I glanced up and down the hall, my stomach tighter than ever as adrenaline poured through me like a fast-moving train at high speed.
“He’s about to shit his pants.” Vince laughed.
“Emilio, I’m going to ask you this once.” Rosario’s voice over the speakerphone sounded as if she had just smoked a box of cigars. “Just so we’re clear, I have your mom and sister in custody. So I want you to answer truthfully for their sake.”
“No, please don’t hurt them!” Emilio cried out. “I’m sorry, Rosario, but I had no choice. I told them I wouldn’t snitch. But they beat my brother, Juan, within an inch of his life. He’s in the prison hospital now.”
“Who’s they?” Duke asked, calm, cool, and collected.
“Tito Alvarez and his gang in prison. They knew Juan worked for Rosario. They even knew I did too. Please, please don’t harm my family.”
“You should’ve thought about that before you opened your big mouth,” Gustavo lashed out. “You took an oath when we hired you.”
I held a hand over my chest, looking in both directions, my emotions tugging at me for Emilio. I prayed they wouldn’t kill him for this, but I knew that was unlikely. I had to help him if I could.
“Calm down.” Rosario’s voice was soothing, like a mother consoling her child. “Where are my guns?”
Emilio shuddered and groaned loudly. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen Mateo since we stole the guns,” Emilio cried. “Please don’t harm my family, Rosario. Juan begged me not to do it, but I couldn’t let him die.”
This poor man was caught between two Mack trucks speeding down the highway in a race to see which one would splatter Emilio’s body all over the road.
“Are the Mexican cartel involved?” Rosario asked.
“I don’t know,” Emilio said.
“How many men are behind this?” Duke asked.
“Mateo has a gang, and his right-hand man is Lou-Lou Ro-Romano,” he stuttered. “He pulled out t-two of my fing-fingernails.”
“Motherfucker.” This from Duke. “I should’ve taken care of that bastard after he stole from me.”
A door squeaked around the corner to my left, and I jumped a mile, sucking in air.
“Did you hear that?” Vince asked.
“It’s probably my men,” Gustavo replied.
“Just the same, I’ll be right back,” Vince said.
I darted into the supply closet next to the lunchroom and locked the door, breathing in and out as quietly as I could.
Heavy footsteps clobbered the floor, growing louder. Then the doorknob twisted, sending my pulse over the edge. Theboom, boom, boomwas so loud in my ears that I swore my head might blow off.
Breathe, Fallyn.If I didn’t calm down, I would be a second away from passing out.
I pressed my ear to the door.
“Oh, it’s you, Kurt,” Vince said.
“Yeah, why?” Kurt asked. “I was using the head. Is there a problem?”
“Nah, I’m always on edge at meetings.”
More footsteps passed by—then silence.
Sweat slid down my spine, and I felt like an inferno was burning inside me. After several minutes, I managed to regulate my breathing as my pulse slowed for the moment.
I’d known when I came here that leaving would be tricky. It was easy to get inside since no one had been here. Plus, the abandoned factory wasn’t secure. It was clear that squatters slept in the building at night.
