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Domino and Elektra

Misadventure in Sierra Blanca

Chapter 4 Escape

It was a long two days before they stopped the seemingly endless trek. By that time both women were almost completely done in. Being force-marched through the rainforest while completely blind had tasked them to the limit of their endurance. Even their finely honed bodies were not up to the grueling ordeal of continually marching with their hands bound behind their backs and their breathing restricted by the gags and hoods. They were tired and dirty and their clothes were shredded from constantly blundering into tropical thorns. As their hoods were removed by Maria each noted that their original costumes were so badly tattered that they barely concealed their modesty.

“What are you going to do with us?” Domino asked. It was the first time she had given in to the extent of asking her fate and that of her partner. It was a sign of weakness, but she was too far gone to care. She knew the rebels were not going to kill them. If they had wanted to do that they would be dead already. But what did their captors have in mind for them?”

“You are two highly trained agents,” Maria answered. “Far too highly trained to be part of the pathetic mob that calls itself the Sierra Blanca military. That means were you sent by an organization outside of the country. We would like to find out who sent you and why you were sent. Also, you are probably quite valuable to your bosses. No doubt they would pay highly for your safe return. An organization like ours can always use a little cash.”

“So you’re just going to keep us prisoner?” Elektra chimed in.

“Well,” Maria answered with a slight smile, “we’re not going to torture you if that is what you are afraid of. That is the sort of thing that Villalobos and his thugs do.”

“Villalobos?” Domino queried, as Maria untied her hands.

“You were very poorly briefed weren’t you?” Maria answered. “Villalobos is the man that really runs this country. He’s the head of the secret police and specializes in rape and torture.” She got up and untied Elektra. The three women were still bound in the agreement that there would be no escape attempts while they were fed and given food and water.

Both captives got to their feet and rubbed their limbs. It was always painful when the circulation returned after being tied all day. “I don’t suppose you have a change of clothing we could wear?” Elektra asked.

“Sorry,” answered Maria. “It is important that you look properly disheveled when we send your photo to the Sierra Blancan government. We get better results that way.” She started to move away. “I’ll be back with your supper in a few minutes. Look after your private needs in the meantime.”

“Oh by the way,” added Maria, as she walked away. “This is it. We’re not going any further so don’t just do you business anywhere. You’re going to be here for quite awhile.”

Domino took in their forest prison. They were at the far end of a box canyon. Sheer walls extended some thirty meters over their heads, climaxing in a vegetation covered overhang. Even with proper climbing gear it would have been difficult to scale the walls and all of that equipment had been taken away by the rebels. It appeared that this was to be their new home.

The open end of the box canyon revealed the rebel camp. The only way out was to exit through the camp and it contained several hundred people. Both women noted to their surprise that there were a number of women and children among the rebels. They had not thought of the guerrillas as having families.

“Well,” said Elektra. “I guess we better make some sort of shelter. I don’t think anyone else is going to do it for us.”

Domino nodded. She pointed to a depression near the rock wall. It afforded anyone who stood there a little bit of privacy. Let’s put the privy there. We can pile dirt on it to keep down the flies and the smell.”

The two women settled into their captivity. There wasn’t much else they could do. Their captors pretty much left them alone. They even brought them food so that they could do their own cooking. There was no way that they could escape through the rebel camp. Guards were always posted at night and they were expressly forbidden to set foot outside their own little section of the canyon during the day. The lean-to they had built became increasingly more elaborate the longer they were prisoners. With nothing to do to keep them busy the two agents invented tasks. Their little shelter soon had fine rock walls and a well-thatched roof. Now even during the heaviest tropical downpour they were able to keep dry. There was nothing for them to do except wait until they were ransomed or rescued.

“I’m leaving tonight,” Elektra said after they had been in the rebel camp abut three weeks.

“I assume I’m invited,” Domino responded.

“If you like,” Elektra replied, tossing her long black hair. She had managed to make a crude comb using thorns and a piece of soft wood she had found. Domino had copied the design. Unable to bathe except by standing in the rain, both women still struggled to maintain a certain level of tidiness and respectability.

Domino hid her displeasure. Despite the shared confinement and their brutal ordeal at the hands of Menendez, the bond that linked them was still not as strong as it might have been. She wondered what it would take to establish a proper working relationship. She was haunted by a sense of guilt, blaming herself for not making the relationship work. “I do like,” she answered. “Are you sure we are ready?”

“Elektra nodded. “We’re not getting any stronger on this meatless diet. We’ve both lost weight and the inactivity is causing us to lose muscle. Tonight there will be no moon and we have enough rope to do the job.”

Domino had to agree. They had spent many hours in the dark of night braiding the leaf fibres of one of the rainforest plants to create that rope. Now it was ready. To delay any longer would lead to possible discovery.

They waited until a few hours after the rest of the camp had settled down. By the light of the fires they could seen the rebel guards, but in their section of the canyon it was pitch black. They would not be detected as they ascended the rock wall.

Elektra took the lead. She had the most confidence in her climbing abilities, her training as an oriental assassin providing her with a solid background in that sort of activity. It was dangerous climbing in the dark, but the two women had all night. The only reason to hurry was to avoid becoming too tired due to a lack of stamina. However, they were well rested and quite fit in spite of their mediocre diet.

They made it to the overhang in about an hour, using just their hands and feet. Now they needed the rope. From her position just below Elektra Domino swung the rope in a wide arc. Attached to the swinging end was a crude hook fashioned out of the branch of a tree. It had been given to them as firewood, but both women had immediately spotted its other potential.

The arc of the hook increased until finally it was whirling in a complete circle. At that point Domino released it. The hook caught. It would have been difficult for it not to have caught something in the tangle of vegetation overhanging the canyon. Pulling on the rope, Domino tested it and then, handing the loose end to Elektra, swung out into space.

The hook jerked down a foot a then held. That brief drop gave Domino a real rush of anxiety, but she held on, and then began to pull herself up, hand over hand. In a few seconds she was into the vegetation at the top of the cliff. Making sure the hook was secure she gave two tugs on the rope, signaling Elektra to proceed.

The Greek girl came up more quickly, aided by Domino pulling on the rope from above. Reaching the top Elektra flopped down beside Domino. Both women lay where they were for several minutes, breathing heavily. It had been quite a climb and their slender reserves of energy had been almost used up. But they knew they couldn’t just lie there for long. By morning they had to be well away from the rebel camp, otherwise their escape would be wasted.

Domino got to her feet. “Which way would be best?” she asked.

“That’s the Southern Cross,” Elektra replied, pointing to a grouping of stars. “We can use that as our compass.” She turned 90 degrees. “This way is west. That is the direction we take.”

“Alright,” said Domino. “Let’s go. It’s time we got the hell out of here.”

They tramped through the forest all night. Morning found them almost exhausted. They had managed to stockpile a small amount of food, but had eaten all of that on the march and they were now both famished. Fortunately they were able to find water in cup-shaped depressions of the large leaves of certain rainforest plants so they were able to slake their thirst, but they were running very low on energy.

“We’ve got to keep going,” Domino said. “We don’t have a big enough lead on the rebels. It won’t take them long to get on our trail and they know the forest better than we do.”

Elektra nodded. They didn’t have much choice. They would only get one escape attempt. If they were recaptured the rebels would keep them under guard day and night. They had to make this first attempt successful. Without a word she headed in the direction they had been walking, Domino following.

Without really knowing where they were going, they blundered through the forest, sometimes finding a path by accident, but quite often just forcing their way through the vegetation. It was not a very efficient way to travel and it did not take long until both women were completely exhausted. It was at that point that they heard the sound of pursuit.

“Here! Their trail goes this way!” shouted a female voice.

“It’s Maria,” whispered Elektra. “They’ve found us so soon!”

Domino did not answer. Instead she ducked low and headed away from the sounds of pursuit, Elektra following. They made little or no effort to be subtle, crashing through the vegetation with little regard to obstacles. Behind them the sound of the pursuing rebels sounded louder.

“We’re not going to get away,” Thought Domino. At that point she was very close to panic and then a fusillade of shots sounded all around her.

Instinctively both women dropped to the ground. The firing continued for a few more seconds and then stopped. There was the sound of heavy bodies moving through the vegetation toward them. Was it the rebels or government troops?

It was too late to run any more. Resignedly Domino and Elektra got to their feet. Several men dressed in Sierra Blanca battle dress appeared out of the surrounding vegetation. “Thank god,” Domino muttered. She moved forward to greet them.

“Get your hands up, rebel bitch,” ordered one of the soldiers. “And you too,” he added pointing his rifle at Elektra.

“Wait,” Domino protested. “We’re not rebels. They were chasing us. We were taken prisoner and escaped.”

“Get on your knees, bitch, or I’ll fill you full of holes.” The soldier leveled his rifle at her.

“The contact,” she thought. “The contact. Look. I can prove it. Get me to a phone. A single call to President Santos and this will be all cleared up.”

“President Santos? The soldier grinned at her. “There is no President Santos. General Villalobos is now president. Santos is dead.”

“Ah oh,” Domino thought. “That’s not good.” Slowly she dropped to her knees and raised her hands.