Crimson Desert

by Melissa Jane

  “Why?” Aiden demanded. “What did he say to you?”

  She laughed maniacally at his questions and looked away in defiance. She wasn’t going to talk.

  “Laila,” Aiden addressed me. “Pick up the gun.”

  He turned his attention back to the woman, but this time he held his Glock to her head.

  “Let’s try this again, shall we? What the fuck did that man say?” The tone of Aiden’s voice was cold and business-like, almost as if he was the hit man himself. It was downright terrifying.

  She looked up at him with antagonizing eyes. “The Águila wants you shot but not killed. I think they are saving that pleasure for themselves.” It was obvious that even while wounded, she was taking great pleasure out of taunting us.

  “What is Águila?” I asked, confused. No one answered.

  The woman looked to me in amusement. “And the girl is to be returned to Mexico where she belongs.”

  She could only be referring to one person. “You work for him?” I asked, feeling my blood start to boil.

  “I don’t know who ‘he’ is,” she said, indifferently.

  “She is just one of his minions. No one on the streets knows who Hector is. They refer to him as the Águila.” Aiden declared, his tone scathing. “How long?”

  “For twelve years,” she sniggered.

  “For twelve years, this piece of shit placed her faith in someone she’s never even seen,” Aiden continued.

  “You let them take me!” I was well and truly beyond angry and now thankful Aiden had shot her. She was just as much to blame for my abduction as Juan was. She had willingly stood by and watched him carry me out of the hotel the day he drugged me. “Do you have any idea what you have –”

  “Save it, puta,” she sneered and actually had the nerve to laugh, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits. “I don’t care what happened to you before, just like I don’t care what happens to you now.”

  Wow. Just… wow.

  How could someone be so completely devoid of empathy for the shit their actions caused others?

  “Look away, Laila.” Aiden ordered.

  “Wait a second. Where is Ethan?” Anger was immediately replaced with that familiar sense of panic. It was a feeling that never travelled far from me, always waiting for its next chance to pounce. The men had left the hotel empty-handed, but she would have given Ethan up in a heartbeat if he were still here.

  “He left not long after you,” the woman said regretfully. Bitch! She would serve us all on a silver platter if she could.

  In any other situation, I would be the first to barrack for civil rights, however, in this scenario Aiden knew best. This woman had already hurt me a month ago when I was taken. And now she was quite happy to conspire against us again. Thanks to the role she played in my abduction, I could never feel safe. Ethan and I would always be looking over our shoulders. I have never been a believer in taking a life to save another. An eye for an eye, if you will. But, in this case, the woman before me was assisting a human trafficker in moving young girls just by being on his payroll. That sort of person didn’t deserve to live.

  “Laila, look away, now.”

  I did so and, after a split second, another shot rang through the tiny reception area. Although I was prepared for it, the thundering detonation still reverberated through my body and shattered my ear drums. Too fearful to turn around to face the bloody scene, I waited silent and still until Aiden’s hand tentatively touched my shoulder.

  “We need to move,” his voice was gentle, a contrast to the violence that had just occurred. “They will trace us back to here, so we have to remain a few steps ahead.”

  Emotion was bubbling its way to the surface despite my efforts to remain strong. I wasn’t upset about the woman being killed, the weight of who and what she represented was gnawing away at me from the inside. “Will we always be on the run?” I asked Aiden, an obvious shake in my voice. “Is this what my life will be like – always running, always hiding?”

  He turned me around to face him, his hands tenderly cupping my cheeks. “Laila,” he began, his eyes dancing as if searching for the right words. “I will do anything to keep you safe and I promise soon this will be over, but for now we are not safe. My silencer was with the rest of the gear. The noise alone will raise suspicion. Hector and Juan have men… and women all over the place who would do just about anything, including selling their souls in order to fall into the Águila’s good graces. We must be careful and fast on our feet. Can you do that for me?” He looked deeply into my eyes and my heart swelled at his concern.

  I nodded numbly at his request and a small smile crept over his face. His hands dropped down to hold mine, squeezing them gently, before leading me through the front door of the hotel and back into the dark streets of San Diego.

  Chapter Four

  Aiden

  “Pick up the phone, damn it.”

  Laila’s pretty blue eyes watched expectantly as I paced the pavement waiting for Jorge to answer his phone. No luck.

  “He’s not answering.” I said, stating the obvious while trying to disguise my growing concern.

  We had taken refuge in an alley behind an abandoned row of restaurants a few blocks from the hotel. It was a dark and ominous setting, however it was out of sight from the main road and only wide enough for foot traffic. I didn’t know if we were heading in the right direction, but we had to take a moment to gather our thoughts away from the chase of our head hunters.

  “Where would they be? I mean, did you guys discuss a plan B meeting location or…” Out of breath from our run, Laila looked on the verge of panic knowing we had been separated again.

  “No, the, um… conversation wasn’t exactly going to plan back at the hotel so we never reached that point.” The buzzing in my hand saved me from her frantic expression. “It’s him! Jorge, where are you?”

  After establishing his whereabouts, I quickly ended the call to fill Laila in on the news. She had practically been in my lap the entire time, trying to get closer to the cell phone to hear the conversation. Not that I minded, of course.

  “He’s two blocks from here. After I left to find you, Jorge had word a couple of Hector’s men were headed to the hotel so they split. I don’t for the life of me know who those men were earlier. As far as I know, Hector has only used a select group of people as bounty hunters, all of whom I know well. Perhaps that’s his plan. Use contractors I am not familiar with.”

  “So what are you saying?”

  She sounded nervous and in all honesty, she had every right to be.

  “I’m afraid perhaps I should have paid more attention to his payroll and showed a particular interest on this side of the border.”

  “We need to find Ethan,” she said with ill-disguised fear. “These men could be hunting him down right now.”

  “Laila, you have to realize something.” My voice carried a warning, but I tried to subdue the tension in it to avoid scaring her further. Tonight had already brought with it a whole lot of fucked up, I couldn’t afford to have her freaking out on me now. “Up until a few hours ago, Hector and Juan believed Ethan to be dead. They were under the impression that a score had been settled, a debt paid. Now things are different. They know he is alive and we are all together, which means they will be coming at us with full force.”

  The whites of Laila’s wide eyes glistened in the soft glow of the nearby street lamp, her irises flicking left and right as she absorbed my words. I waited until I could hear her start breathing again before I continued. “Take this.” I held out the gun dropped by the hotel receptionist.

  To my surprise, she took the weapon, her face set in steely determination. Laila’s tiny hands wrapped around the gun, her thumb gliding over the smooth metal. What I’d give to know her thoughts.

  “You don’t have to use it if–”

  “I’m not afraid to use it, Aiden,” she replied with confidence.

  “Having blood on your hands is not something that can be
wiped clean.”

  “I am not afraid to use this on the people who were set to destroy my life.” She had made her mind up. Nothing I could say would sway her opinion. I couldn’t begrudge her feelings. After all, she had been through hell and back and made it out alive, if not just a little damaged.

  “Ok, right. Ah… do you know how to shoot?”

  “My dad taught me when I was younger. Said everyone should learn at some stage of their life. But you keep it for now. There aren’t many places I can keep it wearing this dress.”

  I took the gun back off her and hooked it through my belt. “Let’s keep to the shadows, especially if you hear a car. If it looks suspicious, it most likely is.”

  “You don’t have to do this, Aiden.”

  “Do what?”

  “This! You don’t have to babysit us.” Laila’s eyes were clouded with doubt. “Please, just don’t feel obligated to help us.”

  “I am not obligated to do anything.” Grabbing her hand, I pulled her forward until I could feel her breath on my face. She wore a pained expression as she looked up at me through thick lashes. “And I don’t consider what I am doing to be an obligation,” I added, cupping her cheek as she released another long breath. It was almost as if she couldn’t handle the seconds between her questions and hearing my responses.

  “Laila, you have always been more to me than just ‘Ethan’s sister’. Do you understand that?”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but the buzzing in my pocket broke the pull between us. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I answered the phone. “What’s wrong? Ok, we’ll be there soon. Pack what you can. Laila will need a change of clothes, something she can move in. Something… conservative.”

  Chapter Five

  Laila

  We took the stairs of the unit block at top speed, eager to conceal ourselves in the darkness once again. It was hard not to feel seedy and dodgy, skulking the streets of downtown San Diego like common fugitives. Midway along the shared balcony, we stopped outside a dark blue door that read 13B. Aiden knocked twice while I kept a watchful eye on the parking lot below. After the last close encounter with Hector’s men, I wasn’t willing to let my guard down again. The door opened almost immediately allowing the soft glow from inside to filter out.

  “Ethan,” I wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled me through the door.

  “What the fuck, Laila. Don’t ever just take off again.” While he sounded relieved to see me, there was an edge in his tone.

  His grim expression turned into a lopsided smile. “I’m glad you did though, otherwise we would all be dead right now.” Ethan’s voice softened as he led us into the lounge area. The unit was small with mismatched furniture placed neatly around with personal effects adding color.

  “Have you packed everything?” Aiden interrupted, taking control of the situation in the typical way he does.

  Ethan’s gaze directed us to some back packs by the sofa. It was then I noticed Jorge standing on the other side of the room, the tip of his handgun holding the cream curtain a few inches from the sill as he studied the road below.

  “Laila, put these on,” Ethan threw a few items at me. A pair of jeans and a light hooded sweater. “They belong to Jorge’s cousin. She is about your size.”

  Almost on cue, a pretty woman in her thirties walked from the adjoining room. She was, indeed, around my shape and height, with lush, long dark hair striped with caramel foils. Her skin was like a creamy cappuccino, her eyes as bright as stars.

  “Hola,” she offered with a sweet smile.

  “Hello, ah, thank you for the clothes.”

  “Denada,” she smiled again before picking up the small child who chased after her and clung tightly onto her leg.

  Guilt washed over me and a sense of dread rose in my gut. We had come here, to this nice woman’s place, which our hunters could trace us to. If they found out we were here they could hurt her and the beautiful little child who already looked so scared by all the unfamiliar faces.

  “I’ll get changed, then we must go. I don’t want them following us here,” I said to Aiden in hushed tones.

  He seemed to sense my misgivings about the situation and nodded in agreement.

  The clothes fit perfectly and were much more comfortable than the sundress I had been wearing. The woman had come in while I was changing and offered me a bra that was also the right size.

  “You run until they no find you,” she said, her accent thick. I remained silent, absorbing her words. That was the plan. To get as far away from these people as possible, no matter what it took. She sat down on the bed and absently watched as I got changed. “Aiden, he is a good man.” I was both caught off guard and curious about her statement so I simply nodded in amicable agreement. “He won’t let anything happen to you. His eyes, I can see it in his eyes.”

  “See what in his eyes?” Her comments piqued my curiosity.

  “Maybe one day he will let you see.” She smiled at me coyly before standing and walking toward the door.

  “Thank you.” I called after her.

  “It is no problem, carina. Please call me Maria.” She offered.

  “Thank you, Maria.”

  She turned once again and a smile lit up her face before she closed the door behind her.

  A warm sensation spread through my heart. Receiving kindness was now a thing I would never take for granted and Maria seemed to know only that. My mind flittered back to her remark. She seemed so sincere about Aiden protecting me and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilt for the way I had treated him. Despite the charade that was portrayed to Hector and Juan back in Mexico, Aiden had only ever treated me well and with respect. His performance had worked against him in my mind, but that was because I knew no better.

  Now I did and I couldn’t have been more wrong.

  He was nothing like his family.

  He wasn’t cold and calculated.

  He didn’t act to hurt or degrade me.

  He was just Aiden.

  I joined the others who waited expectantly for me in the lounge. Jorge looked as though he hadn’t moved a muscle in my absence, his eyes still glued to the street below. Aiden walked over to me, the expression in his eyes unreadable.

  “Take this, tuck it in your waistband and pull the sweater down over it.” He handed me the gun from earlier and I did as he said.

  “Let’s take the back entrance. It’s all clear on this side,” Jorge suggested, his eyes still on the road.

  The air was mixed with anticipation and dread knowing we had to step out of the safety of Maria’s home. Jorge handed Maria his gun and she hid it behind a picture frame next to the TV out of reach from her little one. I could never live with myself if harm came to this family. Jorge and Maria embraced and spoke affectionately in Spanish to each other before he nodded that it was time to move. The rest of us made our quick farewells and in single file we made tracks down the back stairs to the dimly lit alleyway.

  “Where to now?” I asked.

  Aiden’s eyes glittered as he threw me a lopsided smile. “Ever been to San Jose?”

  ***

  The car was parked at the end of the street, only two hundred yards down from Maria’s. Though it was a short walk and Jorge had vowed the area was clear, the tall fences and ominously shadowed alleyways provided plenty of hiding spots for those who awaited prey.

  We all kept a consistent jogging pace until the silver VW Jetta came into view.

  “That must be us,” Aiden announced hopefully. He ran his hands along the top of two tires before he found the keys the delivery man had left. The ambiguous dropper clearly hadn’t stuck around to hand deliver the keys, probably on the premise he didn’t want to be shot. I understood his way of thinking. Knowing what I knew now about the Florez family, I would say it was a wise choice.

  The trip to San Jose was a long and mostly silent one. Jorge had control over the driving, Ethan sat in the passenger seat and Aiden with me in the back. It was only a few hours t
ill dawn and the night’s drama had taken its toll on everyone in the car. Not long after departing, fatigue overcame me.

  “Come,” Aiden said softly, noticing my head lolling about. He gestured to his side and I eyed him suspiciously. Just because I decided to cut him some slack didn’t mean that I was comfortable yet with touching. He patted the seat next to him again, clearly not taking no for an answer. I scooted over a few inches and lowered my heavy head to his shoulder.

  Everything about him felt so good… so right, but so wrong all at once.

  ***

  I awoke disoriented.

  The sun was up and burning on my face. Sweat was dripping down my temples and my sweater clung to me with an uncomfortable stickiness. We weren’t in motion and no one was in the car with me. I blinked furiously and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

  We were at a gas station. Jorge was filling the tank and Aiden was walking from the kiosk with a brown paper bag and a tray of steaming coffees.

  He approached my window with a knowing smile playing on his lips. A smile that made me feel giddy and tingly all at the same time.

  “What?” I asked, a little suspicious while trying to hide my indecent thoughts.

  “Nothing,” he lied. I could tell he was hiding something because his eyes glittered even more as I narrowed mine. He handed me a coffee and dropped the bag next to me on the seat.

  “What’s that?” I asked, blowing the steam from my cup. I wasn’t a coffee drinker, but I was in desperate need of a pick-me-up.

  “Curious this morning, aren’t you, muñequita?” he smirked. I smiled at his endearment because I secretly loved when he called me that. It was a name picked during our first night together.

  “Some toiletries,” he relented. “I thought you might be missing them.”

  I was touched by his thoughtfulness. “Thank you, that’s very sweet.”

  “The man inside said there was a bathroom over to the right of the store on the outside.”

  “I might head there now,” Aiden opened the rear door for me and as I slid out my senses once again flared to life. He smelled so intoxicatingly delicious and looked as fresh as a daisy despite the fact we had been on the run.