CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“Get up,” Claire screamed over the whir of the helicopter blades.

Nyla could barely hear Claire above the noise. She didn’t think she could move her legs. Her heart ached so deeply she could no longer summon up the strength to care about her own life or future, but Claire grasped her hand and pulled until Nyla rose to her feet.

“Come on Nyla, move.”

She complied, knowing her friend wouldn’t leave her behind. Nyla tried to keep pace with Claire, but she kept tripping over every hazard they encountered as they tried to force their way through the thick brush and further up river, closer to the paradise in the desert. She fell to her knees, losing her grip on Claire’s hand. Crawling on hands and knees, barely acknowledging the burs embedding in her skin, Nyla felt incapable of standing.

“Get up. We’re so close. We can’t give up now,” Claire cried. “Please. We don’t know Ethan’s been hit. He may already be on the other side waiting. Do it for me, Ethan, Jared, Carlos and your mother. You know this is all she ever wanted for you. You can’t let her down now.”

Claire’s voice softened and Nyla struggled to stand just as a strong arm encircled her waist and scooped her off her feet.

“Go Claire. I’m right behind you,” Jared yelled as he began to run with Nyla cradled in his arms as if she were weightless.

Nyla was ashamed, but could do nothing but hold on to Jared’s neck as he ran. When he grabbed her, she had hoped it was Ethan, but by the relief on Claire’s face, she was glad it was Jared. Claire deserved happiness and Nyla knew it would never be possible without Jared.

She lifted her head in time to watch Claire splash into the river. Claire lost her footing, fell forward and disappeared under the water’s muddy surface, but popped back up downstream, arms flailing. She regained her balance and gave Nyla and Jared a thumbs-up and pushed on, half swimming and half bouncing off the bottom, fighting the river’s strong current.

Nyla almost lost her grip on Jared’s neck as he leapt into the river behind Claire. He struggled as he sank in the mud, but managed to keep moving. At about the same spot where Claire went under, Jared slipped and they both were pulled under by the strong current.

As her head popped up above the water’s surface, Nyla gasped for air, taking in a choking gulp of dirty water. She coughed and spit and began to fight for control. She considered just giving up, but the thought of drowning made her survival instincts kick in.

The water was deep, though not over her head in most spots, but the current was strong and kept pushing Nyla under and downstream. Each time she surfaced, she could hear Claire screaming and she could now catch glimpses of her friend running down the bank. The realization that Claire had made it to Mexico flooded Nyla with relief and a surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins giving her a burst of strength and hope.

Nyla’s legs churned, searching for the muddy bottom. Her foot brushed the bottom of the river, but she slipped before she could propel herself forward. Hope began to fade, but then she felt Jared’s arm encircled her waist and the two of them together were able to stand and push toward dry land. Jared shoved Nyla up the bank and crawled out of the water behind her. Nyla rolled over onto her back and opened her eyes. Claire stood over her, eyes wide with excitement.

Before Nyla could catch her breath, Claire grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet with strength that startled Nyla. Jared had freed himself from the river’s mud and quickly got to his feet. He grabbed Nyla’s other hand and they ran.

Claire and Jared kept running, pulling Nyla along as they scrambled to higher ground. Nyla’s eyes burned from tears and dirty water and she found it difficult to breathe as her lungs tried to expel the muddy water taken in while in the river. She coughed and stumbled, but tried to keep her legs moving.

“Stop,” Nyla pleaded. “What about Ethan?”

“He wouldn’t want us to slow down until we reach Carlos. Why do you think he did what he did? He led the agents away from us so we would have a chance,” Claire stated through ragged breaths as they continued to run.

“Besides, if I know Ethan…” Jared began as the helicopter returned, drowning out his words.

The helicopter was clearly on the Mexican side of the river and Nyla feared they would be ripped from freedom’s embrace and returned to a society she had risked everything to escape. If it weren’t for her two friend’s pulling her along, she wouldn’t have cared. She had no desire to go on without Ethan, but she realized how selfish that was. She couldn’t drag Claire and Jared down into her tormented depths and her death would be one more tragedy to add to Carlos’ guilt.

Nyla glanced at her two friends tugging at her, and for them she got her feet moving. As she picked up the pace, they released her arms and they were able to run faster, penetrating further and further into Mexico.

“There,” Nyla pointed. “There’s someone over there.”

They hoped they were running to help and not harm, but they didn’t feel they had any other choice. As the helicopter closed in on them a strong search light flashed on and blinked a series of times and then the craft turned and disappeared back into America.

When they reached the keeper of the light, Nyla’s heart sank. Three heavily armed men in uniform stood in front of them. They were obviously Mexico’s border patrol agents. After all they had sacrificed to cross the river, they would probably be sent back to America to face their punishment.

Nyla, Jared and Claire came to an abrupt halt. The men glared, but made no move towards them. Nyla had no idea what to do or say. The men just continued to look at them and clutch their weapons. The silence rattled her nerves. She was beginning to catch her breath after the long run, but her pulse continued to race as the men stood before them like statues carved in granite. Her knees began to weaken and she was beginning to feel light-headed when two men rode up on burros, leading an additional burro each.

The men got off their mounts and as they approached the group, Nyla instantly recognized Carlos from what her mother had told her and from an old photo her mother had kept hidden. Strength instantly returned and she was swept away in a sea of unfamiliar emotions.

Carlos smiled at Nyla and her friends, and then uttered a few words in Spanish to the armed men. Carlos shook each man’s hand and pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket. The men eyed the wad of money, nodded and left.

Nyla looked from Carlos to the younger man with him. She knew he had to be Daniel. He wasn’t much taller than she was, but he was solid and held himself with confidence. His expression was full of compassion and warmth. He was a stranger, yet he was now her brother.

She glanced back at Carlos and was overcome by the desire to be held. Nyla took two slow steps toward Carlos and then ran the remaining distance. He opened his arms and drew her into his embrace. She buried her face in his chest and cried.