Cabras, Mexico- A Few Nights Ago

At home in her native city, Lupita updated invoices for Edward Suarez’s accounting business. As Edward’s daughter, she worked hard sharpening her bookkeeping skills. But in the middle of crunching numbers, Lupita raised her nose to the aroma of chili-con-carne. 

“Papi, don’t put too many green peppers in it!” she yelled to the kitchen. 

“My daughter, I always make it perfect, you know that!” Edward cried back.

She smiled just before the house phone rang. Her father answered it. 

“Hello?” he said, followed by a pause and, “Yes, I understand.” 

For a long time, Edward remained quiet in the kitchen as Lupita worked. Then her mobile buzzed with Fernando’s number. She hadn't spoken to him in a while. 

“Hi, Fernando! Where are you?” 

“Lupita, please don’t ask me any questions. Don’t argue with me. Just listen!”

“Eh?” Startled by his serious tone she sat straight up. 

“My love, I got arrested in California two weeks ago and I jumped bail. Now, I can’t explain all the details, but because of my arrest, the Mexican Federal police are looking at companies where I put Romero cartel money. And the bookkeeping traces back to your father.”

“Oh no,” Lupita muttered, aware of the consequences of what he said.  

“By now the Romeros know, and I’m sure they’re on their way to your house this minute. You and your father have to get out and get to me,” Fernando spoke in a calm but panicked voice.

Before Lupita could respond, Edward ran into the room with a bag and a thumb-drive in his hand.  

“Lupita, take this thumb-drive and you bring it to Fernando right now!” 

“Fernando's on the phone!” she blurted, unsure of everything, “He said for us to meet him!”

Edward took Lupita’s mobile and hung it up. He then placed a key in her hand. “Daughter, this key is for your brother's old car parked down the block. You take the bag and the thumb-drive and you get to Fernando.”

She protested, “But Papito, you’re coming with me!”

A screeching tire outside halted her words. Father and daughter both glanced out the front window as two cars full of men pulled up. Edward grabbed Lupita by her arm and forcefully dragged her to the back of the house.

“I’m not arguing with you, Daughter. If we both leave they’ll catch us. I’ll delay them, you escape!” Edward said.

Lupita couldn’t believe what was happening, “Papa no!”   

“Baby, there's money in the bag, and you know what’s on that drive. I made my decision to go into business with these people, and I have to deal with it, now go!” Edward pushed her out the door and slammed it behind him. 

Lupita, bag in hand, ran and hid in a bush on the side of the house. With her heart racing, she labored to control her breathing as eight men walked to the front of her home. The scariest of them was the biggest man, Juan Pablo. The chief enforcer for the Romero cartel. His eyes glared with killing intent. 

“Mother of God,” she shuddered to think what they would do to her father. As she sat petrified outside, she considered calling the police. Maybe if she whispered on the ph-

A gunshot went off inside followed by shouting in the front. A second later multiple rounds flew at the house as the cartel men yelled for Edward to come out. While they riddled the home with bullets, a few of them kicked in the door to go after him. That was her chance. 

With the street clear, Lupita hopped up and ran toward her brother's old car at the end of the block. Diving into the front seat, she cranked the engine and peeled off. She never looked back as the ping of multiple gunshots echoed from behind. 

Reasons

Lupita told her story to the bounty hunters as they continued south. 

“After I left my father I drove to Fernando in Juarez. I was with him for two nights before all of this.”

“Who’s Angel?” the male asked.

“Ah,” Lupita pondered the answer. “Angel works for the shell companies the Romero cartel launder their money through.”

“You mean your father laundered money through those companies? Through Angel?” the female driving asked. 

“Well...Yes,” Lupita answered as guilt soured her stomach. “Angel wants the account numbers on the drive. Also, her company wants to interrogate me to see what I know about their transactions.”

“How much do you know?” the male asked. 

“Everything.”

The truck fell silent as the bounty hunters glanced at each other. 

“Um,” Lupita stuttered, “Do you two have names?”

“Sometimes,” the male said, “but you can call me Bro, and she’s Sis.”

“Hm?” Lupita understood the words. She leaned forward and eyed their profiles, then it hit her, “Oh wow, you are brother and sister?”

“So they say,” Sis answered. 

Lupita covered her mouth, “All this time I thought you were lovers!”

“Far from it,” Bro answered.

While Sis burst out laughing, Lupita buried her face in shame, “Please forgive me.”

“No worries,” they answered. 

“Also, I see on your map we are heading to Villa Ahumada. I know a town near there we can rest,” Lupita offered. 

“Good,” Bro nodded. “Lupita, let me ask you something.”

“Of course!”

“My sister and I have ways of tracking people. But nothing the cartel would do. But how did they find Fernando?”

"I don't know!" she replied, "And it doesn't make sense because Fernando was there for a week and then two days with me.”

“Who else did he tell his location?”

“Only Angel,” Lupita said. “An hour before you two arrived, Angel called Fernando on that phone you broke. She was supposed to meet us to discuss the accounts. She promised Fernando money. He swore he would protect me if she tried anything. I was so naive to believe him." 

“Seems he did the best he could,” Bro said.

"He died trying his best," she smiled. "That's the way he was."

"Copy, but hey, do you mind if I ask you about the accounts on that thumb drive?" 

"Of course. Whatever you want to know."

Stop 

After an hour off-roading, the trio reached within one mile of their destination. A rest-stop outside of Villa Ahumada. Sis halted the truck and retrieved the map. 

“Bro, across the highway from that rest-stop is a hill, see?” she pointed to it on the map. “It's a good fire position.”

“For what? To cover me?” Bro asked with a befuddled look. 

“Yeah, cause I'll cut across and snipe from there. And you, dear brother, are going to get out here and walk to that rest-stop.”

“I see. You figure no one will care about a lone guy wandering out of the desert,” Bro nodded. 

“Exactly, plus the payphones are along the highway. So as you walk through, recon the place. Then call Angel and set up this meet. Lupita and I will watch you from the hilltop. Things go south, the rifle goes boom.”

“Copy,” he gaped at the black desert, “Why’d you stop so far away?”

“If we get any closer people will notice us doing weird stuff, now get out!” 

“You know, you could take this hike too.”

“Why, because you're scared to walk in the dark? Hm?" She squinted at him, "Maybe I should drive you home since you're scared!"

“Shut up.”

“No!" she teased. But as he stepped out into the night, worry filled her heart, “Bro, I’m just playing, be careful!” 

“Whatever, just avenge me if somebody kills me out here.”

“Ain't gonna happen, Big Sis will protect you," she winked at him.

Bro squinted back, “You're only three minutes older.”

“So! That three minutes makes me a Goddess to you!"

He shook his head, "You're crazy, Sis."

"Love you, Bro!" 

“Copy.”

After he shut the door, the ladies drove off. 

Lookout

Lupita and Sis drove a mile ahead and crossed a highway near the rest-stop. They parked on a hill overlooking the area. Lupita grew curious about Sis and stuck close to her. She followed the bounty huntress as she opened the back of the truck to reveal multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. 

“Oh my,” she gaped at the arsenal, "Are you really a bounty hunter?"

“I ain't no cop if that's what you're asking. Anyway, I’m just gonna take this M24 rifle. A good tool for this kinda thing, you know!”

Sis loaded the rifle and adjusted the scope on top. From between rocks, she aimed the rifle at a public phone in front of the rest-stop. Lupita laid next to her with binoculars. 

“Bro will show up from the desert in a bit,” Sis said, scanning the area.

“How far are we from that phone?”

“About fifty meters.”

“I see.” Lupita didn’t want to cause trouble with Sis, but she couldn’t reason that a young girl as beautiful as she was so merciless. “Um, Sis?”

“Yeah?”

“...You and Bro...I think have done this type of thing before.”

“What type of thing? Be specific.”

“...Killing.”

“Ah,” Sis pulled back from the scope and gazed at Lupita, “If you knew the answer to that question, would it change anything?”

“Eh?” A cold sweat passed over Lupita. How could she ask that from someone who saved her life, “No, it wouldn’t change anything. I’m sorry, I just-”

“Been a long day, right?” Sis smiled at her. 

“Yes, a long three days.” 

“I hear you, but sit tight. My brother's a smart-ass, he’ll figure something out.”

Lupita blushed, “Your brother has kind eyes. I have faith in him.” 

“You wouldn’t be the first girl."

“Haha!”

The ladies giggled as a cold breeze struck the night. They huddled closer and kept an eye out for Bro. 

 

 

 

 

The Twins by reveriereine