Las Hermanas

by Raedene Jeannette Melin

  “Quiet!” another said.

  Adi spun around, looking out the other side. As soon as she saw more men coming towards them, her heartbeat quickened. They were about to be trapped.

  Putting a finger to her lips, Adi carefully led them through the bushes towards the street. She wasn’t sure what was going to be waiting for them, but it didn’t matter. It was their only option. A couple minutes later, they reached the road and just before the shrubs ended, she pulled out her gun and peered out.

  Other than a few cars, the street was dead. Not waiting for the men to catch up, Adi darted across the road, the others quickly following as she led them into the streets she knew so well.

  •

  By the time they arrived at their destination, the sun was already up, shining light into the dark corners of the city. It hadn’t been an easy trip, everyone weak and tired, but when Adi finally stepped onto the roof, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. They had made it.

  The roof was exactly how she left it a couple days ago, a small shelter made out of cardboard tucked underneath an overhanging tin canopy. She had built it for Pia, collecting some clothes, a small mat and a couple blankets for her to use while she figured out where they would go. But as she watched the girls eagerly collapse underneath the shelter, her disappointment in her friend faded a little.

  She grabbed a water jug sitting in the corner. “Here,” she said.

  They drank eagerly, the water disappearing as it was passed around. Her plan had been to leave Pia up here for the night and return to the Complejo, with no one suspecting a thing. Then in the morning, once she was done her regular tasks, she would return with food. But as she looked at the exhausted faces in front of her, her plan was no longer good. They had changed everything.

  “Take this,” she said. She stood, handing her gun to the tall girl.

  The girl said nothing as she took it, looking at the shiny metal in her hand.

  “What’s your name?” Adi asked.

  “Yumi,” the girl replied.

  “You know how to use it?”

  Yumi nodded and tucked it into her waistband.

  “I’m gonna get more water,” Adi told her as she picked up the empty container. “Stay here and keep everyone quiet. I’ll be back.” Seeing her nod, she turned and left, climbing back down off the roof and into the streets below.

  The city was already busy by the time she made her way towards the centre of the south side, passing people working in shops and on street corners. She kept to the side of the road, doing her best to blend in, not knowing if La Patrona’s men were still out there.

  It didn’t take her long to get to the water pump and as she filled the container, she tried to think of where to get food. She couldn’t go back to the Complejo. They probably already knew what she’d done, and there was no way Omar would forgive her. Unable to go back, Adi hid the jug in a side street and went to the market.

  She hadn’t stolen anything in a while and as she watched people moving in and out of the stalls, she felt nervous. She was just about to step out when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  “We’ve been looking for you.”

  Adi froze, feeling the sharp point of a knife pressing into the small of her back.

  “Turn around slowly.”

  Obeying, she found herself staring into a familiar face.

  Catalina said nothing as she looked at her, as if she was searching for something. After a few moments, she said, “Let’s go.”

  Knowing where they were headed, she dreaded what was coming. She had hoped to avoid Omar’s wrath, but as they approached the Complejo, she was momentarily distracted. Kids were running everywhere, packing what little they had before darting off into the streets, scattering in every direction. Arriving on the main floor, she didn’t have a chance to ask what was happening because Renan immediately walked up and punched her straight in the face.

  The force of the blow sent her stumbling backwards and Adi fell against the railing, the metal bar stopping her fall. Clutching her face in pain, she looked up just in time to see Renan charging at her again, but as she braced herself for the fight, Catalina stepped in front of her.

  “Move,” he said, anger seething out of his teeth.

  Catalina simply stood there, knife in hand.

  Adi could feel the tension mounting as they stared each other down. This wasn’t going to end well for anyone.

  “Enough,” Omar commanded, his voice cutting through the hostility. “Adi, come here.”

  She moved away from the railing, feeling the heat from Renan’s glare as she passed. But when she stood in front of Omar, seeing him visibly fight the anger boiling inside, she realized that this would be much worse.

  “You really fucked up this time,” he said. “Do you know what’s happening out there?”

  While she didn’t know for sure, she could guess based on everyone’s reaction. “La Patrona’s here.”

  “Oh, she’s not just here,” he said shaking his head. “She’s tearing up the city looking for you and what you stole.”

  “What I stole?” She knew she had caused trouble, but she did it for the right reasons and no one could tell her differently. “Don’t you mean who?”

  Omar let out an angry sigh. “They are not who to her! They’re property. And you took it!”

  “I didn’t take anything,” she replied. “They would’ve left with or without me. At least this way they’re not dead.”

  “Not yet.”

  She glared at him, arms folded across her chest.

  “You think you’ve saved lives, Adi,” he said, “but you haven’t. You’ve just killed more.”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Rodrigo’s voice flooded into her mind. “How many deaths are you responsible for?” The memory shook her, and she swallowed hard, trying to shove down the guilt clawing up her throat.

  “Look around,” Omar was saying. “Everyone who was safe here has to leave. You’ve put them back on the street. And that’s where they’ll die.” When she didn’t reply, he continued. “You might have saved some, but it cost everyone else.”

  No one talked to her after that, avoiding her as she walked to her old room and grabbed her bag. She wanted to speak to Nayara so she could explain, but she didn’t see her anywhere. She doubted Nayara would want to see her anyways; she had just blown up her whole life. She finished collecting her things and stopped at the storage room, filling her bag with food, medicine, and a few clothes. If everyone was leaving, they wouldn’t miss it and she needed all the help she could get.

  Leaving the Complejo, she crisscrossed through the city, taking her time as she watched out for La Patrona. After stopping to pick up the water container, she avoided the main street and chose to go the long way around. The sun was already setting as she walked up to the shelter, but hearing a distressed noise, she burst into the lean-to.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, ignoring the gun barrel shoved in her face.

  “I don’t know,” Yumi replied. She lowered the gun. “She won’t stop crying.”

  Adi knelt down beside the pregnant girl lying on the mat. She was covered in sweat and clutching the bottom of her belly.

  “It hurts,” she choked out.

  “You’ll be okay,” Adi replied, trying to comfort her. “Take deep breaths.” Shrugging off her bag, she rifled through it, searching for the coca leaves. She was having trouble finding them and as she looked back at the girl, she saw her beginning to panic. “What’s your name?” she asked, hoping to distract her.

  The girl let out a couple more sobs before she answered. “Talita.”

  “That’s a beautiful name.” She shoved her entire arm into the sack. She was about to ask where she was from when she decided against it. She couldn’t risk distressing her even more. “How old are you?”

  The girl was quiet. “Ten,” she replied, exhaling loudly.

  As soon as her fingers latched onto the leaves, Adi pulled them out
. “Here,” she said. She placed them in Talita’s mouth. “Chew them a little and then tuck them in your cheek. It’ll help.”

  With Talita finally quiet, she watched as her breathing slowed, her chest calming down to a normal pace. Waiting for the medication to kick in, she handed out the food, the rest of the girls quietly eating the cold beans and rice. As soon as she saw Talita drifting off into a light sleep, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.

  “Are we staying here?” Yumi asked after a few minutes of silence.

  When Adi turned towards her, she saw that everyone was listening. “I don’t know,” she replied. While it wasn’t safe to stay, she didn’t know where else to take them. They couldn’t go north, they would just be kicked out, and there was no way they were going east. The only other option was west, but she didn’t know if they would be safe there either.

  “We can’t stay,” one of them said firmly. She said it with such conviction that Adi couldn’t help but look, finding herself staring into a small, round face. “La Patrona will come for us.”

  As the others nodded, Adi knew she didn’t need to tell them that La Patrona was still searching for them. They knew better than anyone what she was like and what she would do.

  “Where we gonna go?”

  She was just about to answer when someone ripped off the shelter door. In shock, she did nothing but stare at the faces in front of her.

  “We’re not going back,” Yumi said defiantly, pointing the gun at the intruders.

  “It’s okay,” Adi said. “They’re not here for you.”

  As Yumi lowered the gun, Renan, Catalina, Nayara, and Caio squished underneath the shelter, the noise causing Talita to stir.

  “What are you doing here?” Adi asked before a more important question popped into her head. “How did you find me?”

  “You’re not that hard to follow,” Renan said as he glared at her.

  At first she was surprised, but her astonishment turned to fear. As if she could read her mind, Catalina said, “Don’t worry. No one else is coming.”

  “What do you want?”

  Renan looked around at the girls for a moment before he answered. “The Complejo was our home. It was the only place in this fucking city where no one tried to use you for something. And now it’s gone.” His eyes burrowed into her as he paused. “So, you’re gonna make it up to us. Make things right.”

  Adi hesitated, knowing whatever he wanted wouldn’t be good. “How?”

  “You’re going to take us into the jungle. Tonight.”

  Stunned, it took her a moment to reply. “You want me to take you into the jungle.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” he asked, scoffing a little. “If we stay here, we’re dead.”

  Deep down, she knew he was right, but the thought of returning to the forest was too much and she tried to think of another option. “You could go to a different city.”

  Renan huffed. “You just don’t get it, do you? The Complejo was something special, it doesn’t exist anywhere else. And I’m not going back to being someone’s bitch. So you’re taking us into the jungle, whether you like it or not.”

  Chapter Eight

  That night, they climbed down from the rooftop into the black streets below. Adi had thought that once darkness came, she would feel better, but as dusk settled, she knew nothing would calm her fears. They had spent the rest of the evening planning their escape and preparing the girls for the trip. It wouldn’t be easy, but as she watched them throw on baggy t-shirts and wash off their make-up, she felt a surge of hope that they could actually do this.

  Pairing up in teams of two, Catalina led them through the streets, sticking to the quieter, less-used roads. Near the back with Talita, Adi followed the others as they headed west through the city. At first, the pace was manageable, cautiously creeping along as they looked down each street before entering. But as they exited the south side, their momentum increased and it wasn’t long before her and Talita began to fall behind. Rounding a corner an hour later, Talita came to a stop.

  “I can’t,” she said as she leaned against the building. “I can’t do it.”

  Before Adi could say anything, she sank to a heap on the street.

  “Get up,” she whispered, urgently looking around.

  Talita was breathing so hard she didn’t even answer. All she did was shake her head.

  Adi bent down and pulled her arm over her shoulder. It took all her strength to lift her back onto her feet and as soon as she stood, she knew they wouldn’t get far. Not like this.

  “Come on,” she said, leading her into an alley.

  Sitting Talita down behind a dumpster, Adi waited, hoping that with a little rest she could keep going. But when Talita continued to grimace in pain after a few minutes, she realized they were in trouble. She was thinking about what to do when Talita interrupted her thoughts.

  “Just go,” she said, her head leaning against the metal bin. “Leave me.”

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  “Go. I won’t make it.”

  “Yes, you will.”

  As she shook her head, Adi sat down beside her. “Here.” She handed her a couple more coca leaves. “Sleep. When you wake up, you’ll feel better and we can keep going.”

  While she sounded convincing, her words did nothing to soothe her own fears, which were building with each passing minute. Unable to do anything else, she covered their bodies with a couple cardboard boxes.

  The sound of voices woke her and she jerked her head up, listening intently as they grew louder.

  “Boss wants us to check every alley,” she heard someone say as they neared.

  “Why are we out here?” another one asked. “They’d never make it this far.”

  “Just do it,” the first one replied. “I’m fucking tired.”

  Moving her legs tightly into her chest, Adi turned and saw that Talita was awake, her eyes wide with fear. Putting a reassuring hand on her arm, they waited.

  The footsteps came closer and Adi pulled out her gun, pointing it towards the entrance of the alley. She could hear him on the other side of the lane as he kicked at the garbage on the ground and gradually, he came to them, rummaging through the litter as he went. He was right in front of them, kicking the boxes that hid their frozen bodies, when Adi felt his foot lightly graze her shoe.

  He took a couple steps forward but stopped and turned around, coming back to where they were sitting. She waited, hoping he would just go away, but when she felt him kick the bottom of her foot once more, she knew they were caught.

  She pulled the trigger, the sound of the shot piercing the hot night air. Letting out a soft groan, he fell, lying perfectly still on the ground in front of her.

  Adi’s mind raced as she thought about what to do. If they ran out of the alley, they risked running into his friend, but if they stayed here, they might not make it out at all. But she didn’t get a chance to decide as footsteps pounded towards them, coming to a stop at the front of the alley.

  For the next few minutes, it was eerily quiet. When she didn’t hear anything, she thought maybe they had gone, but as she peered through the bullet hole in the cardboard, she watched two men creep forward.

  Adi held her breath as one of them stopped and checked the body, terrified that he would spot them. But when he stood back up and moved farther into the alley, she exhaled, watching with rapt attention. They were almost at the end when she decided she couldn’t just sit there. Putting a finger to her lips, she slid out from underneath the cardboard and darted across the lane, sneaking in behind some garbage on the other side. Taking a moment to steady her hands, she aimed and pulled the trigger.

  The man screamed as he clutched his butt cheek, dropping to his knees as the other one darted to the side, hiding himself in the shadows.

  Her heart raced as she searched for the second man. Focused on finding him, she didn’t see the first one collect himself and tur
n around, gun cocked and ready.

  Bullets flew past her as he fired, aiming at everything and nothing at the same time. Worried about him accidently hitting Talita, Adi squeezed the trigger once more, the slug slamming into his chest. As he fell face-forward onto the ground, she heard the shot just as she felt the lead tear into her arm.

  Overwhelmed with pain, it took all her concentration to lie perfectly still, knowing that if she moved an inch, the next round would kill her. But the longer she laid there, the worse it got, and unable to take the burning, she shifted, causing the pile that hid her to wobble. The moment she heard the gun fire, she knew she was dead.

  She closed her eyes and waited for the end to come, but when it didn’t, she watched in surprise as the man fell from the shadows, toppling over. Looking back at the entrance, she scrambled to her feet.

  “Come on!” Catalina stood at the front of the alley, gun in hand.

  Running over to Talita, Adi pulled her up and they followed Catalina down the street.

  They made it outside the city in just under an hour and it took them another thirty minutes to find the others. Waiting for Adi to take the lead, she looked back at the city one last time before she turned and walked into the jungle.

  The moment she was surrounded by trees, she was overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells of her life before. While everything felt familiar, it also felt different. Back in the city, she had been too afraid of what would happen if she came back, but as she walked, her old torments did not return.

  Unsure of which way to go, she decided to take them farther west, eventually finding the same overgrown path that had led her to the city. They walked until they couldn’t, and as soon as they found a place to camp, Adi got to work.

  They had brought as many supplies as they could fit in their packs, including food, medication, and a couple blankets. Nayara tended to Talita while Adi showed the others how to make a quick shelter out of skinny trees, cutting into the trunks about half-way up and bending them, the tops meeting in the middle. Finding a bunch of banana leaves, she used them to patch the holes in the canopy, creating a covered roof. Although the shelter didn’t have sides, it would be good enough for one night and everyone settled underneath, happy to rest. She was leaning against a tree trunk when Nayara walked up.