Chapter 13 Mission Begins

A green bag was tossed on a table. Its only zip was pulled down and then spread wide. Two different sets of hands began to carefully load it with guns. The bag got full and was immediately zipped up. It was picked up and tossed to Paulo who walked past Matt, Mark, Alejandro, Adriana and Diego.

They all stood around the kitchen table with their serious eyes on the map spread wide across the table. Alejandro pointed and scaled his finger through the map while the others listened attentively. He placed pins at different points and the others noted them.

"So, we will sail through the Xingu River and turn here to join the Amazon River?" Matt asked and Alejandro quickly nodded his head in confirmation.

"Okay, according to what you have explained Alejandro, the evil forest is within the Solimoes-Japura forest. Why not use this route to get there instead? It seems shorter." Mark suggested.

"That route has terrible rapids although I do agree that this route long. It will take us four days to get to the evil forest and let's not forget the six days we are to spend on the road. This will amount to a total ten days which is not good because there's no telling what other delays we may meet along the way." Adrianna pointed out.

"You are right. The lunar eclipse is in 14 days. What do you suggest we do?" Alejandro asked her.

Adrianna slid her finger through the map. "If we sail this way instead, it will take us two days. Let me explain why." her finger paused. "There's a village for Yanomami tribe here. They are a friendly bunch as long as we don't provoke them. There's a shortcut to the evil forest through this village."

"What, how do you know that?" Matt asked her intrigued.

"I have my sources." Adrianna grinned. "If you guys agree to my suggestion, we will get there in eight days."

"Are you sure about this though? Remember we can't afford to waste any time." Matt stressed.

Adrianna snorted, "Yes, I am 100% sure."

"All right, then it's settled. We are going with your plan." Alejandro glanced over to the clock. "Come on people, it's 04:30; let's get moving!"

Everyone picked up bags. Diego pulled up in a mini bus, and they loaded it. The gang got in while Alejandro locked his apartment door. He, too, got into the bus and Diego drove off.

Diego drove for a while before parking the bus along the road. Matt recognized the house across and when he saw Fernanda walk out of it, he nodded his head in confirmation. She wore a black long sleeved knee short dress and maroon cloak.

Another woman in the exact outfit stepped out of the house. She stood aside as Fernanda spoke to and kissed a man at the door. After a few minutes, he waved good-bye and closed the door while the women made their way to the bus.

Matt had his eyes on the mysterious woman. He couldn't see her face because of the hood over her head, but he could tell that she was young. Alejandro smiled at Fernanda, and she faintly smiled back before gesturing her hand towards the woman with her.

"She is Stephanie. I hope you don't mind that I am bringing her along with me." she boldly said.

"Not at all." Alejandro quickly answered. "Where is your luggage?" he asked with his eyes searching.

Fernanda used her thumb to point at the backpack on her back while Stephanie turned to reveal hers. "We won't need much." Fernanda stated.

"All right, hop on. We have six days and 14 hours to get to the Amazon forest." Alejandro told them.

Fernanda sat on the first seat that caught her eye. She put her bag on her lap and leaned back with a yawn. Stephanie walked past her and took interest in the seat just behind Fernanda. Her elbow poked Mark as she hastily sat down. She turned to him with her eyes showcasing remorse. It was at that point when a truck drove past the bus. Its headlights enabled Mark to have a clear look at her.

Her emerald eyes were clear and full of innocence. Mark's eyes trailed down her straight nose and when they landed on the pink plump lips, they paused. He stared at them so much that it puzzled Stephanie. She tilted her head and snapped Mark out of his trance. He cleared his throat and abruptly faced forward, feeling so embarrassed.

"Good morning," Matt greeted Fernanda, and she turned to him startled.

"Good morning, Mr. Daka. I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." Fernanda returned the greeting in her alluring rich Spanish accent.

"It's okay and please, call me Matt." Matt insisted with a slight nod and took Fernanda's extended hand.

Fernanda grinned at him. "Of course,"

****

Hours went by and the group was still on the road—as expected. The trail was hot and sunny. Its blazing heat through the windows didn't show Matt any mercy. He opened his eyes to its brightness and squinted them as he sat up. A yawn escaped his lungs whilst he put on his sunglasses.

Matt took a bored look at the motorists on the road. A blonde woman driving a blue Mini Cooper got his attention. Seeing that woman reminded him of Ruth. His brows furrowed as he drifted away in thought. He remembered how her natural golden hair sparkled in the sun the first day he met her.

On that day, he was out on his usual jogging trail with music blasting through his headsets. He smiled faintly to himself when he remembered stopping in his tracks when he saw Ruth. She was bending over as she tied her shoelaces on a park bench.

Ruth straightened her back and caught Matt staring. When she smiled at him, Matt froze completely. Her beauty was godly. None that he had ever seen before. His heart twisted in a way he never imagined that it would as he watched her walk towards him. Her beautiful lips moved, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. All he thought about was asking her out to dinner.

Ruth got close enough and flashed the brightest smile Matt ever saw. Her only dimple mesmerized him to the point of his brain shutting down. Ruth made gestural movements with her hands but Matt didn't snap out of it.

He blinked once, twice, thrice and widened his eyes at what she meant. Without a word, Matt took off his headsets. Ruth smiled at him and he blushed.

"Would you like to grab a cup of coffee with me?" were the words he was finally able to hear, and he knew at that moment that she was the one.

Matt always loved Ruth's natural hair color. He never understood why she decided to dye it white. She still looked beautiful regardless. After all, she was his Ruth—his love. He was past her physical appearance. Her warm embrace and love was all that he needed. The past days without her were the hardest. He yearned to see her again and feel her in his arms.

Ruth. Matt internally called out with so much intensity as if she could hear him. He almost believed that she could—if only.

Matt heard a page turn and he glanced at Fernanda. He watched her mark a verse in her bible with a lime green highlighter. Matt leaned closer and read what she marked.

Hebrews 13:6

The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?

Both his brows jerked up involuntarily. He faced forward in thought of the verse. Fernanda closed her bible and put it back in her bag. Matt listened to her muffling a prayer to herself. Fernanda exasperated and leaned her head back.

"Reading your bible lifts your spirit up, huh?" Matt broke the silence between them.

"Oh yes, the word refreshes my soul." Fernanda quickly replied with a gentle smile.

"You understand the scriptures well enough to still have love for God." Matt stated and Fernanda nodded her head in agreement. "There's a scripture I want you to explain to me."

Fernanda faced Matt. "I'm listening."

Matt took off his sunglasses and wiped his face with a handkerchief. He then got hold of his bearded chin—he hadn't shaved in days. "When I was 14, I learned about that parable of the Rich Fool. To this day, I don't understand why God killed him. What wrong did he commit by wanting to store his produce efficiently?"

Fernanda's lips twitched into a grin and a soft chuckle soon followed. "He was a man who thought only of himself. He had excess produce but instead of sharing some of it, especially with the less fortunate, he decided to keep it all for himself. God doesn't condone selfishness."

Matt shook his head skeptically, "But still, why did God have to kill him?"

"God didn't kill him. It was his time to die. Matt, there's literally a time for everything. Like the scripture says in Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time for everything; the time to be born and the time to die. This man was assured of a good life that wasn't even going to come to him because that night he was scheduled to die. What then was going to happen to the produce he secured solely for himself?"

Matt took in her words silently. Fernanda saw that her explanation had gotten through him.

"God's point was that, gathering treasure for yourself in earthly things do you no good. It will all remain when you die because you cannot take it with you to the afterlife. What you can take with you is your pure heart. Earthly riches mean nothing to God hence the rich man was poor in God's sight."

"I see now. Thank you for explaining that to me."

"You're welcome."

Alejandro peeped back at everyone from the front seat. Adrianna was reading a novel with headsets plugged in whereas Jose was tapping on his phone. Paulo was fast asleep. Mark was typing away on his laptop. Stephanie sat quiet in thought with her arms crossed.

"Okay everyone, we will be approaching Campo Grande in the next 20 minutes. We will briefly stop there for food. 15 minutes tops, all right?" Alejandro cheerfully said to them.

"Great, I could use a new pair of headsets." Adrianna took off her dysfunctional pair. "Only one is working."

"Jose, you will take over the wheel. Diego is a little tired." Alejandro said to Jose's dismay but to Diego's relief.

"Sure," Jose reluctantly agreed.