CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Colombia
Visible from the small cargo plane Corey and I were passengers on, the landscape of Colombia was covered with lush jungle valleys and mountains that stood proud like monuments. It was exhilarating to witness firsthand nature that was so untouched and organic. The environmentalist in me was doing backflips inside.
“I can’t believe we’re here!” I shouted over the drone of the plane. “This is magnificent.”
“I knew you would like it,” Corey said from the seat across from me. His eyes danced at my reaction. “It’s stunning, but not nearly as much as you are.”
“What is the village like?” I asked, changing the focus away from me.
Prior to leaving, I hadn’t asked many questions. I was only going for Corey, to keep my promise to Noah to watch over his brother. That’s what I told myself. Corey was leading the way, and I followed, knowing only that we were headed towards a village where I could do my ecological research. In my rucksack, I had numerous empty journals, elated that I was actually out of the classroom and office and in the field once more. I wasn’t sure what Corey would be doing in that time, but I guessed it had something to do with saving the rainforest or the jaguars or something equally related to the time he’d spent in Thailand.
“You’ll see for yourself,” Corey answered. “We’re going to land in a few minutes.”
“Thank goodness! I’m starting to feel a bit air sick. Between the private jet and this thing, I don’t want to see another plane for a gazillion years.”
“That’s the plan,” he said, beaming. “I’m arranging it so that you’ll never want to leave.”
The plane dipped to the side, and we made a shaky descent down into a verdant valley covered in dense brush with a river snaking through it. Flying over Colombia, we’d seen many modern cities, but an aerial view of the village revealed round huts with grass roofing built a short distance from more contemporary blocked structures.
Upon landing, Corey took my hand and helped me out of the plane. Thrilled, I breathed in the fresh air, much purer than Chicago. Exotic native women in long skirts and modern T-shirts came out to greet us, their smiles curious and wide. Several had babies tied to their backs. Behind them stood men in soccer jerseys and tracksuit bottoms. It was an integration of the old world with the new, and I was honored to be here to witness it.
“Don’t let the setting fool you,” Corey whispered in my ear, his arm around my waist, fiercely protective. “The people who live in this village choose to be here because of the agricultural benefits. They’re an incredibly astute community who have invented one of the world’s most sophisticated irrigation systems.”
“Then why are they staring at us?” I asked quietly.
“Because we’re here to help.”
I still didn’t understand, but I lifted my hand and waved. “Hola.”
I few said hello back, and the crowd dispersed as a man wearing an army uniform greeted us. “Corey!” he cheered, and they shook hands like old fraternity brothers. “Long time no see, man. Thanks for coming out on such short notice.”
“Of course,” Corey said, his arm still clutching my waist. “I had to answer the call.”
“More poachers?” I asked.
“You could say that,” Corey replied, and then he introduced us. “Imogen, this is Barrett. He made all the arrangements.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said. “This village, this country — it’s amazing.”
“I hope you feel the same after you see your residence,” Barrett said and laughed heartily.
After the comment, I expected him to lead us down to the grass huts, but he took us to one of the block units a short walk away. It was a single room with a kitchenette and a door to a bathroom, but it was actually quite spacious and decorated with a refined jungle charm. A bed with a pillowed mattress and thin sheets on top sat with a palm-wood headboard against the back wall. Closer to the door was a hammock stretched between the walls. There was no television, but a radio rested on a small writing desk, and there were outlets around for electronics.
“It’s better than I could ever imagine,” I said honestly, setting my rucksack down on the floor next to the writing desk.
“Are you sure?” Corey asked. “I know it’s not exactly fine living.”
“It’s good living,” I assured him, flopping down on the bed. “Comfy.”
“There’s hot water in the bathroom,” Barrett informed us. “Grocery stores don’t exactly exist in these parts, but the locals will be bringing you food out of gratitude for what you’re doing here.” He tapped the door anxiously and addressed Corey. “There’s a meeting in an hour. Settle in then join us.”
“See you then,” Corey said, and Barrett left.
“He’s friendly,” I acknowledged. “Why do the villagers feel so indebted to us?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later.”
Standing by the door, he tested the locks, making sure they were bolted tight. Only when the door was shut did I realize there were no windows in the room.
“That’s strange,” I mused. “And dark.”
“It’s to keep away the mosquitos.”
Satisfied, he opened the door once more, and light came flooding back in. I looked around, curious about our sleeping arrangements. “About the bed…”
Corey flashed me a smile. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ve got the hammock.”
“Maybe I wanted the hammock,” I teased.
“Then it’s all yours, as long as you don’t mind me sleeping in it with you.”
Floating in my good mood, I hopped off the bed, pulled my journals out of my rucksack, and stacked them neatly on top of the writing desk. “I think I’ll like it here.”
“I think you already do,” Corey observed. “That’s the wildness in you. Nature is where you belong. Why else would you have become an environmentalist? Seeing you in the city was like watching a star being buried underground. In the wilderness, you shine.”
“I can’t argue with poetry like that,” I said, yawning. “Do we have time to sleep before this meeting?”
“Don’t worry about the meeting. It’s nothing you have to concern yourself with. Sleep all you want.”
Unable to resist, I crawled beneath the sheet, more for comfort than warmth, Colombia was hot, and I drifted off into a sound slumber, waking only when I heard Corey come through the door. It was night, his entrance lit by moonlight.
“What’s in your hands?” I asked, struggling to open my eyes, still exhausted.
“Don’t be scared; it’s just a rifle.”
Instantly, I reached beside me and turned on the overhead light. Like a hunter in the woods, Corey held a rifle between his fists. Worse, he was dressed in camouflage.
“You need to tell me what’s going on,” I demanded.
“Don’t worry about it. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
It was not at all consoling. Enraged, I rushed over to him and covered his hands with my own so that we both held the gun. I gazed into his eyes, searching. “What are we doing here?”
“You’re here to study the environment.”
“And you?”
“I can’t focus with you so close,” he said hoarsely, staring at me with a feral yearning that made his pupils large and engulfing. “If you want answers, you’re going to have to let go of my hands.”
I should have let go, but I couldn’t, trapped in time, as if we were in Thailand once again and none of the last few months had happened. “I don’t want to,” I breathed.
Dropping the gun, allowing it to clatter to the ground, Corey ensnared my cheeks between his strong but gentle hands and kissed me with the passion of lust pent-up for a thousand years. His kiss tasted good, my appetite as strong as his in the intoxicating jungle. The rhythm of his tongue was familiar, an echo from the many kisses we had shared before.
Heated, he tenderly guided me to the bed, his mouth locked to mine, but before we reached it, the reality of what was about to happen caused me to push him away.
“I can’t,” I gasped, out of breath. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” he told me. “It’s my fault. I know you want to take it slow.”
“No,” I stated, my heart pounding. I couldn’t believe I was about to do this, but I had to. Things had escalated too quickly. “I do have to apologize, for a lot of things.”
Patient, Corey said nothing, listening.
Falling on the bed, my head dropped down to my knees as I held my stomach. “I never should have come here, not without telling you the truth first.”
He kneeled beside me and stroked my hair back, running his thumb down my tattoo. “What is it? Tell me, Imogen,” he said soothingly.
Shaking, I forced myself to sit up and face him. “Before I say anything, please understand that no one thought you were coming back. You hadn’t been home in years. I didn’t believe them at first, but when you didn’t contact me…”
“Is this about the guy you were seeing, because it’s okay. I mean, we had something special in Thailand, and we’re building on that now, but I could hardly expect you to wait around for me.”
My lips trembled. “But I promised you I would.”
“Made in the heat of the moment. It’s completely forgivable that you found someone else in between, especially since I didn’t contact you. I should have. No wonder you didn’t believe I was coming back.”
I swallowed. “No one thought you were. That’s really important. Because…” I shuddered out a breath. “Because the man I fell in love with was your brother.”