Julia nodded. “Just a few hours ago. We took refuge with him after the Jalisco gang attacked us.” She paused and sipped more of the delicious sangria. “Now, Gramps, can we get back to the subject of Axis and Axalia Anderson? Did they tell you what they want from you?”
“No. They refused to tell me. The question is, what do they want with you?”
“I can only guess. They want you to destroy my soul and turn me into?—”
“A monster like me?” he cut her off in a voice rough with disappointment.
“No, Gramps. A monster likethem. You’ve done your share of killing in the Mexican army and otherwise, but so have I in the name of duty. But you don’t lack compassion or remorse, do you?”
“No, Julia, I do not, though they are often interpreted as weaknesses, which I must hide from my men.”
“Yes, I can understand your point of view. But Axis and Axalia are incapable of feeling either, except perhaps for each other. Gramps, I think they want to continue their parents’ mission to topple America, and they want you to help them.”
General Escobar swallowed a chunk of pineapple. “Well, that poses a dilemma, doesn’t it? I have no intention of taking on the might of the United States. So, what do we do with the Andersons?”
The moment had arrived. Julia gathered her courage. “We kill them. Specifically,youeliminate them. And…and if you stop transporting illegal drugs across the border, I’ll make sure the DEA leaves you alone.”
He choked on his sangria. Julia pounded him on the back as he tried to catch his breath. “Gramps, are you okay?”
He coughed and shook his head. “No, Julia, I amnotokay. Your suggestion poses another dilemma. First, you don’t have the authority to make any promises in the name of the DEA?—”
“But—” she interrupted.
General Escobar held up a hand. “Please allow me to finish. Second, this quarrel with the Andersons isyours, not mine. Therefore, it is up to you to resolve it.”
“How?”
“A fight to the death.”
Julia would have laughed out loud if her grandfather hadn’t been deadly serious. “A fight to the death.”
“If their deaths are what you want, then do it yourself. Miguel and Axis. You and Axalia. In a ring. A fight to the death.”
Julia shivered as a cold chill crept up her spine. “But Miguel is recovering from a gunshot wound and Covid. He lacks the strength to fight Axis.”
“I’ll give him three days to train and regain his strength. Besides, Axis isn’t without his own injuries. He said you shot him in the leg.”
“Gramps—”
“If that’s distasteful to you, then I will help you take them into custody and transport them to the border.”
“And then what?”
“And then our business is concluded. You have satisfied my curiosity, my longing to know you. It is enough.”
To Julia’s surprise, pangs of regret stabbed her heart. “Gramps, you know?—”
“Sí.” He rose to his full height. Regal and imposing. “Go. Discuss this proposal with your fiancé. In the morning we attend Mass at the chapel in the mountains, if you and Miguel would care to join us. Much later in the day, we will dine and celebrate. I will have my personal doctor look after Miguel.”
“Thank you, Gramps.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. Kissed the cheek of the man who represented everything she detested, yet she couldn’t deny the familial bond.
General Escobar reciprocated the gesture. “One of my guards will escort you to Miguel. Your room is across from his.”
She nodded, and they parted.
Miguel pacedhis room like a caged animal. He’d taken a much-needed shower and dressed in the clean clothes that Alfredo had provided. He also brought a light repast of fresh fruit, cheese, and a carafe of sangria. He’d drunk too much of it, and it went straight to his head. At least his room was spacious and comfortable. A set of square windows without the bars he’d expected overlooked a well-lit courtyard with a fountain. Miguel checked his watch for the hundredth time.
Where was Julia? Was she safe?
