I suppose I did seem a bit creepy when I announced I was marrying her. Having been kidnappedright under the noses of ICEand her father on the loose, she’s got a credible reason to seek asylum, and with me sponsoring her for a green card… There must be a way to keep her in the US. I’ll ask Devil to help. Some of the information I collected will stop a lot of misery for many. Even ifEl Procuradortries to set up another operation, all the routes and connections he’s using now will be useless. His border crossing points, the people who take bribes from him. That’s just some of the information I’ve extracted. It was down to Mariana being kidnapped that Devil will have the means to put an end to his operation. Surely he owes us, and her, something in return.
“Mouse. I take it…?”
Drummer gestures to the closed door I’m standing outside. With a glance at it, I move away a few steps.
“Fuckin’ scared. What if one of those things breaks? What if…?”
“Mouse. All we can do is hope it doesn’t. Hate to say this, but people are used as mules every day. Some volunteer because they’re attracted by the money. Sure, occasionally it doesn’t work out and they die, but if that happened in the majority of cases, it wouldn’t be as common as it is, or worth trying to smuggle drugs that way.”
He’s right. But just because the odds are on her side, doesn’t mean she won’t be one of the unlucky ones.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I tell him, “Can’t lose her, Drum.”
His mouth curves in amusement. “From what I picked up, she hasn’t exactly agreed to your claimin’.”
“It’s her best option.” I’m certain of that.
“And yours?” His smile disappears.
I point to the office where I’ve been working. “I don’t even know how long we were in there, Prez. It worked though. Her and I. Was easy, wasn’t awkward. I can’t explain it, but we fit.”
I’m subjected to the full stare from those steely eyes, then he pats my arm. “Hope it works out for you. When you know, you know.”
“Tse?”
I’m immediately outside the bathroom. “Mariana? Can I come in?”
A panicked, “No.”
“Are you alright?”
“I, er, I think so. I don’t know what to do with… And there’s only sixty.”
“I’ll go get Devil,” Drummer tells me, then goes off.
“Hold on a minute, Mariana.”
“I’m going nowhere,” she scoffs.
Loud footsteps sound on the stairs. “Devil, she wants to know what she does now. And there’s only sixty.”
Devil slaps my back. “Mariana, can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know how many there were in all?”
“A hundred and twenty,” she calls back.
“Well, you or that fucker miscounted. There were sixty left, so they’ve all come out. Just leave them, open the door, and Mouse will take you to get showered.”
“I... I…leave them?”
“Yeah.”
The door opens, Mariana quickly pulls it to behind her. She’s pale, but there’s now a spark in her eyes which wasn’t there before. I let her lead me up to the bedroom she’d been using. She has a quick shower, and then reappears in clean clothes that had been left there. She looks beautiful, and is smiling.
“Never appreciated fresh water so much before.” Her head tilts to one side. “Wasn’t able to think beyond those drugs being inside me. In there,” she points back to the shower, “I realised I haven’t thanked you. I can’t believe you’re here. Can’t believe that you came.” Her teeth worry her lip. “Last time I saw you, I said I hated you.”
