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Both head straight to the rear of the car, where Mikel Blanco continues whimpering and writhing, suffocated while thinking they won't fulfill what they promised. The uncertainty makes him very nervous and scared, contemplating the possibility that they might hand him over to his father's enemies. This thought sends shivers down his spine, and he attempts to scream until he turns as red as a tomato. Then, they finally open the trunk.
He'd like to unleash a torrent of insults, grab them by the neck with his own hands, and squeeze while impassively watching the life escape those two bitches.
"Sorry for the wait, but we had to make sure no one's around," Abigail says.
Gretel smiles despite the circumstances because her partner always finds ways to justify everything they do to Mikel. He stays still upon hearing her and feels an unwarranted relief.
"I'm going to help you get out, don't do anything stupid," Abigail warns him while scanning in all directions, trying to spot the cavalry.
Mikel, his mind cooler after confirming no one has shot him, remains faithful to his initial plan of appearing compliant to gain their trust. He extends his bound hands, inviting the woman to take hold and pull him. In truth, the assistance is welcome; his body's muscles were starting to numb. Abigail seizes both hands, and Gretel grabs his pants' belt, hauling him out of the car. The young man drops to his knees, exhaling in his own darkness, attempting to say something.
"As you can imagine, we won't remove the tape from your mouth or eyes," Abigail explains, her heart racing like a racehorse. She sees a dust cloud rising above the treetops, most likely caused by Sergeant Ortega and her team.
Mikel grunts, red with anger, and sweat droplets splatter everywhere as he violently struggles. Gretel, to Abigail's surprise, slaps him soundly and confronts him, freezing him in place.
"Stay still for once. We're putting a tiny, not-so-sharp blade in your back pocket. Once we do that, we'll leave, and you'll have to figure out how to free yourself. Clear?" she asks, a coldness more typical of Abigail than herself.
Mikel vigorously nods, shaking his head so fiercely that Gretel fears he might break his neck, which would be a disaster since their deal would go down the drain. When he settles, Abigail holds him by the shoulders to prevent any sudden movements, and Gretel slips the knife into his pocket.
"Now, we'll be on our way," Abigail says before releasing him. She doesn't finish the sentence as she falls silent, hearing the sound of engines. Despite knowing they were coming, she couldn't help but be surprised, assuming they were farther away. Mikel squirms upon realizing something is happening. He shakes violently, and just as Abigail hits the ground, the Civil Guard turns on their sirens, and two cars materialize like specters. The agents disembark so quickly that Abigail doesn't even have time to fully stand and remains on all fours.
"Stop, Civil Guard!" shouts an agent.
Mikel needs no more prompting; as soon as he hears the shouts, he springs up and attempts to run in the opposite direction of the voices. Not even two meters into his sprint, he collides with Abigail's car and tumbles headfirst into the trunk.
"Get down! Get down!" shout the agents.
Abigail stretches out, lying flat on the ground, and Gretel imitates her by settling next to her.
"Hands behind your back, come on!" yells one of the agents, while two others seize Mikel and drag him toward one of the vehicles.
The two women scream that they haven't done anything, making sure Mikel hears them as loudly as possible. A guard keeps them at gunpoint while they continue shouting until Mikel is loaded into the vehicle and taken away.
Relieved, they breathe; they don't know what will happen next, but shedding the burden of having Mikel with them feels like shedding ten years.
"Get up."
Neither of them noticed the woman approaching, but when they look up, they find what they assume is Sergeant Cruz Ortega facing them. Sergeant Molina, who stayed with the sergeant and aimed at them until a moment ago, lifts Abigail under her arms, helping her stand as she tries to dust sand off her face without hurting her nose.
Gretel rises on her own and stands beside her battle companion, uncertain of what to say.
"Are you alright?" the sergeant asks, surveying them from head to toe, still surprised they managed to keep Mikel at bay.
"I'd feel better on my couch with a bowl of popcorn and a blanket," Abigail quips, exhausted.
"Yeah, I was doing just fine in my house this morning until they woke me up to dump the most absurd case I've ever dealt with."
The sergeant nods toward Sergeant Molina, and he walks away, getting into the car to wait.
"How did you know who I was?" Gretel asks, burning with curiosity.
"Through your husband."
"Through Pol?!" Gretel can't help but be outraged. "How is that possible?"
"Okay, so he exercised his right to worry about you. Since you hadn't come home all night and weren't answering his calls, he decided to head to the station for help. And guess what? Turns out, the sergeant here," she says, pointing at the car, "was right there at the moment. Despite all signs pointing to a voluntary disappearance, when your husband described you, it clicked with the description we had of one of the two women seen at the bar."
"Seriously?" Abigail asks, incredulous.
