Chapter Twenty-Six
A fountain of blood gushed from Joshua Cano’s heart, and he crumpled down on top of Soledad. His gun went off as he dropped it.
The smoking gun hit the wooden stage, and there was silence for a frozen moment.
Had Joshua shot Soledad?
Axe exploded from his knees and threw Joshua’s body aside.
“No!” Leanna crawled over to Axe. “Is she okay? Did he shoot her?”
She brushed the hair off Soledad’s face, and the girl’s eyes popped open. She opened her mouth wide and clenched her fists, then let out a shrill scream.
Thank God. She was alive.
“Are you hurt?” Axe patted her yellow sundress which was drenched with blood and checked for bullet wounds while Leanna moaned and gasped, sobbing at his side.
A gavel pounded through the din of voices and footsteps.
“Silencio!” Leanna’s father shouted. “Silencio. Capo Cano has to prepare the statement for the execution.”
“What the heck is he talking about?” Axe raised his head but kept cradling Soledad and wiping the blood from her face.
She flailed, and her screams pierced his eardrums, but everyone else shut up and listened to Tomas.
In a lowered voice, Tomas said, “Cano’s soldiers have been told to stay outside until he says the proceedings are finished. However, they won’t keep for long. We need to orchestrate the rest of this so I can get you away.”
“What do you need us to do?” Ivan asked.
“I’ll wipe the gun for prints,” Axe’s father said, picking up the gun Leanna dropped.
“Leave Cano’s body where it fell,” Tomas said. “Bring Juan’s body back.”
Ivan’s eyes grew big. “Juan is dead?”
“Yes, unfortunately, he is,” Tomas said. “I left Gabriel with him under orders not to come out of the cloakroom. Go get Gabriel right now, and tell him Juan shot Cano. Vinny and Axe will arrange Juan’s body. I’ll call in and ask the guards to escort the women from the premises.”
No one argued with him.
“It’s the only way,” Axe said to Leanna. “Why don’t you take over with Soledad?”
She nodded mutely and said to the girl, “We need to stay calm. You up for it? I know you’ve been through so much, but Axe is your daddy. He’ll take care of you. He didn’t kill Ana and Eduardo. That evil man lied. I know you’ll miss Ana and Eduardo. I do, too. They’re my cousins.”
Axe left for the cloakroom as Tomas said in a loud voice into his phone, “Capo has spoken. He wants his daughter and her mother, Leanna Rivera, extracted immediately. The prisoner’s death splattered blood over the girl. He does not want to be disturbed while he prepares the video of the dead prisoner.”
Axe and his father lifted Juan, still wrapped in plastic, and arranged him in front of Joshua’s crumpled body. His father pressed Leanna’s gun into Juan’s dead hand, then let it fall aside. Ivan brought Gabriel out of the coatroom, and the boy cried out when he saw Soledad covered in blood.
“Be strong,hombre,” Ivan said to the boy. “We still have to get away. Remember to say exactly what we tell you. Juan killed Cano. Because he was injured, the guards did not find his gun. He was not tied securely because of his injury, and when Cano ordered him to be executed, he shot Cano. Tomas executed him for shooting Cano. But right now, he’s telling the guards Cano is preparing a video of Juan. I know it’s not fair, but it is what it is.”
“Yes, I will bring the rest of the prisoners out. Cano said they are free to go. Juan was the guilty one,” Tomas said on the phone. “Carmelita is traumatized. We must take her away immediately. No, Capo cannot talk. He wants us out of here so he can do the video.”
Tomas hung up the call and motioned them to the judge’s bench. “There’s a stash of guns behind the bench. Take what you need, and let’s get out. I will escort you to the Hummer, but I will have to return and clean up once they find out Cano is dead.”
The men rushed to grab weapons. Axe took a Glock and a knife. With no holster, he stuffed the gun into his waistband and put the knife upside down in his sock.
“I’m staying back,” Axe’s father said. “They won’t buy the lies for long.”
Axe grabbed his father and clasped his hand. “Dad. You’ll come home.”
