Aedan rolled his eyes. “C’mon Murray. I’d rather live out my days here at the Hacienda than risk my tail at that place again.”
“No shooting, no killing. We will be smart about it. I promise.”
The disconcerting look that crossed his face screamed, “Your promise didn’t pan out last time.”
“And… Roxanne and her crew are going to help us,” I said, hoping it would convince him.
“Hmm… are they coming here?” he asked while unconsciously combing his hair back with his hand. His cheek blushed a bit. He so had a crush on Roxanne.
“Yeah, right after our little coup.”
He snapped back to reality, “They didn’t exactly pacify the situation last time. Why are the coming after we take Manuel down anyways? Why not now and break Jonas, I mean Talon and us out now?”
“It would be a bloodbath, dude. Remember that promise about no shooting or killing? Manuel and his men would unload on them and vice versa. But, Talon will help when it all goes down. Look for him.”
Jamie interjected, “Coyle, you haven’t mentioned what we are going to do with our families after we do this. Aren’t they still in danger?”
“They are, there’s no doubt those goons are watching them. But, I know they’re all alive,” I said, and she scowled. “I know that’s little consolation. We’ll contact them after we control this place, but we’ve got to be smart about it. Somatotech is surely monitoring their phones, houses, work, and probably even their friends.”
“Coyle, I love you man, but if anything happened to my mom, I…,” Aedan’s voice wavered.
“I couldn’t forgive myself either,” I said. “Listen, I know I brought this upon all of you and that is something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. Dr. Strayer…” A ball formed in my throat and tears threatened almost immediately as I said his name. “He, he died trying to help me. I won’t let that happen again.” I clenched my fists as a rush of grief and pain enveloped me.
“You can’t be sure, Coyle. Nothing is ever sure,” Jamie whispered.
“You’re right Jamie, but I promise to do all I can. That’s all I got.” I looked at my hands and then to Aedan, “Listen Aedan, If we can convince Manuel’s men to join us we will have a force to be reckoned with, a group of men who can protect our families.”
“How can you be sure they will join us?” he said.
“I can’t be. But their chatter is revealing. They are already pissed off at Manuel for changing things. Throw in that he is burning the people he kills, and I gotta believe they will tip over to our side.”
Jamie turned to me. “If they don’t, both of us die. You know that, right?” she said and then turned back.
I didn’t have a response. Was I taking an unnecessary risk? Manuel would never let us go. He would never give up that control. Either we revolt and risk retaliation or remain slaves and captives until we’re not useful.
“The Doña and Dr. Bartnev are friends, at least I believe they are, so if things do go bad you need to seek them out.”
“How are you going to let Manuel’s men know what he’s done?”
“I’m planting the seeds already my friend. We will reap with a big reveal on the day of reckoning.”
“I like the sound of that!” Aedan said while Jamie rolled her eyes.
13 New Trust
My missions continued. I beat up businessmen, verbally assaulted clerks, shook down addicts for drug money and settled debts with my fists. Each time I did, I felt as if a little piece of goodness slipped from me. My goodness tank ran dangerously low and with it the feeling of being human. Unfortunately, I needed to continue. Aedan had to heal and to heal he needed time. I couldn’t refuse the missions without hearing more of Manuel’s threats. Besides, I think his trust in me began to strengthen. That trust would have to be his weakness.
“Today we are doing a mission that will pull your heart strings.”
I raised my eyebrows, curious. We both sat at the kitchen island chowing down on huevos.
“Two guys have been harassing a shop manager, a Muslim shop manager. They have thrown out racial slurs and threatened him. The owner of the shop requests that we provide protection and intimidation. All for a good cause.” He grinned.
“You are a freakin’ saint, Manuel,” I said and rolled my eyes. He grinned, and I continued, “Who’s all coming?”
“I think you and I can handle it.” Manuel chuckled and patted me on the back, “Tigre and I have a mission this morning, and then I’ll come pick you up at noon. Enjoy your breakfast.” He dropped his fork on the plate and pushed it toward the Doña.
My internal alarm went off. They didn’t want me around for a morning mission, I thought. They were going to kill someone today. Today! Crap, I need to let Aedan and Jamie know that today is D-day. The problem is; I’ve revealed hardly anything to Manuel’s men. It will all come as a shock. Would they react before we could convince them?
“How long will your mission take?” I asked as Manuel went for the door.
“A couple hours. Why do you ask?”
“Just wanted to see if I had time to see Aedan and Jamie this morning?”
He stared at me for a moment, trying to gauge my intention. “Let’s stick with afternoon visits.” He turned and walked out the door. Stefan came into the kitchen as he exited. Manuel made a motion with his hand and nodded to me. Stefan was my guard for the morning.
“Buen día, Stefan. ¿Cómo estás?”
“Buen día, Coyle. Estoy bien. Hablas bien el español ahora.”
“Estoy aprendiendo, sí. So you are my guard this morning?” Thank freakin’ goodness; I needed to bring someone onto our side, and quick.
“Yes, a standard watch. You may go to your room, the kitchen and the bathroom in the hallway.”
I mapped out all of the locations in my mind and analyzed them for ways to communicate with Aedan and Jamie. Sure, I could have busted a window in the hallway and yelled out but that would effectively shut down our little operation. I looked around the kitchen. No windows, no phones, no radios. Jamie and Aedan’s rooms were in opposite locations on the compound, so only a loud noise could reach both of them. Nothing in the kitchen could make that type of noise without raising serious suspicion. I needed to check the hallway and my room.
“Can I go to my room?”
He agreed and escorted me out of the kitchen. We passed the chapel door. I thought back to my visit with Jamie and Aedan. My mind searched the room. There was an altar, chairs, and a rope extending to the ceiling. The bell! I had never heard it rung at the compound. Would Jamie and Aedan recognize it as something out of the ordinary? It was our only chance.
“Stefan, do you believe in God?” I said, pausing at the chapel.
“Yes, Coyle, I do. Do you?” He stood next to me, staring at the altar.
“I’m not sure, but I hope he’s real,” I said.
“He’s real Coyle; I can assure you.”
“Manuel thinks it’s foolish to believe in a higher being.”
“Someday we’ll all know better, including Manuel,” he said with a sigh.
“Can we go in?” I motioned toward the room.
“For a moment, yes. But we mustn’t stay long.”
We walked in, and Stefan crossed himself before sitting down near the door. I strode over to the altar and knelt down. The rope hung on the side of the altar only a foot away. I looked up as if I was looking for the heavens, but actually, I was examining the bell above. Cobwebs stretched from wall to wall, the length of the shaft leading up to the bell. This hadn’t been used for quite a while. Who knows if it actually worked? I glanced back at Stefan, who had closed his eyes momentarily, likely deep in prayer. Seizing on the moment, I grabbed the rope and pulled. Nothing. It didn’t budge down like I thought it would.
“You have to swing the rope, don’t pull,” Stefan said as he walked up to me and grabbed the rope.
“Oh, sorry.”
He slowly rocked it
back and forth until the metal ball made contact with the bell. Deep echoing sounds rang out to the entire compound.
“We used to ring this bell in the morning, at night and every time we had a successful mission to thank God for another day we were alive.”
“Why’d you stop?”
“Manuel has told us to thank him rather than ring a silly bell.” He let the rope drop and sat down in the chair closest the altar. “It feels good to ring it again.”
“May I?”
“Of course, now that Manuel is off the property. The men would love to hear it again.”
I grabbed the rope and rang it. But, I didn’t do it as Stefan. I rang the chorus to “Rock The Kasbah” over and over. I knew Aedan would recognize it, but I wasn’t so sure Jamie would.
“Hey! That’s enough!” Stefan grabbed the rope from my hand. “This place, this sacred place, deserves reverence.”
“I’m sorry Stefan, I meant no disrespect.” I decided not to lie to my new friend. “I wanted my friends to recognize that the bells were ringing for them as well.”
“I understand. I’m sorry for you and your friends; this situation is unfortunate.”
“Stefan, do you believe what Manuel has done to us is wrong?”
“I understand the threat you have brought on us.” He paused gathering his thoughts. “But treating you as slaves and captives is wrong.” He crossed himself again.
“Thank you, Stefan, I needed to hear that. Manuel is so freakin’ overbearing I forget there are good people here.”
“We have a good group of men who are loyal to the cause.”
“And loyal to Manuel?”
He didn’t respond. This confirmed my impression that the men held resentment for the types of jobs Manuel had taken on and because of how he had treated us. The crazy mission, to turn this place over to our cause, could possibly work, although I hadn’t expected it to come so soon. One critical detail was missing. I needed something with which to threaten Manuel. Something that would prevent him from ever coming after us, ever coming back here. My mind scanned my conversations with him, our outings, and all of the missions. The only time Manuel had acted differently than his cool self was when he had caressed that woman’s arm where we dropped off Samuel. That house and the woman seemed to be significant to him. Maybe his family lived there?
“Stefan, could you answer a personal question?”
“Only if it doesn’t threaten my ability to do my job.”
“Fair enough. I hope it won’t. I never see any women other than the Doña here. Are any of you guys married?”
“Many are, yes.”
“Are you?”
“I’m sorry; that’s a question I can’t answer.” His eyes stayed fixed on the altar. Reading his physiology proved difficult, because he didn’t answer the question with a simple yes or no. Again, Stefan had demonstrated his wisdom. He would never admit to having a family and put them at unnecessary risk. I doubted even the other men knew his personal details.
“Is Manuel married?”
“His personal life is more open than mine. He trusts his men, or at least he intimidates them enough so that his personal and work lives can be one. But, he wouldn’t appreciate me giving out information about his family.”
“I understand.” But, he already had, and maybe he did it on purpose. I decided to push a little more. “His family lives on East 17th, right?”
His eyes widened for a split second, and his hand tightened on the edge of the chair. This went too far. “I can’t answer that question, Coyle.”
“Stefan, I need to tell you something that could change things between us.”
“Go on.”
“Manuel and Tigre are doing shady business in the mortuary. Something I don’t think you or the men would approve of.”
Stefan let a smile come to his lips. “We all know they launder money through both the mortuary and the restaurant. While we don’t approve of it, we see it as a necessary evil to keep us running.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. Did you know there is a cremator at the mortuary?”
“No, but there’s much I don’t know about those businesses.”
“Stefan,” I hesitated for dramatic effect. “Manuel and Tigre kill people and burn their bodies in that cremator.”
His eyes narrowed, and his smile instantly disappeared. “How do you know this?” he spoke quickly.
“I’ve been there after they did the deed. I felt the warmth of the cremator.”
“Does Dr. Bartnev know of this?”
Crap! That hadn’t dawned on me until now. That’s Dr. Bartnev’s mortuary; he has to know of the cremator. The question was whether he knew Manuel and Tigre were using it to erase their victims. Could he stoop to their level and be a part of it? “I’m not sure. I hope not,” I said and rubbed my forehead.
“Coyle, this is very sensitive information. It would create quite a stir among the men.”
“I’m counting on it.”
Stefan whipped toward me. “What are you talking about?” He curled his brow and stared at me intently.
“I’m taking down Manuel and Tigre for our survival.”
He couldn’t form words. His mouth gaped open, and his hand slipped down to his gun, but he kept it in the holster.
“Stefan, I need your help. You know Manuel won’t let us leave here alive. The men trust you, probably even more than Manuel at this point, I need you to talk to them and convince them not to retaliate when I take care of Manuel.”
“¡Diablo! Coyle, you know what you’re asking me to do? If you don’t succeed, I’ll be dead and so will my family.”
“I thought you kept them secret?”
“Manuel would find them; he is the most resourceful man I know.”
“I won’t fail. You and your family will be safe.”
“When are you doing this?”
“This afternoon, they are going to kill someone this morning, I guarantee it.”
“Aye Dios mio, muchacho. So, you expect me to convince my men to abandon our leader in a matter of hours?”
“You can’t tell me they haven’t been upset with how things have been going!”
“Yes that’s true, but exacting a mutiny is a whole different ballgame.”
“You gotta do your best, but most of all you gotta make sure Aedan and Jamie are safe.”
He crossed himself once more and recited the end of the Lord’s Prayer, “Tuyo es el Reino el Poder y la Gloria por Siempre Señor. It’s in his hands.”
“It’s in all our hands.” We stood up at the same time. I looked at the clock on the wall, 10:45 a.m. One hour and fifteen minutes until game time.
14 Game Time
“Come on dude, come on man. I’m sorry, I won’t…” screamed Mason, the dude I just grabbed from the minimart. He was just a garden-variety punk spewing racist hate at a Muslim employee. I had grabbed him and his buddy, Jake as they went into the store. They were weak, so I had wrapped both of them up under my arms and carried them behind the store. Manuel had grabbed Jake when I dropped them.
“Shut up!” yelled Manuel with spittle spraying out of his mouth but his lips curved in a wide grin. “Nice work.” He looked at me.
I raised my fist high above my head. I felt like I was holding a weight that wanted desperately to come crashing down on this man’s face. Mason’s fear-stricken eyes begged for compassion.
“Get it over with,” said Manuel, inching closer to me with the other guy in tow by his collar.
“I… I can’t,” I said, looking at Manuel. “I won’t.” I dropped Mason onto the ground. He scurried over to the wall like an animal fearful for his life.
“Coyle, now’s not the time.” His eyes began to burn with anger.
“No better time Manuel. This has to end; this is not me.”
“You are whoever I say you are. I own you. You will do as I say.” He threw Jake down next to Mason. His head slammed against the concrete wall. He instantly recoiled
and cupped the back of his now bloody head with his hands.
“I’m done, Manuel. I’ve paid my dues.” I raised my hands in concession.
Manuel ripped his phone from his pocket and held it toward me. “One call, Coyle, one damn phone call and your sweetheart will suffer a terrible accident. Jamie has such a beautiful face with such smooth, soft skin. It would be a damned shame for anything to happen to it. Acid has a way of disfiguring without killing. Every day after this very moment, you will look into her scarred face and realize you made the worst decision of your life.” He lowered the phone, eyes fixed on mine. “Finish this.” He motioned with a slight nod toward the cowering men.
I looked at my watch. 1:02 p.m. It was time. Trusting Aedan had gotten the message and stolen the gun; I snapped my arm forward. My fist contacted his temple before he could flinch. Instantly unconscious, his head slammed against the concrete floor. I hit him hard enough to ensure he was knocked out but, hopefully, not hard enough to kill him. I picked up his cellphone.
“Oh dang! Nice work!” said Mason as he stood up.
“Sit down!” I yelled and pushed him down back down on the concrete.
“Hey, what gives?”
“Never come back here. If I find out you have, I’ll hunt you down and pull each of your limbs off.”
Mason, eyes wide, remained silent.
“Now, for saving your life you owe me. I am collecting on that debt right now. At exactly 1:45 I want you to call this number and give them this message,” I said and handed him a piece of paper with the number for Channel 7 news. “I am monitoring the news so I will know if you don’t do it. And if you don’t I will find you and—” I motioned as if I was pulling arms apart. He shuddered. “This works to both our favor. You won’t have to worry about Manuel anymore.”
“OK dude, yeah, I’ll do it. Thanks, man,” he said while helping his buddy to his feet.
“Remember, never again,” I pointed back toward the minimart.
“Right, right.”
“Get out of here,” I yelled.
They left without another word, Jake still cupping his battered head.
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