CHAPTER 23
GONE, GIRL
A deep heavy bass shakes the ground. We heard the music from miles away. Knew we were drawing near. The Gurl Gunnas are partying at their pathetic papi chulo club. My having to return to this place to get Nena is a cruel joke. There is no way around it. The protocol, once again, forces us to wait.
“Right this way, Las Mal Criadas.”
Truck mutters to herself. She’s on edge. She eyeballs every Gurl Gunna, searching for the ones who beat her. We spoke about this. Revenge is not part of the plan. Truck agreed to keep cool. The tension rises. She is bound to blow. I don’t want to spend too much time here. We’re so close to Mega. So close. We just need Nena.
“How much longer?” I yell.
The music is deafening. It’s funny how much I used to enjoy the loudness found in boydegas. I would crave it. The noise of the clave and congas right before a throwdown. Watching crowded bodies dancing afterward at the Luna Club. I associate this type of music with extreme emotions—lust and violence. At the moment the music is mindless noise meant to drown out every thought.
The Gurl Gunna shakes her head and returns to her drink. The papi chulos seem even more lethargic than last time. A papi stares at me. He has glazed-over eyes. Sueños. I think of Miguel. I also think of Santo. How does he feel about papi chulos? He was jealous when I went to see Books. Was that the reason? Or perhaps the boydegas affirmed how one-sided Mega City is to men? Santo is lucky. He comes from the most powerful family in Mega. I’m lucky too because we are friends.
A papi chulo gyrating in front of me takes a hold of a shot glass with a sueño tab. He lifts the shot glass as a toast. Then he swallows. I look around. Are they all high on sueños? How long can these papi chulos keep taking them? Are the Gurl Gunnas finding addicts, or are they creating them? The papi dances to the other side of the room.
It’s not my problem. Since I left Los Bohios, situations that never crossed my mind are being shown to me in a different light. It is unbearable. I prefer ignorance.
Shi has found the Gurl Gunna she spoke to before. They huddle together with Smiley as if making deals. The Gurl Gunna appears to be crying. She is unhappy here. Smiley soon checks in with me.
“Nena is okay. They had her do menial work. Cleaning the bathrooms. Stocking the sueño shots,” she says. “She did bear a lot of insults. Not bad considering.”
“What’s wrong with her?” I ask, pointing to the Gurl Gunna.
“You know. She wants out. Doesn’t know how to break free,” Smiley says. “I told her we don’t have the space for another member. Waterworks soon followed. She’s got to live with them poor choices.”
“Yeah. I guess we all do,” I say. Shi continues to console the Gurl Gunna. “Let’s get this moving!”
Our escort slowly sips her drink. We are forced to wait another thirty minutes. The longer I wait, the angrier I become. The intention is to irritate. It works.
“I can’t take this.” Truck gets up, walks over to a Gurl Gunna, and grabs her by the collar. There is a scuffle. Another Gurl Gunna runs outside. We are finally led to the OG. Let this transaction move quickly. Get Nena and stroll into Mega City as queens.
“Welcome back!” OG screams. The young leader sits in an elevated chair similar to the one Déesse employs. She floats just a couple of inches above her gold table. I’ve never seen anyone else with a floating chair before, only Déesse.
“Sit down. Have a drink or two or three.”
My crew remains standing.
“I see you’re admiring my toy. It was a gift from Déesse.” OG taps her fingers on the armchair. “It had to be gold to match. What do you think?”
A gift from our leader. Why is this insect getting so much play? The reason is as obvious as the floating gold chair.
“You are providing weapons to Déesse.”
OG smiles a big golden grin. Of course. I foolishly thought tronics were being made in the Towers. Not at this magnitude. There’s no doubt dealing innocent Codigos and beauty items can make a freelancer popular in Mega City. Weapons can take a freelancer to a whole other level. A level, apparently, that includes lavish gifts from our leader.
“Cemi Territory is filled with many willing participants eager to conduct business,” she says. “We are simply the facilitators.”
The Gurl Gunnas must also be trading with the Ashé Ryders. Those tronics didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Are the Gurl Gunnas playing both sides?
“How much are the Ashé Ryders giving you?”
OG makes the chair bounce to the beat of a song.
“The Ashé Ryders? Hilarious. Did you hear what Chief Rocka said?” Her soldiers laugh right on cue. “Weren’t you just hanging with them girls? I’m surprised you didn’t come back rocking a flowery dress.”
OG guzzles down a drink. Without even so much as a nod, a Gurl Gunna replenishes the glass by stretching her hand toward the elevated OG. She will not divulge her true motives. Not to me anyway. This performance is to be relayed back to Déesse. How much she loves the gift. How good of a freelancer she is. I don’t doubt OG is also dealing with the Ashé Ryders. She just won’t tell me. I’m tired of these machinations.
“Ashé Ryders are a fun bunch,” OG says. “Zentrica. She’s got a few funny ideas. Am I right?”
Behind me Truck breathes heavily. I nudge her to cool it. This will soon be over and I will no longer deal with OG. Then it dawns on me. OG and I may be forever linked. If OG is as close to Déesse as she says, then I too will need to be her friend.
“How long have you known Zentrica?” I ask.
The chair continues to bounce. Her expression never deviates. Regardless of her age, she’s quickly picked up on how to work a meeting.
“I don’t. You do. I mean, weren’t you chilling with the Ryders? I wonder how Déesse will feel about that.”
OG thinks she can trade information on me. She has a lot to learn.
“Where’s Nena?” I say. “My word is bond. Is yours?”
She chuckles. She doesn’t want to lose face in front of her crew. There is a rep she has to maintain. Trade is their thing, and although OG’s fishing to know my dealings with the Ryders, I’m not about to give her anything. If she wants to speculate, let her do it on her own time and not mine.
“Go get the cub,” OG yells. A soldier runs toward the exit.
“She better be perfect,” I say.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she says.
Nena trails behind a soldier. There she is. No scratches or bruises. There is a deep sadness, though. She won’t even look me in the eyes.
“You okay, Nena?” Truck rushes toward her and grabs her shoulders.
“Yes,” she says. Nena only offers a blank expression. Truck lets her go. I catch a hint of disappointment from Truck. She is not one to show affection to just anybody. Nena won’t let us in, not for a while anyway. There is too much anger. I will deal with her later.
“We’re good, then,” I say. My crew turns to go.
The Gurl Gunnas stand in our way.
“You guys owe us,” OG says.
My fists ball up. We are outnumbered with no working weapons. OG is desperate to act grown. Every action she takes is a reminder how she is the top dog here. Making us wait. Dropping Mega City names. Here comes another violent dance I am forced to participate in with OG taking the lead.
“Remember the last time you were here. My pet. You broke it. You need to pay for the damage.”
The mechanical lizard. What can I trade? The Ashé Ryders took everything from me, right down to my blood family.
“What do you want?” I say.
OG rocks along to the chair. “You’ll see.”
Before my crew can go on the defensive, Gurl Gunnas rain down on us. They pin each of the LMCs to the ground. It takes a group of five Gurl Gunnas to hold me. Instead of the floor, I am left facing the OG. Nena is the only LMC who doesn’t struggle. She goes limp, resigned to the violent spectacle.
&
nbsp; “Hold them down,” yells OG.
“It’s why you got kicked out of the camp,” Smiley yells. “If you were a true warrior, you would fight as a woman.”
“Muzzle her,” she says. “Make sure the LMCs are able to see this.”
OG brings her gold chair down. It continues to bounce behind her. She slowly takes off the multiple rings on her fingers. Places them on the gold table. A soldier hands her a gold four-finger knuckle duster.
No matter how much I try to brace myself, I am left out of breath and seeing stars from her first punch. It doesn’t matter how small or young OG is, the blow is more than enough.
“Let me go so we can finish this transaction.” I can barely speak. She’s about to throw another one. Damn her.
“What for? We’ll be done soon.”
She throws another punch to my gut. Another. The LMCs try to break free. It’s not possible. I’m getting jacked by this Gurl Gunna. I pay my exit fee for leaving Cemi Territory with pain. My legs go weak. I am dropped to the ground.
“Escort the LMCs,” OG says. “Oh, and, Chief Rocka, make sure you send my regards to Déesse.”
Hands lift me. I’m being dragged. I can barely see. There’s only a hurt of pain. I close my eyes and black out.
A dream. Mami brushes my hair. Yamaris sits in front of me. She is making funny faces. I hear the voice of a man. Papi. He’s cooking. The room permeates with the deep smell of sautéed spices. Yamaris continues with the faces. I am laughing. There is a knot in my hair. Mami tells me to stop moving. Yamaris and I try to be serious. It doesn’t work. Papi pokes his head into the room. The food is ready. “Let’s go,” Yamaris says.
I don’t want these visions. This isn’t real. I slowly open my eyes.
“You were having a bad dream,” Truck says. “You kept calling for Yamaris.”
The pain is unbearable. It is more than just the physical. I thought I was done with blood family. I buried them in Los Bohios. New dreams to forever torment me.
“This should help,” Shi says.
I take a sip of water mixed with a little pain relief. When I can muster the strength, I look around. We are in an abandoned building a couple hours away from our final destination. I try to stand. I can’t. Not yet. Damn the Gurl Gunnas.
“Give it at least fifteen minutes,” Shi says.
Smiley stands by the entrance on lookout. Nena sits in a corner by herself. She has the same dead expression from before.
“Did they hurt you, Nena?” I ask when the pain subsides. Nena looks at me with those big round eyes and simply shakes her head.
“We were always coming back for you,” I say. “You’re an LMC for life.”
She waits for me to finish, then faces the window.
Later, Smiley urges her to share her stories of hanging with the Gurl Gunnas. Nena refuses. There is only frost coming from her. I’m going to give her space. Nena will snap out of this funk and be the same soldier from before.
CHAPTER 24
THE BIG COMEBACK
As we draw close to the Mega City border, my heart races out of control. Truck and the others pick up the pace to an almost jog. They are excited. Happy. I, on the other hand, can’t quell this anxiousness.
“Yo, the first thing I’m doing is going straight to the Luna Club and taking the longest bath. There will be no water left,” Truck jokes. “Who is with me?”
Shi and Smiley respond with the LMC call. With our quickened pace, the conversation has also increased momentum. They can’t get their thoughts across fast enough with all the things they will do once we get to Mega City. Nena keeps silent.
“What? You didn’t appreciate showering with the old man screaming at you?” Smiley says.
Truck laughs. “I almost clocked the guy. They had good food though. Doña Chela doesn’t come close.”
“Their dresses were ugly,” Shi says. “Except for the pockets. Long pockets perfect for stealing.”
“When I get home I’m going to check on my chillas,” Smiley says with her mischievous grin. “For research purposes.”
Shi hits her on the back of the head. Truck hoots at this. It’s hard not to laugh. Smiley wraps her arm around Shi’s waist. They are not hiding their relationship. Perhaps what they have is stronger than what I gave them credit for.
“We need our Codigos fixed,” Shi says. “Think Santo will hook us up?”
Santo may not have been on my mind, but throughout this whole trip he appeared in the unlikeliest of places. When I trashed the bohio, there was a moment when my anger was directed at him. This whole scenario began when he asked me to lose the fight. He has to do right by me. I did what the others have never done before. The LMCs ventured into Cemi Territory and met the notorious bruja Zentrica only to find she’s a woman preaching clean living and a war against Mega City. This dirt is valuable.
“What’s the first thing you are going to do, Nena?” Smiley nudges the young cub. Shi and Smiley have tried everything to get her out of her shell. Truck pulled away as soon as she sensed the cold front. Truck also hasn’t barked at her. Maybe the connection is severed for good. Her time with the Gurl Gunnas squashed the last of her childhood and replaced it with extreme anger. That too can be of value. Hate can push you forward in unexpected ways.
Nena purses her lips. “I’m getting ready.”
“Ready for what?” I ask.
She keeps her eyes fixed on Mega City, never addressing anyone directly.
“For what’s coming,” Nena says.
“Yeah! Las Mal Criadas are coming!” Smiley screams while grabbing hold of Nena. She twirls her around. Nena doesn’t protest. She lets herself be flung.
“Mal!” Truck says. We yell “Criadas” until our throats are sore.
I let myself enjoy this even when part of me is nervous. The strategy. Déesse wanted results. I’m bringing back information. Will it be enough? Will Santo back me? Stupid. The LMCs will continue to trudge this path together. This simple reminder calms me. It’s when I try to do things on my own that I fail. I have to rely on them more.
When the Towers loom large ahead of us there is an adrenaline rush that’s hard to contain. Mega City is before us, and we need only to find the fence and climb over. It takes Shi a few minutes to locate it. We’ve managed to time our arrival at the right moment. The wondrous period before breaking night.
I call for lineup.
“LMC’s, we are returning to Mega City. It’s been only seven days. Still, a whole lot can change in seven days. You know the drill,” I say. “The Deadly Venoms are on top. Keep that in the forefront.
“We march to the D. There is no dialogue with toilers. No telling stories where we’ve been or what we’ve seen. You feel me?” I continue. “Information is our currency, and we will trade only with Déesse.”
I climb over the fence feeling fortified that my crew walks behind me.
The city is abuzz with action. A throwdown is scheduled to happen soon, and Mega City is preparing for the festivities. When we walk past, people whisper and point to us. The vibe I’m getting is of cautiousness. These are the people who cheered for us to win. Now they look at us as if we are poison.
What did I expect? Not a welcoming party or a parade. Maybe a smile? No. I’m lying to myself. I want the whole city to sing my praises. They did, not too long ago.
Walls are covered with Deadly Venom tags. Destiny is the queen. That dog. It is strange how these walls hold so much power compared to the bohios.
For only a few. Zentrica’s voice creeps into my thoughts.
“The LMCs are back.” Gata sticks her head out from a mercado. “Cubs are practicing in the courtyard for future placement. Come over, Smiley, before it starts.”
“Later, Gata,” Smiley says. “I promise.”
“It’s been dull without you!”
Gata plants her future seeds. It’s reassuring to see how things don’t seem to change no matter how much time has passed. I search to see if Shi is affected by this intera
ction between Gata and Smiley. Those two go way back. Smiley catches up to Shi. Smart move.
The streets are dirty and there is the strong smell billowing from the factories. Sueños are being manufactured. Food pellets too. The cycle continues.
A new papi chulo club has sprung up. The papi chulo posters are surrounded by flashing lights, illuminating the club from afar. The decorations are gaudy and over the top. Promises of way more papis who can dance and all you can eat. The hottest bath. Everything new. To lure customers in, there are giant piñatas of dinosaurs stomping in front of the club. A seven-foot T. rex opens its paper mouth and spews confetti out to the street. The crowd loves it. The boydega is called the Temptation. I chuckle at the name. I wonder how Doña Chela feels about the new competition.
Boydegas come and go. It doesn’t surprise me a new establishment is trying to replace the Luna Club. Luna Club has been on fire for six months. A veritable lifetime. The papis will slowly get jobs over at the Temptation. New boys will audition. Crews will eagerly trade sueños for access.
• • •
Truck helps bolster Nena. There are remnants left behind of toilers who tried to lay claim to our spot. A makeshift bed at the entrance. Nena appears to be making her best time yet in opening our secret tunnel. No one congratulates her. She is still in a mood.
Today we will stay by the D. Not for long.
Our altar is intact. I have a new offering. The azabache will be my gift, a connection to my history and my future. I lay one down. The other I keep stored in my pocket. The girls place the objects that reflect their journey.
“Smiley, go check the word on the street,” I say. “I’m going to set a meeting with Déesse.” By now the leader has surely heard of our return. There is no point in waiting.
“I’ll go with her.” Nena no longer does that thing, adding a question to the end of her sentences. She is not asking. This is a statement.
“No,” Truck says. “You are staying put.”
Nena walks over to me as I shrug off my backpack. “Let me go with Smiley.”
I’m done feeling sorry for her. This is Mega City, and Nena has to let go of whatever ill feelings she has for what we did.
Dealing in Dreams Page 19
