything as he kept moving. It was foolish to think that he could out run a car and he felt it as the car got closer to him. It wasn’t that thought made him stop in his tracks and stare in front of him in pure horror. No that was because of the sight of an army of men on horseback which appeared over yet another hill and started bearing down on them from that direction.
Mind reeling, he didn’t even have a moment to catch his breath before a hard body contacted with him sending him to the ground. He looked up into furious green eyes as a fist connected painfully with his face. He tried to keep his grip on the bag with the stone but it was a loosing battle. The man managed to yank it away from him and stumbled back into the car yelling at Orlando to get them out of there. The car took off as the cars and the men on horses converged on their spot. Viggo and a few of the cars took off after the car the rest of them encircled Dominic making any hope of escape futile. Dominic clutched his aching jaw and dropped himself prone onto the ground with a sigh.
He really was starting to think he’d been born under an unlucky sign.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Orlando knew he didn’t have full control of the car as he careened around corners trying to get as far away from their pursuers as fast as they could. They’d seen a glimpse of Viggo as they’d fled so they both knew how important it was to get away. At least they had the stone and for the moment they seemed to have lost the police. Sean had checked the bag to make sure it was in there and then shoved the whole thing into his pack, getting rid of some of his clothing to do so.
They were running alongside a river and were hunting for a bridge that would let them cross but there didn’t seem to be any. “What are we going to do?” he asked, feeling as helpless as he’d felt since the beginning of the journey.
From the moment he’d realized he was on the wrong bus it had been his mission to get himself to Cartagena and help his sister. He’d allowed himself to get distracted by thoughts of the treasure and while he knew the man with the gun had been trying to make him doubt Sean and that he was pretty sure that Sean hadn’t been playing him in that way there was still the niggling of doubt left over from Craig.
“Just keep following the river,” Sean said. “There has to be a bridge someplace. Orlando I…” Sean started but stopped as an outcropping of rocks appeared in front of them. “Look out!”
Startled by the unexpected appearance of the rocks Orlando jerked the wheel. The car swung towards the river and though he struggled to right it the tires caught in the mud on the bank and went sliding into the river. The car smashed into the river bottom and then the fast current picked it up and sent them shoot down stream. With shaky hands he tried to steer the car away from the boulders that sat in their path he knew it was useless, but it gave him something to concentrate on other than the sheer terror that was threatening to overwhelm him.
One of Sean’s hands slipped over his and stopped his movement, the long fingers caressing against the shaky ones on the wheel in a soothing matter. “Are you okay?” he asked pulling Orlando’s attention away from the raging river in front of them.
“Yeah,” Orlando answered his voice shaking. “Are you?”
“I’m fine,” Sean reassured him quickly. “I think the car has probably had it.”
Orlando looked down and saw water that was seeping in through the bottom of the car. He shivered and pulled his feet up since there was no need to use the pedals. He wondered how long it would take the car to sink in the rushing current and figured they were probably safe for a little while. As if Sean could sense his wayward thoughts he broke them.
“At least Viggo can’t follow us in here, right?” he asked with a grin.
Orlando laughed at that and it felt good. For a moment anyway, then a strange and eerily familiar roar started filling the car. It sounded a lot like the waterfall they’d just seen, only it sounded a lot bigger and like they were heading towards it. Looking forward he realized that the river in front of them seemed to be dropping away from them and it was coming fast.
“Oh gods…” he muttered wondering if he was ever going to get a break, even for just a moment. An image of a night spent in Sean’s arms flittered across his mind and he felt a little calmer. “Sean…” he said tensely in case Sean didn’t realize what they were headed for.
But Sean had realized it as well and he was already in action, kneeling on the seat to push the sunroof of the car open. He shouldered his pack and reached down for Orlando. “Come on.”
“But…” Orlando said even as he was moving to join Sean in climbing out onto the top of the car and shouldering his pack.
“When I say jump you jump clear of the car, okay?” Sean said tensely.
“Okay,” Orlando agreed his heart thudding painfully in his chest.
He watched as the car started to tip over the edge. Sean grasped his hand and gave it a tight squeeze and then let go. “Now,” he yelled as the car started its descent.
Orlando thought briefly how insane it seemed to be jumping off the top of a car going down a waterfall but he supposed it made more sense than staying inside the car. He watched as Sean leapt from the car and disappeared. Then his own eyes slid shut as fear engulfed him.
And then he took a deep breath and jumped.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The rush of water surrounded Sean completely. Entwining, pushing, pulling, and fighting him as he surged towards the surface. Finally, after a concentrated effort, he managed to break free and struggled against the rushing current towards the shore. He breathed heavily when he finally reached it and then glanced around expecting to see Orlando struggling up next to him.
Orlando wasn’t there.
Terror filled Sean as he glanced up and down the bank of the river seeing nothing but rocks and rushing water. He swung around, eyes sweeping down the river, and was momentarily relieved to not see a bobbing form too far out of reach to rescue. The fear didn’t dissipate because if Orlando wasn’t near him or still in the water then where was he? Remembering the fight he’d had to break the surface, Sean surged to his feet, ready to dive back in to pull the other man out.
Relief swept through him as he spotted Orlando struggling to the shore on the opposite side of the river. He was coughing and sputtering but seemed otherwise unharmed. Shouldering his pack he called out to let Orlando know where he was.
“Are you okay?”
Orlando’s head shot around and his body seemed to sag from relief as he saw Sean. “Yeah, are you?”
“Yeah,” Sean answered back.
“Can you get over here?” Orlando called back, looking doubtfully at the raging river.
“No,” Sean answered. “I don’t want to chance it without a bridge.”
“Do you think there’s one close by?” Orlando called back his eyes still trained on the river.
“Probably not,” Sean said with a sigh, he didn’t want to say what he had to next, but he knew it was the only thing there was to do. “You’ll have to go on without me.”
“What!” Orlando yelped sharply.
“You have to…I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to get over there,” Sean insisted. “You’ll be fine, Orlando,” he said firmly. “Just head in that direction,” he continued point in a straight direction towards where Orlando was staring. “The main road to Cartagena is about ten miles away, you’re bound to find someone who’s heading in that direction…use the money if you have to.”
“But…” Orlando called worriedly. “What about you?”
“I’ll keep looking for a way across and I’ll meet you…”
“Sean no…” Orlando yelled worriedly. “I can’t…”
“You can,” Sean yelled sharply. “You have the map and you know what to do with it. It’s what you’re here to do. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” Orlando called, but again Sean could make out a slight tinge of doubt on the man’s face even across the distance.
“I promise,” he yelled back before he realized what he was doing. “Now go before they catch up with us! And be careful!”
“You too,” Orlando said with a wave.
He stood there for a long moment his eyes trained on Sean. Sean shifted uncomfortably under the weight of it even across the river. Before he could yell at him again to get moving Orlando finally turned and started walking off. Sean watched until he’d disappeared and then dropped back down to the ground. He opened his pack and unzipped the bag inside. Both were waterlogged but the emerald glittered in the depths.
He sighed again, there was no doubt what Orlando was doing with that long stare before he’d left. It was a last look. Orlando thought he’d never see Sean again. Sean could understand the doubt. Sean had the emerald and the man with the gun had no doubt planted a soft seed of doubt into Orlando’s head with his earlier comment. Sean hated to think that Orlando would think that he would just turn around and leave him alone now that he had the stone, but he couldn’t blame him.
Resolve filled him as he stood back up and shouldered his back. He’d have to move quickly, he didn’t know how long it would take Viggo to figure out that they had gone over the falls with the car, so he had to get out of there before he did. He’d have to hope that there was a bridge somewhere close down river and he’d have to move carefully not to be seen. And most importantly he had to do it fast.
He had a promise to keep.
* * *
TBC
Note #4: It never really struck me how illogical some of the landscaping in the film was until I sat down to write the fic. For the most part it's as it is in the original though I've done some slight altering.
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