Chapter seventeen

The new plan

Jimmy tugged at the bandage around his head. Leave it to Jerry to turn him into a mummy because of a few superficial cuts. It was Kyle who'd received a deep, nasty cut to his left forearm, but Jerry didn't look at that. Tina patched Kyle up instead.

As he walked towards Gina's ex-tent, he tried unraveling the bandages around his arms. It was time for potential-backup girl to get up. Sam wanted to question her, Jerry wanted to leave her tied to a tree somewhere, before she got them into more trouble, Kyle wanted to congratulate her for the fight she put up and he strangely wanted to apologize for knocking her out.

Jimmy entered the tent and jumped back. Orange-curly-haired-girl stood in the doorway. She stepped back too, raising her fists in front of her torso. Out of reflex, Jimmy mirrored her stance. He had no idea if he had forgotten, but she looked even more beautiful than before.

"What happened to you?" she asked warily. She straightened and raised her eyebrows. "Are you checking me out?"

"No." That was exactly what he was doing. "I'm fine. Jerry's just weird that way."

"For a moment there, I thought I did the damage." She twitched her nose.

Jimmy straightened too, watching her curiously. Maybe it was her hair color, maybe her adorable face or her perfectly proportioned body, but for some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Come on, it's not like you haven't seen hot girls before.

"I'm Jessica." She reached out her hand, scaring him half to death.

"I'm Jimmy." He took her hand, but forgot to shake.

She pulled her hand away, her eyes narrowing the tiniest bit. "I know. I heard what Sam said to you. And I have a good memory for names."

"Obviously." He tried to sound casual, but his face got hotter as the mental image Sam had planted was back with a vengeance.

"Um, aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing here or...?" She hesitated. "Honestly, I expected more out of you. I've met Snitch Gravel and I'm not sure the scales are in your favor."

"You're just saying that because of the bandages," Jimmy mumbled, fumbling with them. "You already said you're backup, remember?"

"Well, I am. But you're saying that as if it's a bad thing."

Jimmy stopped unwrapping his bindings. She could be another traitor. Her record so far was against her. "Of course it's not a bad thing. More backup is always welcome. Let's go find the rest of the team." He stepped out before she could argue.

Jessica followed, jogging to catch up. "There won't be more backup. Harry and I were the last of the team. Snitch Gravel still has him. That's how he got me to fight you in the first place."

Jimmy stopped in his tracks and Jessica ran past him. "There were two of you?"

She turned around. "Yes. I don't think the agency sent anyone alone. I know they're bloody morons for sending us so late, but—" She winced as Jimmy grabbed her arm and pulled her against him.

"The last two?" He'd been certain she was a spy, but what she said fitted with what Billy said. She could be telling the truth.

Jessica placed her hand on his chest, over his heart. "You're having a panic attack!"

"Wait, what? No I'm not," Jimmy said, letting her go.

She grabbed his wrists and tried taking his pulse through the bandages, but groaned and gave up. Instead, she placed her ear on his chest again, listening to his heartbeat.

"Take big breaths and try to relax." She put her hands next to her head and leaned against him, as if he were a wall.

"There's nothing wrong with me. Look, my breathing is perfectly normal. So's my heartbeat, so—" Jimmy fell quiet once she shushed him. He rolled his eyes. Of course his heartbeat was out of control with her stuck against him. He wasn't dead.

"Breath in, breath out, breath in..." she chanted.

"Jessie, really now..." He sighed and looked down. A mass of orange curls blocked his view of the rest of her. Fine, if she wanted to play dirty, he could, too. Jimmy wrapped one arm around her waist, pulled her closer against him and dipped her. She stared up at him with wide eyes. "Wow, what do you know? You're having a panic attack, too."

Jessica took a few steps back and put her fingers on the sides of her forehead. "I'm soo sorry. This probably looked really bad." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I've been taking some advanced courses in medicine and now I see diseases everywhere."

"You and Jerry should hang out some, then," Jimmy said, trying not laugh at her.

She grinned at him, but suddenly frowned and looked away. "You called me Jessie. Why?"

"I think it fits you." Jimmy shrugged. "I like your full name too, though."

"No, I like Jessie more."

He liked Jessie more, too.

"Nice to see you're up." Sam came towards them and threw a roll of rope to Jimmy. He caught it in midair. "Let's get to it, then."

"Where'd you get this?" Jimmy demanded.

"Her luggage. Lots of useful stuff in there."

"You went through my stuff?" Jessica asked, sounding more amused than outraged.

"Yes, of course. All your stuff are belong to us." Sam nodded towards Jimmy. "Tie her up. To a tree preferably."

Jimmy shook his head. "What? Why?"

"Listen to him. See, this is why he's the leader. This is a much more fitting attitude for our current situation. I could be dangerous," Jessica said, nodding. She then turned to Sam. "You won't have to tie me up, though. I'll come quietly."

"Okay then..." Sam looked at her expectantly and then at Jimmy.

"Jessie." Jimmy supplied the name.

Sam nodded. "Jessie. Let's get you introduced to the rest of the merry bunch. Then we can get to questioning you."

Jessica giggled and followed Sam towards the center of camp. Jimmy marched after them, once again busy unrolling his bandages.

*

Sam squinted and traced a path on the map with one finger. It was so accurate it was scary. It ended about a mile west of their current position, but showed the path they had made getting there and the location of first temple. Apparently the agency had top-notch satellite surveillance.

"So, you're saying that Snitch Gravel still has this Harry guy you came here with."

"Yes." Jessie bit her lip. "I have no idea how to get him out, either. Snitch Gravel's base seems so well protected."

Sam dropped Jessie's briefing folder and gawped at her. "You've been inside Snitch Gravel's base?"

"Yeah, he took us there when he found us," Jessie reported. "It's next to a waterfall, pretty high up somewhere. It gets all rocky around there. We didn't get to have a proper look. My guess is he's using an old smugglers' hideout. It looked like it."

"Rocky?" Sam turned to the rest of his group. "The cliff? He already took us there?"

"Why?" Jerry clutched his head. "God, Snitch Gravel is so random, he's giving me a headache."

"He's not," Tom said bluntly. "We just can't see his logic yet."

"At least we know where he is," Sam said, giving the map back to Jessie. "Some good still came out of this. We'll get going tomorrow. It should take us a couple of days - three days at most - to reach the other temple. Then, maybe another two days to get ready, before we go in and get that ruby..." Sam hesitated. They needed a brilliant plan once they managed to get the ruby. If we manage to get it. But he'd rather not get into that yet. He had to think of a way to snatch Jessica's companion and escape.

"Why two days to go inside the temple?" Tom asked.

"I'll have to flesh out the translation of the document and draw the map up properly," Sam said automatically.

"What document?" Jerry and Kyle asked simultaneously.

Sam looked to Tom. He only then realized that, except for his twin, no one knew that old piece of paper even existed. "I guess I forgot to tell you. Tom and I found this old document in the first temple. I've been translating it and found out that it's actually a map of the inside of the other temple."

"Really? And you kept something that important from us?" Jerry asked, putting his hands on his hips.

Kyle muttered something that sounded like 'mother-in-law'. Sam pursed his lips not to laugh.

"Yes, we get it. Don't get all preachy on us," Tom said, waving Jerry away. "I'll try and help."

Sam sighed. "Thanks. Though I wish someone else knew Spanish to run through it one more time. I can't afford to make mistakes."

"Why didn't you say so? I'm pretty decent at Spanish," Kay said.

"It's kinda my second language," Jessie said tentatively.

Sam made a mental note to ask next time he needed help. "Great, we'll get on it tomorrow. Meanwhile, we have more pressing matters to attend to. You." Sam pointed to JT. "You, you and you." He pointed at Steve, Tom and Billy. "Guard duty. Tonight."

"Wicked!" Tom grabbed a rifle.

"Sam, I don't think Tom should be on guard duty yet." Jerry wrung his hands.

Sam frowned. "Would you rather do it?"

Angie raised her hand. "I'll do it."

"Or me," Kay said.

"Over my dead body," Kyle mumbled. "Just let me do it."

"In case you haven't noticed, your arm's in a sling," Sam pointed out.

Kyle took his arm out of the sling. "Not anymore." He waved it around to prove he was fine. Kay grabbed his wrist and he pulled his arm back, cringing.

"I don't see why you have a problem with me or Angie standing guard," Kay said to Sam, though she was gazing at Kyle as though daring him to argue back.

"I don't have a problem. Only that you've been on guard recently. Kyle's hurt. No, don't wave your arm at me. You almost got cut to the bone. You can take a break for one night."

"I could do it," Jessie said quietly.

Sam turned to her. He felt like laughing and yelling 'yeah, right!', but he controlled himself. This wasn't the time to reveal his suspicions about her. "No, I've already decided. Guards, to your posts. The rest of you, go to sleep. Jimmy, you come with me." Sam wheeled around and walked towards his tent.

Jimmy jogged in his wake. "What's up?"

"I want you to keep an eye on Jessie. We can't afford to take any risks. Her information makes sense, but for all we know, Snitch Gravel could have told her everything she's said."

"Sure thing, boss." Jimmy seemed a little too excited.

Sam's eyes narrowed. "Do I have to tell you to focus again? Maybe having you trace her is not such a good idea."

Jimmy straightened up. "Of course it is. Didn't I do a marvelous job with Clyde?"

"Yes, you actually did." Though Sam would rather Jimmy didn't punch Jessie into submission. "Goodnight, then." He entered his tent, having the feeling he should've thought this over more.

*

The last couple of days had been the happiest in Jessica's life. The morning after her arrival, they set off, with Sam in the lead. She felt a bit nervous at the beginning of the trip, wondering how she would manage to keep up, but it turned out to be no trouble. Jimmy was always by her side, whether to help with her luggage or fill her in on what had happened so far.

She found it a little odd that he spent so much time around her, but she couldn't complain. Jessica enjoyed his company. Everyone's company, for that matter. Kyle and Tom treated her as if she had been there from the start. Tom was fun and friendly, but Kyle was something else. She had never met anyone she could to talk to so easily, as if he were her long lost twin brother. Sam and Jerry were a bit more reserved, but were very nice to her.

And then there were Kay and Angie. Jessica got along with Christine and Tina as well, but Angie and Kay were different. For the first time in her life, it felt as if she had friends. And not just the girls, but all of them. Well, except for Alice. She was the one person in the group who openly showed she didn't like Jessica, but Jessie didn't mind. You can't please everybody.

She, Sam and Kay spent their evenings engrossed in the old document Sam and Tom found in the first temple. It proved very tricky, but Sam had done a very good job at it. Jessica and Kay couldn't find anything he might have mistranslated. Sam was nervous and wanted to double and triple check. That document would be their lifeline inside the temple.

"We've made really good time. I was expecting another few hours of traveling," Sam said, up in front.

Jessica made her way towards him. As she reached the last of the trees, her mouth fell open. The temple rose among the trees, the vegetation molding around it as if it had always been part of the jungle.

"It's much bigger than the first one," Tom said, coming next to her.

"Really?" Jessica stared at the massive ziggurat.

The pyramid was breathtaking: massive rocks put together to create a perfectly symmetrical building. Huge staircases flanked each side of the construction, leading to the small, square building at the top. Tall rock statues flanked the stairwells. Jessica couldn't see them properly yet and she ached to get closer.

"Pick a side of the temple to set camp on. Just make sure it's in not an obvious spot." Sam waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the building.

Jessica watched the rest of the group move to the opposite side of the temple. She wondered if it was safe to just walk up to it, but nothing happened. Being captured so fast must have made her paranoid. Someone touched her shoulder and she jumped out of the way.

Jimmy pulled his hand back. "You okay?"

She tried to calm her heartbeats. "I'm fine. Just admiring the temple."

Jimmy smirked. "How about admiring it up close?" He took her guitar case and slung it over his shoulder.

"Hey, be careful with that!"

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Shush, unless you want me to lecture you on bringing a guitar to a jungle."

"I need it." Jessica yanked it back. "It's mine and I can carry it myself. I don't need your help."

Jimmy raised his hands. "I was only trying to be nice."

"Well..."Jessie raised one eyebrow. "If you want to help." She took off her rucksack and shoved it in his arms, batting her eyelashes at him. "You're such a gentleman." She strode to the other side of the temple and smiled when she heard Jimmy snort with laughter behind her.

AN: the all your stuff are belong to us is a play on words of the infamous all your base are belong to us viral video. Check it out above and have a laugh. Yes, Sam's a geek and so am I. 😇