Chapter Eighteen

Myers rubbed a hand over his now bald head. Though everyone chided him last night for shaving off his dreads, it was time and almost therapeutic. The immediate future would not be easy. He pulled out of the lot, ready to do whatever it took to avenge their family members. Harding was ultimately responsible, but the girls were not innocent. They would pay. After a long drive, Charlie pointed to a skinny dirt road that led to what looked like a border crossing.

“Are we going back to the States?” Laura asked, leaning over the seat.

“It’s where the tracker is taking us,” Charlie said.

“I don’t like it.”

Myers glanced over his shoulder, then back and forth from the road to Charlie. “Do you think it is a trap?”

“That is always the first thought.” Laura glanced at Charlie’s screen. “Where does it stop?”

“El Paso.”

“They’re in Texas?” Myers asked.

The road dropped down a hill, and then, the U.S. border came into view. The contrast from the close-boxed homes of Mexico to the spacious houses and buildings across the border were clear. They would soon be back in the U.S.A.

“Passports out,” Laura commanded.

Everyone readied himself or herself. Anytime they had to go over the border was scary. Technically, they were all fugitives, but the good news was no one knew who they were. Someday, that could change. It would only take one smart cop and a bit of modern technology to find them. Anyone with skills like Charlie or Myers could crack the code on this family. It all depended on how important they were to the FBI. After all, Charlie did hack the FBI last year; not to mention, Black’s family had killed hundreds of bad guys. Even though they paid for all the damages and stolen goods, they still committed many robberies and crimes.

“Keep it slow,” Laura said, as they approached the line to cross.

A Border Patrol Agent stood just outside a hut speaking into car windows and then either waving them through or to the side. It took a good thirty minutes, but eventually, it was their turn. Myers accelerated forward and rolled down his window. “Good afternoon, sir.”

The agent peeked in the car and met every eye. “Where are you coming from?”

“We attended a funeral just outside Mexico City,” Myers said. It wasn’t a lie. Laura always said it was better to tell as much truth as possible. It prevents eye dilation and other physical tells.

“Where do you live?”

“San Francisco.”

It was almost a truth. It is where they lived before.

“Passports.”

Everyone passed them to Myers who handed them to the agent. He looked at each photo and then returned it and asked, “Are you bringing anything into the U.S.?”

Each said no. Finally, he handed the last one back and waved them through. A verbal sigh could be heard throughout the car. They were back in the U.S. and not in prison.

“Did you know the Mayans used to throw what is called a hornet bomb at their enemies?” Teddy said, breaking the tension. “Seriously, they would take a hornets’ nest and chuck it at them. I hate anything that flies and buzzes, even more if there is a stinger at the other end.”

The space was silent for a moment, until everyone began to chuckle, then laugh, and then roar. It was a much-needed release. Whether tired, broken, or just relieved, they laughed for a good ten minutes. Tears rolled down Myers’ cheeks, only these were laughter induced. He could barely see the road.

“We’re close. Turn at the next light,” Charlie said, bringing the mood back down. “The signal is about a block away.”

All laughing stopped, and the tension resumed.

“It’s a trap, right?” Eri said from the back seat.

Laura glanced at Myers’ stare in the rearview mirror. “Likely.”

“So, what do we do?”

Myers slowed the car by a curb and put it in park. He turned to face the group, and Charlie did the same.

“We need to do recon and not be half-baked this time. Let’s watch the house. Get some surveillance in there.” Laura glanced at Charlie. “Do you have any of those tiny drones still?”

A big smile lit up his face. “Yeah, two.”

She shifted around to look at Eri. “You ready to go ninja with me?”

Eri nodded. “Sounds like fun.”

“We’ll wait for it to get dark. Myers, go shop for a less conspicuous vehicle. We’ll stick out like agents if we drive up the street in this thing.” Laura glanced at Charlie. “You do what you do.” Then she twisted in her seat to see Willow and Teddy. “You’re backup. If anything happens to Eri or me, you take them down.”

Now with marching orders, Myers stepped from the vehicle. The summer weather was balmy—a little cooler than Mexico, but not by much. He grabbed a baseball cap from the floorboard and slammed the driver’s side door closed, probably harder than he should.

In the past, Helena was the one person who could calm his anger. Now, she was the cause of his fury. There was nothing holding him back. That scared him. How did he refrain from the fire inside? Not wanting to disappoint Laura or the team was all that held him from walking down the street and raining bullets on Harding and his girls.

Once again, loss lay heavy on his heart. Losing Denise was not like this betrayal. Only a few months ago, he’d given himself completely to Helena. The idea of marrying her someday began to enter his mind. The only thing that stopped him from marrying her was the memory of Denise wanting the same. Praise God for that.

An old, green ’80s sedan was parked in an alleyway. In the window was a for sale sign. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the number. It had taken six months to pay everyone back from the last time they traveled across America. This time, they were trying to stay legit. S.I.U.’s payout kept them well off enough; they didn’t have to steal much anymore.

“Hi, I was inquiring about your Granada. How much?”

“Ya’ll want that thing?” the man on the line said with a thick southern drawl. “My old lady was gonna sell it for $500. It just ain’t got no tags since it took so long, and we couldn’t sell it.” He yelled to someone else. “Mildred, someone is asking about Buck.” Myers could hear a muffled voice, and then the man came back on. “I’ll take $100 to get it out of our alley.”

“I’m at the car. Can you meet me?”

“Sure thing. One moment. I need to put on some pants.”

Myers laughed and discontinued the call. It took the man about twenty minutes to appear. The few strands of gray hair he had stood up on end. He wore overalls and no shirt. Behind him was an oversized lady dressed in flowered housecoat.

“Howdy.” The man stuck out his hand. “I’m Ray. This here is Ola. So, you want to buy Buck?”

“Is Buck the car?”

“Yes, sir. She runs fine, just can’t pay to get her tags done. We don’t go far nowadays. No need for a car. They wanna tow her, and I’m about ta let ’em.”

Myers reached in his back pocket and pulled two hundred dollar bills out. Somehow, he felt the need to overpay. “Here.”

“This here is $200.”

Myers nodded. “Yeah, I feel I should make an honest deal.”

“Well, I’ll be. You got yourself a car, young fella.” Ray stuck out one hand for a shake and held keys in the other.

Myers shook his hand and took the keys. “Thank you again.”

“No, thank you. Y’all ever need somethin’ you just let me and Ola know.”

“Appreciate it. Night.” Myers unlocked the door. The hinges squeaked as he climbed inside. The seats were a little worn, but overall, it didn’t look too bad inside. However, it had a slight mildew and oil smell. Myers placed the key in the ignition and turned it. It backfired, but then purred. He pulled the door closed, waved, and started back to his friends. Ray and Ola waved behind him, grinning ear to ear. So much darkness surrounded them; it was nice to bless someone for once.