The Charity Chip

by Brock Booher

  “What? They remove the charity chip, and we have to live on the streets?” asked Julio, trying to sound brave. “I’ll just go back to performing on the street.”

  “Performing? What do you do?”

  Julio stopped and dug into his backpack for his batons. He hadn’t used in them almost three weeks, but luckily they were still there. “I normally light these on fire,” he said as he pulled out the batons. “But I’m out of fuel right now.”

  Julio began juggling the batons, tossing them higher than normal. “Can you grab my backpack?” he said as he stepped on his skateboard. “This way to your house?” he asked with a grin as he pushed forward on the skateboard and continued to juggle the batons.

  Angelica picked up his backpack and followed Julio. “Wow,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m impressed. How much do juggling skateboarders make each week?”

  Julio dropped a baton. His first impulse was to retaliate with an insult of his own, but Angelica’s laughing eyes stopped him. He grinned. “Enough to keep my brother and me from starving to death.”

  Angelica stopped. “You have a brother? I thought Isak only wanted kids without family.”

  Julio took the backpack and stuffed the batons back in. “Well, he doesn’t know, or at least I didn’t tell him.”

  Angelica zipped her lips. “Your secret is safe with me. Older or younger brother?”

  “We’re twins, but I was born first.” Julio hopped on his skateboard and they continued down the sidewalk. “Do you really think something is suspicious with Caritas?”

  Angelic shrugged and sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m just paranoid. An old friend of my mother lets me stay in a room above his store. He is definitely paranoid. Maybe I’ve just been listening to him too long.”

  “Mamá used to tell me—Let fear guide you, not control you.”

  “Why didn’t you tell Isak you had a twin brother?”

  “I was afraid . . .”

  “Hmm, you were afraid. Afraid of what? Caritas is just an international aid organization that helps needy children in distress.”

  “Look. I promised Mamá that I would take care of him after she died. I wanted to make sure Caritas was safe before I got him involved.”

  “You seem to be sold on Caritas now. When are you going to tell Isak?”

  “It’s not that simple. I’m afraid, I mean, worried that if I tell Isak they will kick me out. And if they kick me out, then I can’t keep my promise to Mamá.”

  “But if he lets you both into the program, your brother can take care of himself.”

  “Take care of himself? All he wants to do is hang out with los mALditos.”

  “You promised to take care of him, not be his mother.”

  “What do you know about taking care of someone else? You only have to worry about yourself.”

  Angelica stopped and put her hands on her hips. “Maybe so, but instead of thinking only of myself, I came to you to warn you about a possible danger, and all you can do is call me paranoid.”

  Julio kicked off and skated ahead of Angelica. He started to turn the corner and skate away, but then he remembered what Mamá would always say after fighting with Papá. He took a deep breath and tried to let go of his anger. He picked up his skateboard and stood there, taking out his frustration on one of the wheels by spinning it over and over again as he waited for her to catch up.

  When Angelica saw that he had stopped to wait for her, she slowed down and crossed her arms. She looked down at the sidewalk as she got closer and pretended not to see Julio as she walked by. Julio fell in beside her without saying anything at first.

  After they crossed the street, he finally got up enough courage to speak. “Every time my parents would fight, my father was usually the first to apologize.” He didn’t tell her that usually the apology started with an unexpected kiss. “After he apologized, Mamá would say, ‘To err is human. To forgive is divine.’ ”

  “Is this an apology?” asked Angelica without looking up from the sidewalk ahead of her.

  “Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” said Julio.

  Angelica nodded. “You don’t have to believe me. I just want you to trust me enough to listen.”

  “Okay, but you have to promise not to tell anyone at Caritas about my twin.”

  Angelica stopped and stuck out her hand. “Deal?”

  Julio smiled and gladly shook her hand. “Deal.”

  A block later, they crossed Javier Luna Pizarro and Angelica stopped in front of a small storefront. “I live in a small room above this electronics shop. Martín, the owner, was a friend of my mother. He lets me stay free of charge if I help out from time to time with customers.”

  Like all the shops in the strip mall across the street, the storefront lacked character. The front window had a lackluster display of various electronic devices from tablets to cell phones. Nothing appealed to the passing consumer except the sign in the window that stated “Reparaciones Electrónicas Martín.”

  “Is he your mom’s old boyfriend?” asked Julio.

  “No, my mom’s old boyfriend, Tito, is in jail for hacking into people’s bank accounts. I was helping Tito when he . . . we got caught. That’s when Isak showed up. Martín was a friend of Tito’s.” She stopped at the door. “He has two important rules. First, don’t interrupt him when he is working. Wait until he stops what he is doing before you talk to him. Second, never bother his workbench or computers.” She opened the front door as she finished the sentence.

  They were greeted by a glass display counter with a hodgepodge of new and used electronics. The shelves behind the counter had a sparse assortment of goods. At the back of the store, a man was hunched over a workbench with a New York Yankees baseball cap on backwards. A bright light focused on the device in front of him, and the smell of melted plastic and soft soldering metal filled the room. “Hola, Angelica,” he said without looking up from his work.

  “Hola, Martín. This is my friend Julio,” she replied.

  “Mucho gusto, Julio,” said Martín, still focused on his work.

  Julio waved but Martín didn’t notice. “Nice to meet you too.”

  For a moment the conversation stopped. Angelica didn’t move or speak. Martín kept working under the bright light, focusing all his energy on his project. Julio was puzzled but stood there waiting for a cue from Angelica. After a long pause, Martín sat up straight, let out a sigh, and put down his tools.

  “That should hold it,” said Martín. He stood and greeted Angelica with a kiss on the cheek. He was thin and didn’t look too much older than Julio until he turned the baseball cap around and Julio could see that he was going bald. When he shook Julio’s hand, his grip was strong.

  “How do you know Angelica?” asked Martín without releasing Julio’s hand. Martín smiled, but he looked at Julio from head to toe.

  Julio gave Angelica a questioning glance. “We are both at Caritas.”

  Martín released Julio’s hand and glared at Angelica with his hands on his hips.

  “Yes, he is a member of Caritas also,” admitted Angelica. “He’s new, and I had Armando pull up beside him so we could talk during the taxi ride, but then when I got out, he jumped out and followed me,” she explained. “You told me to try and recruit some other participants, so here he is.” She looked over at Julio and smiled. “If Isak notices that we have spent time together, then we know we’re right. If nothing happens, then we know we’ve let our paranoid imagination run away with us. Either way, we get to the truth.”

  Martín lifted his cap and scratched his balding head. He let out a sigh and shook his head. Then he pointed a long finger at Julio and said, “Be careful. Somebody is always watching you in today’s world. They have cameras on the streets, cameras in stores, and now they control the currency through digital money. Every time you spend, they know something else about you.” He shrugged. “I know I sound a little paranoid, but don’t trust anyone, especially pe
ople that claim to offer you things for free.” Martín pointed at Julio’s left hand. “Did she tell you what that chip was capable of?”

  Julio tried not to smirk and held up his left hand. “They tell you what it can do before they implant it. Isak told me that it can monitor my vital signs, alcohol use, drugs, and even locate me if I’m in trouble. They even found out when I drank a glass of wine.” He shook his head. “It’s not a secret.”

  “What else can it do? Do you know?” Martín began pacing back and forth and waved his hands. “When Angelica got chipped, I did some diagnostics on the chip and made some comparisons. This charity chip is bigger than a normal money chip. Why? Because it must have hidden capabilities. Maybe they installed some sort of mind-controlling device that can take control of you if you decide not to obey. Maybe it can sedate you and put you to sleep with the click of a mouse. Maybe they put a kill device that can stop your heart. Maybe it gives you an electric shock if you try to run away.” He stopped pacing and wagged his finger at Julio. “You don’t know, do you?”

  Julio glanced at Angelica. “No, I don’t know everything the charity chip will do, but I do know that I haven’t gone hungry since I got it.”

  “That’s what they always do! They prey on the vulnerable!” Martín began pacing again. “Just like the government-run barrios. They tell you it is for your own good. They tell it is for your safety. They provide you with just enough resources to survive.” He stopped pacing and held his fists out like they were manacled together. “They say they are protecting you, but in the end they have imprisoned you in your own life, and all of your privacy and freedom is gone.”

  “Look, Martín,” said Julio with a sigh, “a few weeks ago I was eating from a dumpster. Now I get a hot meal every day, and have money for food and clothing. I still get to live in the same place, and nobody has taken away my privacy or freedom. If anything, I feel more free than before because I don’t have to worry about my next meal.”

  “They have you right where they want you,” answered Martín.

  Julio suppressed a smile. “If they are trying to control us, what do they want with us?”

  Martín began pacing and waving his arms again. “It could be anything! They might want you for cheap labor in the mines or as domestic help after a few years. Do you know that almost thirty million people are caught up in human trafficking around the world, and most of them are children? They could be selling the girls as sex slaves. A girl from Caritas did disappear last year. Maybe it is part of a political coup by the UN to take complete control of our country. Caritas is run by foreigners.” He stopped pacing and wagged his finger at Angelica. “You cannot trust anyone!”

  Julio looked at Angelica. “Do you have any proof of foul play by Caritas?”

  “A girl disappeared and a young man died,” answered Angelica.

  Julio shrugged. “Graciela said that the young man was stabbed to death during a robbery attempt.”

  Martín turned to Julio. “If they can track you with the chip, why couldn’t they find the missing girl? If the chip only works for you, then robbery is fruitless. Not to mention that when the boy was stabbed, Doctor Kozyar was on scene in minutes.”

  Julio shook his head. “That doesn’t prove anything. The chip monitors vital signs, and if he was stabbed, Doctor Kozyar would have been alerted.” He looked at Angelica. “Like I told Angelica, I would like to believe you. I was very nervous about being chipped also, and it’s little creepy knowing they can track me and stuff, but I certainly haven’t seen anything sinister since I joined. I’m sorry.” Julio grabbed the door handle. “If you were looking for me to join your anticonspiracy cause, I’m not the right guy.” He stopped and looked at Angelica. “Thanks for thinking of me. You can trust me not to say anything.”

  “Graciela believes we are right,” blurted Angelica.

  Julio let go of the door handle and turned around. “Graciela?”

  Martín shook his head and went back to his workbench like he didn’t want any more conversation. Angelica watched him go and then nodded. “She recommended I talk to you. She said you were really nice, for an Alianza fan.”

  Julio shook his head. “No way. Graciela loves Caritas. She told me that Isak saved her from the sex trade and that this opportunity totally turned her life around.”

  “She was Isak’s first recruit. She has been in the program from the beginning, but that also means she has seen the most. It was her boyfriend that was stabbed to death about the time you joined.”

  Julio shook his head. “I don’t believe you. She is there every day and she’s the last one to leave.”

  “She’s been sticking around so much because she is watching for suspicious things.” Angelica put her hands on her hips. “If you don’t believe me, we can go see her. She doesn’t live too far from here.”

  Julio hesitated at the door. Angelica and Martín seem convinced, but Graciela? She doesn’t seem like the type to get caught up in chasing shadows. He remembered how cautious he was when Isak first approached him, but after the last few weeks, his life was totally different. But what if they’re right?

  “I need to go check on my brother,” said Julio, trying to make an exit.

  Angelica pulled a cell phone from her pocket and checked the time. “Do you want to meet here for dinner? I’ll cook.” Her green eyes were inviting. “After dinner, we can go see Graciela together.”

  Julio’s resistance melted. “Sure. What time?”

  “Can you meet me back here, say, around six?”

  Julio winked and said, “Hasta las seis.” Then he hustled out the door to look for Raúl.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  La Captura

  (The Capture)

  Julio skidded to a stop across the street from El Infierno, the hangout for los mALditos. The abandoned two-story warehouse used to be a thriving garment factory, but like most of the industry in La Victoria, it had been quiet for several years. The original sign still hung over the front delivery door, but it had been painted over with graffiti. The symbol for los mALditos, a combination of the letters A and L with a three-pronged pitchfork, had been splashed across the sign and the doors. Turco, the lumbering sentinel for the gang, sat out front playing with a pocketknife.

  Julio was hesitant to approach Turco, especially after their last encounter, but he didn’t feel like he had a choice. He worried about what would happen if he got caught trying to pass himself off as Raúl, but figured it might the only way to get information. He kicked off the curb and skated across the street.

  As Julio approached, Turco stood and continued to open and close his knife. “Hey, Puma, I thought you were out on a job with Chicha.”

  Julio thought it was odd that Raúl used his middle name with the gang, but he played along. “I’m late. I’m trying to catch up. Where was I supposed to meet Chicha?”

  Turco gave him a funny look. “Where we always meet Chicha, Plaza Sol y Sombra.”

  Julio smacked himself on the forehead and started skating away. “Gracias, hermano,” he yelled over his shoulder. He was relieved that Turco was easy to fool.

  A few minutes later, he skated up to the large circular plaza near the Alianza stadium. If Raúl had followed through with his threat to take a job with Sergio, Julio didn’t really expect to see him, but at least if he checked, it would ease his conscious. He wasn’t even sure why he bothered anymore. His efforts to break Raúl free had only driven his brother deeper into the gang. It was a losing proposition, and he was getting tired of trying. He couldn’t save his brother from himself.

  After one fruitless pass, he gave up and skated away.

  * * *

  Martín’s shop was still open when Julio walked in a little before six o’clock. Martín was helping a customer with a cell phone and only acknowledged Julio with a look. Angelica was waiting at the back of the shop. She stood and smiled when he entered.

  The butterflies in Julio’s stomach fluttered when Angelica smiled and waved him b
ack. He blushed and tried to hide his excitement as he slipped past the counter and followed her through the back door and up the stairs.

  When he reached the top of the stairs and dropped his backpack, Julio was surprised at what he found. Unlike the unfinished apartment he shared with his brother, Angelica had turned this small dusty storage area into a clean and comfortable living space. Her bed was made and the entire room was neat and tidy. A setting for two was on the table in front of the window that overlooked the street, and a simple fabric curtain was drawn back revealing the view of passing traffic. A simmering pot sat on the single propane burner beside the sink. The tile floor had recently been swept and mopped. A picture of Angelica as a child on her mother’s lap hung on the wall.

  Julio stopped in the doorway, nervous to enter. “Your place is very nice, and clean.” He pulled a bottle of Inca Kola from his backpack. “I brought us something to drink.”

  “Thank you,” said Angelica as she stirred the pot. “I made aguadito. Come sit down at the table.”

  Julio pointed at the picture with his chin. “Is that your mother?” he asked.

  Angelica nodded. “That’s the only photograph I have of us.”

  “She was a beautiful woman.”

  Angelica stared at the pot of soup. “Yes, when she wasn’t drunk.”

  Julio nodded in understanding and took a seat at the table. The aroma of the soup aroused his appetite. As he watched Angelica cut up the bread and serve the soup, he couldn’t help but miss Mamá.

  “The furniture was my mother’s, but Martín has also been very good to me,” said Angelica when she sat down to join Julio. “He is a little paranoid, but he means well.”

  Julio smiled and reached for a piece of bread, but drew back his hand when he saw Angelica bow her head. He pulled out the pendant of Saint Michael and kissed it, and then he waited for Angelica to take a piece of bread before he moved again.

  Julio was in love after the first bite of the soup. It was just like the soup Mamá used to make, when she could get all the ingredients. They ate in silence for a few moments before Julio got the courage to speak. “Was your mother a good cook?” he asked.