Page 41 of Pursuing Desire

Dax taps the steering wheel with his fingers. “That’s all it says?”

I tap through the messages in the app before confirming. “Yep, that’s it. It will probably be just like last time. Once we get closer to the destination, we’ll get more information.”

He nods. “Okay. Where do you think we’ll have to stop this evening?”

“I’m checking the map now. I think we’ll make it through Dallas, Texas, but we’ll need to stop shortly after. There’s a smaller town called Wichita Falls. I see several inexpensive hotels there. If we can make it there by midnight, I think it’ll be a good stopping point.”

Yesterday went mostly as planned. Traffic through Dallas was predictably bad. We ended up stopping in Wichita Falls, Texas, which is where we stayed the night. As luck would have it, the hotel I chose only had a room with two double beds available. I was happy to have my own bed and not have to worry about hugging the edge of the bed as I had on previous nights.

The morning was smooth, with no signs of damage to our tires. It was a huge relief to both me and Dax. Even though I’m not convinced the earlier tire damage was intentionally done, I’m not fully convinced it wasn’t, either.

Dax, however, is certain someone did it deliberately. He’s keeping the paranoia to himself, but I see his many too-casual looks in our rearview mirrors.

Over the next several hours, he keeps a watchful eye on traffic and the mirrors. Once we get into the more scenic part of our drive, he starts to relax a little.

We both take in the sights of the mountains in the distance. It’s quite a big difference from the flat lands of Texas, where we originally started our day. As we drive deeper into the mountains, the scenery becomes more and more breathtaking. The jagged peaks seem to scrape the sky, and the dense forests below are so lush they look almost unreal.

“We’re about to reach Colorado Springs. Do you want to get your phone out? I think we’re coming up to the checkpoint,” he says.

Just then, the app buzzes. I pull out my phone and read the instructions out loud.

“You’re almost there! In order to complete this task, you will drive to Garden of the Gods and park in the overflow parking lot. Your cameraperson will be waiting for you with further instructions. You will leave your phones in the car. Asterisk: If you have arrived after 7:00 p.m. MST, you will need to wait for tomorrow to complete this challenge. Check your messages for instructions for your hotel.”

“There’s the sign for Garden of the Gods,” Dax says.

Within minutes, we are pulling into the lot. As expected, Taylor is waiting beside the visitor center. There are two other camerapeople standing near her.

“I don’t think we’re in first place this time,” I say, pointing to the camera crews.

Dax looks over and grimaces. “It’s alright. Hopefully, we can make up the time. It’s not over yet.”

We get out of the car and make our way over to Taylor.

“You made it!” she says enthusiastically. “I don’t want to keep you, so let me just give you the things you’re going to need.”

“That would be great, thanks,” I say.

She hands us a map and a small backpack. Then she digs in her bag and pulls out a small video camera mounted to an elastic belt. “I’m going to clip this onto your chest, Dax. I’m not going with you guys, so you’ll be the one doing the filming during your hike. You won’t need to do anything for the camera. I’ll set it all up for you.”

“We’re going on a hike?” Dax asks. There’s excitement in his voice.

Taylor nods. “Yes, it’s about a four-mile hike. I’m glad you wore your sneakers. I have some bottled water in that backpack and your map will indicate where you need to stop along the way. And I want you to put these watches on. They will help you determine the distance and also measure your heart rate.”

“Okay, we got it,” I say.

Taylor walks a few feet away from the other camerapeople. She motions for us to come closer.

“There are three other couples ahead of you,” she whispers. “One couple just left, so you aren’t too far behind them. The other two have a decent head start.”

Dax shrugs the backpack onto his back and puts his hand on my shoulder. “Alright, Jess. Do you think you can run part of the trail? I bet we can catch up to at least one couple.”

“I can, sure. I usually run a mile or two at the gym several times a week.”

Taylor speaks up. “Just remember. The altitude is different here. You might get tired more easily. You’ll need to be careful.”

“She’s right,” Dax says. “And we’re also losing light pretty quickly. Let me know if you need to slow down, okay?”

I glance over his shoulder and notice the sun is already setting. Soon we’ll be in darkness. “Got it. Let’s get going.”