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She sat inside the tree, protected by its leafy canopy as she watched the ranch, the morning light eating away the darkness. At first it was quiet, the rancher safe and secure in his extravagant house, but then all of a sudden it wasn’t and Adi watched with curiosity as a flurry of activity took over. Men spilled out of the house, quickly pulling up several trucks before going back inside, others standing guard. For just a minute, everything was still again, but as she watched the men come back out, she realized what was happening. The rancher was running.
She couldn’t believe it. The asshole was actually leaving. But as she watched them load more and more things into the vehicles, the smirk dropped off her face. If they didn’t want to lose him, Marcelo and the others needed to attack now. When nothing happened, Adi scampered down the tree.
She sprinted towards the road, staying under cover. She could hear the truck engines turning over so she ran faster, determined to get there first. Arriving at the edge of the field, she dropped to her stomach and crawled up the small slope next to the road just as the trucks began to rumble down the long driveway. The wait seemed to go on forever, the noise heightening with her anticipation, and as soon as she saw the vehicles in range, she pulled the pin and threw it.
The grenade landed in front of the first truck, Adi panicking when there was no explosion as the vehicle approached. She launched two more, the grenades landing on the road one after another. Suddenly the first one burst, a loud explosion shattering the stillness.
Adi kept her head down as the others detonated, sending metal shrapnel in all directions. Peaking over the top of the slope, she watched as the trucks burned, flames bulging around them as men poured out, desperate to get away.
They didn’t stand a chance, Adi picking them off one by one as she shot, the black smoke masking her position. The remaining trucks were already reversing back down the road as quickly as they came, not bothering to save their friends. She knew what would happen next. He would come for her. She slunk back into the trees and eagerly awaited his arrival. She was ready.
It took longer than expected but as she sat silently in her perch, several metres away from where she had blown up the trucks, she watched the camouflaged bodies sneak through the trees, closing in on their target. There were dozens of them, many more than she had accounted for, and she was beginning to doubt the sanity of her plan. But it didn’t matter. He only had to be close.
Gunfire ripped through the air as they lit up the edge of the field, hitting dirt, tree, and animal indiscriminately. They were shooting anything and everything within a twenty foot radius, and Adi watched for a moment before she took out the last three grenades and pulled the pins.
She threw them as far as she could in opposite directions, the bombs arcing above the treetops before falling back down onto the ground below. The men stopped shooting as the grenades went off, unsure of where the assault was coming from. At first, they canvased the area around them, but when they cautiously moved back, all heading in the same direction, Adi smiled. She knew where the bastard was.
Sliding silently down the tree, she crept in his direction. The plan was to avoid the others altogether, but when she saw one coming straight towards her, she had no choice.
Slinking in behind a tree, she slit his throat as he passed, his body dropping heavily to the ground. The closer she got to him, the more men she encountered, and she had managed to kill four more before one of them saw her.
Adi darted away as the bullets whizzed past. She hoped he would follow and wasn’t disappointed when she watched him run up, not seeing her behind the rock. The first shot pinged off his helmet and he spotted her just as she fired again, this time the bullet lodging in his neck.
Blood spurted through his fingers as he clutched at it, falling helplessly onto the ground. She could hear more coming towards her, the gunfire drawing their attention as feet thudded through the dirt. She was searching all around her when she spotted it, the perfect cover, and quickly dove underneath the thick vines, watching as the jungle filled with men.
At first, she didn’t recognize him, but as soon as she saw the thick, pink scar across his throat, she realized who it was. He was much skinnier, his face sunken and pale. He looked like he’d aged ten years since the last time they’d met, but as she stared up at him, she could still see his dark, ugly soul.
“Adelita Alvarez!” another man called out, the sound carrying through the trees. “Surrender or die!”
Adi couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face. There was no way he would pass up an opportunity to taunt her. She must have taken away his voice, and now, she was going to take his life.
She crawled soundlessly through the vines until she reached a tree big enough, quickly scaling it before settling down on a thick branch about halfway up. While they stared up into the trees above them, she was twenty feet away and lining up her shot.
The abrupt movement of a scarab beetle dropping from a higher branch startled her at the same time she pulled the trigger, the flinch sending the bullet off target. Instead of blasting through his skull, the lead struck his shoulder and Adi ducked down as the men returned fire. She desperately wanted to poke her head out and see where he was, but as the shots flew around her, she reluctantly slid down the tree and waited.
He had been right there, in her sights, and she had missed. The frustration was too much to take and she was just about to risk running out when she heard the sound of a single shot.
Adi paused, listening intently as the men continued to pummel the trees with bullets. But when she heard the sound a second time, she glanced past the tree and watched as a man crumpled to the ground.
The men stopped shooting just as a third shot ripped through the air, causing them to turn and face the opposite direction. Seeing her chance, she ran out, not bothering to look behind her as the gunfire began again.
The sound of death danced all around, but she didn’t stop, knowing she had to find him. She ran all the way back to the tree line, pausing only to kill those standing in her way, but she was too late. He was gone.
The only thing she felt was anger, her jaw clenching in frustration as she pumped a bullet into the back of a wounded man’s head as he crawled. She couldn’t believe he had gotten away. She slowly exhaled, the rage boiling inside, when she heard a noise and spun around.
“I missed,” she said, her voice cracking as she watched Catalina and Rodrigo approach, struggling to keep control of the jumble of emotions running through her.
Her two friends exchanged a look, but just as Catalina opened her mouth, gunshots burst into the air.
They sprinted towards it, the noise growing louder with each second. Adi could see a few men off in the distance, hastily retreating through the trees. As she got close, she saw what they were running from. Giovana sat crouched in the tree, killing off man after man while Lupita snuck along the ground, attacking with such precision and speed that they had no time to react.
Obviously not needing her help, Adi went after the runaways, Catalina and Rodrigo right behind. There were only a few dozen men left and she followed as they ran out into the field. She was looking across the pasture, surveying the opposition, when her eyes locked onto the body of a man stumbling towards the ranch house.
“Go!” Rodrigo didn’t need to tell her twice.
She saw nothing but him, running at a pace she didn’t think was possible, the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She should have been exhausted, but as she closed the gap and descended upon him, she never felt more alive.
She launched her body into his, using her momentum and speed to push his frail frame forward, slamming him into the ground. She bounced off his body when they hit the dirt, but the moment he rolled over, she was on him, pummeling with her fists.
Blinded by anger, her punches fell into a rhythm and she didn’t see his palm jut up, his hand striking her throat. Stunned by the amount of pain and lack of air, she grabbed her neck, desperately t
rying to breathe. He threw her off with ease, Adi feeling the swift kick of his boot bash her in the ribs as she attempted to stand, forcing her back down. She tried to roll away, but he was too quick and he jumped on top of her, pinning her down with strength she didn’t know he still had. The moment she felt his long fingers wrap around her neck, she was transported back to when she was eleven, the memory of the first time flashing before her eyes.
“You are an interesting individual,” she could hear him say all over again. “It’s a shame you didn’t last longer.”
“No,” she said, the word not making a sound as she fought against him, trying to stay conscious. She would not do this, not now, not ever and as her eyes flew open, she heard Rodrigo’s voice: “Kill the fucker.”
She punched him in the shoulder, remembering where she had shot him, and the grip of his left hand faltered just enough for her to quickly inhale and focus on what she had to do next. Bringing her leg in towards her body, she tucked it underneath his chest and suddenly pushed up, forcing him away from her. He struggled to hold on with his fingertips, but she was too strong and she kicked him off, jamming her heel directly into his wound.
His voice rasped out in pain as he fell back, Adi gasping for air as she scrambled into an upright position. As she stood, she saw the knife swing towards her and leaned back, but not fast enough as she felt the blade catch her cheek. She didn’t hesitate, countering as she hit him hard and fast, warm blood trickling down her face, her fists connecting with his jaw. As soon as she saw him stumble backwards, she ripped the knife off her back and began slicing at him, her strength increasing as she attacked.
At first, he was able to fend her off, even getting a few cuts in, but she eventually overwhelmed him, the months of training with Mariana taking over. She fell into a familiar rhythm, manipulating his movements as she forced him to react exactly how she wanted—hitting left to make him go right—and when her knife ripped open his calf, she knew she had him.
He buckled, sinking to the ground unwillingly as he dropped his knife. She paused her attack, looking at him kneeling below as shock and displeasure stared back at her. If his vocal cords hadn’t been severed, he probably would have said something to hurt her and wear her down. While a year ago, she might have been curious to hear what he had to say, now she no longer cared. She was finished with him. Distracted by her thoughts, she almost missed him reach behind his back.
She stepped to the side, feeling the bullet tear past her through the air. Not waiting for him to take another shot, she swung her knife down and watched as his hand fell to the ground. His raspy screams sounded ghost-like as he doubled over, clutching his severed limb in pain. His mouth was open but there was no sound and as he looked up at her one last time, she knew it was over. Gripping her knife in both hands, she chopped down as hard as she could and watched the life drain out of him.
Chapter Twenty
Adi stood there for several minutes, staring at the lifeless body in front of her. Years of running and hiding had come down to this moment, and he was dead. She expected to feel something, anything, but as she looked out into the field, the green grass covered in flesh, she felt nothing. It was only when Giovana walked up, and said those three words, did she finally feel.
She tried to run, but couldn’t, stumbling down the gentle slope to where the others were standing, the silence of the dead so loud she could barely hear. The sight of him dropped her and she shook as she reached out and touched his face, his empty eyes refusing to look at her. She lost control—the rage, the pain, the anguish tumbling out all at once—as she held him in her arms. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, he wasn’t supposed to die, but none of that made any difference. Rodrigo was gone.
The sun had risen, its bright light shimmering over the field as she slowly walked towards the house. It felt like she was floating, unconnected to her body’s movements, but when Marcelo touched her arm, she looked up and watched the pain flicker across his face.
“He wants you.” He tried to smile, but it fell halfway up. “He won’t talk to anyone but you.”
She followed Marcelo through the house, the walls leering at her as she entered. She might have noticed the brightly painted stone mosaics and the richly woven rugs had it been any other day, but it was not, and she numbly walked down the hallway suddenly feeling cold. Marcelo stopped in front of a door, nodding before he opened it and walked through.
It was a large room, complete with a bed, two couches, and several chairs, but as soon as Adi entered, she saw him, his face bloodied as he sat tied to his seat. Melina said nothing as she passed, the rancher smirking as Marcelo led her to a chair directly in front of him. Adi sat down, taking a moment to look at him before slowly removing the layers of weapons strapped around her body. While there were other people in the room, they stayed silent, the only sound Adi’s guns dropping onto the floor beside her.
“Enjoy this while you can,” the rancher said as she pulled a dead man’s automatic rifle over her head, finally feeling only the knife on her back. “It won’t last. Tomas will return and finish the job, like he always does.” When she didn’t reply, he leaned forward. “Want some free advice? Run.”
She looked at the others in the room, their tired, angry faces watching the rancher with contempt. It wouldn’t matter what he said—the reasons why, the empty promises he would make—none of that would give them back what they had already lost. Finally turning towards him, she said, “No.”
“No?” He practically spat out the word.
She nodded and stood, turning towards Melina. “He’s all yours.”
She could hear his screams as she walked out of the room, his confidence wavering as he spewed vulgar threats. She knew it wouldn’t take long until he started begging, but as she walked out through the front door and into the light, she forgot all about him. Her Sisters were all she needed.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Kayla Feenstra, April Jenkins and Stephanie St Hilaire for reading one of my first drafts. The fact that none of you have excommunicated me for making you read an absolute pile of garbage speaks to your grace and decency as human beings. I promise to never put you through such a terrible and painful ordeal again.
And to Matt, who unfailingly believes in me and is my biggest supporter. I wouldn’t want to do this without you.
About the Author
Raedene Jeannette Melin is a fiction writer and author of the new novel To Crown A King. Born in British Columbia, Canada, she holds a BA in History and a Master’s in Integrated Studies. Her debut novel, Las Hermanas, published in 2018, won the National Indie Excellence Award for adventure fiction and placed as a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Infatuated with trees and fresh mountain air, Raedene lives in Salmon Arm with her husband and two dogs.
Visit Raedene online at www.rjmbooks.ca.
Find Raedene on Facebook and Instagram or follow her on Twitter @RJMBooks.
Also by Raedene Jeannette Melin
TO CROWN A KING
Everyone knows the story. Except hers.
Scotland, 1295. The kingdom is on the verge of rebellion. Born into the influential Bruce family, Christina Bruce is expected to obey her father and side with England. But when a chance meeting with an outlaw named William Wallace brings her into the conflict, she risks everything to get what she wants most – freedom.
Thanks for Reading
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Las Hermanas Page 25