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Gray Thomas
Clinging to cliff
Pulhapanzak Falls, Honduras
Sweat dripped down Gray’s chin as he hung onto the support beam. The men above him argued about how to get to him. Since his cover was blown, Gray made his way down the side of the cliff and toward the water as quickly as he could, keeping the deck and rocks between him and them. Getting shot wasn’t an option today.
As he neared, the spray from the falls drenched him. His feet slipped constantly from the water soaking his shoes, but he gritted his teeth and kept moving.
Gray looked up to see Number Two climb over the railing and head toward him. Gray picked up his pace. He had about ten feet to go when another shot was fired. The bullet hit inches from Gray’s head. The rock and dirt thrown back from the impact cut his face and got in his eyes. His eyes instantly watered hoping for relief from the stinging.
On instinct, Gray reached for his face to clear his vision. The hand holding him to the side of the cliff slipped and his footing gave way. Gray fell back and hit the water with a splash. Gray managed to gasp in a breath of air before submerging. He held what little air he had in his lungs and swam under the water, against the current. With any luck, the men would think he’d been hit and would continue their search downstream.
If he remembered correctly, there was a large boulder he could hide behind. Excursions into the caves climbed over the boulder. Swimming around it, against the current and injured, was much more difficult and took longer. Gray reached the massive rock and used it to pull himself around. His lungs were burning with the need for air but he couldn’t surface yet, not until the rock would provide some cover for him. His backpack felt like a fifty-pound weight pushing down on him. His feet dragged with every kick from his waterlogged shoes. He wanted to kick them off but couldn’t afford the time it would take. With one last pull, he moved around the boulder and exploded from the water. He gulped in air, his body relieved to feel it filling his lungs again.
After a few minutes, Gray peeked around the rock. Number Two still hung to the side of the cliff, looking around for any signs of Gray. Guy and Number One stood on the platform searching for him. Both men looked downriver, expecting him to have moved with the flow of the water.
Gray put his back to the rock and got his bearings. He was on the edge of the river. The water was about waist-high to him though he didn’t stand up. Tears leaked from his eyes from the pain in his side. They ran down his face, blending with the river water.
There was a five-foot gap Gray needed to cross to get to the falls themselves. He would be exposed the whole time and it would be slow going. The rocks under his feet were coated in algae and quite slippery. Gray took his shoes and socks off and let the river carry them away.
Gray checked around the boulder but quickly ducked back down. Guy and the others were looking in his direction. Gray counted to one hundred and checked again. All heads were turned away. Gray kept his body low, with his head barely above the waterline. He used his bare toes to grip the slippery rocks below. The current was too strong to attempt swimming under the water. Sharp, jagged edges cut into the soles of his feet as he pushed himself forward, but he kept moving. Now wasn’t the time to take tentative steps. He needed speed.
The spray from the falls worsened as he neared it. He kept his head down and breathed through his mouth. The feeling of walking through a waterfall felt like drowning. Water hit him from every direction. He was soaked to the bone, waterlogged. His jeans chafed against his thighs. His side burned. He wanted to curl into a ball and give up.
But he wouldn’t. He needed to get away. He needed his babysitters to give up and leave. He needed to find Regan. If she found his last clue, she would be heading straight into the lion’s den at G and G Hostel. She’d have no way of knowing that he wasn’t even there, and, more importantly, she’d have no way of knowing where he actually was.
Gray took another step and focused on his surroundings. His foot slipped out from under him but he caught himself. His left hand gripped the edge of the cliff as he neared. The water roared around him. His pursuers could be inches away and he’d have no way of hearing them because the roar of the waterfall was so loud, or of seeing them because of the spray hitting his face.
Water ran down his hair and onto his face. It dripped off his lashes. It poured down his lips. With every breath through his mouth water entered. He tried to spit but couldn’t. More water just poured in. He closed his mouth and tried to breathe through his nose, but it was worse. He inhaled nothing but water.
Gray was in the heart of the waterfall now. Water hit him from every angle. He tucked his chin lower to his chest and took shallow breaths. He closed his eyes and used his hands to guide himself, inching along. Moving faster wasn’t an option. The water hit him like bricks. It created a wall he had to fight through. It pushed down on his shoulders and dragged against his backpack. Gray fought through the force. It felt like an eternity before the pressure eased.
Gray pushed through and took his first deep breath. The water created a curtain behind him. Every cell in his body felt waterlogged. Gray held onto the rocky sides of the cliff to catch his breath. The water lapped at him, coming up to his chest.
The largest cave was closest to him, looking like someone had taken a large spoon and scooped out a section of the mountain. Gray bypassed it and kept moving. He held onto the openings and inched his way past three other caves. The fifth and last cave was the one he wanted. Until a person was right next to the opening, it was invisible to the naked eye. If Gray had been spotted and followed, the person might give up before venturing far enough to see the final entrance. The opening was also the smallest, providing him with a place to hide once the cave opened up after the narrow tunnel opening. Gray took off his backpack and held it above his head. He turned sideways and inched into the opening. The sides of the cave scraped along his chest and back.
The cave opened up but not by much. Gray could stand in the center, stretch out his arms and touch both sides at the same time. Below the waterline, the cave was much narrower, creating natural shelves on both sides. Another reason for choosing this cave. Gray would be able to lift himself out of the water and rest while lying flat. It wouldn’t be comfortable, but it would do.
Gray garnered his last bit of strength to pull himself up onto the ledge. Even that small effort cost him. He fell to his side and promptly passed out.