Yucatan

Choice

Constantina drove as fast as she dared on the back roads of the rural Yucatan Peninsula. Soon, the surrounding scenery became invisible behind the stirred-up dust.

Connie shifted down a gear. “Well, at least there's no traffic.” Her laugh was an octave to high as she giggled nervously at her own joke.

Her stomach growled. For the first time since she woke up next to Mark, she thought about food.

“How long ago did I eat last? Two days? How long did it take Mark to ship me across the Gulf of Mexico?” She glanced at the cooler in the back seat.

Her initial thought was to find a good place to pull over. She laughed again, then stopped the car in the middle of the road. It’s not like anyone going to have a fit about it.

The cooler contained several sandwiches and fruit. Famished, Connie tore through the first sandwich while unwrapping a second one.

She relaxed and continued chewing, albeit slower.

The adrenaline rush subsided, and sleepiness set in. Having a full stomach made her want to take a nap. She glanced at her phone. Again, she was astonished that the online map worked out here, in the middle of nowhere. Just in case, she had saved the directions to her phone directly instead of the cloud.

She should arrive at Regina's place in under an hour. Then what do I do? Drive up to her house, jump out of the car and say 'surprise'? What if she's not alone?

Connie allowed her thoughts to drift while following the straight road.

Soon, the dirt road split, the GPS idling, directing her to take the right. Her destination lay a mile ahead and she’d have to hike the distance in the heat, in the jungle. Besides, anyone listening would have already heard her diesel engine nailing. They are louder than gasoline cars. She sighed, steered the car right and kept driving.