Chapter 3- Why Would You Offer This?
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A Few Moments Earlier

Lupita reeled in horror as the killers in the speeding car sprayed Fernando with gunfire. The big man grunted and hit the ground while the enemy zipped past.

“Fernando!” she screamed and ran to her fallen lover who lay flat on his back gurgling blood.

While Fernando struggled, the two bounty hunters appeared from nowhere and unleashed a torrent of shots striking the fleeing vehicle. Shouting in English, they jumped in their truck and chased the cartel members.

“Lupita, forgive me, my love,” Fernando muttered.

“Stop talking Fernando. We’re getting out of here,” she said, placing a jacket over the holes in his chest.  

Fernando smiled, but his breathing ebbed. He gazed at Lupita, “The boy in the mask. His eyes betray him.” 

“Yes, you said that before. But he’s gone and we’re leaving!”

At that moment a thunderclap of rifle fire ripped through the calm. Shaken by the noise, Lupita stared out at the black distance as the bounty hunters crashed their truck into the enemy vehicle, forcing it to stop. The two then stepped out and opened fire on the car, massacring the three men who killed Fernando. 

“Mother of God!” Lupita said. But when she touched her boyfriend, he was dead. “Fernando? Fernando!” 

Distraught, Lupita cried, but at the same time her body stood up. She had to get out of there. Leaving Fernando covered with a jacket, the young girl picked up his gun and ran in the house.

In the living room, she grabbed the getaway bag and ten thousand American dollars she would use to bribe anyone to cross the border. Afterward, she bolted out the front door to her parked car. There, a dead body lay sprawled next to her wheel. Lupita took a deep breath and stepped to the driver’s side. But another car trapped her in from behind, and on the ground, another dead cartel-man. She would have to move the body to move the car. 

“Come on, girl. You can do this,” she told herself. As she uttered the words, a pair of headlights beamed from the side of the house. A second later, the bounty hunters’ truck appeared and stopped in front of her. Panicked, Lupita reached for Fernando’s gun in her bag and aimed it at the two masked agents as they stepped out.

“Whoa!” the female shouted and pointed a gun back. But the male stepped in between her and Lupita.

 “Take it easy,” he said in Spanish with his hands up. 

“Don’t come any closer!” Lupita yelped, trembling.

“We didn't come back to hurt you.”

“Then what do you want?” 

“We don’t want anything,” he removed his mask, “but your chances of staying alive are better if you ride with us.” 

"Eh?" Still shaking, Lupita lowered the gun. But she didn’t know what to do. The highways weren't safe since the Romero cartel had control of the local police. And she had no friends and family left in this area. Even if she did the cartel would’ve found them by now. 

“Why would you offer this?” she asked. 

“No reason I can think of, but I am offering.” 

The female bounty hunter said something to the male in English, before entering the driver’s side of the vehicle. He replied to her then turned to Lupita, “We’re leaving. If you want to come with us, get in the truck. If not, good luck.”  

"Ah?" 

Lupita had to make a decision. The bounty hunters showed that they would kill without question. Maybe they'd sell her to the Romero cartel? No, the Romeros would skin them alive for all the men slain tonight. But still. 

The boy in the mask. His eyes betray him.

Whether or not those words were true, Lupita was dead on her own. 

"Okay, I'll go with you!" 

She climbed in the truck. The three then raced from the scene heading south, opposite the border.

Plains 

While driving from Fernando’s house, Sis steered the truck off-road. 

“After two miles take a left,” Bro said while reading a map by flashlight. He then turned the volume up on a police scanner in the front seat. Officers squawked in Spanish code as the twins listened. “You heard that? Shooting investigation in that same area.”

“I expected it,” Sis said, “I knew those amateurs would call their boss the minute we started killing them.”

“They had it coming.”

“Hell yeah they did, and we gave it to them!” 

The chatter on the police scanner gave a vague profile of the possible shooters: Three heavily armed men in a black or gray SUV. 

“Bro, that description is enough to pull us over.”

“I know. Keep driving.”

From the back seat Lupita leaned forward, “Excuse me, why are we going south? The border is north.” 

“Because the cartel and the local police won't let us reach the El Paso border,” Sis answered. “That’s why we’re off-roading to avoid them.” 

"In a few hours we’ll get to the Santa Teresa Port and cross into Texas from there," Bro replied. 

“I understand,” Lupita said to him, “I also have some money if we need to bribe the border guards.” 

“Keep it close to you.” 

For the next thirty minutes, the trio stayed quiet while cutting across the dark Mexican plains. After a while, they reached a backroad that led straight to the route they needed. But as they turned onto a paved street, Sis slammed the truck brakes. Directly ahead three patrol cars blocked the entrance to the route.

“Shit!” She shut the lights and turned the truck down a narrow street. “Did they see us?”

“I don’t know,” Bro said until red and blue lights appeared from behind. “Go go!”

Sis mashed the gas pedal, increasing the distance from the cruiser behind them. Bro, keeping his eye out for cover, spotted the silhouette of houses up ahead. 

“Sis, when I say now, don’t hit the brakes, just turn left!” he said while squinting through the windshield.

“When?”

“Now!”

The truck screeched and nearly tipped over as Sis snapped the steering wheel left, and onto a block with homes. Bro turned his head and watched the patrol car speed past on the road they exited. 

“Did we shake him?” Sis asked.

“I think so..but we bett-”

“No, he’s turning around!” Lupita shouted. 

The police cruiser reversed direction and entered the street the trio fled to. 

“Crap! He didn’t see us, but he’s not stupid!” Bro said while scanning the area.  

Lupita pointed over Bro's shoulder, “Up ahead, that parking lot has a fence, we can get behind it!” 

Again, without hitting the brakes to avoid the truck’s rear lights from flashing, Sis cut a sharp right into the parking lot. Once inside she shut the engine off and coasted to a neutral spot behind a wall. The twins and Lupita lowered themselves in the seats and waited. 

 

Cornered

Sweat dripped down Bro’s back as he peeked up, searching for the cruiser. After a moment, the blue and red lights appeared in the parking lot. 

"He’s persistent,” Sis whispered, unholstering her pistol. 

“Be cool and stay down everyone,” Bro said. 

The trio hunched on the floor of the truck cab as the police cruiser wheeled around the lot shining a powerful searchlight on the parked autos. The hair on Bro’s neck stood up as the vehicle crept toward them. He didn’t want to kill this cop, but if things went south. He gripped his nine-mm pistol as the light beamed through the cab. At that moment, the radio crackled in the cruiser and the cop responded. A second later, the patrol vehicle changed directions and raced out of the parking lot. The trio in the truck exhaled. 

“Jesus, that cop has no idea how lucky he was,” Sis said, staring out into the black void. 

“He must've got another call-"

A phone rang inside the truck. The twins looked at each other, then at Lupita. The young girl gaped at them before reaching in her bag to retrieve a flip-phone. It rang again. 

“This isn't mine,” Lupita said, but her face paled in fear when the number displayed. “It’s Angel!”

“Angel?” Bro remembered the name, Amigo, if you help Lupita, Angel’s people will give you money. If not, she’s dead. He took the phone call, “Hello?”

“Hello, is Fernando there?” A young woman's voice asked in non-native Spanish.  

“Fernando won't be speaking to anyone anymore, Miss Angel,” Bro answered in English. 

“I see, and who are you?"

"No one." 

"Then I’ll cut to the chase, Mr. No one. I'm looking for Guadalupe Suarez, also known as Lupita. Is she with you?” 

“Hmm,” Bro glanced at Lupita in the back before answering, “Was it you who sent those men to kill her?”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that. Now, I can make the exchange for Guadalupe worth your while.” 

“Is that right? And how much is my while worth?”

“No, no, it’s my turn now," Angel said. "I want proof that she’s there and has the drive, then we talk.”

Bro balked at the request. He needed more information, but this woman was smart. He turned to Lupita, “Is your name Guadalupe Suarez?”

“That’s my full name,” she answered. 

“This woman, Angel. She’s asking about a drive.”

“Yes, I have it!” Lupita dug in her bag and pulled out a thumb drive. “This drive has the numbers she’s looking for.”

Bro nodded then continued on the phone, “Did you hear all of that?” 

“Yes, I did. It’s not satisfactory, but I’ll accept it,” Angel said, “And I’m prepared to give you twenty thousand-”

“Twenty thousand? That’s not enough.”

“Too bad you feel that way. But given your present situation with the police and the Romero cartel, I doubt you’ll get a better offer.”

“Lady, you’re the one who called thinking I’m selling. For all I know you work for the Romeros and want me dead,” Bro said.

“Is that how it is? Alright, then I will be succinct. I have no association with the Romero cartel. But I can promise you this, if you try to cross back into Texas at any station, agents will apprehend you."

Bro paused. "You assume to know my situation."

"I don't assume anything and you'd be amazed at what I know, Cowboy. Now, crank up your old Ford truck and drive Guadalupe to me in Mexico where my offer stands." 

Bro squinted and turned to Lupita, “Is this Fernando’s phone?”

“No, he had a nice new one. He would never buy that cheap thing."

“Crap!” Bro covered the mouthpiece and memorized Angel’s number before telling her, “That information about my vehicle. If you let that leak, then we'll be dead out here in Mexico. And you'll get nothing.” 

Silence fell on the line before Angel replied, "You're in no position to make an ultimatum. But I understand your concern. So, I won't share your profile and you don't cross me. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear. And now that we're on the same page you have to trust me when I tell you I'll call you back."

“Wait, we-” Click 

Bro hung up then snapped the phone in half before throwing it out the truck, “Let’s go, Sis!”

The trio rolled out of the parking lot and back off-road. Lupita leaned forward, “Why did you break the phone?” she asked. 

“It was bugged. Angel tracked us the minute I answered the call,” he said. 

“Oh,” Lupita sat back. “She must have given that mobile to Fernando. I don’t trust Angel. But if she'll pay for the drive you can have the money, but please don't leave me with her."

“No worries,” Bro said, then turned to Sis, “Angel said we can’t cross back to Texas.” 

“What? Bro, that chick's trying to scare you. If she had people on the border she’d just let them catch us.” 

“Normally I’d agree. But that call was a warning that she'll snitch to the cops if we try."

"Wow, what a bitch! I bet she wants to kill us and bury us in the desert.”

“Not until she gets Lupita."

“Boy, listen to you!” Sis squinted at her twin, “You act like you know that chick from a thirty second phone call.” 

“Enough time to catch that she’s no friend of the cartel and wants to avoid cops. Possible opportunity.”  

“Ha Ha!" Sis shook her head. "Bro, girls lie on the phone."

"What? I know that."

"No, you don't,” she punched his arm, “But I hope you’re right.”

"I hope so too." 

As the trio continued south on the back roads, Bro figured the situation could go either way. The Romero cartel had them marked for death. And Angel was a wild card. But still, bad odds were better than no odds.  

 

...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: In this world the term 'Cowboy' also means Mercenary or Gunslinger.

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