Emma sensed he did not want to tell her because it would be worse than her not knowing. It must be something very awful if telling her would be worse than keeping it inside. She wished she could help.
“Pierce, you can tell me anything. I hope you know that.”
“I do know that, but I will not burden you with unnecessary details. Besides it is probably better for you not to know everything related to my work.”
She had to accept that for the time being. He would talk whenever he was ready. For the moment she had to focus on how they were going to proceed as a family from this point onward, especially if Pierce was paralyzed.
Chapter 26
Finally, Chelsea’s long wait paid off. She heard footsteps approaching, and not long afterward, she saw De Leon enter the cave. She hid behind a huge box in the corner and watched as he continued to walk forward. It would have been so easy to kill him right there, but she did not. She needed some answers, then it would be time enough.
Jumping on him suddenly, she knocked him to the ground and he landed on his face. With the gun at his temple, she forced him onto his back. For a moment there was a glimmer of fear, but he quickly recovered.
“Miss Preston, indeed. And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” His voice was mocking.
“You know why I am here,” she snarled. “Before I blow your brains out, I want some answers.”
There was a sudden shift in his gaze and she realized that something was amiss. As she tried to glance around she sensed someone behind her and heard the click of a gun.
“So you have come looking for us?” She was staring into the face of Galvez.
“Don’t look so surprised. We were expecting you. We suspected Weston might have told you where to find us, so we were prepared. As for him, he seems to have died for nothing.”
Noting the surprise and confusion on her face at the mention of Weston’s name, Galvez laughed. He motioned for her to stand up. This she did, leaving her gun on the ground.
De Leon got up from where she had knocked him down, and was straightening and brushing off his clothes.
“See little girl, you’re in over your head. We’re always five steps ahead and we stay that way by the help of your own people in the police department.” De Leon was smirking as he spoke.
“One day you’ll lose. You can’t go on forever,” she said.
“Maybe, but right now we are winning. This war will never end because the people in your country are greedy and corrupt.” It was Galvez speaking.
“There will always be the fat cats that sit above you. Those who know where the real money is and go after it. Why else would they stage the death of one of their most wanted fugitives?”
“Not everyone is like that.” Chelsea protested.
“Agreed, there may be a few like you. But what about your uncle Isaac? He loved the money, but thought foolishly that he could break free whenever he wanted. That was where he erred. We don’t leave loose ends hanging.”
“Like Dean and my parents?” She was not far from tears.
“Exactly.”
“You could have just killed Isaac since he was involved. But my parents, they were innocent.”
“Let’s say we call that collateral damage. Sometimes seeing your loved ones suffer is more painful than death itself.”
She lunged at them screaming, “Monsters! You are horrible monsters!”
De Leon slapped her hard and she fell. Her head ached and although she was down, she still sought her answers. The two men decided to humor her. After all, when all this was over, the result would be the same.
As Chelsea groped around for something to hold on to in order to stand up again, her hand brushed against her gun that had fallen from her grasp when Galvez had surprised her. She picked it up, holding it behind her back which was against the wall. Then slowly, she rose to a standing position, as if holding on to the wall for support.
“You have been watching me the entire time I was growing up, and I want to know why.” She was speaking to De Leon.
“You should already know the answer.”
“You wanted to know what I was up to in case I remembered something.” It was more a statement than a question.
“The moment you remembered anything, it would have been your death warrant.” De Leon told her.
“So, trying to find out who murdered my parents made you come after me?”
“Brilliant!” Galvez clapped both hands in mock congratulations.
Fuming, Chelsea shouted, “I will kill you.”
“No, you won’t. Look around. There are two of us and one of you. We are men and you are a woman. You belong in the kitchen and if you had stayed there none of this would have happened.”
Galvez let out a peal of laughter when he said this. “And maybe your boyfriend would not have died.”
“Dean made his choice and dug his own grave,” she spat back at him.
“All in an effort to protect you, no doubt.”
“I’m not sure about that. This could be a trap that he set up to get me to you.” Chelsea said this, no longer sure whose side Dean was on. Her doubts were returning.
“Are you telling me you did not have any feelings for him at all?” De Leon asked.
“I did, but he betrayed me.”
“I have no doubt he did. But he also betrayed us. Do you know what we do with traitors?” Then turning to Galvez, he said, “Do you want to tell her another reason why we choose the desert as our hide-out?”
“Most certainly, I will. Because, my dear, there are so many places where we can get rid of a body. We can bury you deep in the sand, we can let the desert animals’ feast on you, or we can throw you in the sinkhole over there. It’s like a bottomless pit, and may just lead straight to hell. Who knows?”
He let out a raucous laugh as he saw a sliver of terror on her face. She remained silent.
“As I was saying, Miss Preston, when people get in my way, they have to be removed. And I want you to know that you’re in my way now.”
De Leon was standing right before her and looking her full in the face. She backed further against the wall, clearly seeing death in his eyes.
Chelsea realized that if she was going to make a move she had to make it soon. She tried to buy some time to steady her nerves for what she was about to do.
“How could you kill your own son, Mr. De Leon, and his girlfriend Ashlee? Have you no heart?”
“I lost my heart quite some time back, I’m afraid. And as for Austin, he betrayed me—wanting to leave the family business, all because of some high and mighty girl who thought she was too good for us. She wanted to change him and he was only too willing to oblige.”
For a brief moment De Leon paused, as if regretting what he had done. Although Galvez had his gun trained on her the whole time they were talking, he was less cautious since he knew she had no chance of escape.
Chelsea seized the moment, pulled the gun from behind her back and fired rapidly at both men. Galvez’s gun roared to life too and she went down in a hail of bullets.
Chapter 27
Dean awoke to find a bright light above him and the beeping sound of monitors. That meant he was alive. He remembered firing at Parker and feeling a burning sensation as he took cover in the dark of the cemetery. After making sure that Parker was dead, he managed to drag himself out to the road near the entrance of the cemetery. There he must have passed out.
He had to find Chelsea. He tried to get up, but the pain made him fall back onto the bed. Just then the doctor walked in.
“Hello, Mr. Weston, glad to see you’re awake. You’re a lucky man. The bullet-proof vest you were wearing helped to deflect the bullets from your chest, and your vital organs.”
Dean thanked his lucky stars he had taken that cautionary step. He hoped Chelsea had done the same.
“We have cleaned and stitched up the wounds in your arm and shoulder, so you’ll be laid
up for a few weeks, and then you’ll be as good as new.”
“Can I leave right now, Doctor? Someone I know is in serious trouble and needs my help.” He sat up and fell back as the pain in his shoulder gripped him.
“If it is that serious, you should call the police for help.”
“I am the police, and I am the only person who knows where to find her.”
“Look, you are not in any condition to play hero tonight. So just lie back and take it easy.”
To make sure that happened, the doctor quickly gave him an injection. Dean watched as the doctor walked away. He was worried sick about Chelsea. He had to go find her. He was sure she needed help. Oh, God. What was he thinking when he sent her off alone to face those two blood thirsty bastards!
He made one more attempt to get up and the pain nearly blinded him, followed by a wave of nausea, and he felt himself becoming drowsy. He quickly lay back down. Guilt swept over him for having failed Chelsea. Maybe, praying would help. Never mind he had lost his faith in God long ago. But he was desperate. He was not sure what he said or to whom he was speaking, but he expressed his heart’s desire for Chelsea to be kept safe and brought back to him. He was still in prayer as he fell asleep.
Chapter 28
In a cave in the desert some forty kilometers away, Chelsea was waking up to a different reality. Her bullet-proof vest had saved her life. She was only badly bruised from the force of the bullets hitting the vest and pushing it hard against her body. But her attackers were not so lucky. They were both lying dead on the ground before her.
She looked at their bodies. The mighty drug lords died just like ordinary men and in a matter of a few minutes they were stripped of all their powers. De Leon was dead now, finally, so his living ghost would no longer be a menace to society. Chelsea felt tremendous relief now that the two men who had killed her parents and haunted her life were dead. Justice was done for herself and for society in general.
She looked around trying to decide what to do with the bodies. She did not want them found, especially De Leon’s, since he was supposed to be already dead, and for some years now. Then she remembered the sinkhole nearby that Galvez had mentioned. She went across to where the rock jutted up out of the earth like a spout and saw there was an opening in the top. It was nearly three feet across and dark inside. She picked up a rock and dropped it in. She heard no sound at all. It did seem to be bottomless.
It took all of her strength to haul the two bodies to the mouth of the sinkhole. Galvez was the smaller of the two, much smaller, but still weighty compared to her. She braced him up against the side and tilted him over. He disappeared into the abyss and she did hear some sounds as the body went tumbling down, but none to indicate it had landed. After much effort, she did the same with De Leon. If there truly was a heaven and a hell, she hoped they were burning for all the pain they had caused.
Surprisingly, she found herself crying in relief that her mission was accomplished. She hurried back to the entrance, not wanting to be found anywhere near this place. She went back down the path and retrieved her hidden motorcycle. She rode cautiously and in less haste. A numbness began to settle over her. Two major drug lords were dead. This did not mean the evil would stop. Others would soon rise up and take their place to continue smuggling and killing. But at least De Leon and Galvez would never hurt anyone again.
Within the hour she was approaching the city limits and she didn’t know where to go. She couldn’t go to the hospital, with the bruises on her body she would have to explain how they got there. She couldn’t go to the police station because she was on suspension. She had no idea where Dean could possibly be, if he wasn’t dead as Galvez has suggested.
Her apartment seemed the most logical place to go, although she would not want to spend the night there. At least she could have a shower, change her clothes and find something to soothe the bruises on her chest. Quietly, she climbed the stairs and went in.
The blood stains were still on the floor and she threw an old sheet over them. In the shower she scrubbed herself as if washing away all the filth of the world, cleansing her body and soul. She felt clean and fresh when she stepped out.
She put on some clean clothes, then decided to call Pierce to update him on things and find out if he had heard anything from Dean.
“Chelsea! I have been worried sick about you! What happened, where are you?”
“I will have to tell you in person, but mission accomplished, anyway.” She heard hospital sounds in the background and asked, “Where are you?”
He filled her in on his accident, but omitted the part about not being able to walk again.
“Oh, Pierce, I’m so sorry, real sorry. And to think this happened because of me.”
“Don’t feel guilty, Chelsea. It all comes with the job.”
“Have you heard from Dean?”
“Oh, he’s in the hospital too… but I think you should let him tell you all about it himself.”
“Give me a couple minutes, and I’ll be there.” She was already reaching for the motorcycle keys.
She saw her neighbor, Dorothy, standing near the stairwell. She looked at Chelsea as if she was seeing a ghost.
“Hello, Dorothy, is everything alright?”
“No. I know who killed the man in your apartment. I’m so scared.”
“Why didn’t you tell the cops?”
“Because he threatened me. He said—”
“We took care of it, Dorothy. You need not be afraid.”
Chelsea took pleasure in saying that. She wished she could say that to the whole world. A world plagued by evil men like De Leon and his partner.
Dorothy smiled and asked, “Why did you become a cop?”
“Because working to solve a case is more important than anything else. I get the answers for the families who have lost loved ones, and I try to seek justice for the dead.”
Dorothy’s mouth formed a round O and Chelsea continued on her way downstairs. She could not wait to see Dean to fill in the other pieces of the puzzle.
Chapter 29
Dean was having a hard time adjusting to the confinement of hospital life. He had attempted to get up more than once, but the pain was overwhelming. His immobility gave him time to reflect on all that had happened. Of course, the major thing that occupied his mind was Chelsea. Where was she and what had happened with De Leon and Galvez?
He dozed off and was awakened by the sound of someone entering his room. He really hoped it wasn’t the nurse again. He opened his eyes and his heart did a somersault.
Chelsea, his wonderful Chelsea stood there looking at him with eyes that made him melt. They just kept staring at each other without speaking, and his heart kept doing a crazy dance.
After what seemed like minutes, she walked towards him. She held his hands and just kept looking at him, as if not believing he was real.
“Are you okay?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“From what I can see, better than you and Pierce.”
“You went to see him?”
She nodded.
“Then he told you what happened. Did he tell you about him not being able to walk again?”
“Yes. That’s so terrible. I feel sorry for Emma and the kids…and Pierce too.”
They both knew that he was a good cop who worked very hard and loved his family. Dean felt a tinge of guilt. Maybe if he had not come to the office to spy on Chelsea, some of this would not have happened.
“How did it go on your end?” he finally asked.
She told him all the details of her encounter with De Leon and Galvez and how they had underestimated her ability.
“Did you get the answers you wanted?”
“Most of them… but they are gone now and Pierce says my suspension will be over soon and I should be able to return to work.”
They both stopped talking for a moment. The most important questions hung unasked between them. She wondered what was
going to happen now. Seeing him stirred a longing in her, and the way he was looking at her told her that he was feeling the same. As for Dean, his question had to do with her being able to forgive him for his betrayal, even though he had changed his mind in the end.
“Why did you risk your life to save me, Dean?” She plucked up the courage to ask.
“Because being with you makes me feel so different. You give me a purpose for living and you showed me that there are more important things in life than money. I knew that I would be taking my life in my hands going to the cemetery without you. But I came to realize that I would rather die than cause you to be hurt.”
“Oh, Dean. I do love you so.”
She sat on the bed and tried to embrace him. Both of them drew back with sharp cries of pain. She was hurting from the bruises on her chest, and he from the wounds in his arm and shoulder.
She listened as he told her about his meeting with Parker, the dirty cop in the department, and how they traded bullets. To know that he actually faced death for her only endeared him all the more.
All her doubts fell away and she felt safe and secure. She definitely wanted him to be a part of her life. She had no idea what tomorrow would bring, but the way she felt about him was not about to change.
Sitting on the edge of his bed she looked into his eyes as she searched them. They gazed back at her unflinching, and in their depths she saw a look of endearment. She bent her head and kissed him full on the lips. He returned her kiss but that was it, only their lips were touching since it was too painful for them to hug each other.
When they paused to breathe, he asked, “Does this mean you forgive me for everything I did?”
“Yes. This is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives, the ghosts of the past have been laid to rest. It’s you and me from now on.”
She had taken a chance and opened her heart… and there was no turning back now.
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