Page 23 of Her Mercenary
“How much longer?” I asked the driver as the Jeep Wrangler jolted over the muddy dirt road.
“About thirty-five more minutes, señor.”
Staring out the window from where I sat in the back seat, I forced patience. I was eager, anxious. Ready.
And hot as fuck.
Slanted beams of sunlight cut through the jungle canopy like swords of fire. Long black shadows stretched across the narrow one-way road ahead of us. Trees formed a tunnel overhead, the thick shade doing little to shield us from the sweltering tropical humidity.
“Turn up the air,” I said, yanking at the collar of my suit.
Fucking suits.
Lucas Ruiz’s gaze flicked to me in the rearview mirror before he clicked down the temperature, and I noticed a sheen of sweat on his forehead, among a few other things.
His skin was darker than when I’d last seen him, and I wondered if he’d taken some time off, perhaps a beach vacation. His pitch-black hair was damp and mussed from repeatedly running his fingers through it. His uniform, dark army fatigues, clung tightly to his muscular body, the fabric damp with sweat.
I wasn’t the only one anxious.
I glanced at my watch—
Time: 7:04 p.m.
Temperature: 97°
Humidity: 87%
It should have added:
Feels-like temperature: Wading through a river of mud.
We hadn’t passed a single vehicle, ATV, or hiker since passing a sign that read:
HOMBRE MUERTO TRAIL
— CAUTION —
There are no places to obtain supplies or get help until Diablo Bridge 87 miles north. Do not attempt this section unless you have a minimum of ten days of supplies and are fully equipped, as the difficulty of this trail should not be underestimated.
This trail contains wild animals that are unpredictable and aggressive. Visitors walking this trail do so at their own risk.
Yes, we were literally out in the middle of nowhere in the Sierra Madre Mountains, one of the world’s largest mountain ranges, spanning from northern Mexico to Guatemala.
Considered the wildest, most untamed section of the Sierra Madre Mountains, the Sierra Madre Occidental was a famous destination for hikers and thrill seekers alike. Most popular was the trail named Hombre Muerto, which translated to Dead Man’s Trail, that led to a section of mountains so vast and breathtaking, they were often compared to the Grand Canyon. Portions of the Sierra Madre Occidental were known for their extensive network of caves, hundreds hidden between rocks, behind thick vegetation, this being my favorite feature of the mountain range.
Dead Man’s Trail snaked through the densest and most remote section of the mountains, with no easy access to civilization for almost a hundred miles. It took most hikers eight days to hike from one end to the other, assuming they made it.
Marked by soaring peaks, steep valleys, treacherous canyons, plunging waterfalls, and rushing rivers, the terrain was infamous for challenging even the most experienced outdoorsmen. Considered one of Mexico’s most unforgiving terrains, the most common cause of death ranged from heart attacks to drownings to falling from cliffs.
Fauna includes bats, lizards, snakes, black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, and the ever-elusive jaguar. Wolves were rarer to see, but no less deadly. Over three hundred bird species called the jungle home, many of which were endangered, such as the thick-billed parrot and the colorful military macaw.
The most fearsome and brutal inhabitants of the area were, however, the insects that ruled the jungle. Venomous spiders, giant centipedes, and the dreaded bullet ant, whose bite triggers excruciating and debilitating pain for twenty-four hours. This, however, was nothing compared to the infestation of black flies and mosquitos that feasted on every inch of exposed skin, no matter day or night.
Though, the locals will tell you the wild animals and blood-sucking insects are nothing compared to the spirits that lurk in the shadows. Dead Man’s Trail is infamous for its disappearances, unsolved murders, and multiple reported hauntings.
In 2009, American tourist Emily Parker was kidnapped from the trail and held captive for three days in a tent before being bludgeoned to death by a car jack. In 2001, Louise Morales and her sister Maria went missing from the trail, their decapitated bodies later found on Christmas Day. Dozens of children, families, and even park rangers have gone missing in this area of the jungle, their bodies yet to be discovered.
Hikers being tracked by faceless figures, campers awaking to eyeless ghosts watching from the mist, whispers on the wind, strange lights and orbs flickering through the trees, are only a few of the urban legends that haunt Dead Man’s Trail.