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Marisa
The faint scent of a cigar lingered in the air. My body was in excruciating pain. My lungs still burned from the icy water, like needles pricking me from the inside out every time I took a breath. My head was pounding, and the skin on my wrists was practically raw. With my hands tied behind me, all I could do was sit in the chair I was bound to.
The cold air of the room hit my skin, and I shivered involuntarily. As I tried to familiarize myself with my surroundings, I was filled with fear. Fear that I had no hope to escape. It was dark, only a lamp lighting the small room. It wasn’t the same room as before. I noticed a window on the right wall. It was either nighttime, or the window was covered, preventing me from being able to see outside. I had no idea where I was now or how long I had been out.
I fought against the restraints on my wrists, trying to loosen them. My attempts were in vain as the rope only bit deeper into my skin.
Rafa was supposed to take me back to my room. He didn’t. Instead, he had brought me somewhere else. Wherever I was now. I remembered being awake in Alonso López’s office. But now I was here. Alone. And tied up. My feet were bound to the chair legs, my wrists tied behind me. I was fighting against the rope when he walked in. I took a reprieve from the twine digging into my skin.
He looked irritated, agitated, and tense. I watched as his eyes moved over me and his mouth twitched. His leer of a smile paralyzed me. My heart began pounding in my chest, and I had a sinking feeling he wasn’t sent here to question me some more.
“Ah. Time for some fun. I see you’re up and finally awake.”
I shook my head trying to clear the fuzz out of my brain.
“I’m sorry for the extra chloroform,” he said. “I just needed to get you out without you fighting against me. I can tell you’re a fighter.” He giggled, and I cringed at the sound. “You can scream if you want. I won’t mind. Everyone is inside, and they won’t hear you. Here, have another drink,” he said and put the bottle to my lips. An evil smile spread across his lips as he stepped toward me and loomed over me, looking at me.
It was clear he meant to incapacitate me to the point where I couldn’t fight back. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the sound of his voice. I practically choked on the liquid and tried to keep my head clear.
Tears pricked my eyes as Tyler’s face came to mind. I was happy to be seeing him but sad because I was starting to believe I would never see him again. And regret filled my heart. Regret of never getting to see him again. Regret at the fact that I never told him I loved him.
Before I could say anything, he pulled my hair back and forced me to look into his eyes. “We’re gonna have some fun, Ramona.”
It was at that point that I realized my cover was still intact. Instead of fighting against him, I have to figure out how to get out of this. If I can, and I can make my way back into the house unseen, perhaps I’ll have a chance of getting to Guadalupe and getting us out of here. I didn’t know how on earth I’d do this. If I had to kill this sack of shit and take another beating, I would. If it meant I could get us out of here, I’d risk it.
“I doubt your boss is going to be happy you’re treating me like this.”
He laughed—a menacing, downright dirty, mirthful laugh. “You think he cares? That he thinks anything of you? He doesn’t care about women. He only cares about his money. He’ll have you too if he wants.” He gripped my chin in his hand. “C’mon Ramona, let’s have some fun. Just you and me. I promise to make it good.” His words floated in the air as I swallowed the bile fighting its way to the surface.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Why?” he repeated with a lunatic’s laugh that reverberated off the walls. “Because,chica. Because I can.”
“You’re disgusting. Does it make you feel like a man? To treat women this way? You’re not a man.Eres un maldito cerdo!¡Chíngate!”
Calling him a fucking pig did the trick. His blow landed on me, and I tipped over in the chair. I heard the snap of the wood and knew I was almost free. As he paced back and forth, taking another drink from his bottle, I worked myself free of the chair and miraculously freed my left wrist from the bindings. I quickly untied one foot.
When he turned around, he saw what he’d done. How I’d outmaneuvered him. As he stumbled toward me, a little drunk already, he withdrew a gun from his waistband. He waved it in the air to intimidate me. I didn’t hesitate as I swung my free leg out and took him out at his ankles. He stumbled forward, falling to the floor, which gave me the chance to free my other leg and tackle him. As we wrestled for power, my anger overtook me. A shot rang out as my fist flew out in a right hook as I slammed my knee upward into his balls. He screamed, and I took my chance. The gun was between us. And in his drunken stupor, I had the advantage. I felt a sharp sting of pain. My survival instincts kicked in as I fought to take the gun from him.
“¡Vete al diablo,maldito cerdo!” I yelled, spitting in his face.
He tried to pin me back to the ground and take over me again.
“Get off!” I screamed. “¡Pinche pendejo!”I was struggling against his weight, but I refused to give in. The gun was finally in my hands, and I fired. I didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger once, and then twice. As Rafa slumped forward, I pushed him away with all the strength I had left. I sighed in relief as his body rolled to the side.
Then I clenched up in excruciating pain. I was lying there, the feel of warm blood oozing out of me. I shut my eyes against the pain, and when I opened them again, I saw the face of JJ hovering over me.
I tried to reach up to him, but I was too weak and in too much pain to lift my arms.
“You’re gonna be fine, partner. Stay and fight. We still have work to do.”
“JJ,” I said, closing my eyes against the pain.
