by Jessica Gray
Fernando looked at them suspiciously. “You’re shitting me, right?”
“Not at all. Remember the phrase and use it. We’ll crash the place.”
Fernando’s head was swirling with their explanations and instructions and he hoped not to forget anything – or mess up the entire operation. He didn’t feel confident, nor did he like the idea of working undercover, but it was the only way out he had.
Before he left Ben’s office, the cops warned him not to tell anyone. “Not a word. To anyone. It will endanger the operation and all persons involved. Including your sister.”
And Gwen.
He looked at both men and realized these were the first cops he’d ever trusted. And he did trust them. “Sure thing. See you guys tonight.”
They gave him a last encouraging slap on the back and off he went.
Chapter 23
Gwen woke up grouchy. Sleep had been elusive at night because guilt was eating her up. She’d pushed Fernando away when he’d needed her the most. And it gnawed at her that she had to choose between love and work. Fernando or her career.
The correct way to handle this incident would be to call the authorities and report him. Even though she wasn’t his probation officer any longer, she was still bound to follow the law, and that meant she had to report the potential robbery.
After taking a shower to clear her head, she quickly donned some clothes and wrapped a towel around her hair. Then she grabbed her cell phone.
“Hello?”
“Viv, I have a problem.”
“Gwen, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but I think I screwed everything up.” She told her about the robbery and her ultimatum.
There was a pregnant pause, and then Vivian answered, “That’s tough news. Gwen, you realize you put him in to an untenable position. To choose between you and his family.”
“I know that! If there’s another solution, I haven’t found it.”
“You have to report him. Today.” Like always, Vivian was the voice of reason, and Gwen knew her friend’s remark was absolutely correct.
“Yeah,” Gwen acknowledged. “I should.”
“Promise you’ll report him. Otherwise, you’re making yourself liable to prosecution. Think with your mind for once, not with your hormones.”
“I will. Love you.” Gwen hung up and thought about their conversation. Vivian was right. She had to report Fernando. She’d known from the first moment that getting involved with him was a mistake. Bad mistake.
“This is why they make these rules,” she said to herself. “To keep your integrity intact. To prevent conflicting interests. To keep your head clear.” She sighed. “You know what to do.”
She grabbed her phone, but instead of dialing her boss’ number, she decided to give Fernando one last chance to do the right thing and pressed the speed dial to his cell.
“Hello.”
“Fernando?” she asked, her voice unsteady. “It’s Gwen.”
“What do you want?” he asked gruffly, causing icy shivers to run down her spine.
“I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry. Sorry for making you choose between your sister and me. I love you.”
He huffed. “Now’s not a good time. We can talk tomorrow. Once all of this is behind us.”
“Nando, there might be another way…” Her legs gave out, and she plopped on the couch.
“It’s too late.”
“Please. If you persist in going ahead with this robbery, I have to report you to the local authorities. It’s my job.” Her hands trembled, and the mere thought of betraying him made her want to puke.
There was a long pause. When he spoke again, his voice was softer but unrelenting. “Look, everyone has to do what is right.”
A wave of rage rolled over her, and she shouted into the phone, “Why are you so damn stubborn? Let me help you.”
“Gwen. If you really love me, you’ll trust me to do the right thing.”
“Don’t do this, please?” she begged him, but he’d already cut the line.
Now she was even more torn than before. Fernando had been so cold on the phone. But he’d also been sure of himself. What should she do?
Her rational mind told her to report him, while her heart told her not to. As the afternoon wound down, Gwen realized she didn’t have any choice but to inform her boss. She couldn’t let her emotions get the better of her moral standards and ethics. With any other person, she wouldn’t have thought twice to do the right thing.
Gwen hopped into her car, and half an hour later, she sat in her boss’ office, wringing her hands.
“Gwen, what a surprise. Are you okay?” Stephanie glanced at Gwen’s casted wrist. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“I’m fine, I have to…” She paused. Could she actually turn him in?
Stephanie eyed her. “You have to…what?”
“I was wondering if Fernando Garcia had reported in here?”
Stephanie steepled her hands atop her desk. “Not to my knowledge. Gwen, it doesn’t help anyone if you worry about work. All your charges have been assigned to a colleague of yours. They are fine.”
Gwen nodded. “Sorry, but I need—”
Stephanie’s phone rang and she held up a finger. “Excuse me for a moment.” She answered the phone, leaving Gwen alone with her swirling thoughts and emotions.
If you really love me, you’ll trust me to do the right thing. Fernando’s words came echoing back in her mind. In that moment, she changed her mind. It was totally illogical, but somehow, she just knew he’d found a solution to the problem. He’d asked her to trust him, and she needed to get out of her supervisor’s office. Like, now.
Stephanie hung up the phone, turning her attention back to Gwen. “You were saying about Fernando Garcia?”
“It’s probably nothing. He called and left a message for me because he didn’t know I was out on sick leave. It sounded urgent, but I could be jumping to conclusions. Do you think I should leave a note for Gerald and have him follow up?”
“That sounds like a good idea. And then I want you to go home and rest. We’ve got everything under control here. No more worrying about work.”
Gwen smiled at her and left the office, breathing a sigh of relief once she was out on the street again. She drove home, doubts plaguing her the entire way. What if this was the stupidest thing she’d ever done?
When she reached the intersection to the beach highway, she entered it, hoping to gain some clarity. Normally, the sound of the waves coming in helped her to calm down and focus, but not today. The intense memories of the happy day with Fernando haunted her.
God, I hope I won’t regret this decision for the rest of my life.
Chapter 24
When Fernando got off the phone with Gwen, he fell into a deep, black hole. Several times he picked up the phone to tell her the truth. But every time he set it back down with trembling hands. He couldn’t.
The cops had warned that for this to work, the least number of people should be in the know. Still, the pain of having to lie to her tore at his heart. She’d sounded so defeated, disillusioned. And he’d promised not to hurt her. To himself. To Vivian.
The thought of Vivian’s threat sent a small smile on his face. If she sics her five brothers on me, I won’t put up any fight. His only remaining hope was that Gwen trusted him. But he was almost positive she wouldn’t be able to. All the facts were stacked against him. Like always.
Knowing he was driving himself insane with these notions, he decided to focus on the job at hand. Everything depended on his ability to put on a convincing show and get those bastards to release Amada before he disabled the warehouse security system. The operation was dangerous and so many things could go wrong.
Fernando took a shower and then watched TV, trying to calm his racing thoughts when his cell phone rang.
“Hello?”
“It’s Ben. Nervous?”
Fernando swallowed and took a deep breath. “No. I’
m good.”
Ben chuckled into the phone. “You’re such a bad liar. Don’t worry, everything will go without hiccups. Those guys are pros. You do as you’re told and act normal.”
“Normal?” Fernando questioned.
“How would you normally act in this situation?”
“I’d be pissed off, and ready to put my fist through Tito’s face.”
“Now, that’s the tone of voice I wanted to hear. Make sure Tito understands he’d better be playing straight with you, or he’s a dead man.”
“Thanks, man. I’ve got this.”
“I know you do. See you at work. Don’t be late.”
Fernando disconnected the call, thankful for the good friend Ben had proven to be. The guy was level-headed, and he’d been where Fernando was now. Trying to claw his way out of the cycle of crime.
Just before dark, Fernando arrived at the old bridge to find Tito and Carlos waiting for him. Without a word, they took off and were joined by several other gang members. Some of them Fernando knew, others seemed to be new recruits.
As they approached South Street and the warehouse in question, his nerves were strung tight. Tito kept glancing at him suspiciously, but Fernando just clenched his fists and kept walking as if he hadn’t noticed.
They arrived at the warehouse, and Tito pulled everyone into a small huddle. “This is it. Our big score.” He briefed them about the line of action and then grinned at Fernando. “Like in the old times. Tell me you haven’t missed this kind of excitement?”
Fernando growled, rage boiling in his blood, “I haven’t missed this shit at all. I’m doing this one job because you forced me to. But after tonight I don’t want to ever see any of you again.”
Tito’s face fell. “Why so resentful? Family has to stick together.”
“You’re not family.” In a quick moment, Fernando gripped Tito by the throat. “You threatened my sister, you bastard. That is something I will never forgive. After tonight, you better stay away from me if you don’t want to be a dead man.”
Three of the others had grabbed Fernando, and he released Tito. The tension in the air was palpable and for a moment he feared they’d beat the crap out of him. But then Carlos spoke up, “Leave it, guys. We need him.” Then he took a step toward Fernando and punched him in the gut. Excruciating pain clouded his vision, and Fernando would have doubled over if the other guys weren’t still holding him upright.
“Listen to me, Garcia. Once a gang member, always a gang member. If you’re smart, you’ll stick around. Next time things won’t go down as nice.”
Fernando coughed for breath and glared at Carlos. “Where’s my sister? I won’t do anything until she’s safe.”
Carlos sneered, “Why, she’s at work. We didn’t want her getting into trouble and losing her job. Such a hot girl. Mamacita.” He rubbed his groin. “I have two men waiting outside for her, just in case things don’t go as planned here.”
Fernando scowled and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed her number, hoping she wasn’t standing near a supervisor when she answered his call.
“Fernando?” A rock fell from his shoulder.
“Hey, sis. You okay?”
“I’m fine. They let me come to work, but the guys who drove me here are hanging around outside.”
“Don’t worry about them. You do your work and stay inside the building until I come to pick you up. Even if you get done early, you stay inside.”
“Okay.”
“See you soon.” He disconnected the call, feeling a small measure of relief at knowing she was out of their reach for the moment. Damn! I should have asked her which building she was at.
“Happy now?” Tito asked, hate dripping from his words.
“Peachy. Let’s get this over with.”
They rounded the building, and the lock on the warehouse was child’s play for Fernando. He had it opened and the alarm disabled within three minutes. Everything was going as planned. What if the police don’t show up?
Tito, Carlos, and the other gang members high-fived one another as they saw the huge shipment of brand new smartphones and tablets. The warehouse was loaded with hundreds of plastic wrapped crates nicely stacked on pallets. All full of electronic devices that would rake in big bucks on the black market.
“How do you plan on getting all of this stuff out of here?”
Just then, a large box truck arrived, backing into the open warehouse doorway. “Tada.”
“This will take more than one truck…” He stopped speaking as three small vans pulled up and gang members climbed out. “Never mind.”
“I told you, Carlos and I thought of everything. Let’s get this stuff loaded so we can get out of here.”
“Call your goons off,” Fernando demanded.
Tito nodded, making a phone call. “Hey, you two get over to the warehouse and help us load up. The girl is free to go.” He listened for a few seconds. “No, you don’t need to tell her anything. Just get your asses over here.” Tito looked at him. “Satisfied?”
Fernando nodded and said the code words, “Yeah. I’m glad my sister is safe.” Then he busied himself, trying to make it look like he was helping load the trucks.
Minutes went by, and finally, a bunch of police cars arrived. The gang members were caught completely unawares, and everyone was arrested without much of a fight. Including Fernando.
“Shit! How did they know we were even there?” Tito demanded in a harsh whisper.
Fernando shook his head. “No idea. There wasn’t a silent alarm on that system, I’m sure of it.”
At the precinct, Fernando was put into a holding cell along with the others. He broke out in a cold sweat when he remembered he was still wearing the wire. If the goons found out, that would be the end of him. Andy and Craig hadn’t been among the policemen arresting them, and he started to freak out. He knew it. It had been a trap. He’d rot in prison along with everyone else, and nobody would believe his story.
He gritted his teeth as one by one, the others were led away for interrogation until he remained alone in the holding cell. Now would be a good time to panic. He sunk down on the hard bench and stared at the ceiling. His life was still a mess. After an endless amount of time, Ben came in.
“You?” Fernando asked in shock.
Ben grinned. “Yep. Came to get you personally, wouldn’t want you to be late for work tomorrow. Follow me and shut up until we get into the interrogation room.” He led him up the stairs and into a brightly lit room with a stainless steel table, and three wooden chairs. “Let’s get that wire off of you. Lose the shirt.”
Fernando mechanically pulled the t-shirt off, his mind processing the events of the past hours. Now that the rush of adrenaline had left his body, he felt wrung out. Ben started unhooking the tape when the door opened Andy and Craig entered – still not wearing uniforms. They slapped his back. “You did a good job tonight. Congratulations, man.”
Their words went down like sweet honey. “My sister?”
“As far as we know, she’s still at the building down on Third and Clover,” Andy answered.
“Can I get her?” He gestured towards the door.
“Sure. You’re free to go. But you’ll need to come back tomorrow to make a report.”
“Thanks, guys. I sure will.” Fernando rushed out the door to make sure his sister was fine, knowing he’d have to deal with why he’d been the only one released later. In the meantime, the gang had more pressing matters to worry with.
Chapter 25
By the time he reached the office building his sister had been cleaning, it was almost four o’clock in the morning.
He dialed her cell phone. “Hey, sis. I’m outside.”
“Fernando, thank God. Are you okay?” That was so typical for her to worry about him when she’d been the one in danger.
“Enough of that for right now. Are you finished with work?”
“A few minutes ago. Let me turn off the lights and I’ll come down.”
&nb
sp; “The bus will come by in about ten minutes. Make it fast.”
When she appeared minutes later, he hugged her close, so happy to have her back safe and sound. “I love you, Amada.”
She hugged him back. “I love you too, big brother.”
He hugged her close once more and then held her at arm’s length to look her over. Her unusually pale face betrayed the brave front she was trying to put on. “Are you hurt?”
“No, just scared.”
He slung an arm around her shoulder and escorted her to the bus station. “I’ll get them back for this. I promise. When I get my hands on Tito and Carlos, they’re dead men.”
“Don’t talk like that, please?” Amada pleaded with him. “You need to put this behind you. Maybe, we could use this…well, I’ve been thinking…” She stopped talking when the bus arrived.
“Hold that thought for a moment.” They climbed aboard the bus, the only occupants at this hour of the morning and headed for the rear. “You were saying?” he asked as they sat down.
“Well, my college is on the other side of town. And our current neighborhood isn’t good for either of us. Perhaps we should be looking at moving someplace else. Someplace closer to the college?”
“You want to move?”
“I do. It will give us a chance to start over and leave the past behind.”
Fernando nodded. “I’ll think about it.” He’d do more than that. She was right. They needed to get out of there, sooner rather than later. Once the gang learned he’d been the snitch, neither of them were safe here. Not that they ever were.
They arrived home ten minutes later, and he escorted Amada up to the apartment, where he left her at the door. “I need to go see Gwen. Will you be okay?”
Amada yawned. “Nothing that a few hours of sleep won’t cure. I’ll be fine.”
Fernando kissed her on the forehead and went back outside. He took one bus after another, finally arriving outside Gwen’s front door just before five in the morning. It was much too early for a social call, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He rang the doorbell and waited.
Gwen opened the door, looking sleep tousled, her eyes puffy and red. It broke his heart seeing her like that and knowing he’d been the cause.