| |
Gloria and I have just finished loading the last jug and box onto the sled when a massive banging noise comes from inside of the house. My head whips towards the back door in fear. Did we wait too long? Are the gangs here? I push Gloria down to the ground beside the sled.
“Wait here! Do not move until I tell you it’s safe and if I yell for you to run, you get out that gate and into the handcart. I will meet you there!”
I don’t wait for her agreement but turn and sprint for the door just as another loud pounding comes. I’m so frantic with worry for Abuela that I yank the screen door out of its top hinges. I’m halfway through the kitchen with a direct line of sight to the front door so I see the moment it crashes open. There’s a tall man silhouetted in the opening but I can’t make out who it is. When he yells my name and rushes towards me down the hall, I recognize the voice instantly.
“Claudia!” Beck bellows down the hall.
The fear I felt a moment ago morphs into indignation and I bellow right back at him.
“How dare you break into my house? What do you think you’re doing? Did your brother send you to harass me again?”
He rushes right up to me and I see how his chest is heaving for air like he’s just run miles. His voice is a rough rasp as he grabs my arm while trying to catch his breath.
“No...time...they’re...coming...for...YOU! Have...to...run!”
My body goes cold with terror. I don’t know why he’s crossed his brother to warn me but he’s right, we have to run, right now. I yank my arm from his and spin towards the back door. I can feel his breath on the back of my next as he follows me right out the door.
“Gloria! Take the sled back to the cart. We have to go right now!”
I see her face pale in the last of the day’s light but she doesn’t move. She’s staring at who’s behind me.
“Never mind him! He came to warn us that the gangs are heading this way. I need you to go and start loading as much as you can lift so we can escape. I will get Abuela and meet you there.”
Beck steps around me and looks the sled over before turning to me. He’s gotten his breathing under control when he speaks but I’m shocked at his words.
“You’re already running? You have somewhere to go? Can I come too? I can help!”
I shake my head in confusion. Does he want to come with us? He hasn’t spoken to me since we were children. Why would he want to come with me anywhere? I remember the look of pure hate he flashed at his brother and how he let us pass after we got our rations. Maybe Beck isn’t as bad as I thought and he’s looking to escape too. A shout from the front of the house in the street rings out making all of my thoughts about Beck disappear. I can’t deal with him now. I have to get Abuela and run! I point at Gloria.
“GO, take the sled as fast as you can. I’ll meet you there!”
I see her nod and pick up the remote so I turn and dive for the house. I waste precious seconds wrestling with the half hanging screen door before I finally yank it away from the frame and fly into the house. It’s like déjà vu when I get part way through the kitchen and see another man fill the front door. I freeze in place like a scared deer when his nasty chuckle rumbles out of him. He only says one word, “Indigo” but it’s enough to make me start backing up. As he steps into my home, a glow slowly fills the hallway until Abuela steps between us. She looks my way briefly before glancing at the front door where Boyd has paused. Everything seems to slow right down after that. She leans over and places the lantern she’s carrying in one hand and the basket in her other onto the floor. Her foot pushes the basket down the hallway towards me and then swings back to kick the lantern towards Boyd. My mouth gapes open as I watch it arc into the air and then smash into the wall beside the front door. Hot flaming oil splashes in every direction, instantly causing flames to devour the old dry wood of the walls and door frame.
Boyd roars in rage and maybe pain, but I take no satisfaction from it as I watch my home begin to burn. I pull my eyes away from the flames and focus on Abuela. I’m shocked to see her smiling at me as she starts in my direction. Her hand has flipped open the messenger bag she’s worn since this morning and just as she pulls something from it, there’s an incredibly loud bang. I’m too far away to catch her when she’s shoved towards me and then drops to the floor but the object she had removed from her bag slides all the way to a stop at my feet. I can’t help but reach down to pick it up. The smooth worn handle of the revolver fits perfectly in my hand and I raise it towards the front door by instinct and pull the trigger. I hear his howl of pain and see him disappear out of sight so I take my chance and rush towards Abuela.
She’s gasping for breath on her stomach and trying to pull the strap of the bag over her head when I reach her. I take in the spreading stain of blood on her back before gently turning her over. When her eyes focus on mine, the pain washes away from her face and a beautiful smile emerges. She grips my hand tightly and moves it to the strap she’s been fighting with so I lift it over her head.
“The maps, bullets and my Lucas’s letters. Take them and run, Día.”
I shake my head in despair. “No, Abuela. You are coming with us. I can’t do it alone. I need you!” My voice cracks in pain on the last word but I can see she’s no longer with me. I suck in a sob and end up choking on a lung full of smoke. I force my eyes to leave her empty ones and look towards the front door. I see it’s completely engulfed in flames and they are rushing down the hall towards me. If I stay, I will burn so I bend over and kiss her head once and throw the strap of the bag over my head before pushing to my feet and racing for the back door. I reach down and scoop up the basket she kicked my way on the run. I will not surrender this last bit of love she made for us.
I crash out of the back door with her gun leading the way. If Boyd or any of his thugs are waiting for me I will keep pulling the trigger until either they’re all dead or I am. The backyard is empty but it’s almost too dark to see so I run for the gate while swiveling my head around to look for danger. I take the time to close the gate quietly in the hopes of buying us a few more moments to escape. We might get lucky if they don’t discover it at all in the dark.
My throat is on fire from inhaling the smoke and each breath burns all the way down but I stagger on down the ditch and up the other side, clawing my way up as I go. I hurl myself around the corner of the building and almost run straight into the side of the trailer with the sled covering it as it moves past me towards the main tracks. Confusion has me standing stock still as I try and process how Gloria is moving the train all by herself but I remember in a split second that Beck was with her. An enraged growl escapes from between my clenched teeth and I lunge towards the cart, catching the handle beside the door to pull myself up and into it. With a quick glance, I see him pumping the handle as hard as he can and then I look past him and see Gloria’s tear streaked face looking up at me from the bench. My hand is shaking as I raise the gun towards him. I try and order him off but all that comes out is a choked coughing fit that has me sinking to my knees. He looks down at me with an apologetic expression and then quickly looks away and pumps even harder.
His brother just killed the only real mother I’ve ever had. I want to shoot him dead. I want to order him off the cart. Instead, I turn away from him and Gloria and look back towards our home. The flames are reaching high into the sky as the fire devours my home. We are moving away from it towards safety, maybe. I know I’m in no condition to pump the handles to keep us moving and we have to put as much distance between us and Boyd as possible. As I turn away from the disappearing life I had, I say nothing to Beck as he pumps away. I drop the rest of the way to the wooden floor, lay my head down on it and close my eyes. I can always shoot him in the morning.