“How much do you know about the Mexican wars?” Carlos asks.
“With Texas?” I ask.
“No,” Raf answers, “the cartel wars.”
“Not much,” I admit. “I didn’t know much of anything about Mexico until a few months ago.”
“Most of Mexico is controlled by four cartels,” Carlos explains. “The Cillo cartel controls most of the border with Texas. The Perez cartel rules the south. The Moreno’s control much of the eastern coastline and then there is us. The Carlitas have much of central and western Mexico.”
“Is that why you are helping us?” I ask. “You want the eastern coast?”
“No,” Raf answers. “We want the fighting to stop. We have lost a lot in this war. Our people starve as the Moreno troops burn our land.”
“You are on a mission to destroy a weapon that could wipe out your people,” Carlos lowers his voice to a deep growl. “Who do you think they’ve been testing it on?”
“We’ve lost entire villages,” Raf says. “I’ve seen bodies upon bodies sprawled in the streets of farming villages and…”
He stops talking and I reach out to take his hand.
“What does the weapon do?” I ask, hoping to finally get some answers.
“It’s a virus,” Carlos says when Raf fails to answer me. “It spreads through contact. I’ve seen what it does to people and how fast it can move. They use missiles to…”
He looks away and shakes his head sadly, unable to finish.
“We will stop them,” I state. “We won’t fail.”
Carlos looks into my eyes for a long moment and then nods before speaking.
“Our intel tells us that the weapon is no longer in Mexico,” he says.
I drop my hand to my side at Carlos’ words and curl my fingers into a fist.
“Then what are we doing here?” I demand.
“You will need to learn where they have sent it and hope they aren’t preparing to use it before you get there,” he answers.
“They won’t use it until the first boats from England arrive,” I respond, wishing I was as sure of that as my voice sounds.
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Carlos says. “The Morenos purchased this weapon from Texas because they want Floridaland. That’s where they’ll start. I’m guessing that’s where they’re taking the weapon but we can’t be sure yet.”
“This is a land grab?” I ask, disgusted. “They’re willing to kill all of those people for a piece of the colonies?”
“It’s not Floridaland itself that is so valuable, but what grows there,” Raf explains. “Food is the new gold.”
“How does Mya Moreno fit into all of this?” I ask, remembering that my father said to find her. “Who is she?”
“The sister of the Moreno leader, Juan,” Raf says.
Why does my father trust her? What does his message to her mean? The time is now.
As if he can read my thoughts, Raf continues.
“Juan keeps her locked in that house, under guard. The story is that her father wanted to pass his power on to her, not Juan or their brother Marco. If you ask me, I think Juan killed his father so that he could never announce Mya as his successor. But that’s only one theory,” he explains.
I nod, choosing not to tell them about the General’s message because I still don’t understand it myself. “How long until we reach Moreno territory?” I ask.
“Two days at most,” Carlos answers.
“Good. Because we’re running out of time,” I state.
“There’s one more thing,” Carlos says. “They will know you’re coming.”
Chapter 62: Dawn
My arse hurts from this damned horse. The last time I was on a horse, Ryan, Emily, and I were fleeing the American town of Cincinnati. We rode so fast I didn’t have time to think about my bum. Ryan and I needed to get to the Republic of Texas before Jonathan Clarke and the Rebels destroyed the whole damn place. The adrenaline overpowered any aches and pains I should have had.
It’s our third day with our escort. We will reach the Moreno border tomorrow and part ways with them. Darkness creeps up on us fast and we stop to make camp. I walk up behind Gabby when she is in deep conversation with Carlos, Raf, and a Mexican woman named Ana. Gabs looks up at me and then calls the rest of the group over.
“Ana has experience with the Morenos,” she says. “She was a part of their household as a Carlita spy.” Gabby steps back, essentially giving Ana the floor.
“Mya Moreno is on the top floor,” she begins, her accent thick. “That is where you need to go.”
“She will be able to tell you exactly where Juan has sent Joseph Kearns with the weapon,” Carlos cuts in.
“How do we get her to trust us?” Drew asks.
“Dawn and I have that taken care of,” Gabby nods toward me but I stay silent.
My father didn’t tell the others about his message for a reason. He trusts his daughters.
“Good,” Ana says, not bothering to ask what Gabby meant.
“That’s the easy part. First, you must get to Mya. There are old tunnels on the south side of the house. They are no longer in use and hard to navigate,” she explains, going on to spell out every turn and twist.
“How is your climbing?” she asks no one in particular.
She glances around and no one responds so she continues with the plan, “I have a rope you can take, but you will need to climb up the garbage chute. It’ll take you near the slave quarters.”
We listen as the rest of the plan is laid out and then disperse to catch some sleep. By tomorrow afternoon, we will be on foot in an enemy land.
I wake to the sound of water hitting the flames of our cook fire. It sizzles and steams before dying completely.
The landscape has changed slightly from yesterday. The ground we ride across is dry, amplifying the echoes of our speeding horses. We stop twice before midday to rest the horses. I dip my hands into a stream and splash water onto my face. Ana kneels down next to me to take a drink and that’s when it happens. There is a shot and then blood is running into the water. Ana falls forward and her splash hits my face. I jump to my feet and run back to the others.
“Find cover!” I scream.
It is only then that I realize my warning is too late. The battle has already begun and the ground is already stained red.
“Dawn! Get down!” Shay yells.
I duck and she takes out the man running behind me. I run toward her and we join the rest of the group. I shoot toward the trees where more men are appearing. I don’t know if I hit anyone, but I don’t stop firing.
My eyes dart from side to side until I see Gabby nearby. Our eyes meet in relief before we both jump back into the fight. There is a man on his knees in front of me with a large man standing over him. I run the few steps toward them, but he is able to fire before I slam my rifle into his knees. Both men sprawl on the ground. One unmoving and the other trying to stand. I don’t give him a chance. One bullet is all it takes before he is as still as his victim beside him. Rafael. He’s been shot a number of times. Nothing I can do.
A sharp pain radiates from my back, leaving me paralyzed for a few seconds. Blunt metal slams into my stomach and I double over before hitting the dirt. No one can help me. They are all in the middle of their own fights; All of them except Officer Lincoln. He jumps over a body on the ground and fires. Officer Lincoln never misses.
My chest rises and falls rapidly as I lay on the ground until Officer Lincoln pulls me to my feet as the fight winds down and I search the scared, tired faces. Our Carlita escort lost five men. We lost Rafael. Gabby’s right sleeve is soaked with blood.
“It isn’t mine,” she says as she puts her arm around me.
I find Drew next. He has a large gash above his eye and a bullet grazed his arm, but he is otherwise unharmed.
“I’m okay,” he says as he wheezes, still trying to catch his breath.
I don’t smile or show my relief because, at that moment, I catch sight of Carlos. Rafae
l’s body is cradled in his brother’s lap and his tears leave trails through the blood on his face. Gabby puts a hand on the grieving man’s shoulder and squeezes. She knew Raf more than any of us.
“We need to leave this place,” Carlos finally says. “This ground is now cursed.”
“This was an ambush,” Jeremy says. “They knew we were coming and were waiting for us.”
“And they won’t be the only ones,” Gabby says.
Carlos stands and two of his men hoist Raf’s body onto the back of a horse.
“Leave the Moreno men to rot. We must return our men to be buried and honored,” he tells them before he turns to Gabby and says, “This is where we part ways.”
“I am so sorry,” she replies, her voice is soft. “Raf was a friend. Thank you for aiding us.”
“Obtain the information and wait along the coast,” Carlos says with a grunt. “We’ll be there to help once again. I hope to see you there alive.”
“Be safe,” I say, mirroring his concern.
“Do not fail,” Carlos says in farewell. “Please.”
Chapter 63: Gabby
The first few days in Moreno territory went like this - we walked until our legs couldn’t move any longer, and then pushed them further. We rationed our food and didn’t get nearly as much sleep as we needed. I kept everyone going whether they wanted to or not. We lost the first member of our squad, and I’m not ready to lose another just because we weren’t vigilant enough. We posted a watch at night and someone was always scanning behind us as we moved.
We haven’t seen another Mexican patrol since the fight. None of us are in any shape to fight but I’m itching for something to do other than walking. Lee and I went hunting during one stop yesterday but the whole thing turned weird when Lee gave me that look. Most girls would melt under his stare.
“Not now. Not here,” I told him.
As the sun goes down, we run across an open field, stopping to hide behind an outlying house. There aren’t many people moving about so we venture further into the territory.
The houses are all dark, without even candles in the windows and the air is stagnant. We take cover in an alley upon hearing the sounds of a horse and a cart. They rumble by us.
“Hola,” a soft, small voice says.
A young girl stands against the opposite wall. She holds up a lantern to see us better, and her face is contorted with fear. Jeremy bends down to talk to her, but her eyes don’t show a bit of understanding. The kid is extremely thin. Her collar bone protrudes from under her torn clothing and I could probably wrap my hand all the way around one of her legs. As she presses herself flatter against the wall, Dawn pulls some food out of her pack and approaches the girl. She snatches it greedily and holds it as if it is precious and will be taken away from her at any moment. The girl looks from her food back to us before stepping out onto the street and motioning for us to follow. Dawn goes after her without looking back at me, so I have no choice but to follow.
She takes us to a cellar door down the street and knocks four times. I don’t know what I expected but it wasn’t what I get. Two equally skinny boys open the door. Their faces are angry until they see the food clutched in our guide’s tiny hands.
As I go down into the cellar, the smell of must and unwashed bodies assaults me. There are at least fifteen kids huddled together in the glow of the lanterns.
“Does anyone speak English?” I ask and am met with blank stares until an older girl speaks up.
“Yes,” she says. “Do you have food?”
Dawn opens her pack and starts emptying it of food without even thinking or consulting me. I give her a disapproving look but I don’t tell her to stop. We can hunt and such to find food, but I doubt they can. The kids quickly eat what she gives them. After a few minutes of silence punctuated with smacking lips and greedy chewing, there is a knock at the door. The two boys from before open it and a few more children enter.
“What is this place?” I ask the older girl. “Where are your parents?”
“Gone,” she answers. “The patrols take most of the men in our town. They don’t come back. Only grown-ups are given food allowances,” she pauses and looks away. “My ma died when the last disease came through. I am not given food without her because I can’t work the fields yet.”
“How can they do that?” Drew asks. “You’re kids! You shouldn’t have to fend for yourselves.”
“The Morenos don’t care,” she says, fidgeting and shifting uncomfortably as if she just did something wrong. What would Juan Moreno do if he heard this girl?
No one speaks after that. Like me, they’re all probably plotting an end to every single member of the Moreno cartel.
Chapter 64: Gabby
I wake with my hand in Lee’s. I don’t remember how that happened, but I feel his gaze as I pull it away and then move across the cellar to sit with Dawn and Shay.
“I wish he would stop looking at me like that,” I blurt.
“He loves you. What’s your problem?” Shay snaps.
“Excuse me?” I say, suddenly angry.
“You treat Lee like you are so much better than him and I think we’re all a little sick of it,” she answers.
“I do not,” I spit.
“He’s the one who’s too good for you,” she continues.
“You don’t think I know that?” I ask indignantly as I clench my jaw to keep from yelling.
“I need some air,” she says as she shoots to her feet and runs up the stairs, disappearing through the door.
Dawn and Lee call after her to stop, but she doesn’t listen. I don’t know what she’s thinking anyway; going out there alone.
Why is she so narked all of a sudden?
I look around for an ally, but everyone, except for Lee, is staying out of it.
“We need to go after her before someone else finds her,” he says as he moves toward the stairs.
“Let’s split up and meet back here,” Linc agrees quickly.
“Dawn, you come with me,” Lee says, pointedly avoiding me before hurrying up the stairs.
Drew and I spend hours looking everywhere for her.
Where would she have gone?
We’ve pretty much given up when we head back to the cellar to see if anyone else has had any luck. I am about to step out onto the street when Linc shows up and pulls us back.
“Stop,” he whispers.
“What is it?” I ask, suddenly nervous.
The three of us peer around the corner to where a large group of men block the road. We can’t hear what they are saying, but they part to reveal a man holding Shay by the throat. Her screams reach my ears, but I am powerless to help her. “We can’t take on that many men,” Linc says.
We look on in horror as the man pulls out a long knife and drags it across Shay’s neck. Blood pours out and she is thrown to the ground. Then, from around the corner, several more men arrive, shoving Dawn and Lee to the ground. I breathe in sharply and Linc strengthens his grip on my arm to keep me from charging.
“We need to help them,” Drew whispers, his voice strained.
I am clutching Linc’s arm as my knees buckle and I almost fall forward. Dawn and Lee struggle as they are loaded onto horses, leaving Shay’s body on the ground surrounded by onlookers who have come out to see the horror.
I try to push through the crowd to where Shay lays in a puddle of blood but Linc holds me to him.
“She’s already gone,” he says.
For a moment, I am frozen in shock and indecision. Whatever else happens, this has just become a rescue mission. I am not leaving Mexico without Lee, and definitely not without my sister.
I turn toward Drew and look into his pained eyes.
“We’ll get them back,” I assure him.
Chapter 65: Dawn
I’m still shaking when someone grabs the back of my shirt and yanks me to my feet. They killed Shay. Her body hit the ground in a pool of her own blood. They slit her throat like it was butter. They
didn’t even blink.
The leader of the group stands in front of us, blood spattered and grimacing.
“Do I have your attention?” he asks.
Shay was killed for our benefit. When we found her, she had already been caught and was being guarded by two men. Lee shot the first one and knocked the second out. We tried to untie her, but we weren’t fast enough. The rest of the patrol had heard the gun go off and came running.
“Are you going to kill us?” I ask quietly, my voice breaking on the word “kill”.
“Why would I do that?” he responds as he wipes his knife on his pants and puts it away. He leans in close.
“I killed her for you,” he says as he steps back and looks at Lee. “You killed one of my men so I killed one of yours. It was only fair.”
He doesn’t smile. Lee and I got her killed. If we hadn’t...I try to push those thoughts away because the Mexican has said something else to me.
“We’ve been looking for you,” he repeats.
Gabby was right. They knew we were coming. And now we are here on their terms.
He turns away to give orders. Our talk is over.
“You okay?” Lee whispers.
“No,” I answer, the word shaking as it comes out of my mouth.
Our captor tightens the ties on our wrists before lifting me and handing me to someone on a horse.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
He doesn’t respond. I try to wipe the tears from my face but my hands are chained to the saddle.
“We’ll get out of this,” Lee says, but there is no belief behind his words; no conviction. They mean nothing.
Chapter 66: Gabby
“Hurry up!” I yell. “We need to move! Every second we waste here is another second they gain on us.”
“Whoa, slow down, Gabby,” Linc says calmly. “They’re on horses. We’ll never catch them.”
“You want to give up on them?” I accuse.
“No one is saying that,” Jeremy says, trying to take my hand, but I rip it away.
I don’t want to be comforted. I want to be listened to; obeyed. “They’ll probably take them to House Moreno and that’s where we we’re headed anyway.”
Eve of Tomorrow (Dawn of Rebellion Series Book 3) Page 17
