by Angela Horn
As Lila approached the man, she slid a gun into the waistband of her jeans. Sophie’s brain screamed for her to avoid seeing what promised to be a bloody end to at least one of the people standing on the side of the road. Instead of retreating though, Sophie left the SUV. Scared yet excited, she embraced the thrill and pushed herself closer to the action.
“Having car trouble?” Lila asked the man who continued to smile.
“Yeah, but I’ve got triple A coming. It’s fine, but thanks for your concern.”
Lila removed a gun from her waistband and fired once into the car’s back tire. Air gushed against the man’s pant leg, but he barely reacted to this development.
“You really want to play this game?” Lila said, still walking toward him.
“I don’t know what I’ve done…”
Lila fired at the compact’s trunk, breaking the lock and allowing the lid to creep open. Even from her spot near the SUV’s door, Sophie spotted the top of a woman’s body.
The man’s smile widened. “Hey, if it makes you feel any better, she didn’t look too upset when I strangled the life out of her.”
Lila returned his grin. “My friend thought you villains might be able to go straight once you got your ticket back upstairs. I think we can see how being good just isn’t in the playbook though.”
“Big hero, showing up after she’s dead. Your god will be so proud,” the villain said, running his tongue over his front teeth.
Lila fired twice, one bullet for each kneecap. The thing fell to the ground, groaning. Eyeing Sophie, Lila moved behind the man, gun at his head.
“Did you notice how it didn’t scream out in pain? The body doesn’t belong to it, so it’s detached from the pain.”
“They’re looking for you,” the monster said, gazing up at Lila. “And when they find you, it’ll be your head that rolls.”
Lila shrugged as if its words didn’t bother her. She smacked it in the head with her gun nonetheless. Sophie watched as Lila retrieved a sword from a holster on her back. She raised it over her head, ready to kill the monster in the nice guy suit. An impulse, almost like a craving for sugar, overcame Sophie and she stepped forward.
“Wait!” Sophie cried.
Lila frowned. “You still think it’s a good guy?”
“No. I just…I want to do it.”
Lila stepped back with a curious grin. “Well look who’s ready to dress up in big sis’s clothes. It’s all yours then. I just love to share.”
Sophie rushed to where Lila stood. The monster’s knees were already healing and he grinned at Sophie. Taking the sword from Lila, Sophie stepped behind the villain, her heart beating wildly and the pain in her stomach gone. The thrill in her chest told her this act would bring her the answers she so desperately hungered for all her life.
Standing there with the weight of the sword in her hands and the aroma of the thing’s cologne filling her nostrils, Sophie’s enthusiasm faded, quickly replaced by fear and uncertainty.
Lila stood a few feet in front of them, watching her. If she was angry by Sophie’s reluctance, it wasn’t apparent in her mellow eyes. Standing patiently, Lila waited for Sophie to make her move.
Instead, the villain moved.
On its feet in seconds, it swung around and ripped the blade away from Sophie. She could only stare at the monster as it lifted the blade to take her life. All those answers were once again slipping away.
As the blade lowered towards Sophie, a fist burst from the villain’s chest. The monster’s face fell lax and its hand released the sword. Sophie stared at the fist with the red mass sitting in its center without understanding what the sight meant. Lila dropped the heart and yanked her arm back.
Watching the body flop to the ground, Sophie stared into the cool hazel eyes of her savior. Lila watched Sophie a minute before retrieving the sword and cutting off the villain’s head.
“Taking the heart should do the job, but never assume that’s enough. I knew a hunter who swore up and down he killed a villain by blowing a hole through its chest. The thing then showed up on the streets a month later. The head keeps them down. Never get lazy about it.”
“I’m sorry.”
Lila grinned, pouring bottled water over her bloody hand to clean it. “I knew you couldn’t do it. Yet it was pretty cool when it jumped up like that. These villains can be fast little buggers. Don’t stress your nerves. You’ll be ready next time.”
Sophie nodded, heading back to the SUV, while Lila searched the body and car for a cell. Finding it, she called 911 and left a message about the bodies, claiming she was a vigilante who had executed a serial killer.
Lila studied the woman’s body in the trunk. After fiddling with her skirt, Lila shrugged and returned to the SUV.
“As long as there are no more interruptions, we’ll be at Sawyer’s in less than two hours.”
Sophie was flooded with disappointment as they left behind her first real chance to prove her worth. For Lila’s part, whether it was from the kill or her Best of REO Speedwagon CD, she didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Smiling brightly, she just turned the SUV around and headed back to the highway.
Chapter Five
The harsh landscape was unyielding as one tiny town after another broke into view only to be discarded in the rearview mirror. Joaquin knew he couldn’t drive through the night and the girl had to be uncomfortable slumped in the backseat. Yet he still refused to stop in a place unless it felt safe.
The woman stirred occasionally, shifting in her awkward pose, but she never poked her head up nor spoke a word. Joaquin embraced the silence, suddenly unnerved about the situation now that he had time to examine its meaning.
Even with him bound to her, this woman was a stranger. She might be a drug mule, the girlfriend of some cartel bigwig, or a tourist who saw too much. These possibilities felt wrong to Joaquin though.
The man who came to his room didn’t know the woman’s worth. He didn’t seem to care either, even though he was willing to kill to find her. It made no sense to Joaquin and only added to his growing frustration at the situation.
If the cartel chasing after her made little sense then God racing to her aid made even less. She was someone special, important enough to bring her to Joaquin. Without him, she would already be dead. If she had agreed to this deal with the cartel, she deserved to die. Joaquin saw no reason to extend his life just to save some nitwit with daddy issues.
Clinging to the idea that she was special, he found her silence helpful. Once she started whining, his acceptance of this purpose and that wisp of hope in his chest would evaporate.
As the sun began to set, Joaquin came upon a small resort town full of foreigners where his charge might fit in for the time being. Finding a bustling hotel in the center of town with plenty of young people and middle aged couples, Joaquin pulled into the parking lot.
Twisting to peer into the backseat, he found her lying contently in an awkward position. Her green eyes stared back at him - seemingly unafraid, though clearly confused.
“I’m going to hide you in this place.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
Joaquin studied her a bit longer then reached for his bag.
“I will find us a room. You stay here until I come back.”
“Thank you.”
Joaquin nodded then opened his door. Eyeing the happy scene of vacationing foreigners, he moved quickly to the main office.
This hotel had a front door and instead of a lustful couple behind the counter, he found a stern young woman who clearly found him to be suspicious and unappealing.
Signing for the room with one of his preferred aliases, Manuel Martinez, he handed the woman a few hundred dollars. With keycard in hand, Joaquin hurried back to the car. He was certain the girl had gone missing, even suspecting she might have run off.
Joaquin found her lying in the backseat soaked with sweat. He extended a hand to her which she used to pry herself off the floor of the car.
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nbsp; With one hand holding his duffle bag and the other hitched in his belt near his gun, Joaquin led her up to their room on the third floor. Joaquin’s eyes were focused on possible threats and he never really took notice of his charge’s appearance until he locked the door and shut the curtains. Standing in the middle of the room - arms limp, hair stuck to her cheeks, faced flushed - the woman was a sweaty mess.
“You should shower.”
“My name is Heidi.”
Joaquin nodded, unwilling to know more about her yet.
“What should I call you?” she asked.
Studying her, Joaquin said nothing. The girl stared back at him, unflinching. He frowned at her lack of fear, but figured she must be loopy from the heat.
“You need to clean up before we go out to eat. People might think I’ve kidnapped you. We need to get out and be seen, so they don’t alert the authorities.”
Heidi turned towards the bathroom then back to him. “Do you have anything else for me to wear?”
“I will. Now go shower. I will be back in a few minutes. Don’t leave the room or answer the door.”
“What if the police come?”
“Do not answer the door,” he said coldly, already irritated with this assignment.
Heidi didn’t react to his tone. She just nodded once and disappeared into the bathroom. Joaquin edged towards the door, nervous to leave her. While checking in, he had noticed a small boutique with the kind of clothes a young American might wear on vacation. Needing to improve her appearance, Joaquin opened the door and soaked in the heat of the night.
Hurrying to his destination, Joaquin thought of a dozen unhappy scenarios awaiting him upon his return. This dread caused him to rush around the store, grabbing several shorts and shirts he thought might fit Heidi. As he paid, the woman behind the counter tried flirting with him. Once she got a good look at his dark irritated eyes though, she seized his money and hurried him out of the store to his relief.
Joaquin knew he needed to avoid drawing attention to himself, but he couldn’t slow his pace. Gripping the shopping bag and fingering the handle of his gun for reassurance, Joaquin imagined the door kicked open and the girl gone. Even upon finding the door seemingly untouched, Joaquin realized his hands were shaking. He opened the door, certain the girl was dead.
Heidi sat on the bed watching a telenovela - her wet hair wrapped in one towel, her body in another. She glanced at him then back at the television. Relieved to find her unharmed, he grunted his greeting and tossed the bag next to her on the bed.
“Get dressed and we will eat.”
Nodding, Heidi stood up and took the bag. Even with her body respectfully covered, he found her lack of modesty irritating. No matter how helpful he had been, she should fear him. Men like him always wanted something in return for their generosity. Joaquin figured her youth and clean-cut appearance masked a whore underneath.
Wishing she might be worth all this effort, Joaquin grew disappointed. So far the evidence was stacking up that Heidi was nothing more than a bimbo lucky enough to stumble upon a lost man looking for redemption.
Heidi soon emerged from the bathroom in a slightly oversized shirt, tan shorts, and her old tennis shoes. With her hair pulled into a ponytail, she looked around sixteen. Finding her presentable, Joaquin signaled for Heidi to follow him and they headed into the increasingly muggy evening.
Heidi was quiet. He appreciated that much about her. She sat silently, reading the menu, no clue to her mood present on her face. Joaquin found himself studying her for so long that he was unprepared to order when the waiter appeared. Picking something at random, Joaquin soon returned to staring at Heidi.
“You’re used to men fixing things for you, yes?” he finally said.
“What?”
“When you first saw me, you said you knew I’d come. You expected someone to save you. Why would you expect that unless you’re used to other people fixing your problems?”
Heidi studied him, her green eyes betraying nothing. She finally smiled slightly.
“I meant that I knew God would send someone to help me. Just like He helped me escape from that prison and find a car with keys inside. He’d been helping me all day. I knew that was why you were helping me. God sent you.”
Joaquin could not respond. He almost wanted her to whine and annoy him, but she showed no interest in gaining his sympathy. Watching the other patrons, she ignored his dark eyes on her again. Overhead, the Brazilian songstress Astrud Gilberto serenaded the restaurant and Joaquin noticed Heidi sway to the music.
“Why would God want to help you?” he said finally. “He didn’t help those people at the motel.”
This comment clearly bothered her and Heidi’s eyes flashed down at the table shamefully.
“I’d hoped that if I left the dumpster, those men would follow me and leave the others alone. I guess that was stupid.”
“Why bring trouble to the motel in the first place, if you never planned to hide inside?”
Heidi frowned at him, her nose crinkling in a way that made her appear even younger.
“I didn’t come to the motel. I just went in one direction and kept going until the car wouldn’t go anymore. That brought me to the motel. I never had a plan. I assumed God did.”
“God wanted those people to die?”
Maybe his goal was to make her cry, but she held his gaze, eyes dry.
“Why did you help me, if it wasn’t God?”
Joaquin shrugged, eyeing the waiter who brought them appetizers.
“Why are you still helping me?” Heidi said.
“I like to finish what I start.”
Heidi played with the straw in her soda.
“Do you believe in God?”
He shrugged again, but this time she smiled at his indifference.
“You believe.”
“I don’t believe God is helping someone like you.”
Frowning, Heidi tilted her head. “Why wouldn’t He help me or any other person in need?”
Joaquin sighed, eating even as his stomach rejected such sentiments. It ached for some resolution to this situation.
“Can I call the police soon?” Heidi asked.
Joaquin stopped chewing and eyed her darkly. “Why would you do that?”
“I wasn’t the only woman those men took from the clinic. Someone has to save them.”
Joaquin snorted slightly at her naiveté. “What makes you think the police would help them?”
“I don’t understand.”
“This isn’t America. The police see what they are paid to see. You think they care about you or your friends?”
“Then who will help them?”
“It would seem no one unless God takes a personal interest in their welfare as He’s done with yours.”
Heidi pushed her body deep into the chair. Her eyes were conflicted, maybe even defiant.
“I don’t accept they won’t be helped. There must be someone who can do something.”
Joaquin shrugged, munching on chips and enjoying her dilemma. He refused to care about her or her friends. This situation was just a job and he didn’t become emotionally invested in his work.
“Well thank you for your help today, but I’m not pretending there’s no hope for them.”
With that declaration, Heidi stood up and rushed toward the door. Joaquin, startled by her sudden movement, hurried to halt her exit. Many eyes focused on the fleeing girl and Joaquin’s only choice was to pretend as if she was heading towards the dance floor. Grabbing her hand tightly, he yanked her back to him.
“Don’t be so stupid. Those men that came to kill you will not be impressed by our escape. Do you think you are safe?”
“How would I know what they will do? I don’t even know why they took me?”
“Took you from where? What kind of clinic was it?”
“Just a little health clinic. You know, vaccinations, basic health care. Nothing with drugs or anything.”
“They probably pl
anned to ransom you to your parents back in the US.”
“But two of the other girls were Americans and the doctor was from Canada and they were held with the Mexicans whose families have no money.”
Joaquin’s interest finally peeked. “You were singled out?”
Nodding, Heidi stared at him with that expression he couldn’t quite read.
“Why?”
“I already answered that,” she muttered, scowling.
“Am I annoying you?”
Heidi stared him directly in the eyes as she said, “To be honest, you’ve been annoying me since we got to the hotel.”
Joaquin couldn’t help smiling. “You do understand I could kill you as easily as I killed those men at the motel?”
“Yes, but you won’t,” she said with certainty.
“Why is that?”
“Because you want God’s forgiveness.”
Joaquin, who had been doing no more than shuffling his feet to the beat, stopped moving and studied Heidi. Letting go of her hands, Joaquin leaned forward and spoke softly.
“Come sit down and we will start from the beginning. I can’t help your friends with so little information.”
Heidi glanced towards the exit, clearly ready to bolt. He nudged her toward the table though.
“You don’t want to waste all that food, do you? Not with so many starving people in the world.”
Heidi sighed and returned to her seat, pulling at her ill-fitting shorts before sitting. Joaquin joined her and the waiter appeared quickly with their food.
“Why won’t you tell me your name? Is it a secret?”
Joaquin shrugged. “My name is Manuel.”
Heidi poked at her food with a fork. “No, it’s not.”
“Well aren’t you full of knowledge tonight. It hasn’t helped you much though, has it?”
Ignoring his comment, she stared into his eyes and asked, “What do you want me to tell you that will help my friends?”
“Start at the beginning. Why are you in Mexico?”
“I volunteered to work at the clinic.”
“And why do you care about the people here?”
