by M. H. Soars
“Did you pin this on someone else?” The leader actually sounds impressed. Dirtbag.
“You know it,” Alex replies, full of smugness. Oh, I can’t wait to see his face when he goes down for his crimes.
“I like how you roll, QB.”
“Where are the drugs?” Big Joe interrupts the love fest between Alex and the gang leader.
The man in question doesn’t seem to appreciate the interruption. He stiffens immediately, and his minions do the same. “You see, there was a problem. My mule couldn’t make it across the border.”
“Are you saying the drugs are still in Mexico?” Alex sounds alarmed.
“Yes.”
“That’s bullshit!”
“You better watch your mouth, rich boy. I’ve arranged for you to collect it just outside of Tijuana.”
“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to cross the border with ten pounds of cocaine. That’s too risky.”
The gang leader shrugs. “That’s your problem. You still have to pay for it, though.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Pay up.”
The two guys flanking the gang leader pull out their guns and point at Alex and at Big Joe. I swallow the fear and try to keep my hands from shaking.
“We’ll cross the border,” Big Joe says.
Alex turns to him. “Are you insane? We’ll get caught.”
“I know a guy who can secure us safe passage. He owes me a favor.”
“You better listen your friend, rich boy.”
My heart is galloping at full speed and the fear is real, very real. But I have the proof I need to free Lorenzo, so the risk wasn’t for nothing. I turn to Owen. He’s covering his mouth and nose with his hand, and his face is red. I raise an eyebrow at him right before his sneezes loudly several times.
“What was that?” The gang leader says.
“There’s somebody there,” another thug replies.
The gang leader grabs Alex by the collar of his shirt and begins to shake him. “You had a fucking tail, you moron.”
I glance ahead, panic making it harder for me to think. The desire to break into a run is enormous, but I don’t have any doubt they will shoot at us if we flee. Big Joe is coming our way fast, trailed by one of the drug dealers. I do the only thing I can in the few seconds I have left. I remove the SD card from the camera and throw it as far as I can.
Big Joe gets to us first and pulls Owen up. The thug yanks the camera from my hands. Alex sees me and his gaze darkens. He turns to his companion. “I thought you said you scared her.”
“I did.”
“Do you know them?” The gang leader asks.
“They go to school with me.”
“She had a camera with her. The SD card slot is empty,” the guy holding my arm says.
The gang leader strides my way, stopping right in front of me. He places the barrel of the gun against my forehead, the metal’s coldness making my blood freeze.
“Where’s the fucking card, bitch?”
“Gone. You’ll never find it.”
“Leave her alone!” Owen screams and fights against the hold Big Joe has on his arms.
“What are you going to do with them?” Alex asks, his face turning a shade paler.
“What do you think, rich boy?”
“Are you crazy? You can’t kill them here,” Alex protests. Well, thank you, jerk.
My would-be executioner lowers his gun. “You’re right. Pack them up, we’ll bring them with us and dispatch them in the desert. No one will ever find their bodies.”
We’re dragged to Big Joe’s car and dumped unceremoniously inside the trunk.
Chapter 22
Owen
Darkness surrounds us and for a brief moment, it feels like I’m buried alive. The only thing keeping me from going insane is the feel of Kimberly’s small body in front of me. The car takes off, and I can feel every jolt, every bump racking my bones. This is all my fault. I should have never told Kimberly that the meeting was happening tonight. Yes, it would suck that we wouldn’t get the proof of Lorenzo’s innocence, but her life and mine are more important. Fuck my allergies, too. I didn’t notice the flowers in the bushes until it was too late.
Kimberly’s back is to me, and in the small space we are in, there’s no other position for us besides spooning. She’s been awfully quiet for the last two minutes. I pull her closer, wrapping my arms around her tiny waist.
“Are you okay?” I ask and immediately berate myself. What kind of stupid question was that?
“No.”
Her voice is so small, it twists my heart in the worst possible way. It makes me forget my own fear. I kiss her shoulder not knowing why I feel compelled to. The same way I felt compelled to kiss her back in that motel room. This girl has managed to get under my skin in the course of days. I want to hold her tight, protect her with my own life if needed. I think this is what it’s like to fall hard for someone.
“I’m so sorry, Owen.”
“Sorry for what? It’s my fault they caught us.”
“No. I should have never involved you in this.”
“Hey, I’m here of my own free will.”
She’s quiet for a moment, then she says, “I’m scared.”
I’m scared too, but I don’t tell her that. “We’ll get out of it. This is not the end for us, Kimberly Dawson.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I just am. Trust me.”
To my surprise, Kimberly chuckles. “Owen, you’re so full of shit it’s amazing flies don’t follow you around.”
“But you still like me, don’t you? Confess, Kimmy.”
There’s a brief hesitation before I feel her breath leave in a whoosh. “I do, Owen. I do.”
The car stops suddenly, and a few seconds later, the trunk door opens. Big Joe appears above us and my adrenaline kicks up. This is it, this is the end. I have to do something, try to distract him long enough so Kimberly can escape. Big Joe has a roll of tape in his hand.
“We’re five minutes from the border. I can’t trust you to keep your mouths shut.”
I try to get up, but with Kimmy in the way, I don’t get far.
“I wouldn’t even try if I were you.” He shows me the gun tucked inside the band of his jeans.
He tapes our mouths shut and our hands together. Before he closes the trunk again, he leans closer and whispers. “Don’t try anything stupid. It will be okay.”
What kind of statement was that? The car begins to move again, and with our mouths taped, we can’t distract each other anymore. All we have left are the thoughts in our heads and the spiking fear. Minutes go by, but it feels like hours. My body is cramping, I can’t feel my right arm and leg by leaning on them for too long. I hear when we stop by the border. My body tenses up and I’m ready to make some noise, kick the walls inside the trunk or something. Sensing my intent, Kimmy twists her bound arms, and manages to squeeze my leg, signaling me to not try anything. I question her sanity in that moment. My hesitation makes me lose the window of opportunity, and soon the car begins to move again.
Fuck. I want to yell at her. That was our chance to get out of this mess. Did she really believe Big Joe’s statement? I failed to see how everything was going to be okay for us. The drive gets rougher and our bodies are shoved from side to side in the trunk. I try to protect Kimberly from the worst blows with my body, despite my annoyance. The noise outside is different too, and it doesn’t take long for us to realize why. We’ve left the highway and must be cruising in the desert.
The car finally stops and the trunk opens again. The guy who attacked Kimberly a week ago drags her out. She struggles against him and the scream in my throat is muffled by the tape covering my mouth.
“Your turn, big boy.” Big Joe grabs my bound arms and help
s me out. I don’t fight him, not yet. I want to get my bearings first before attempting any move.
Alex is next to his drug dealer partners and the rage in my veins is threatening to burst. How could I have never noticed he was such a monster? The gang leader turns to him. “Let’s get this shit over with. Ricki doesn’t like to be kept waiting. Take care of them.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you, rich boy. They’re your friends after all.”
“I...I...” Alex mumbles but Big Joe interrupts.
“I’ll handle them.” He grabs Kimberly and me by the arms and shoves us forward. I decide now it’s the time to put up a fight. I don’t share Kimberly’s faith in this guy. Unfortunately, he’s built like a mountain and his hold on my arm doesn’t waiver no matter how hard I struggle. For the first time, I notice he’s way too big and strong to be a teenager.
We keep on walking until the glow from the headlights fade, and darkness engulfs us. The sky above is overcast and the crescent moon is hidden behind those heavy clouds. Big Joe stops abruptly and pushes me hard to the ground. With my hands bound, my knees take the brunt of the fall and pain shots up my legs. I stop the forward motion with my elbows, scraping them under my shirt. I turn in Big Joe’s direction, ready to jump and tackle the guy, hands bound and everything. What stops me is the gun he’s pointing at Kimberly’s head. I glare at him instead, but I doubt he can see the hate in my eyes. He forces Kimberly to kneel next to me, shoulder to shoulder. Then he squats in front of us, gun hanging loosely between his fingers.
“Listen carefully,” he whispers. “I’m an undercover cop. When I fire these shots, you must remain utterly quiet. I’ll come back for you when I get rid of Alex.”
He reaches inside his leather jacket and drops a couple of items in front of us. “Here’s a bottle of water and a cell phone. If I’m not back before the sun rises, call the only contact saved there. He’s my partner.”
He pulls the tape from our mouths and frees our hands.
“Any last words?” he says out loud.
“Fuck you,” I yell.
He smiles before he fires two shots to the ground. It’s hard to not flinch, but we do our best. I can’t think how close those bullets were from embedding themselves into our brains. Big Joe walks back to his companions.
“It’s done,” he says.
“Don’t we need to bury the bodies?” Alex asks and a couple of them laugh.
“Coyotes and vultures will take care of that for us.”
A couple of minutes later, they’re gone, and I can finally breathe easily. Kimberly falls into my arms and that’s when she breaks down. I hold her tight and kiss the top of her head while she sobs loud and hard.
“We’re okay. We’re okay, babe.”
The endearment feels natural and I don’t question it. Clarity usually comes after staring death in the face. And there’s not a doubt in my mind that I want Kimberly to be mine.
Chapter 23
Kimberly
Owen and I have no choice but to stay put. We don’t know how far we are from civilization. The cell phone Big Joe left behind is from ancient times, it doesn’t do anything besides make calls and send texts. We try to call our parents, but it won’t make any international calls either. We’re pretty much stuck here until Big Joe returns. We debate whether or not we should call Big Joe’s partners right away, but fear of screwing up things further makes us follow Big Joe’s instructions to the letter.
Thoughts of coyotes and vultures plague my mind, and I don’t want to fall asleep. But now that adrenaline has left my body, I’m exhausted and it’s hard to keep my eyes open. Owen suggests we take turns and that I should sleep first. I’m too tired to fight him on this.
I wake up with sunshine burning my eyelids. I blink my eyes open to a clear morning sky. My head is resting against Owen’s chest, I’m tucked nicely against his body. His arm is wrapped around my shoulder and my hand is flat against his stomach. Butterflies make themselves known despite the precarious situation I’m in.
I sit up and take note of our surroundings. Bare land in all directions, no sign of a road or shade anywhere. I have no idea of what time it is, but my guess is that it’s still early. Owen stirs, and then opens his eyes, giving me his trademark goofy grin. “Good morning.”
“You fell asleep and didn’t wake me so I could take my turn.”
“Sorry. You looked so peaceful and you needed the rest.”
“We could have been attacked by coyotes.”
His smile vanishes and he sits up too. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I planned on keeping vigil the whole night.”
“Owen...”
“What time do you think it is?” His abrupt change of subject doesn’t go unnoticed. But I go with the flow.
“My guess is around six?”
“Shouldn’t Big Joe be back by now?”
I look at the horizon. “Yeah.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
I eye him suspiciously. “Sure.”
“Why did you keep me from making noise when we were at the border?”
I pull my knees up and look at my shoes. “You’ll think I’m stupid.”
He bumps my arm lightly with his elbow. “Don’t worry. I already do.”
Owen’s teasing tone warms up my heart. It’s almost too easy to forget where we are. I realize he’s still waiting for my answer.
“There was something in Big Joe’s tone. It made me trust him.”
“Well, we’re not dead. That’s something.”
I stand up suddenly, jitters and a need to do something propelling me forward. “We can’t stay here and wait for Big Joe forever. The sun is only going to get hotter and we only have a bottle of water to share.”
“Let’s call his partner then.” Owen picks up the phone and places the call. “Fuck. We’ve lost reception. We must be too far from civilization.”
My stomach drops. “What now?”
“We walk and keep on trying.”
* * *
I was right. As the day progresses, the sun gets stronger and stronger and we struggle against the harsh conditions. I’ve already rolled up my sleeves and I feel sweat pouring down my back. Owen removed his sweater and the tight t-shirt he had underneath is soaked to the bone. I try not to stare too much at his chiseled chest and abs. We ration the water, but we can’t keep going for much longer like this. Owen’s face is already all red and I know mine looks the same.
We keep trying to make a call every fifteen minutes or so. The time on the phone indicates we have been walking for three hours already.
“Kimmy, we have another problem,” Owen says, his grave tone making me stop in my tracks.
“What is it?”
“We don’t have much battery left on the phone.”
I close my eyes and fight the urge to cry. Bawling my eyes out won’t help a thing and it will only dehydrate me further.
“We must be getting closer to the city. They didn’t drive that far into the desert.”
Owen looks at the phone and at me again. “We have one bar that keeps flickering on and off.”
He presses the call button and I wait impatiently, bouncing on the balls of my feet. When a male voice answers on the other side of the line, I want to scream in joy.
Owen explains in the most concise way possible what happened last night. After he hangs up, he stares at me. “He’s on his way.”
“How is he going to find us?”
“He tracked the call.”
“How long?”
“Fifteen minutes tops.”
Ten minutes later, a black vintage mustang appears in the horizon followed by a cloud of dust. The car slows down as it approaches and comes to a complete halt a few paces from us. Another minute goes by and the driver doesn’t get out. Owen and I look at each ot
her. What the hell is written all over his face and I’m sure it’s written over mine too.
Once the dust settles down, the door finally opens, and a tall man with dark hair and wearing a traditional Mexican costume emerges from it.
“What the hell are you waiting for? Get in!” the man I assume is Big Joe’s partner screams.
“Who are you?” I ask.
He looks up at the sky and lets out a derisive laugh. “Who am I she asks.” He looks at us again. “I’m Jesus fucking Christ saving your sorry asses. Now get in the car before I leave you behind for the vultures.”
“Hey, don’t talk to her like that. How do we know you’re not one of the bad guys?”
“Listen, kid. I’m not one of the bad guys, okay? If I were, I would have run you over. My name is Mario Gomez and I’m an investigator for the Mexican police. Now pretty please, would you get in the fucking car? I’m sweating bullets already.”
We do as he says and what a relief it is to slide into the cool leather interior. Owen sits next to me, earning a disapproving glance from Mario.
“Great, I’m a fucking cab driver now,” he mumbles before he peels off.
“What’s with the Mariachi band uniform?” I ask.
“Today is my sister’s wedding and I’m playing.”
“Oh.”
“Where’s Big Joe?” Owen asks.
“Big is back in California.”
“What?!” Owen and I scream in unison.
“He couldn’t come back without raising suspicions. Hence, I’m stuck with the two of you.”
“What about our families? My parents will freak if I don’t come home today,” I say.
“I’m sorry about that.” He laughs. “Actually, I’m not. I hope you get into a lot of trouble back home. What were you thinking meddling with police affairs? You could have been killed, or worse, blown the entire operation.”
“I’m glad to know where our lives rank in the grand scheme of things.” I glower at the back of Mario’s head.
“Listen, I’m telling you how it is. I’m not going to coddle you. You can call your parents when we get home and give them an excuse, but you can’t tell them where you are. It will blow Big Joe’s cover and we’re too close to nailing our target.”