The Hidden Two

by Kimberlee R. Mendoza

  Myers nodded as he eased out of the seat.

  “Everyone focus on Myers, not me,” Laura said. Why didn’t they bring their guns with them? Maybe it was for the best. No need to start a shooting match with this many civilians in the place.

  The rest of the group followed Myers with their eyes. He walked to the edge of the booth as Laura leapt behind the counter. A napkin holder sailed through the air, landing just feet beside the assailant. The guy turned his gun toward where Myers had been and yelled, “Stop or I’ll shoot.”

  People screamed and began scrambling under tables.

  Myers must have popped back up, because what sounded like silverware hit the counter.

  The kid fired a shot in his direction and glass shattered. “Nobody move, or I’ll shoot everyone in here!”

  Laura peeked back out. Myers was under the table, safe, offering her a thumbs-up sign. She edged back around behind the counter low to the floor.

  More screaming, some crying.

  “Just give him the money,” someone yelled.

  Looking at the reflection in a napkin holder, Laura could see the kid had his back toward her. Placing her hands on the counter, Laura flipped over and kicked him in the head. The gun slid across the floor. The kid fell to the tile, dazed. Myers retrieved the gun. There was a moment of silence, and then, everyone began to clap. Laura spun the kid over so he was facing the floor and pulled his wrists together behind his back. “Do you have any duct tape or string?” she asked the waitress.

  The cook came around, mouth open, eyes wide, and handed her an apron and a knife.

  “Thanks.” She cut off the straps and glanced back at the cook. “Call 9-1-1.”

  “Already did.”

  The realization of that made Laura act fast. They couldn’t be here when the police arrived. In some ways, they were still wanted, and any inquiry could put them all in jail. Fingerprints and fibers put them in the proximity of at least half a dozen murders, maybe more, not to mention all of them were supposed to be dead. No way did she want to explain this. How did one explain they weren’t bad guys? That everything was either self-defense or ridding the world of filth? The law would not understand. Robin Hood was still an outlaw, even if his intentions were good.

  She knotted off the string and pushed him up against the side of a booth. Blood ran from his nose, and a dark circle appeared just under his left eye. He couldn’t be more than fifteen. Not long ago, this was Myers. She glanced at her friend holding the gun. “Sorry, kid, but this wasn’t cool.”

  The kid began cursing at her in Spanish. She didn’t know all the dirty words, but she recognized a few. She put a finger to her lips and leaned forward. “Sshhh,” then whispered in his ear, “I could snap your neck without breaking a sweat, so I suggest you settle down, my friend.”

  “Lo dudo,” he spat at her.

  With a sneer, she moved within an inch of his face, “You doubt it? Darle una oportunidad.”

  His eyes widened when she called his bluff. She pulled back and peered at her team, all hovering nearby. “We need to go.”

  Myers wiped the gun surreptitiously and handed it to the cook. “Keep it on him until they arrive.”

  “Don’t you need to be here when the cops come?” the waitress asked. “You’re witnesses.”

  Laura shook her head. “Unfortunately, we can’t. It would ruin our cover.”

  The waitress smiled, chomping on her gum. “Are you some kind of undercover cops or something?”

  “Yeah, something like that.” Laura patted her arm. “I’m glad you’re okay, but we’ve got to go.”

  Within seconds, the sirens blared a block away. The team hurried toward the exit. The roomful of people clapped and cheered, but they didn’t stop to gloat. Once outside, each of them set out in a run. The red and blue lights were now visible on the horizon. Not much time. Each person entered his or her room. Laura and Bryce began grabbing everything and tossing it into their two duffel bags. Two minutes tops, they were at the SUV, ready to go. This was not a new exercise. They had lived it, as well as practiced it. Always running, they got pretty good at it.

  “Go to the left,” Laura yelled to Myers. “The police are pulling in on the right.”

  With a hard swerve, Myers sent the vehicle around the building and down the dirt road Laura and Bryce had jogged just the night before. No telling where they would end up, but there was no time to figure that out. They just needed to get free of another good deed gone wrong.

  Chapter Eleven

  Teddy waited until the dust settled, and they were back on a main highway to pull out his phone. He inserted his earplugs and began to scroll through some of his favorite social media sites. Oh no! His face went white. “Pull over!”

  Laura glanced back from the passenger seat. “What’s wrong?”

  He turned the phone around so she could see the screen.

  Her eyes went wide. She snatched the phone from him and unplugged the earplugs. “Myers, pull over!”

  “What is it?” Deshawn asked.

  Laura passed the phone around as Myers exited the freeway. He drove into a gas station lot, shut off the engine, and faced her. “So?”

  Holding the screen so everyone could lean in and view it, she pushed play on a video. The scene from the café played out as it had occurred. Already, the moment of Laura slamming the kid to the ground had over 12,000 viewers. Teddy couldn’t believe it. Anonymity had been their one friend. The idea of people recognizing them would not bode well. It would draw out their enemies and put a target on their backs—especially with the law. Laura had said as much many times. Never be seen. Never get caught. Leave no identifying traces.

  “What do we do now?” Teddy asked. “I mean, the chances of this thing going viral around the world with over millions of viewers will make it impossible to go anywhere. Of course, these things usually die out, and the team wasn’t seen right? That’s something.”

  “Yes, luckily, the video didn’t show the rest of the team. Just Myers and me. It is quite the set back, but not impossible to maneuver. The two of us will have to lay low. The rest of you will have to do all the shopping and negotiating.” Laura handed Teddy his phone back.

  “It’s not a big deal. I can hack the account,” Charlie said. “But I agree we need to lay low, since some people have seen it, especially in this area.”

  “We need to stop just driving and have a plan. Where are we going, Black?” Myers said with more bite than probably needed.

  “Helena said it earlier. It’s time to leave the country.” Laura bit her lip and then said, “Head for the border.”

  ****

  It was dark when they approached two signs that read: “Bienvenidos a Mexico” and “Nogales Centro.” This wasn’t the border Teddy remembered in Tijuana. It seemed more desolate and not as heavily guarded. Maybe that was a good thing.

  “Passports out,” Laura said.

  Everyone started to pull them out, just as they reached the booth. A security agent motioned for them to roll down the window. Charlie, now driving, complied.

  “Where are you going?” the guard asked.

  “To a wedding in Oaxaca, Mexico.”

  “Do you have any firearms, food, or drugs within your possession?”

  “No, sir,” Charlie said.

  “Passports, please.”

  Teddy’s hand sweated as he dug his out of his boot and handed it to Charlie. Everyone also passed them forward. The man leaned in and checked each of their faces against the faces on the IDs. “You will also need to obtain a permit for your vehicle. Cost is $27. You can pull through over there.” The man passed the passports back to Charlie and pointed with his other hand to a white building.

  “Thank you,” Charlie said and then maneuvered over to park. “Please tell me this car is registered to one of us.”

  Laura reached into the glove compartment and handed out a white slip of paper. “Yes, it’s actually under Myers’ name.” She passed it back. “Go on. We�
��ll wait.”

  Helena jumped out and joined Myers on the other side. Holding hands, they crossed to the side window. Laura had taught all of them that whenever in these circumstances, it was always better to go as a couple. It seemed less suspicious and more normal.

  Charlie stepped out to of the vehicle and took the seat where Myers had sat before. “Just in case, he should drive.”

  “I had you in the driver’s seat, because Myers may be a wanted man. I just hope there are no issues inside.” Laura glanced to where he had disappeared behind a brick wall. “His face was on that video.”

  It seemed to take forever for them to return. With each second, Teddy felt more paranoid. Though it was a bad habit, he began biting his nails. So many ideas swirled through his imagination. What if they figured out who Myers was and had arrested him on the spot? What if any moment a S.W.A.T. team would surround them? He imagined helicopters and rifles pointed at their car, police dogs, riot gear, CS Gas, and bullets.

  In an instant, they would take him away and lock him up forever. Or worse, shoot him for no reason. They were at the border. What if there was no due process? What if they lied and said they were armed? Well, actually, they all were—guns lined the roof of the car. Most people looked under the car or the floorboards, few people thought to look at the roof. At least, that is what Laura had said. So, they specially lined the top with an entire arsenal. Charlie was a great actor. Did they have firearms? Teddy tried not to laugh. They have no idea.

  Teddy glanced at the ceiling, wondering if he could get to them fast enough in the event the guards surrounded them. He played the scenario out in his mind a dozen times. Hit the hidden button. The case drops down. He grabs. He shoots. Could he do it fast enough? His mind replayed the mental practice over and over. Movement to his right made him jump and, instinctively, reach for the hidden button. But luckily, he didn’t press it.

  Myers and Helena rounded the corner.

  Teddy visibly exhaled.

  “You okay?” Willow asked, touching his elbow.

  He nodded. “Overactive imagination.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, me too. Just knew the guards would surround us at any moment.”

  “I went as far as S.W.A.T.”

  She giggled. “Of course.”

  Myers settled in and started the car. Within a few minutes, they were back in the line of traffic, moving toward the last rim of American soil.

  Once across, Teddy yelled, “Viva la México.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Indeed,” Deshawn said.

  The traffic was thick and moved slowly. Little children ran to the car dressed in rags and no shoes. Withered, sundried, elderly men approached the car with towels and squirt bottles. Women balanced hats and scarves on their bodies and on sticks. Myers kept inching the vehicle forward. It broke Teddy’s heart; how he wished he had the money to help all of them.

  “Drive about an hour, then find a hotel,” Laura said.

  “Sounds good.” Myers finally broke free of the crowd, and the pace improved. Windows rolled down, and the warm air blasted them, lulling Teddy to sleep. When he opened his eyes, they had stopped outside a bright orange and forest green building with a hand-painted sign that read, “El Pequeño Motel—Vacante.” Dust swirled around their car as everyone opened their doors in unison. A chicken cackled at Teddy’s side and ran behind a shed. A thin dog chased after it, being stopped by an elderly woman with a broom. “Pero, no!”

  “Hola.” Laura put on her best smile. She always became sickly sweet in these situations. It made Teddy wonder if they all really knew her at all. One might call her a chameleon; she had a face for all circumstances.

  “¿Hola?” the woman countered, looking at them suspiciously.

  “Nos gustaría estar aquí esta noche,” Laura said.

  “What did she say?” Teddy whispered to Helena.

  “She is trying to get us a room.”

  “Gotcha.”

  The lady wiped her hand on her apron and then put her thumb and index together and rubbed the universal sign for money. “452 pesos.”

  Laura turned back and looked at Charlie. “How much is that?”

  “About $25.”

  “American dollars?”

  “Sí.”

  Laura handed out the money. “Sí, nos gustaría.”

  The woman took the money and then motioned for them to follow her. She lifted her red poplin skirt as she stepped up the two steps into the building. Inside, it opened into a brick-colored tile courtyard filled with potted plants and ceramic jugs. She led them to the other side and stopped at an orange door. Opening it, she waved a hand out for them to enter.

  “Isn’t big enough for all of us,” Myers said.

  Laura glanced back to the woman and waved at the room, then held up two fingers. “Dos?”

  The woman shook her head, then one finger. “Uno.”

  “It will have to be,” Laura said, moving toward the opening. “Gracias.”

  “Denada.”

  The seven of them stepped in the room with just one queen bed and a fold out cot. “This will be a tight squeeze,” Willow said.

  “Yeah.” Teddy grinned and pushed into Willow, pretending he had to step closer to her.

  “Bien?” the woman asked.

  Laura nodded. “Baño?”

  The woman indicated the restroom was around the corner, then shuffled back down the way they had come.

  “It’s just for the night, or until we figure out where to go,” Laura assured. “Charlie, fire up the computer. We need to plot a path.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Laura tried to flip over softly to avoid waking the other two women who shared the bed with her. The men all slept on the floor, with the exception of Myers on a cot by the door. Not sure how he scored it—probably rock-paper-scissors or a flip of a coin. Or even more likely, to keep his snoring to a minimum. She smiled and then exhaled slowly.

  Need to quiet my mind. Please fall asleep, brain. Often tightening each muscle, then relaxing it, she could begin to doze, but not tonight. No such luck. The uncomfortable arrangements, Myer’s buzzing breath, the other sleep noises, the humidity, and the lack of planning were all recipes for insomnia, which seemed to be occurring more and more. When was the last time she actually just fell asleep? Like always, maybe it was time for a run. She tossed her feet over the side of the bed and patted the ground for her tennis shoes.

  “What are you doing?” Bryce whispered from the floor, a hint of amusement in his voice.

  “What do you think?” She pushed her foot into one shoe, then the other. “I’m going running.” She reached for the thin hoodie she had used as a pillow.

  “I thought we agreed running alone is stupid.”

  “You’re welcome to come again, though I also keep reminding you I can take care of myself.”

  “Maybe, but it still isn’t safe.” The sound of him shuffling around told her he was getting ready, too. In a way, it would be nice to spend time alone with her husband. It hadn’t been easy. They needed this.

  The air outside was oppressive. The buzz of mosquitoes and tree frogs set the music for the run. The moon hid to a small sliver, not offering them much guidance. She adorned her head with a flashlight and handed one to Bryce. He flipped it on and placed it on his head.

  For a while, the only other sound in the night was the patter of their feet on the dirt road. The wildlife seemed still. Every once in a while, a soft breeze would blow, giving them a hint of relief. But for the most part, it was thick air—like sludge to their lungs. About a mile out, something rustled to her left. She turned her lighted head to the sound but could not make anything out.

  “Do you see anything?” Laura asked, turning back to Bryce.

  A red dot marked his chest.

  “No,” she screamed.

  A loud bang shattered the still air, echoing off the mountains. Laura tackled him to the ground. Warm, sticky blood covered her chest.

  “B
ryce,” she cried. “Stay with me, sweetheart.” She flicked the light off and scanned the dark horizon. Tears blurred her vision, making it hard to see. Silvery figures moved to her left. She grabbed a pistol from her back, aimed it, and then fired. Fired again. Both shots hit something metal. Lights turned on from what looked like a truck. It peeled out; its tires spinning in the dirt. In seconds, only dust was left in its place.

  Laura turned back to her husband. “Bryce, speak to me.”

  “I lub you,” he gurgled.

  Sobs ravaged her body. She tried to clear them, to think. Pulling her phone from her back pocket, she dialed Charlie. “Come on, come on.”

  “Hello?” Charlie mumbled.

  “Bryce has been shot! It’s too dark to do triage. We’re behind the motel about one and half klicks away. I need you to bring the SUV now.”

  “You got it.” Charlie hung up. She called him, because out of their entire team, he would respond the quickest through the emotion. He could still function when he felt things. Well, at least, unless it was Eri.

  “Stay with me, Bryce. Please. I need you.” She pulled off her T-shirt, leaving her in only a sports bra. Rolling it up, she thrust it against his chest.

  The sun had just begun to wink at the horizon when Deshawn, Charlie, and Myers drove to her location. They quickly picked Bryce up and placed him the back. Laura climbed in the opposite door and placed his head in her lap. It looked like the bullet was just right of his heart. Fear gripped her own. This could not be happening. Why him? Silently, she prayed for a miracle. How she needed one now.

  They pulled up to the motel, and the entire group was ready to receive him. They had plastic trash bags on the bed, ripped rags, hot water in pots, bottles of alcohol, a burned needle, a knife, and thread all ready to go.

  When they placed him on the bed, Laura was sure it was too late. Bryce’s face was ashen, his lips blue. No breath filled his lungs. Helena went to work on him. During their downtime, she had been training as an EMT just for this reason. Each of them had tried to learn a new skill. This one seemed the most apropos.