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Both women cover their faces, as always, while Mikel contemplates a thousand ways to kill them. He's fed up, and the idea of going back into the trunk doesn't appeal to him. Still, he's sure that, in case they don't keep their word, he'll have a better chance of attacking when he's outside that room and not tied up. Despite his attempts, untying the knot has proven impossible.
Abigail opens the door, and the stench inside momentarily paralyzes them both. The thought of having to clean that turns their stomachs. They curse the moment they chose that car, not the act of stealing.
Making it easy for them, Mikel wants them to trust him, not see him as a threat. When they release him, he plans to attack, intending to kill both of them with his bare hands. They blindfold him with a scarf so he can't see Abigail's car, and they tape his mouth to silence his screams. Before they cover his eyes, Gretel manages to snap a couple of photos with the second phone they bought. As soon as they lower the gate, they send the message to Sergeant Cruz Ortega along with the remaining time: one hour and twenty-two minutes. They also add the warning that the phone won't be operational until fifteen minutes before the agreed time. Then, they turn it off and get to work.
Abigail carries the cleaning supplies as Gretel empties a metal trash can in the garage. They don masks and gloves, Abigail's gardening gloves, and dive into a race against time. Hauling the mattress to the garden, they strip off its cover and toss it into the metal bin alongside an empty water bottle and the ropes used to bind Mikel. Abigail pours out a plastic bottle filled with Mikel's urine into the drain, discarding it in the trash as well. While Gretel sprays everything with alcohol, setting it ablaze, Abigail uses a hose to flush the drain.
With the bin ablaze in the garden, they enter the storage room. Walls and floor get a dousing of bleach, each armed with a scrubber. They clean every nook and cranny in record time. Exiting, they douse the mattress with bleach, pouring a bottle of turpentine on it, any product that might erase traces of DNA, despite the mattress having a cover.
"I think this should do it," Gretel says, sighing, as Mikel squirms uncomfortably, wondering why they haven't left yet.
They gaze at the bin where only embers remain; the mattress cover, rope, and bottles are obliterated. A hose douses the bin to quell the smoke and cool the metal.
"We'll leave it at the back, and when it's all over, we'll toss it," Abigail says, pointing at the mattress and bin.
They do just that, then hop in the car, heading to an open field to wait. They'll turn on the phone fifteen minutes before the deadline, as they've told the sergeant.
Chapter 18
Sergeant Cruz Ortega senses the vibration in her pocket just as she concludes explaining everything to Lieutenant Álvaro Sanz. He answers the phone, making a call and issuing instructions to the operation she's not part of but hopes to join someday. She seizes the moment to pull out her phone, unlocking it to see, once again, the message notification from an unknown number, her heart pounding with anticipation.
She taps the chat, opens the image, and stares without blinking. It reveals a man inside the trunk of a car. She zooms in on the image to scrutinize his face and is amazed to confirm that it is indeed Mikel Blanco. Glancing at Lieutenant Álvaro Sanz with anticipation, she waits for him to end the call. The women aren't lying, as she suspected from the beginning.
"I've located Mikel Blanco," she blurts out as soon as the lieutenant hangs up.
He raises his eyebrows, openly expressing surprise, and opens both hands in a gesture inviting her to continue. The sergeant elaborates on everything she has uncovered so far, starting with the bar owner's information, the call from the women confirming her theory that they were responsible for the robbery, and concluding with showing him the photo, indicating that they indeed have him captive.
"Damn," he exclaims in disbelief. "What those women did is..."
"Incredible, I know," she continues, nodding.
"Do you believe them? Do you think it was genuinely just bad luck?"
"I can't confirm it."
"What does your intuition tell you, Cruz? If we want Mikel, we have to act quickly, as you've said. There's no way to expedite the identification of the person who used the card any further. If they keep their word within the deadline, we'll lose a valuable opportunity."
The lieutenant struggles to reconcile this information with his rational mind. To him, it made sense that it was a gang opposing Teodoro, a rival who learned of Mikel Blanco's whereabouts. However, reality turned out to be something entirely different a twist of fate that seems lifted from a dark comedy.
"Trust me, they're not lying," the sergeant replies. "No motive. Two women who don't fit any gang profile, with no interest in getting involved in something like this. According to the bar owner, one seemed like a scared prude, and the other, a well-off executive. In my view, they ended up there purely by chance, some inexplicable desire to spice up their dull lives, making the misguided decision to steal a car that, unfortunately, came with an unwanted bonus. This whole case is a series of absurdities, Álvaro, but if retaining Mikel for the operation is beneficial, you should accept the deal. I don't know the woman's background I spoke to, but she knew what she was talking about. If they release Mikel, and we can't prove he was with them, we can only charge them with car theft. Not even that; the only evidence we have is their word, and once they hire a lawyer who advises them to deny everything, we'll be left with nothing."
Lieutenant Álvaro nods approvingly, fully agreeing with his subordinate.
"When we have nothing else to work with, all we've got is our intuition, Cruz. I'll talk to the judge. Arresting Mikel could be pivotal for the operation. As far as I understand, he's not cut from the same cloth as his father. We don't have much against him, but enough to detain him and stretch the seventy-two hours of interrogation. By the time we're done with him, we should have enough information to nab his father, I'm sure."
"So, do I tell them we accept the deal?"
"Yes, but let them know it comes with a clause. The agreement is valid to absolve them of any involvement in car theft and the holding of a civilian. However, if we discover any ties to a gang or they've concealed vital information for the case, the deal is null and void."
"I'll wait for you to get the judge's consent," she says, eyeing her watch.
"Not necessary. I've already told you, Judge Noelia Herrero is on duty, and you know she doesn't usually object much in these cases. I'll have to answer a few questions, but she'll accept that agreement. She's one of the few who still believes in second chances, and those two women aren't even criminals. We don't have much time, Cruz; you'll have to organize it so it doesn't look like they're the ones handing over Mikel, or else..."
"I know. Teodoro will order their execution even from behind bars if you manage to catch him."
Sergeant Cruz Ortega rises from her chair, leaves the lieutenant's office, and heads to her desk. Once seated, she sighs and tries to call them, but there are still forty minutes until the deadline, and, as warned, the phone shows no signal. She takes the opportunity to call Sergeant Gustavo Molina.
"Prepare a car for us and a support patrol. I want everything ready at the door when I tell you."
