Emiliano
LET’S GO GET HER
“You sure about this?” Berto asks, holding Christopher Wallace’s reigns as we stare out at the darkening sky. I call the horse Biggie Smalls, even though I know Papo hates it.
Esther huffs out her next breath, as if she’s answering for me.
“You heard the old girl,” I answer, brushing my hand over her mane and patting her shoulder. I know if I get this horse killed, Mami will kill me.
But we’re about to pull some Wild, Wild West shit tonight.
“There’s no other way,” Papo reminds Berto, the brass knuckles on his hands shining under the fading light. His body vibrates like he’s ready to unleash hell. “If we drive in, they’re gonna see us. This way, we have a chance to sneak up on them.”
It’s crazy what you find out when the missing pieces come together. Fernando called on the way over to let me know that three of the men who’d been patrolling around Mami’s house were bound and gagged, having confessed to letting Fabián in.
That one hurt. I trusted that pinche hijo de puta .
They also confirmed Taina’s whereabouts, which happened to be right where I was headed next .
“Crazy that they were able to slowly take over the soldados at the perimeter without missing a beat,” I snap, knowing we’re going to need a massive security overhaul when this is all over. That’s what happens when someone who knows everything betrays you.
They thought they’d have enough time, with us scrambling to find the missing women and save the warehouse, to eliminate everyone one-by-one.
Apparently, as well as some of the participants knew us, they still didn’t account for our inability to lie down and die.
“I’ll lead the way,” Papo announces, a shotgun slung on his back, a handgun on his hip, and his locs secured on top of his head. “I done rode this trail far too many times to count. Once we’re getting close, I’ll slow us down, we’ll tie these babies up, and start taking ’em out.”
“Let’s go,” I push, eager to find Taina. When I hear someone else approaching from behind us, I reach for my gun.
“Easy,” Papo tells me, patting his tawny horse, Nipsey. I turn Esther slightly to see who it is, only for Papo’s father, Desmond Sr., to trot up on his horse.
“You young bucks ready to ride?”
“No. Day, you can’t?—”
“Oh, you think I’m asking for permission?” He clicks his tongue, urging his horse forward. “Like I didn’t help Oswaldo protect that land many times. Let’s go.”
Papo hangs his head and shakes it before shrugging. “Let’s go,” is all he says as he starts to follow.
“Everybody got their NVGs?” I pick mine up from where they rest on the saddle in front of me. “I’d hate to have anyone blind out there.”
Desmond Sr. holds up a pair that he must’ve snagged from the weaponry Fernando had some sicarios bring. Those same sicarios will start taking men out once we make it through the perimeter.
The property isn’t so big that you can’t hear gunshots in the distance.
“Let’s go get her.” Berto presses his heels into Biggie Smalls, and off we all go, into the night.