by Jayna King
Chapter 17 -- Krystal
We stopped to refuel about an hour-and-a-half north of the Mexico border, and I welcomed the chance to get off the bike and stretch my legs.
"Want to ride in the van?" Luke asked, watching me raise my arms overhead and lean from side to side, waking up muscles that had been idle for too long.
"Nah," I answered. "I can hang."
We gassed up, got some drinks, and let the smokers get ahead of their nicotine withdrawal. Joker waved everyone over after about a fifteen-minute break.
"Couple of things you need to know about the border crossing. One, we ain't likely to get too much scrutiny heading south. If you're holding weed, make sure it's someplace you can discreetly grab it and dump it if necessary. Two, these fuckin' immigration assholes will tell you all kinds of shit to make you think that you have to answer their questions. I've run into checkpoints nearly an hour away from the border where they'll ask you if you're doing anything illegal, or what country you're a citizen of. Be polite — even if they don't deserve it — and as long as you're not doing anything wrong — and we're not — just ask them if you can go on your way. As long as they're not arresting you, they can't legally detain you at one of these bullshit checkpoints. Have your passports ready at the actual border, and stay cool. Keep your guns out of sight, and if any of us gets pulled out of line to be searched, don’t admit to anything. Keep your mouth closed, and we’ll get you a lawyer if you need one."
He looked around the group. "Any questions?" No one said a word, so he continued. "Now crossing back over will be a whole different story. We ain't taking anything back with us that ain’t one hundred percent legal, so smoke it up or leave it behind when we're in Mexico. We'll go over everything again before we head home. Got it?"
Muttered agreements met Joker's instructions, and we got back on the bikes and headed south once more. We crossed the border without incident, and we entered the crowded border town of Ciudad Juarez. There was a sea of people at the mercado, haggling over clothing and tourist crap, and I felt like everywhere I looked, I saw military men with automatic rifles and police officers armed to the teeth as well. Though Juarez — at least the part we were in — felt like a festive tourist town, I figured that the guns were there for a reason. I could feel my handgun in the holster Luke had gotten me, snug up under my left arm. Seven bullets wasn't very many, but I was confident that I could make 'em count if I needed to.
It was funny; I'd spent the last several years of my life feeling like a complete victim, and the second Luke had handed me a gun, I felt like the strong young woman I'd been when I'd left my parents. I felt good, and I felt powerful.
We rolled through town, thundering engines deafening among the buildings situated right up on the crowded city streets, and I noticed that we were attracting lots of attention. I tightened my grip on Luke as we rumbled through the town toward the place we'd agreed to meet our escort. We turned onto a side street, in a part of town that looked nearly deserted, buildings shuttered, and some vacant, in various stages of disrepair. We pulled up near a little roadside restaurant with a weathered wooden sign out front that read "Lupita's." Though it was early evening, the inside of the restaurant was silent. Luke turned off his bike and waited for me to climb off behind him, before getting off.
He pulled me close. "You don't leave my side," he said, eyes looking everywhere but at my face.
I could see the men appear, as if by magic, from the buildings that surrounded Lupita's, and they closed in steadily, no weapons in sight, no overt sign that they meant us any harm, but closing in nonetheless. Joker had warned us to stay calm, keep our hands in sight, and follow his lead. The guys we were supposed to meet were affiliated with one of the minor cartels in the area, and while they would provide us with protection during our stay, they were vulnerable themselves, and they wouldn't hesitate to save themselves first, if it came down to us or them. Our best bet was to do as we were told, at least until we got out of the city and to the relative safety we'd find at the estate of the head of the family.
"Pay them no attention," Joker said, loud enough for both our group and the approaching men to hear. "They're here to protect us." He looked at all of us. "Members come with me. The rest of you stay outside and don't do anything stupid. Let's head inside and see if Luis is here."
Luke took my hand and looked at Joker. "She stays with me," he said, in a tone of voice that indicated he wouldn't hear otherwise.
Joker looked at his son for a moment before he nodded. "She's your responsibility, then, and she's coming only because we won't be discussing business. You and I will talk later, son," he said.
Joker led the way into the darkened doorway, and as we slowly entered the restaurant, we paused to let our eyes adjust from the bright sunshine to the darkness of the shuttered bar. I scanned the room. There were small tables up against the wall around the outside of the large room. A bar ran the length of the back wall, and a beautiful woman in a white top that exposed her dark-skinned shoulders stood behind the bar polishing glasses. The center of the room was dominated by a large table. Four men sat at the table, facing us, and the oldest of the men — who looked to be about Joker's age — stood up as we entered.
"Amigo," he said, opening his arms wide as he walked toward Joker.
They embraced, slapping one another's backs and smiling broadly.
Joker kept his arm over the man's shoulders and turned to face our group. "Luis, here's my crew. You know Sally and Zeno, and this is Nate, Jay, and Luke, my son." He made no mention of me.
Luis greeted Sally and Zeno with hugs, and shook Nate's hand and then came to Luke. "Joker's son. It is an honor to meet you. Your papa and I have done business together for some time, and it is good to meet the new generation. You will be the man that Moses could not be, yes?" he asked, and I hoped that my expression didn't betray the interest I had in what caused him to make such a statement.
Luis turned to me, looked me up and down, taking his time and letting his eyes linger as he studied the curves of my body. I felt nearly naked, and I instinctively moved closer to Luke.
"Your woman?" he asked Luke, choosing not to speak to me.
"Yes." Luke said evenly. "Mine."
Luis nodded to Luke and turned back to the group. "Sit. Let us have a drink together as friends and partners before we begin the ride to the casa."
We all sat down, facing Luis and his men, and Luis called for the woman behind the bar. "Encantada, bring our guests something to drink."
The men made small talk, but I was transfixed by the woman. Her waves of curly black hair fell well below her shoulders, and her complexion was significantly darker than any of the other people I'd seen that day. Her full lips, painted a bright red, made me wonder if she was mixed race. Whatever her ancestry, she was stunning. She loaded a tray with stacked shot glasses, and larger glasses that I figured were intended for the pitcher of bright pink liquid she carried. I could see what almost looked like little sea creatures floating in the pitcher, and I was curious about what she was planning to serve us. I wasn't at all sure I'd be drinking it.
The woman came around from behind the bar. She wore a long red skirt with tiers of ruffles and traditional Mexican embroidery at the bottom. She lifted the tea to her shoulder, and her walk to the table, hips swinging back and forth, was mesmerizing. She put the tray on the table, poured a measure of tequila into each shot glass and distributed them. She poured the pink beverage into the larger glasses and passed those out as well. I could tell that the men in the room were enjoying the view as Encantada bent to place each glass in front of the men, revealing nearly all of her full breasts as she did.
I wasn't about to ask her what the pink stuff was, but Nate must have wondered as well.
"Joker," he said, from his place a couple of seats to Joker's left. "What the hell is this, man?"
Luis waved at Encantada, indicating that she should answer.
"It's jamaica tea," she said in a deep, sensual voic
e, pronouncing the "j" like an "h." "You would call the jamaica flower a hibiscus," she explained.
Knowing that the oddly shaped things in the tea were flowers and not little sea critters made me feel much better, and I took a sip of the tea. It was chilled, and tasted a little like watery, lightly sweetened cranberry juice. I wasn't sure if I was crazy about it, but it was refreshing after the ride in the hot sun.
Luis raised his shot glass and looked around the table, making eye contact with everyone but me. "To renewing old relationships," he said, before drinking the tequila in his glass.
The men echoed his sentiments, and even though I hadn't been included in the toast, I drank my shot as well. The amber colored tequila was delicious, full of smoky vanilla flavors, and I'd have helped myself to another shot if I hadn't been a little uneasy, given the situation.
Looking at Luke, Luis waved dismissively in my direction. "Tell your woman to go keep Encantada company."
Luke looked at me and nodded, and while part of me wanted to tell Luis that he could shove his machismo up his ass, I squeezed Luke's hand and made myself scarce.
Encantada had vanished into a room behind the bar, so I just leaned on the end of it, looking anywhere but at the table of men and hoping that the beautiful woman would reappear. When she did, she didn't look surprised to see me.
"Hola," she said in her deep, musically sensual voice.
"Hi," I said, wishing I spoke more Spanish than I'd learned on Sesame Street, before my parents got rid of our television. "Apparently, women aren't allowed in this boys’ club."
Encantada laughed, and the sound was cheerless, but lovely, nonetheless. "I was surprised to see a woman come inside with everyone else," she said in lightly accented English.
"Yeah, well Luis made it clear that I wasn't wanted for whatever they're talking about now."
Encantada looked me over like she was evaluating me, and I suspected that she was a fair judge of character. Though she didn't look that much older than me — I'd guess maybe early thirties — she looked like a woman who had seen a lot.
"You must be used to it, no?" she asked. "Your man is a member of the Savage Sons."
I nodded, acknowledging her point.
"So you know what it is like to be a second class person — useful for fetching drinks and for sex, but not really part of the club."
I wasn't sure what to say to her. She was right, of course, but I felt like Luke respected me more than some of the guys respected their old ladies. It didn't make sense to get into it with a woman I'd just met, though, especially since I didn't want to stir up trouble. I figured that small talk was my best bet.
"So have you … uh … worked here long?" I asked, feeling awkward.
Encantada looked at me and narrowed her eyes. If I'd been pressed to interpret her expression, I'd have guessed that she was thinking something along the lines of "Really, you stupid American bitch?"
"Si," she answered. She looked around and lowered her voice. "What about you, have you been with the MC very long?"
"Off and on for a few years, yes." I took another sip of the hibiscus tea. "This is pretty good," I said. "Do you think I could…"
Encantada leaned toward me, grabbing both my arms and interrupting me with a whisper that only I could hear. "Do you know Moses? Is he here with you?" The intensity in her eyes told me that the answer was important to her.
I was speechless for a moment, and I knew right away that Encantada would be key to piecing together what happened in Mexico. I didn't question my instinct for even a second. "You knew Moses?"
She didn't answer, but words spilled from her mouth so rapidly that I could hardly understand her. "Is he here? Is he outside?"
I shook my head, trying to figure out what to say to this woman who obviously cared about Moses. I decided that I had to give her the news that she so obviously hadn't heard. "Encantada, Moses isn't here. Moses is dead. He was killed about five months ago." I took her hand. "How did you know him?"
Encantada pulled her hand from mine, spun on her heel, and ran through the door behind the bar. I didn't want to let her go, but I wasn't sure if I'd be welcomed in the back room she'd fled to. I looked over at the table, but not a single one of the men there was paying the slightest attention to me or the woman who'd just left. I wasn't sure what to do, so I just stood there at the bar, hoping that Encantada would come back out. I waited for about ten minutes, drinking the last of my tea and feeling ridiculously out of place. I was also frustrated that I had found a woman who'd known Moses here, and she'd vanished. I had to talk to her again, but I had no idea how to make that happen.
Finally, Luis stood up and pushed his chair back from the table. He leaned over and shook Joker's hand, smiling and nodding to everyone else. Luke met my eyes from across the room and motioned me back over. I didn't want to leave the bar. I had to find some way to talk to Encantada. I looked back and forth between Luke and the doorway through which she'd disappeared, and Luke could tell that something was wrong. Finally, as the men were leaving the table and heading for the door, I gave up.
I walked over to Luke and stood close by, hoping that I'd have a second to talk to him out of earshot of the others. He looked at me, eyes full of questions, but I couldn't explain with an audience. The men filed out of the door ahead of us, Luke and I waiting until everyone else had gone outside, and just as I was about to grab Luke's arm, hoping to hold him back long enough to clue him in to what I'd discovered, I felt a tug at my sleeve.
I jumped when I realized the Encantada had materialized at my elbow.
She looked terrified as she handed me a piece of paper. "I must speak with you. Call me when you can, but don't let Luis know that we are speaking. My life depends on it."
I opened the folded paper, and read the numbers and the name Maria. "Who is Maria?" I asked, wanting to know so much more, but knowing that our time was short.
"I am Maria," she said, standing up a little straighter. "Encantada is what they call me, but it is not my real name. Call me. As soon as you can," she said, grabbing and squeezing my hands, before running back across the room and disappearing through the door again.
Turning to Luke, I saw the baffled expression on his face. "I'll explain later," I said, pulling him out the door and into the bright sun.
Chapter 18 -- Luke
The meeting with Luis and his men hadn't accomplished very much, except to introduce us to one another and establish that Luis, as an extension of the cartel, was the one in charge. His posturing hadn't really surprised me, since it wasn't all that different from frat brothers one-upping one another, or MC members concerned about respect from one another. If Luis wanted to win a pissing match, I didn't much care.
He'd told us that he and his men would escort us to the hacienda out in the countryside near Nuevas Casas Grandes. I was curious to see what the hacienda looked like, and I was expecting a compound of sorts, given the violent unrest that seemed endemic to the area.
"What the fuck just happened back there," I whispered to Krystal as we put on helmets and got back on our bikes.
"She knows Moses," she whispered back, clearly excited or upset — I couldn't tell which. "Or she did know him. I told her he'd been killed, and she took it pretty hard. Left without a word." She held up a folded piece of paper. "This is her phone number. She wants me to call her."
I swung my leg over the bike and steadied it so that Krystal could get on behind me. "You did it," I told her as she threaded her arms under mine to go around my waist. "That's our first real lead to figure out what happened down here. If she knew Moses, maybe she can point us in the right direction."
"She seemed scared, though, Luke," Krystal said, talking above a whisper to be heard over the rumble of bikes that had been fired up. "We're going to need to be careful. Make sure that Luis and his crew don't know that we're talking to her."
"Got it."
I started the bike and pulled into the line, Joker leading the way. Two stripped-down Jeeps b
racketed us in — one leading us through the streets, the other bringing up the rear. The men in the jeeps made no attempt to hide the weapons they carried, and given what I'd heard about Juarez and the less populated area we were headed to, I was glad we had men like them on our side.
Krystal and I couldn't talk as we wound through narrow streets before we finally emerged into an open area at the edge of the sprawling city. We rode past weed-choked, vacant properties with crumbling concrete and roofs in need of repair. I saw children who, despite the obvious poverty of the area, were scrubbed clean and neatly dressed in their school uniforms. A little girl — maybe five or six years old — stared wide-eyed as we thundered past.
We rode in our long caravan for a little over two hours, and I was hoping we weren't too far out as the light began to fade. While I knew that daylight wasn't foolproof protection, I would feel easier when we were safe and secure for the evening, rather than easy prey on the road. We started to wind up a hill toward a huge, walled compound at the top of a hill. My guess was that the panoramic view of the valley beneath would be gorgeous. We passed vineyards full of gold and dark purple grapes, and field after field full of pepper plants, the peppers ripened to a deep red.
We ascended higher and higher, and just before we reached the gate that blocked the road, I noticed that the crop had changed and we were right next to the biggest field of marijuana plants I'd ever seen. We pulled to a stop at the gate, and armed guards emerged from the gatehouse. They spoke briefly with the men in the first jeep, and they watched us all carefully as we entered over the sharp metal spikes that lay flat as we drove over them, but would shred our tires to ribbons if we tried to reverse our direction. Clearly, the gate was only used for vehicles entering the compound. I was a little surprised that Luis hadn’t required us to hand over our guns, but he was treating the entire group as if we were favored guests, and I figured that we must be significantly outgunned, anyway.