She opened her eyes with difficulty, her vision blurred and filled with dark spots. In the distance, moving toward her through the mirage created by the heat, was a vehicle. It wasn’t Rodrigo’s black car; it was an old, faded-green pickup truck, creeping along the cracked road. Beatriz tried to scream, but her parched throat produced only a weak rasp.
She tried to move her arms, but the ropes held her firmly to the post. All she could do was watch, her heart pounding painfully in her chest, as the pickup truck drew closer. Would they see her? Would they stop, or would they drive on, leaving her to die in this godforsaken place? The pickup truck was getting closer and closer.
Beatriz could see now that it was an old vehicle, probably from the 1980s, with faded paint and a few dents in the body. In the back were boxes and tools, as if the driver were a laborer or a farmer. And then, miraculously, the pickup truck began to slow down.
It was stopping. Someone had seen her. A man got out of the truck. He was dark-skinned, powerfully built, with a sun-weathered face and calloused hands, the hands of someone who had worked hard all his life. He wore worn jeans and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
His black hair was flecked with gray, and his dark eyes widened in surprise and horror when he saw Beatriz tied to the post. “My God,” he exclaimed, running to her. “Ma’am, what happened to you? Who did this to you?” He immediately began working on the ropes, his fingers strong yet gentle, as he tried to loosen the knots Rodrigo had tied so tightly.
Beatriz felt like she was about to faint. The man’s voice reached her as if from a great distance, muffled and distorted. “Hold on, ma’am. I’m almost there, I’m almost free of you. Just hold on a little longer.” Finally, the ropes gave way. Beatriz fell forward, but the man caught her before she hit the ground. Carefully, he lifted her in his arms, surprised by how little she weighed, as if she were a fragile bird that could break with the slightest sudden movement.
“I’ll take you to my truck. I have water there; you need to hydrate.” He carried her to the truck and carefully sat her in the passenger seat.
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