Chapter 7
The next morning was a fresh start. We were able to launder some clothes and get some much-needed items. We had the money; we just needed to be careful when and how we spent it. After a good breakfast, we felt our best way out of the city would be to purchase bus tickets.
The day got off to a beautiful start, but it didn’t last very long. Next to the bus station was a news stand. Local papers, magazines, and national news publications were for sale. I think Luis noticed it first, but as we passed it, we all paused. One of the national paper’s headlines in bold print read, “Slaughter in San Paulo Sula.” I saw the bold print, and it read something about “bloodshed in the streets.” There were pictures below. I felt as if the air was being sucked out of my lungs. I turned my head. I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to look or know the details. My hands began to tremble.
Uncle Enrico’s predictions echoed in my ears. My body seemed to just go numb. Feelings of dread sickened me. I couldn’t put aside the realization that all of that might just be because of me. I suddenly felt like I needed to sit down. Just outside the doors of the bus depot were some wooden benches, and I started to sit, but Luis grabbed me and pulled me up.
“Not here, not now,” he said.
Luis was very nervous about hanging around a public transportation facility. So, we just walked away. Maybe a block or two later, we stopped and huddled near a small alleyway. Luis was suddenly very worried about us being seen together. Public buildings had security cameras. There was no way to know just who would have access to those. We decided it would be best to separately purchase our bus tickets and even sit apart. The three of us traveling together on public transport might alert cartel snitches.
I wasn’t sure if Luis was being paranoid or not, but his instincts had saved us more than a few times already. Tampico was 467 kilometers north. It would be a full day’s ride on the bus, and I was looking forward to a less stressful day.
Luis left to go get bus tickets and let us know about the departure time. This gave Carlos and I time to talk. We sat on a nearby park bench, and I hugged him. I knew what Carlos was thinking. I wasn’t sure if I should be mad or embarrassed. My slutty behavior was not normal for me.
“This wasn’t easy for me,” I told Carlos.
I knew he felt like I had become a whore, and I wasn’t sure how to make him understand.
“I am responsible for all this,” I said.
I had foolishly thought I could handle the gang.
“Damn it, I am paying the price for my stupidity,” I said.
“I wasn’t going to let our fate be in the hands of those wishing to kill us,” I said.
I tried to sound like Uncle Enrico. “We will all get through this.”
I swore that I would do this as many times as necessary to survive and make things right for us again.
“This is all that I can offer,” I pleaded.
Carlos just stared at the ground, not saying anything. A short while later, Luis returned. We had almost three hours to wait until the bus departed. Once again, we seemed to get lucky, as one more step of our journey would soon be behind us.
The wait time allowed us to seek out a local library. Under certain conditions, public internet access is permitted. We checked the media site we had agreed on and found no messages from our parents. I found this a little worrisome, but Carlos and Luis both felt it was still too soon to be concerned about this. We left a short message as to our progress and assured them that things were okay with us.
The bus ride was uneventful, and we did sit apart just to blend in better. We arrived that evening in Tampico. Carlos and I were feeling tired and wanted to tap into some more of the gang’s money we were carrying. Luis was very reluctant to do this and preferred to stay in the poorer area of town and act broke. Carlos and I were just as insistent that we had the money and we should enjoy some of it. Against Luis’s better judgment and, I think, just to please me, we took a local cab to one of the city’s nicer hotels.
I was awed by the lobby. It was something I had only seen in magazines. We paid upfront for a night’s stay and headed towards the elevators up to our room. Even the elevator ride was a new experience for all of us. We located our room on the fifth floor. We were all astounded by the luxury amenities. Luis was still pouting and kept on about being noticed. He worried the cartel would be expecting us to foolishly live it up on their money.
I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. I kissed him gently on the cheek and rubbed my nose against his face playfully, trying to bring out his normal spirit. He finally cracked a smile as I flung myself, arms wide-open, onto one of the soft beds. Looking down at me, he couldn’t help but grin as I wiggled into the gloriously soft bed cover.
We decided to have food delivered to the room. This is something I would have never thought of doing in my wildest dreams. Luis was okay with this. He preferred that we not be seen too much anyway. We enjoyed the most wonderful food. It was a feast fit for a king. We stuffed ourselves until we couldn’t eat another bite.
A little while later, Luis felt he should go out and scout out the next step of our journey. He certainly didn’t want to approach anyone at the hotel. We had passed several working-class bar areas on our cab trip here. He felt he could mix in and find out if others were heading our direction and how. Luis was still insistent about laying low and not being conspicuous. He stashed his backpack under the bed and only took enough money to buy information if necessary.
Chapter 8
There is something about having a full stomach. I guess Carlos and I were just anxious about our future. Yes, there were going to be difficulties ahead, but for now we were feeling invincible. We sat around for a while, staring out from the balcony. The hotel’s property was grand. Despite Luis’s warning, Carlos and I longed to see just how the rich and famous enjoyed their lives. We figured if we didn’t leave the property, we would be fine. We left the room and rode the elevator down to the main lobby. We felt out of place walking around there, but the staff seemed to generally accept us.
There were several uniformed security staff now standing near the outer doors. Our room card allowed us into the walled outside areas of the property. Carlos and I marveled at the beauty of the landscape behind the protection of the gates. Fragrant flowering trees were spread about. Cascading fountains fed water into beautifully designed pools. Native birds chirped and called from the treetops.
Once inside the gated area, all the staff seemed to greet us warmly. I could get used to living like this very easily. Carlos and I even splurged and enjoyed a drink at the bar near the pool. Life’s problems seemed so distant. I sort of felt like we deserved this treat. I hated to leave this paradise, but there were still obstacles ahead, and we didn’t want Luis to come back and find the room empty.
Our room was amazing. The bathroom was larger than any I had ever imagined anyone could ever need. I left Carlos to watch TV and planned to spend the rest of the evening soaking in the huge tub. The swirling water of the Jacuzzi drowned out all other distractions. I practically cooked myself in the steaming water. I was beginning to feel weak, and any soreness in my muscles was now only a memory. I wrapped a towel around myself and covered my hair with another. The cool air of the room struck me as I exited the bathroom.
A cold hand grabbed me by the shoulder. I spun around to stare into the face of an ugly, fat man with a gun pointing right into my face. Instantly, I saw Carlos over by the balcony door. His wrists were shackled to the railing. It was one of the security guards that we had seen downstairs.
“You are Maria, yes?” he kept repeating.
He was almost jabbing the gun in my face. He jerked at my shoulder, shaking me and trying to force an admission. I looked over to the one bed and saw both of our backpacks lying on top, hanging open. Several of the bricks of heroin lay scattered on the bedcover beside them.
“You are her, Si” he said again.
My instinct was to scream, but then I realized that this man was somehow connected to the cartel. He was probably just a local hotel security guard and had probably never drawn his gun before now. By the way he was shaking it and waving it in my face, I thought he was as scared as I was. My hands clung to the towel wrapped around my chest. I was concerned for Carlos, but he didn’t seem to be bleeding or anything. I guessed the guy had caught him off guard and surprised him. He was handcuffed to the top rail of the balcony. He sat helplessly with his hands pulled up over his head.
The guard was extremely nervous. He started trying to push me down to the floor. I tried to sit as he pressed down on my shoulder. The towel was just barely covering my bottom. I tried to lean somewhat to keep my hips covered. I looked up at the guy. He was a fat, ugly pig. His belly hung over his belt. It shook as he constantly waved the gun back and forth between Carlos and me.
Our failure to listen to Luis had caused us big trouble. Obviously, the cartel had spies out watching for us. This dumbass had spotted us, and I guess he saw a large payday if he turned us over to the cartel. There was not much use in denying anything. He had proof of the drugs lying right out on the bed. My body began to tremble almost uncontrollably. The thought of being handed over to the people who would likely end our lives was overwhelming.
I had to stall; that was all I could think of. I couldn’t let him take us from that room. I didn’t know if he had thought this through. How was he going to lead Carlos and me out of the hotel? What if Luis comes back? Did he have enough restraints to manage all three of us? How would he get us through the lobby and get us out to a car? Would he call for help or turn us over to cartel members right there in the room? God help us; maybe he had called them already.
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