I raised my hand up at him. “I will always carry one, Carlos. I do not trust the world. No matter what.”
He slowly nodded his head. “Si, I suppose the world is dangerous now. But you know what I meant. Maybe we could move to Iowa or some small town somewhere.”
“The town where Alex was killed had 200 people in it, Carlos. It was just a small village. The violence can come to you.”
He looked away toward the window. “I don’t know why I think the way I do now. I used to be just like you. Guarded and wary. Skeptical and even logical. I mean when I was in the life, I refused to dream about being out of it. Too elusive really. You know what I mean. Constantly watching out for someone to sneak in and kill you.”
I nodded at him. “Hell yeah, I do.”
“Then the dreams came…” He paused again.
I really felt curious now as I asked, “Dreams? Like when you were in the coma?”
Nodding, he reached over and grabbed his boxer briefs. “I would hear this voice. It would tell me that there were other ways to live. I resisted that though as I had only been taught that there were better ways to die. But it told me that if I truly wanted it, I could fight for it.” He slipped his briefs on and looked over at me. “The thing is I don’t know how to fight for it. I mean I can fight hand to hand combat and I’m good in knife fight.” He smirked. “Not as good as you but I’m fair at it. But fighting as a principal? As an ideal? I have no idea how to do that.”
I turned to the pack again and dug out my mini camera. “Did this voice tell you how to do it?” I sure as hell did not know how to do what he said either. Give me a weapon, a target and I would be on top of it. But to be carefree and unguarded? Nah, not possible. I checked the battery on the camera.Full.Raising my head, I stared at him as he didn’t give me an answer.
Shaking his head, he sighed. “It told me to do honorable things. Nothing for self-promotion.”
I scoffed at this ideal as I grabbed my tripwire. “Most human beings are self-promoting, Carlos. It is in our nature to do so.”
“True but it is odd that I had always planned to get Gabby’s kids when I could. And that is an honorable thing.”
I turned around to look at him. “Ok and we are gonna do that. So besides eating cotton candy, what else could make you an honorable man?”
He smiled at the reference, then he replied, “To never take another life.”
I halted at this. “But there are people who want to kill us. Ones whowillkill us, given the chance.”
He nodded. “I know, so you see the hard part then?”
I kept shaking my head as I went over to the window by the door. “I’m not sure either of us are angelic enough to actually be a saint. Or dieasa saint actually. Because that is what not defending your own life will do. It will make you dead. Period. Like not defending our own lives?” I scoffed.
He smirked at me. “You are saying‘us’and‘our own’,like you want to be honorable too.”
I peeked out of the curtain, my gaze spanning the stairs then the parking lot. I saw a few cars and vans in the lot but that told me nothing. I used my trained eye to span it again, looking for anything odd, anything out of place. So far, nothing looked suspicious and at this moment I saw no movement. “I was speaking um.. how do they say it? Metaphorically.” Or was I? I still felt conflicted about us getting serious as a couple. And that could be because I knew how dangerous being together could be. My boss would have a god damned conniption fit. Which would seal my fate to being put six feet under. His family would probably come after him if they knew he and I were together. I wasn’t sure if they would kill him, but it could happen. “Ok, I have a couple of things to do.” I slipped my sandals on then looked up at him. “And they have nothing to do with cotton candy.”
“Too bad. I like the pink and blue kind.” He smirked. “Need any help?”
“No…” I paused, then changed my mind. “Bien, maybe?” I went over to hand him my phone. “The screen will light up, then I want you to make sure the camera view is pointing downwards at both sets of stairs, ok?”
He nodded and tapped the screen.
Grabbing my gun with the silencer, I stepped to the door. Opening it just a crack, I peeked out through it. In my line ofwork, you couldn’t be too careful. Not ever. My crazy but very smart mentor used to say,‘Being paranoid was much better than being dead.’
Finally stepping out of the room, I took another look around.
Just then, someone came out of the door next to ours.
I immediately tensed as I hid my gun behind me.
A young woman, in very short-shorts and a bikini top, shut the door behind her and looked up at me. “Oh, hey. Have you seen where the ice machine is?”
I nodded and replied, “Down at the bottom.” I motioned to the cement stairs with my free hand.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course, it is.”
I stepped closer and asked, “But where are you going to put the ice?” I had my weapon hidden but ready to use. She could be part of a trap.
