by Pam Richter
Robin retraced his steps along side the wall to the back again. He decided to go around behind the tiny guy and check out the other side.
Then he noticed that the shadowy figure was awkwardly climbing up the rough brick and stone wall. The man had piled some loose rocks against the fence so he could get high enough to reach the top. He was clumsy and almost fell, but Robin got the feeling that this man was not one of Quijada's guards.
Maybe he was an assassin, hired by one of the other Mexican Mafias, there to take Quijada out for a rival in the drug trade. Robin crept closer to the fence. The guy almost fell. Then he grabbed hold of the top of the wall and pulled himself up, kicking wildly. He wasn't very strong for an assassin, Robin thought. Watching the little guy was almost comical as he balanced carefully to a squatting position on top of the wall.
Robin started backing up so he could go around behind the fellow. He was on a steep upward incline and he continued until he was behind the guy. Robin was high up enough now that he could see over the wall and into the back of the grounds.
The little guy stood up and walked carefully along the top of the back wall. He rushed until he got behind a tree and then stopped and furtively looked around. Robin stood staring at him as the man made his way to the corner and started toward the front of the property. He was very dainty, almost mincing along, and Robin could see that the big Rottweiler, Bruno, was keeping pace with him from inside the fence. The dog was jumping up and down in excitement.
Robin had a horrible thought. If the guy fell inside, the dog would kill him. Then he noticed that Bruno wasn't acting like he wanted to attack at all. The dog was whining and jumping up and down like a pogo stick on springs, but it was more like an excited, happy bark he was making, not a snarling growl.
Robin felt a chill go through him. He looked carefully at the person standing on the fence and noticed for the first time the feminine silhouette. He remembered how delicately and gracefully the person had moved. The lack of strength.
That little guy was no guy at all. It was Julia! She had her hair tucked under some kind of cap. He cursed his stupidity. He had put her up to this and she was behaving just as he would have expected. Tiptoeing right into danger.
Now Bruno was barking loud enough to attract attention. Damn, Robin thought, she's going to get caught. And who knew what Quijada would do once he got her in his clutches. He had already demonstrated his anger by ruining her apartment.
Robin plowed forward through the thick undergrowth as fast as he could until he was about ten feet behind her. He could hear her talking to Bruno. He thought he'd made quite a racket, but she was involved in quieting the dog.
"Shh, be quiet now, Bruno," Julia was whispering. "Yes, you are a very good boy, a darling doggy, and I love you very much. Such a good boy. Shh, now. I've got something nice for you, sweetheart. Look!"
Sweetheart? Darling doggy? That animal was a hundred-fifty pound lethal killing machine.
Bruno was yelping his fool head off in excitement.
Julia reached into a pocket and almost lost her balance and fell inside. "Here you go, baby Bruno. A nice chew bone for the cute puppy." She threw an enormous rawhide bone inside for Bruno.
Robin wished it was poisoned. That dog would raise the whole neighborhood.
"That's a good baby dog. Eat your nice bone," Julia was saying soothingly. "Yes, it's yummy. That's a good doggy."
There was silence for a while, punctuated by ominous crunching noises. It sounded like Bruno was devouring the bone. There were wet smacking noises. And Julia was moving again on the wall, closer to the front of the property.
Robin stayed behind her and kept pace. He knew he would have to get her off that wall, but he was reluctant to startle her. She was balanced precariously and if he started talking she might fall inside. He didn't think she could climb up over the wall to get outside again. When she got closer to the front there was the added danger of the guards discovering her. At least the dog was quiet now, except for slavering crunching noises from the other side of the wall.
"Julia," Robin whispered. He was only about six feet in back of her. He saw a visible shiver go through her and she suddenly became still as a rock.
"Julia, it's Robin. Behind you." He was whispering. "You've got to get out of here. It's too dangerous."
The minute Robin stopped talking he knew he'd made a serious mistake. Julia had heard him. But so had the dog, who started barking violently. It was the noise an animal makes when it notes severe, threatening danger. From close range it was almost deafening.
"Oh, damn," Julia said. She slowly and carefully turned around on the wall. "You're ruining everything."
"Get down off that wall," Robin commanded as he walked up to her, standing right in front of her.
"Don't you tell me what to do," Julia answered, looking down at him furiously. She was so irate she stamped her foot and almost fell off the wall. When she regained her balance with some vigorous arm movements, Robin made a huge effort not to smile. She was so cute standing up there.
"The guards will be here any second!" Robin said, trying to be rational and hurry her up.
"I can't believe this," Julia said irritably.
Bruno was still barking his idiot head off.
Julia sat down on the wall facing Robin. "I had everything perfectly under control. Now you've ruined it."
"They're not arresting Quijada tonight," Robin said.
He saw her look of comprehension just as the lights went on in the second story of the house. Then, suddenly, the whole outside grounds was drenched with blinding flood-lights. Julia turned her head quickly and looked behind her. "The guards saw me!"
Robin grabbed her hands, which she held out to him, and steadied her as she leaped to the ground. They both crouched down next to the wall.
"They're coming this way," Julia whispered. "I think they have guns."
Normally Robin would have held his ground and bluffed his way out of any situation, but if Quijada got hold of Julia there was no question that she would be seriously hurt. And Quijada probably knew, or guessed, that Robin had been behind the serious charges that were pending against him. There would be no mercy for either of them.
Robin yanked her up and they ran blindly down the side of the wall toward the back of the property. He was thinking that if the guards let the dog out he was a dead man, unless he could find a good sturdy tree to climb. Then, if he was treed, the guards would catch him, but maybe Julia could get back to her car. The dog wouldn't go after her. Not when he had a nice juicy stranger to attack.
They reached the end of the wall and kept going, stumbling through rough brush up the hill. It felt like they were making an enormous amount of noise, crashing through the undergrowth which had grown wild on the hill. Robin was getting scratched by brambles and he tried to help Julia along and protect her from the worst of the thorns. Julia must work out, he thought, as he struggled on swiftly, because she was keeping up with him admirably. Or else she was very frightened. He glanced back.
The lights were behind the two men who had opened the back gate, so he could see them clearly for a moment while the gate was still open. The guards started slowly up the hill, each taking a diagonal out from the gate in roughly parallel paths, to spread out the area to be covered. Visible projections were pointed in front of them.
It would be easy for the guards to say they had killed intruders and just drag him and Julia back inside the property. The men were silently peering through the gloom, trying to see. Robin grabbed Julia's arm to stop her, "Don't move. They're behind us."
Julia gave him a scared, wide eyed look and stood still. They were behind a large prickly bush of some kind and if they stayed perfectly still there was a chance the men wouldn't see them.
"Go back to your car," Robin whispered as they started moving again, crouched over like scurrying crabs, from one clump of brush to the next. "I don't think they can catch us if we go in opposite directions."
"Are you
crazy?" Julia said, jerking him down behind a mound of weeds. "If they let the dog out, he'll kill you."
"Quijada might kill you, if he catches you. I'll climb a tree," Robin said, looking around for a tree. There wasn't one. Just clumps of thorny bushes.
"God, I hate it when men try to be heroic," Julia said. She had grabbed hold of his arm and was pulling him along, both still crouched low.
"You're going to save me from the dog?" Robin whispered. This was almost funny. "He'll probably go into a feeding frenzy. He's already devoured my favorite jacket."
"When was that?" Julia asked. She didn't wait for an answer because there were powerful flashlights suddenly invading the gloom. They both fell flat on their stomachs and didn't so much as twitch a muscle as they saw light beams piercing the brush around them.
"I don't think they'll let Bruno out," Julia whispered.
As she turned her head to talk to him, she was startled to see his face inches from hers. She almost forgot what she was saying, and her heart did a big erratic thump, then she continued, "It's too dangerous. The dog could kill some homeless person innocently camping out up here."
Robin nodded. She had turned her face away from him. He was practically on top of her, trying to keep both of them as small as possible. He could appreciate that she felt good, even though they were in a serious situation. He had an arm around her shoulders and could feel her small round bottom under his thigh. His nose was touching the back of her head. She had lost her cap somewhere in their wild flight. There was an odd medicinal odor. It must be the dark hair coloring she had used.
"You make a gorgeous brunette, but I really prefer the natural color," Robin whispered into her hair.
Julia didn't reply. She wondered how she had gotten into such a silly situation here with Robin. He was practically on top of her and she had promised herself that she would never even speak to him again. She tried to ignore his presence. That was impossible, with him so close, so she closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing, which was coming out in tiny, hitching gasps.
As she lay there, Julia had to admit she was glad to see him, even when she thought he had ruined her chances of getting a picture of Quijada's arrest. She decided she must be a masochist. Her traitorous heart had leaped at the sound of his voice saying her name.
What she felt was profound and surprising relief. Her mind had said...finally. Finally what, she didn't know. But it was because she hadn't been able to tell him...what?
All she could remember was how much fun it had been to be with Robin, and how he had helped her. And wonderful, glorious sex. Which was a stupid thing to think about right now, when they were being hunted by dangerous Mexican mafia guards with guns, but he was so close to her, and she had to admit she liked it. It was confusing, her body telling her this was good and right that they were together, and her mind saying, Are you totally out of your mind?
Maybe she just needed closure with their relationship and a formal ending so she could go on with her life. After all, she did have a baby with half of him, or his genes anyway, inside of her.
The night had become dark. The guards were coming closer. She could hear the undergrowth crackling under the man's weight who was nearest them. Then, after what seemed like aeons of time went by, the searcher on their right shouted that no one was around. The other guy, way off to the left, said he was sure he had seen movement, but the flashlights showed clearly that the two were giving up.
Julia watched over her shoulder as the bobbing flashlights went slowly down the hill, back toward the house. The probing lights disappeared inside the yard. It was totally dark now and an owl hooted mournfully. Robin moved gently off of her so she could get up.
"Why'd they change the date?" Julia asked, as she got up and started brushing off her clothing, which was covered with weeds and thorns. She started patting her hair, trying to find weeds to untangle.
"What date?"
"When they were going to arrest Quijada. Did something go wrong?" Julia asked.
Robin started helping her pull tangling weeds out of her hair and she moved back minutely to dissuade him. He immediately stopped at the silent rebuke. She almost felt bad. He was so sensitive that even a tiny, minuscule movement from her was like verbal communication.
Julia had forgotten how his presence always seemed to overwhelm her, what a large man Robin was. She could still feel the imprint of his body, where it had touched her when they were lying on the ground, as though that part of her was branded by warmth. He gave off an amazing amount of heat. Even from a few feet away she could feel him. It was like basking in the sun. Then she grew angry that she was even thinking that way. But she had to admit it was nice of him to come and tell her that he had made a mistake. How he knew she would be here was a mystery, though.
"They didn't change the date," Robin said.
"About what?"
"The date to arrest Quijada," Robin said.
Shit, he must think I'm senile, Julia thought. She had just asked that question. "Why'd you tell me they were going to do it tonight?"
Julia stared at him as they started taking the long way, way around Quijada's residence and his guards with guns.
Robin smiled at her. "It's a long story. See, I went to Boston. Arrived this morning and went to your apartment building. And was almost arrested on the spot just because I asked the manager to see you. Two undercover policemen questioned me. At length. Anyway, I found out what happened in your apartment. So I knew you'd be here. And this was the only way to get hold of you."
Julia didn't know whether to get angry or to laugh. How he had made the leap from finding her missing and deciding she must be in California was an enigma. Unless he knew her better than she thought.
"So I lied," Robin finished.
Julia took a deep breath and decided to remain cool. She couldn't let him know how she felt about all this. Hell, she didn't know herself.
She took another deep breath to steady her voice. "What could be so important that you would have to stage this kind of meeting?"
"There are several reasons," Robin said, pulling a branch of thorns out of the way, so she wouldn't be cut. "First, and most important, you're not safe in Los Angeles. Not while Quijada remains free, anyway."
"I think I can take care of myself, but please do go on. I want to hear the other reasons, because that one isn't important enough for you to mislead me in this manner."
Her anger at being manipulated was helping her remain nonchalant in Robin's presence. Also, it was strenuous moving up the steep hill and keeping an eye out for clawing, scratching vines. The physical movement helped her remain composed. It irritated her that he seemed so calm.
"There I disagree," Robin said. "Juan Carlos has been telling the police how Quijada reacted when you got away. He wants revenge. Quijada went into a monumental rage and blames his whole situation on you. Like he didn't bring it on himself, smuggling drugs. Juan Carlos didn't specifically say that Quijada put out a contract on you, but it's clear he intends to harm you. Even the dark hair won't keep you safe if Quijada finds out you're not in Boston. That man is like a bull dog. You know too much. He had your brother killed. I'm sorry Julia, but I'm afraid he wants you dead too."
She shivered in the darkness. A contract out on her life? Maybe it had been foolhardy to climb the fence just to get her pictures. "What's the other reason?"
"First, your safety. Second, I have something to show you tonight. There's a third reason, too." Robin was fingering the ring he held in his pocket, but he knew this was definitely not the right time.
Robin explained about Thomas McQuery, whom he had hired to keep her safe. Tom was an extremely tough cop who had spent over twenty years on the streets of Los Angeles. He had a long history of narcotics busts, so he knew how dangerous the street gangs were that moved drugs for men like Quijada.
Then Robin asked Julia to go with him to the county jail. The men who had killed her brother had been caught and were ratting each other out.
Mike Garcia had, with extreme reluctance and some heavy plea bargaining, led the police to the two people responsible for the almost lethal beating of her brother. Mike Garcia had just driven the car, but he was the weak link. The man Julia had practically stripped for, to prevent him from harming Robin at the cabin in Lake Arrowhead, was the man who was now crucial in the reopened investigation into her brother's death.
They finally reached the road and Julia stepped with relief onto the dark blacktop, glad to be able to walk without the clawing, scratching weeds and vines and silty loose dirt sifting into her shoes with each step. Julia pointed that her car was only about a block away and they started in that direction. There was a cool breeze and she shivered as they walked along, but then she realized that the reaction was not because of the breeze. It was what the breeze sent. A strong and obnoxious odor of juicy-fruit, cloves and cinnamon.
Robin was still telling her about how Juan Carlos was trying to wriggle out of any type of responsibility in her brother's death. Julia grabbed his sleeve, jerked him to a stop and saw him look at her with a puzzled expression. It was already too late.
Three men, who had been crouched in the shadows behind her car, suddenly stood up and started moving toward them.
Even though the middle man was holding Bruno on a leash, she would have recognized the blazing jet-black eyes and bull-like physique of Quijada. The two men on either side of him were the guards they had tied to evade. Each was holding a gun.
Julia was scared out of her mind, but she knew that all Quijada would have to do was let go of the leash. Bruno would attack Robin. She didn't take time to think. Robin had put an arm around her shoulders, as though to protect her, and she shrugged his arm away and walked boldly up to Quijada.
Julia immediately started petting the dog that was straining at the leash.
"Hello Aaron. It's nice to see you again," she lied. She was horrified to be this close to the man, now that she knew how corrupt and perverse he was. The drug deals and child pornography. The people he had killed. He seemed like the devil incarnate with his evil black eyes glittering right into hers. It seemed those eyes were composed totally of pupil they were so black.
