─☼☼☼─

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝙀𝙇𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙇𝙀𝙎𝙎 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 didn't subside the deeper they got into the jungle. In fact, Charlotte was pretty sure it was getting worse. The hair that had strayed from her ponytail stuck to the nape of her neck, sweat puddling around her hairline.

"Do you even know where you're going?" She questioned Ryan as the sun began to set over head. 

They had driven for a while before he had stopped the Jeep and pulled Charlotte from the vehicle. For the past hour, the two of them and Mateo had been seemingly wandering the jungle with no clear sign of where they were going.

"Quiet," Ryan snapped, but the heat seemed to be getting to him too. A layer of sweat coated his skin as he marched through the dense jungle, seemingly not a clue as to where he was going. 

Mateo, who walked next to Charlotte, stole a glance at her, noting her exhausted state. "We should take a break," he suggested, "Charlotte needs some water."

Ryan spun on him, gun raised, "You don't work for her," he bit out, frustration brimming, "You work for me. I say when we stop."

If Mateo was looking for praise from Charlotte for his attempt, he wasn't getting it. She kept her eyes set forward, the realization that if she didn't get out of this, she was dead. As soon as Ryan found out that she knew very little about El Dorado, he'd kill her on the spot, or use her as ransom for the gold if her friends were to make it to the treasure first. 

As if to prove his point that he was in charge, Ryan shoved the barrel of the gun into Charlotte's lower back, reminding her that he had complete and total control. She winced, stumbling slightly beneath the blanket of humidity. 

Close to thirty minutes passed before Ryan finally took pause. He checked the time on his watch before pulling a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. Charlotte felt herself tense as he grabbed onto her arms. "Over here," he demanded, dragging her toward a tree. 

"What are you doing?" Charlotte snapped, trying to pull herself free from his grasp. In her mind, it seemed like he was about to leave her in the South American jungle as some form of punishment. She knew that there would be no getting out of it unless someone came to her aid...but who would?

Ryan ignored her, far outweighing her in the strength department. He handcuffed her to the tree easily, barely breaking any more of a sweat. "You," he barked at Mateo, "Stay with her. I have something to deal with." He checked the magazine in his gun, "And remember, kid. If you run or even think about freeing her, I'll kill you and anyone you've ever cared about."

Charlotte gave him an incredulous glare as Mateo dipped his head in understanding. This time, it wasn't the money keeping him here...it was the threat of his own life. Singh and his men had escalated. 

Barely giving either of them another look, Ryan disappeared into the vegetation to deal with whatever the hell was going on. Charlotte prayed it had nothing to do with her friends...but she wasn't as naive to think it didn't. 

"Did he hurt you?" Mateo wondered, nodding to the cuff on Charlotte's wrist. "Is it too tight?"

"No," Charlotte muttered, "But it wouldn't matter if it was...not like you could do anything."

Mateo sighed, the moonlight illuminating his features as he lowered himself to the jungle floor, taking a seat across from Charlotte. They didn't say anything for a moment, only the sounds of the insects and the buzzing of the hot air could be heard. 

"Singh threaten to kill you this time?" Charlotte wondered, finally breaking the silence. 

Shifting slightly, Mateo gave a small nod. "After you and your friends broke out of Singh's...he was pissed. I didn't have a choice anymore on whether or not I was going to help him with his quest for El Dorado. It's not about the money anymore...it's about staying alive."

For a moment, Charlotte had the urge to apologize before remembering that Mateo had betrayed her even before his life was on the line. "Singh's a piece of shit." She muttered, swatting at a bug that landed on her arm, "Classic case of the rich trying to get richer."

Mateo gave a small nod, as if thinking. "Speaking of, you still with your fiancé?"

Of course Rafe came to mind when speaking of the rich getting richer. 

Charlotte's mind flashed toward her boyfriend who she so desperately wished she was with right now. "We weren't ever actually engaged," she corrected, remembering Mateo's false understanding of her relationship. "But yes."

"Are you happy?" His question was blunt, as if her answer dictated what he said next. 

"That's not really any of your business." Charlotte responded, deciding not to let Mateo in again. She'd made that mistake once. 

Rain began to trickle in from overhead, at first gradually and then all at once, soaking everything in its path. 

Mateo wiped at his eyes, trying to see through the downpour, "Charlotte, there's something you need to know about him!" He yelled, forcing to raise his voice over the sound of the rain. 

Charlotte pushed pieces of wet hair from her face as she shook her head, "What!?"

He stood, taking a few steps toward her, "Charlotte, he's not what you─"

Mateo's voice was drowned out by the sound of gunfire from somewhere in the distance. At first it was a single shot, but soon enough more followed. Charlotte's heart jumped in her chest as Mateo all but collapsed onto her, shielding her from any sign of danger. 

"Fuck," she muttered, the rain pouring down around them as the gunfire continued. She clamped her eyes shut, praying that none of those bullets were pointed at her friends. 

"It's okay," Mateo assured, arms flexing as he held onto her, "We're safe."

Charlotte shoved him back with her free hand, "It's not us I'm worried about," she snapped, worry displaying itself in the form of frustration. "Singh and his men are going to kill my friends...and then they're going to kill me!"

"Charlotte, I'm not just gonna stand by and let him─"

"You don't have a choice, Mateo!" She argued, "He kills me and then he kills you. Or maybe it's the other way around. Maybe it doesn't even matter."

"You can't think like that." 

"Watch me."

Whatever Mateo was going to say next was cut off by the sound of someone sprinting toward them, cutting through the vegetation as they went. Mateo stood on alert, Charlotte remained seated, knowing there was no use in standing if she was unable to run at all. 

With a burst, Ryan appeared from within the jungle, his eyes ablaze, gun raised. He was muddy, but unharmed unfortunately. 

"Get up," he snapped at Charlotte, struggling to uncuff her beneath the relentless rain. 

Mateo took a small step forward, "What's going on? What was all that gunfire?"

Ryan ignored him, managing to free Charlotte. "Let's go." He ordered, pressing the gun to her back once again. "Now."

Charlotte gave a single look to Mateo before she started walking. 

See? It said. We're already dead. 

─☼☼☼─

𝙍𝘼𝙁𝙀

𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙒𝘼𝙎 𝙋𝙊𝙎𝙎𝙄𝘽𝙇𝙔 Rafe's worst nightmare; wandering around the South American jungle with some of the people he hated most in this world with no idea where Charlotte was. He wasn't sure he could imagine anything much worse.

When they had landed in South America, he had made the decision to stay with Pope and Chloe (or was it Cleo?) rather than going wherever his father was going. He knew Ward would never spend his time looking for Charlotte, and thus, sticking with the Pogues was the only way Rafe could find her. As much as everyone involved hated it, no one argued.

So, one can imagine his shock, and pure anger, when they found JJ and Kiara without any sign of Charlotte. The two Pogues had claimed she was just with them, and thus panic ensued. Where had she gone? What had happened to her?

Rafe wanted to wring the Maybank kid's neck for even letting Charlotte out of his sight. How could he be so fucking stupid?

After a lot of stupid ploys that only the Pogues could come up with, they'd ended up in the jungle, taking their best lead at finding Charlotte.

Rafe wasn't sure what he would do if they didn't find her...or worse, if they found her and she was dead. He'd never be able to forgive himself. Maybe he could have done something differently so that she didn't end up here, or maybe he could have been more forgiving, allowed her to be honest with him about where she was going. The secrecy between them...it was going to be their downfall.

And it was all his fault. It really was. He hated the Pogues so much that he made Charlotte hide that side of her life. And as much as he hated to think about it, the Pogue life was a big part of Charlotte.

"Look," JJ announced to the group, "Footprints."

Rafe scoffed, looking at the mud where a very faint disruption could be seen.

JJ spun on him, anger flashing across his features, "You got something to say?"

"You don't know what the hell you're talkin' about. We're no closer to finding her than we were a day ago! We're walking through this fucking jungle like God damn morons." Rafe bit own, frustration stemming from every part of him.

JJ lunged at him, "You can fucking leave then!"

It was Kiara who stepped in between them, placing a hand on JJ's chest. "Jayj, don't give him any of your energy. He's not worth it." She sent Rafe a withering glare before setting JJ back on his path.

Rafe scowled, clenching his fists as he reminded himself why he was with these fucking losers in the first place. He was doing this for Charlotte...and if this didn't prove that he'd do anything for her, he wasn't sure what would.

"You sure like to run your mouth, pretty boy," Cleo (he was pretty sure that was it) said as she walked passed him, brows raised.

Pope glared at Rafe with a look so deadly it would have made most men cower in fear. But Rafe took it with a roll of his eyes, wishing more than anything that he had Charlotte back in his arms so he could get the hell out of here.

─☼☼☼─