Chapter 43
Seconds turn into minutes before minutes stretch into hours. I can’t stop checking the time, wondering if it’s started. If anyone is hurt yet. Are they dead? Is it all over?
I pace around the apartment, moving from room to room while morbid thoughts run rampant through my head. I try to sit down but my legs can’t stop bouncing, so I stand again and make my way to Javier’s room.
I get to my knees on the side of the bed and pray. I truly don’t know if it will make a difference, but it makes me feel better. It makes me feel a little less useless.
Before I’m done, my phone trills from the other room, so I get up and rush to grab it.
“Hello?” I answer, my voice laced with fear.
“Carino. I told you I’d be okay.”
Javier’s husky tone coming through the phone makes all the tension in my body melt away. My body sags and I drop onto the couch with an exhale.
“Thank God. How’s my dad?”
“He’s fine.”
“Everything went well?”
He sighs. “Yes and no. I’ll tell you about it later. We got a few things to do, but then I’ll head home after.”
“Okay. I’m glad you’re alive.”
Javier laughs. “Stop doubting me.”
I chuckle. “I’ll try to be better.”
Once I get off the phone with him, I can finally breathe a little easier, so I go to the kitchen and warm up some leftover Chinese food and grab a bottle of water.
As I eat, I watch two episodes of some show that’s on TV, and then I look at the clock and wonder when he’ll make it back. It’s nearly one-thirty when my phone dings with a message. It’s from Javier.
Won’t be back for a while. Don’t worry. I’ll check in when I can.
The lack of information is what makes me worry, but at least he’s still okay. I decide to take a shower before I get into bed, knowing I’ll want to pounce on him the minute I realize he’s back.
It’s close to three before I begin falling asleep. I remember seeing 2:57 on the clock on the nightstand before I fell into unconsciousness.
When my eyes open again, I’m still facing the clock, but now the time reads 7:02.
I get up quickly, reaching for my phone and tapping on the screen. There’s not a new message from him, but there is one from Johnny.
I know we’re supposed to meet tomorrow, but I need to see you today. Soon. I won’t be able to tomorrow. Something’s happening and your dad won’t talk to me. I need you to get him a message for me. Please, kid. He’ll kill me before he knows the truth.
The panic in his text and the fact that he even typed out the last line without concern for anyone seeing it, makes me wonder what’s going on.
My dad and Javier have told me enough to believe that Johnny can’t be trusted. He’s the reason all of this is happening. But now he’s trying to tell me they have it all wrong.
I sit up in bed and stare at the message, trying to figure out what to do. I switch over to Javier’s thread and type out a message.
Johnny needs to meet today. Don’t know if we’ll have the opportunity tomorrow. Will you be able to meet me there?
While I wait for Javier, I reply to Johnny to buy myself some time.
I might be able to see you today. Let me move some things around and I’ll get back to you. But why do you say that about him? What’s going on?
I ended up adding the last two questions on a whim, knowing I should question what he’s talking about, because I shouldn’t be aware of anything. If I didn’t question him, he’d be suspicious.
As I wait for text responses from either one of them, I get out of bed and start getting ready. Exhaustion still weighs me down, but I won’t be able to go back to sleep now.
I’d prefer not to meet Johnny until after the sun goes down, but it definitely can’t happen before three, because people will still be in the church.
When I check my phone again, I only have a message from Johnny.
Let me know as soon as you can. Your dad hasn’t told you anything?
You know he doesn’t tell me anything.
Well I’ll tell you everything when I see you.
I don’t bother replying again. I’ll wait until I can give him a time, but Javier never gets back to me. I send two more messages and they all remain unread. I even send one to my dad, but he doesn’t answer it either.
My overthinking brain begins to imagine the worst once more. Something else could’ve happened between the last message Javier sent me and now. But also, maybe they’re just cleaning up the scene, which I assume could take a while. It’s hard to know when I’m unaware of exactly what happened or where.
It’s about eleven o’clock when the front door opens and Javier walks in. I lurch from the couch and rush toward him.
“Oh my God, I was starting to worry something bad had happened.”
He grins, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “You worry too much.”
“That’s probably true.” I wrap my arms around him, grateful he’s in one piece. “You’ll have to deal with that.”
His arms hang around my waist and he kisses my temple. “I need to shower and sleep, but first tell me about this text from Johnny.”
I pull away and follow behind him as he makes his way to the bedroom.
“He’s saying that Dad has it all wrong and that he’s afraid he’ll die before he can explain.”
Javier’s brows furrow as he begins to remove his clothes. “He’s lying.”
“I assume so, but he’s saying that it’s Dad that won’t talk to him. Do you know if he’s reached out to him?”
He shakes his head. “Cortez hasn’t said anything like that. It’s been the opposite.”
I notice the dried blood on his shoes as he sits down to unlace the boots. “He seems panicked,” I tell him. “Says he won’t be able to meet tomorrow. That it has to be today.”
“When will the church be empty?”
“It closes at three, but clergy will stick around a little longer.”
Javier nods. “I’m gonna shower, sleep, then we can head over there and settle in.”
“Okay.”
I want to ask him about what happened, but he looks worn out, so I let him shower so he can get into bed.
While he’s in the bathroom, I close the blinds and draw the curtains, trying to get the room as dark as possible. Stripping down to my underwear, I get under the covers because I could use a nap as well.
When he gets out, a small grin touches his lips when he sees me in bed. Crawling in next to me, he drapes an arm over my torso, his head near my shoulder.
Within seconds, he’s out like a light.
I set an alarm on my phone before I close my eyes, but I don’t fall asleep right away. I think about what’s going to happen when I see Johnny.
I envision multiple scenarios, trying to imagine how it’ll all play out, or what might be the best way to control the situation.
Eventually, exhaustion drags me under, and I fall asleep.
“Come on, Padre. It’s time to wake up.”
My eyes blink, confusion clouding my brain.
“Carlo.”
“Hmm.”
“We gotta go. It’s already four-thirty.”
My blinks come more rapidly as I try to clear the fog. “Four-thirty?”
“I made coffee,” Javier says. “We need to start heading to the church. Your dad is gonna meet us there.”
I roll onto my back and see Javi next to the bed, a tumbler to his lips. After taking a sip, he smiles at me. “Welcome back.”
“How are you up already?”
He shrugs. “Just needed a power nap.”
I stretch, shoving the covers down. “Okay, I’m up.”
“I’ll pour you some coffee.”
“Thanks.”
He walks out and I take a few more seconds to stretch before I get up and head to the bathroom. After I’m done, I go to the closet where I hung up my black slacks and shirt, and begin to put them on. I don the collar last, then I meet Javier in the kitchen.
“Oh my,” he says with a small smile. “Wasn’t expecting this.”
“Well, he’ll think I’m coming off work. I think there might be a chasuble in the rectory I can put on.”
He cocks his head. “Chasuble?”
“It’s an outer garment. Think poncho but better.”
“Gotcha.”
“I’ll be able to hide a gun in my waistband without him being able to see.”
He nods. “Smart.” Javier hands me a tumbler of coffee. “Let’s go scope the place out. Text Johnny and tell him you can meet in an hour and a half.”
I take a deep breath. “Wow. That’s so soon.”
“It’s been a long time coming.”
Nerves bubble up in my stomach. “Yeah. Is my dad already on the way?”
“Yep. We’re gonna get the lay of the land and find a place to hide out.”
“All right. Let’s do it.”