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Ramon. The ground was strewn with roots. If Ramon had not been holding her so tightly she would have fallen over a long time ago. He appeared to be incredibly sure-footed. And yet it was already getting dark and the visibility was very poor in this dense part of the forest. Crissy got a stitch but she knew this was a matter of life and death, so she clenched her teeth and carried on.
    They could hear voices some way behind them. A shot rang out and Crissy suppressed a scream.
    “Keep going!” Ramon ordered. “We’ll stay ahead as long as we don’t stop.”
    A shot rang out again, but it sounded further away than the first.
    “They don’t know where we are,” said Ramon and pulled her to the left. They crossed a damp valley and climbed a slope before he stopped.
    “Take a rest. They don’t know where we are and it’s getting dark. They’ll probably spend the night on the boat and wait until dawn. We’ll make the most of the last light. We have to find a safe place.”
    “They have guns and we don’t!” Crissy pointed out.
    “I have my crossbow. That kills quietly and precisely. Don’t be afraid. I promise to get you out of here.”
    She nodded. It comforted her to know that Ramon thought that the pursuers would spend the night on the boat instead of following them. It sounded logical. The swamp was a dangerous place and one wouldn’t give up such a safe sleeping place to search blindly in the dark, when one could do that so much more easily by daylight.
    “Come on. We’ll go along there. If I’m not mistaken, we’ll have a good stretch of dry ground in this direction.”
    *
    Crissy woke up as Ramon was slipping his hand under her blouse and kneading her breast. It was still dark and relatively cool. She liked the heat that he was providing. The thin mat below her could not stop the cold coming from the damp ground.
    He made love to her in an unusually gentle, slow way. Why could she not have met him under different circumstances? She was certain that he was the man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He had admitted that he needed her. She would not allow him to leave her in Brazil.

    They had already packed their things before dawn broke. Ramon took her in his arms and kissed her. There was a strange feeling in this kiss and it made her nervous.
    “What’s the matter?” she asked when he let her go.
    “In case anything happens, I want you to keep going in this direction. I’m pretty sure you’ll find a ranger’s station up there. They’ll help you.”
    “But what can go wrong? They’re a long way behind us.”
    “Not far enough. I’m just saying, in case anything happens. No acts of heroism. I don’t have a problem with death. Don’t worry about me.” He shook her. “Run if I tell you to. Do you understand?”
    “I don’t have a problem with death either,” she declared defiantly.
    “Crissy! Your death won’t be a quick one. They’ll torture you. I don’t want to have to worry about you. You’ll do as I say! You’ll save yourself!”
    “But then your death won’t be quick either!”
    “I’ve experienced plenty of pain in my life. I can deal with it,” he said. “So promise me. Promise me that you’ll save yourself.”
    “Yes,” she sobbed. “ Damn bastard ! If you do that to me then I’ll kill you with my own hands and tear out your black heart!”
    He smiled.
    “Let’s get out of here. It may not come to that.”
    *
    “Can’t we take a break? Please, I can’t go on!” begged Crissy, and held onto her aching side.
    “We’ll rest soon. But this is not a good place. Keep going for a few more minutes.”
    Ramon pulled her along and she stumbled behind him. Her straggly hair hung over her face and she was sweaty and covered in mud. Ramon did not seem to be put out at all by the speed at which they were going. He did not seem to be out of breath at all.
    “I should have gone to the gym more,” she gasped breathlessly.
    “What?”
    “I said I