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A cross hangs from it, the exact same one I've seen Gabriel wear every time we've seen each other. My heart beats faster and knots form in my stomach. It can't be true.
“Still don't believe me? What do you want me to show you next? Their heads?” He laughs, picking up the items off the floor and I'm glad when they disappear back into the box.
“Looks like everyone was wrong. He isn't untouchable after all and neither are you. I'd hate for you to share the same fate. So, do us both a favor and don't cause me any more problems. You no longer have Daddy or Gabriel to save you.” He slides the blindfold over my eyes. “Pleasant dreams, Mateo.”
I never thought I could hate the man more than I already did. I was truly in my own form of hell now and only I could get myself out. After a while, I start to doze back off and kick my feet in an attempt to stay awake. Unable to fight anymore, I let sleep slowly take me, hoping when I open my eyes again the last events will be nothing more than a nightmare.
Waking up to the same black cloth and feeling the hard, cold floor beneath me tells me everything I remember happening recently was very real. There are quick, heavy moving footsteps dancing around me and one of the men talks with panic in his voice. The only words I can make out from the distance I'm at are that two men got shot outside the warehouse. “What do we do with him?” One of them asks while closing in on me. “Leave him. He's probably the reason they're here to begin with. I say we go out the back way and try to sneak up on whoever it is.”
“You don't think it's…”
“You crazy? The man is dead. You heard the boss and you saw the box.”
The other guy grows quiet for a moment. “You don't think we need to worry about Mateo getting free?”
“Nah, I slipped something in his dinner right after his shower. I didn't want his whining to keep me up tonight.”
Their shoes squeak behind me and a door opens and closes. Shouting and loud explosions sound from outside. The door opens again, and someone is breathing heavily above me, peppermint permeating the air. My mind has to be playing tricks on me. “It's time for us to go, Mateo. Or else they'll be putting on two funerals for me in the same month.” I smile at the sound of the strong, deep, soothing voice and everything fades to black as I'm lifted in the air.
Twenty-eight
Gabriel
I stand outside the warehouse without a clear idea of how I'll get inside. I'm hidden several feet away behind a grouping of trees. It's been five days since Mateo has gone missing and this whole time his father has had his men coming after me. I can no longer show my face in any of the clubs I own, not that I liked to do it much anyway. Still, I've had to live my life like a ghost. I've had to live it without the only person who gave me reason to be here aside from avenging my parents.
It wasn't easy finding him but money talks, and one of Santiago’s men was willing to sing like a damn cannery once he thought his family was in trouble. I may be one man but I was able to outsmart almost every single person here so far. Including Santiago. He left exactly when I needed him to. He needed to be sure Miguel Juventino was really dead. As soon as I saw his helicopter fly away, I got in a small boat and paddled as fast as I could.
I lift the binoculars to my eyes and there are only two guys in clear view, guarding the gray double doors. Tree branches scratch and dig into my skin when I move in closer. I make sure the two men are both too caught up in their conversation to notice me lighting an explosive and tossing it as far away as I can from the warehouse.
The loud noise of the firebomb startles the men and they stop talking. They move their attention to the nearby explosion after jolting back against the doors. They are speaking in Spanish but not loud enough for me to understand what they're saying. One keeps guard by the door and the other heads toward the burning vehicle nearby with cautious steps. I grab another bomb and light it, tossing it in the opposite direction from before, causing another diversion. The other man glances around, standing tall in alert. He shouts for the other guy but gets no response.
The moment he turns around to walk toward the burning debris, I run up behind him, pointing my gun at his head, pulling the trigger. He goes down after one shot. His lifeless body crashes to the ground. There are loud footsteps coming from my right and I turn my gun on the other man before he can reach for his. He holds his hands up in the air, begging me not to shoot. I show him no mercy, taking him out the same way I did the last guy, putting a bullet in his head.
More men appear from behind the warehouse and I hurry inside the open doors. The sight unfolding in front of me has my heart falling into my stomach. Mateo is lying on the floor with his wrists tied behind his back and more of the same type of rope wrapped around his ankles. He’s wearing a white tank that’s so dirty, it nearly matches his pair of black boxer briefs.
He is trembling against the dirty pavement, with his eyes covered and a gag in his mouth. More men emerge from the back and I'm faster than both of them, shooting them dead before they can reach for their guns. I need to hurry and get the fuck out of here before I'm outnumbered again. I reload my gun before placing it back in the holster. No telling what waits for us outside. Mateo doesn't appear to be awake when I lift his cold, limp body off the floor.
I carry him over my shoulder, running through the same doors I entered. There are men running behind us, shooting and missing as I zigzag through the trees. I'm glad he isn't awake to experience everything going on around us. The loud shots from a gun have me running faster. I'm usually not this sloppy. I normally have everything planned out perfectly so that no mistakes can be made, but there is no time for that now.
My only focus is getting Mateo out safely and we are not there yet. His body rests heavily on mine as I make my way through the island, searching for a way back to the boat. The warehouse is sitting on a small secluded island and there is only one way off. I worry it's no longer an option when they have me completely surrounded. I set Mateo down and his body lands harder on the ground than intended. He shifts and wiggles against it, still blindfolded and gagged, with his hands and ankles tied.
I reach for my gun and loop around the tree, taking out another man once he's close enough. I ignore the loud moans and whines coming from behind me, reloading my gun. It's a good thing I'm a much better shot than they are. Santiago was always a weak man, with even weaker men working for him. They lack the training and speed I have. When the last body hits the ground, I lift Mateo up again, and he is no longer lying lifeless against me.
Even though his struggles are weak, it's still enough to slow me down. He can't hear my voice over the noise surrounding us. I take a smoke bomb from my pouch and toss it behind me, buying us more time to get away from anyone else who may be coming. “We are almost there, princesa. Just a little bit longer. Be still for me.”
He goes limp again in my arms, probably passing out from the fumes. I lift the bandana from my neck, protecting my nose and mouth from the smoke and hurry toward the water. I search frantically for the boat I came in. When I don't see it anywhere, I know I must be on the wrong side of the island. Just when I think our luck has run out, a larger boat appears in the distance. I run in the direction it's coming from and a small row boat pulls up to the sand, with a man stepping out of it. I lift my gun only to lower it when I recognize Angel's face. “Easy, cabrón, it's only me. I got your message. Is that him? He must be really special for you to go through all this.”
I grunt, moving toward the boat and gently set Mateo inside, laying him out on the floor. He shivers and curls into the fetal position. I tug off my jacket to lay it over his body. Even though I'm exhausted and hurting everywhere, I help my brother push the metal boat into the water. We climb in and he paddles in the direction of a larger boat. I glance down at Mateo and the sunlight shines over his swollen cheek, and more anger fills me. I was already fuming from watching him laying on that cold, cement floor. They will all pay for what they've done. Every single one of those fuckers.
“I sure hope that is the boat we are getting away in, and not this one,” I say, watching our preferred ride appear larger the closer we get to it.
Angel laughs. “Come on, hermano. I am sure you know me better than that. What else would it be there for?”
In the distance, I can see men running through the trees, stomping through the sand, heavily loaded with guns. My brother looks my way. “I would’ve thought you'd come better prepared than this. You fell in love with him, didn't you? No one goes through all this trouble for a quick lay.”
He’s right and I don't like admitting that out loud, so I don't. Instead, I shift Mateo's head onto my lap, stroking his hair. “How about you save me the commentary and just get us to the damn boat?”
When we finally reach it, I get in first and let my brother hand me a heavily sedated Mateo. He starts to wake again when I bring him fully on board. “Shhhh,” I whisper, brushing my lips against his ear. The metallic taste of blood is strong in my mouth. He only settles a little. It will take a bit longer until the drugs are fully out of his system. No telling how much they gave him. Angel hands me a wet rag and I drag it gently over his face.
