LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Miguel and Julia
The determinationshe perceived in Miguel’s expression and in his bearing buoyed Julia. “Before we start strategizing, Jiena, have you eaten lunch? There’s deli meat and cheese in the refrigerator.”
“I’d love a sandwich,” Jiena responded.
“So would I,” Miguel declared. “I can’t regain my strength on soup alone.”
“Okay. Shall we eat outside? It’s a beautiful day, and Miguel, you could use some fresh air and sunshine.”
“That pale, huh?” he teased.
“Yes,” Jiena and Julia answered simultaneously and laughed.
While Jiena and Miguel sat outside on the comfortable deck chairs, Julia prepared deli sandwiches with a loaf of fresh Cuban bread. She placed them on plates and added potato chips. She also found a container of mixed fruit, and another filled with homemade chocolate chip cookies. Julia went to retrieve Miguel’s LBPD hoodie before she carried lunch out to the deck.
“Wow! Everything looks good,” Miguel commented.
“Here’s your hoodie, Miguel. There’s a cool breeze coming off the ocean.”
“Thanks, Jules.” He shoved his arms into the sleeves and zipped it up.
As they ate, Julia noticed Miguel’s eyes were clearer and brighter, and he didn’t seem to be out of breath in between bites of food and their light conversation.
“You seem much better, Miguel,” she observed.
“I am. My temperature is normal, and the heaviness in my chest is gone. I’m ready to get to work.”
“We need to proceed cautiously,” Jiena reminded them. “Tex has covered your tracks since you left Alabama, so there’s time to decide our next course of action. Even if the Andersons and General Escobar learn you’re in Laguna Beach, they won’t risk coming here.”
“Especially after the debacle in Alabama,” Julia commented.
“If I were they, I’d lay low in Mexico where I have the advantage,” Miguel theorized. “I’d know you were coming for me.”
“Or I’d lure you into a trap,” Jiena offered another theory.
Julia swallowed a bite of watermelon. “Perhaps I should send a message to General Escobar.”
Their heads swung in her direction.
“No!” they exclaimed.
“Absolutely not.” Miguel’s voice was as hard and unyielding as granite.
“Listen, I have an idea. We offer General Escobar a trade. Me in exchange for Axis and Axalia.”
Silence crashed among them. Waves crashed below them. The wind blew stronger. A solitary seagull’s cry emphasized its loneliness.
Miguel’s palm connected with the tabletop, rattling their dishes and sloshing their iced tea. “Julia, have you completely lost your mind? There’s no way in hell we’re trading you for the Andersons. Right, Jiena?”
Jiena remained quiet in thoughtful contemplation. The only outward sign of what must be whirling through her mind was the drumming of her fingers on the table.
Miguel stared hard at her. “Right, Jiena?” he repeated.
Her fingers stopped tapping the table, and she leaned forward a little. Jiena’s thoughtful expression turned intense. “Actually, Miguel, it’s a good idea.”
“Why?” he demanded. “Why is it a good idea when we already know the outcome? Taking Axis and Axalia back into custody is a mistake. They’ll be ruled incompetent to stand trial and escape punishment for what they’ve done.”
