Lucinda nodded.Then she shrugged.“I learned to live alone.She never cared if I was okay or not.She had so many issues and fantasies that...”She shook her head.“Always some scheme to get rich.All while I starved.But I survived.I could work and pay my own way.”
Leon pressed his lips together in disapproval.
Lucinda looked at him and spat out, “I am not looking for sympathy, senor, or pity.I hate both.I grew up hard but I am not ashamed of what I endured.”
“And I am not pitying you, Ms.Lucinda,” Leon told her.“I understand that life is hard.At times it is harder for some people than others.You came here to warn me about the Gondo family’s plot against me and mine.When you didn’t have to do so.You kept my family out of harm’s way and I thank you for coming forward.Rest assured the Gondo family will pay for what they’ve done and I will not rest until it is so.”Leon turned and looked at the screen in front of John.
Lucinda stepped forward and she studied the screen as well.Then she reached out a shaky hand as she pointed to one of the bystanders.“That Pinto’s son, Ortega.He’s there to probably watch and make sure they killed someone last night.”Then she studied the screen again and pointed to a second man, “That’s Silva, another of Pinto’s boys.I would know them anywhere.”
John looked over at Leon.
Leon gave him a silent nod of his head.
John reached for his phone and sent a text.
One of the people on the screen who’d been watching the scene of the smoldering rubble, raised his phone.He then looked up to study the two men standing there with the small crowd.The man then answered his incoming texts.
The people in the security room all watched the monitors.
A few minutes later when Silva and Ortega moved away, the other man followed them at a distance.
John looked up at Leon and gave him a nod.
Storm walked over and took Lucinda’s hand to gently lead her out to the hallway.
They left the security room and he walked her back to her bedroom.Lucinda stumbled to her bed and sat down on the mattress.She covered her face with her hands and cried.
Chapter Two
Storm walked over andsat down beside her.He gathered her up in his arms and just held her for a long moment, before he whispered, “Hush now, woman.Just hush your crying.You haven’t done anything wrong here.You drove all this way to try and stop this.Leon took your warning to heart and he protected his family.”
Lucinda gazed up at him with fresh tears running down her face.“I hope and pray with all my heart Leon can stop them and send them all to hell,” she whispered brokenly.“Ever since I can remember that family has broken every law, manmade or God’s and brought nothing but grief to the place I used to call home.I had to have eyes in the back of my head since I was five years old to avoid them all.It wasn’t just the man who fathered me, but all of them.Ortega, Silva, Chanto, even Jose and Mono used to harass me, try to hurt me.Manuel, Jaun and Trego would just stand there watching them hurt me.They were always there watching me and if I stepped out of line they were there with fists and fury, calling me names and pushing me so I had to learn to watch my own back to avoid them all.”She took a deep breath and told him, “But I learned how to hide in plain sight.I listened to their plans without being seen and when the time was right, I left the place I called home and now I cannot go back there.Once the people of the village hear the Gondo family is gone they will all blame me.”
“Why?”Storm asked while looking puzzled.
“The Gondo family paid them well to look the other way, to not speak about what they did.”Lucinda sat very still as she looked worried.
