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| Rodrigo awaiting his "sentence" |
Later that same day, Alejandro sent the location Rodrigo was being held to Talia’s phone. A subsequent text read “let me know when you plan to arrive and I will meet you there.”
Amber marveled, reading Talia’s reply over her shoulder as she wrote it. “So you’re finally giving him the time of day? I guess collaborating on a scheme together changes things, huh?”
Talia scoffed but otherwise offered no further comment. Once the text exchange concluded, she sighed, staring down at the location’s coordinates, “I just hope I find the place. I’m not familiar with this side of town.”
“Let me see…” Amber leaned forward and read carefully. “Yeah, this is a rough section, but I know a couple of shortcuts.”
“All right, you will lead the way then.”
With Amber’s guidance, she and Talia arrived at the row of abandoned warehouses that marked the east wall of The Underground. Their destination had an old sewage treatment plant next-door. If the broken-down buildings with boarded-up windows and doors ripped off the hinges weren’t indicative enough of where they were, the stench that hung in the air made that painfully clear.
Talia coughed, holding her nose. “How can you stand to be down here?”
“It may seem impossible, but you actually do get used to the smell. The mix of sewage and every body fluid you can think of… believe it or not, our bosses make the most money in this part of town. Only because the people who live here don’t know any better… or they couldn’t leave if they wanted to. They’re either steeped in debt with their pimps or they’re so addicted they can’t bear to leave when they know they’ll get a steady supply.”
Anticipating an angry retort, Amber turned back toward Talia and braced for impact. It stunned her to discover that wasn’t the case. Talia reached for the crook of her right arm, making herself look smaller in the process.
“Hey…” Amber called over to snap her out of her head. “Don’t forget, we still have a job to do.”
“Let me see…” Amber leaned forward and read carefully. “Yeah, this is a rough section, but I know a couple of shortcuts.”
“All right, you will lead the way then.”
With Amber’s guidance, she and Talia arrived at the row of abandoned warehouses that marked the east wall of The Underground. Their destination had an old sewage treatment plant next-door. If the broken-down buildings with boarded-up windows and doors ripped off the hinges weren’t indicative enough of where they were, the stench that hung in the air made that painfully clear.
Talia coughed, holding her nose. “How can you stand to be down here?”
“It may seem impossible, but you actually do get used to the smell. The mix of sewage and every body fluid you can think of… believe it or not, our bosses make the most money in this part of town. Only because the people who live here don’t know any better… or they couldn’t leave if they wanted to. They’re either steeped in debt with their pimps or they’re so addicted they can’t bear to leave when they know they’ll get a steady supply.”
Anticipating an angry retort, Amber turned back toward Talia and braced for impact. It stunned her to discover that wasn’t the case. Talia reached for the crook of her right arm, making herself look smaller in the process.
“Hey…” Amber called over to snap her out of her head. “Don’t forget, we still have a job to do.”
“We have a job?” Talia regained her composure in an instant. “This is my fault. It should be my responsibility…”
“Listen, I didn’t offer my services just to be your escort. I have just as much stake in this as you do.”
“That goes for me as well.” Alejandro strolled toward them, completely unscathed by the journey. A camouflage green vest sat atop his white shirt. The slight bulge under the right side caught Amber’s eye. The two of them made eye contact before Talia noticed he was there. He brought his pointer finger to his lips and she nodded in agreement. “Are you ready for this, Talia? I can go alone and finish this right now. You just say…”
“Fine. Fine. Let’s get this over with.” She stopped short of the door before adding one last comment absent of any nuance, “If we’re not back in fifteen minutes, follow after us. Otherwise stay here until I say you can come down.”
“Sure, I can do that.”
Talia went inside but Amber lingered behind. She bit her lip, sparing Alejandro a few glances, but no words came out.
He quickly filled the void with a sigh. “This is only my second time doing this… doesn’t matter who the scumbag is. It doesn’t get any easier. It’s the reason my uncles didn’t want me anywhere near their business.”
“So why not leave it to us?”
He hissed, skeptical, “I know the horrors all you girls have had in your lives. It’s easy enough for you to act this out on stage but that is nothing compared to living with this on your conscience. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Have you ever regretted it?”
“Saving your life? Nah, I’d do it again if I had to.”
“Why? You barely even knew me.”
“But I saw how hard you worked. Like you had something to prove. It’s a feeling I knew very well. But the way you never gave up and kept pushing to get what you wanted, I always admired that about you. I still do.”
“Wow…” Amber blushed, automatically turning away to hide it.
Talia peeked her head out of the door. “Are you coming or not?”
“Yeah, I’m coming.” Amber brushed her off, partially distracted. She waited until she was gone before exhaling. “Almost forgot why we were here,” she chastised herself.
“Hey,” Alejandro patted her shoulder, a calm solidarity in his eyes. “This will all be over soon, ok?”
“Right.”
It was impossible to know what was going through Talia’s head as she made her way to the stairwell across the room. Whether she dreaded what had to be done, reflected on her many regrets or looked forward to ending this whole affair. For Amber, the same walk felt like it took forever. Her heart thumped against her ribcage while each breath proved more stifling than the next. Despite it being midafternoon, it was dark enough inside to pass for nighttime. Several of the overhead lights had fallen from the ceiling. Various sizes of shards from broken bulbs lay scattered underneath them. Those that remained intact, their brightness had significantly faded. Some crackled and flickered, ready to give out at any minute.
Meanwhile, the lighting inside the stairwell remained a steady but eerily unnatural dusty yellow. The echo of the rusted metal staircases carried all the way down, each step louder and more purposeful than the next. Their final destination was two stories below the surface. The basement was empty except for the blindfolded occupant bound to a chair bolted to the floor and positioned so that his back was to the door. A single lightbulb was suspended over his head; its shine revealed the water damage that’d accumulated on the floor and the walls.
As Amber prepared to follow Talia’s lead, she held out a hand to stop her. The open palm transitioned to a single finger, indicating she needed one minute on her own. A request Talia was more than happy to grant. The reason behind it wouldn’t become clear until the whole affair concluded.
Talia’s heels clacked against the concrete and carried through the entire floor. Inclining his head over his right shoulder, Rodrigo smirked, “you cannot fool me, Talia. I know that perfume anywhere.”
She said nothing in response as she circled around before facing him head on. Right away, she noticed the scar on the side of his neck that’d barely begun to heal. The reminder of Juan Paulo’s heroic act produced a smile, but now wasn’t the time for ruminating. Crossing her arms and shifting her weight to her back leg, she said, “I just want to know why. You were to only deal with me. Instead, you hurt the one most precious to me.” She shook her head. “There is no forgiving for this.”
Even without his sight, Rodrigo remained arrogant. “You were the one that backed out of our commitment. I had no choice but to take my business elsewhere. I was the greatest pleasure you ever had. So when you find yourself alone because no man can satisfy you like I can, just remember the reason why is the one looking back at you in the mirror.”
The mix of horror and disgust on Talia’s face drained away all of the beauty the rest of her body naturally exuded. Her glare was so intense, it could have peeled the paint off the walls if any was left after the deterioration that’d already taken place. Once she recomposed herself, Talia beckoned Amber to her side and motioned to Rodrigo’s hands. She made her approach with more vigor and determination. Time now felt like it was racing.
Noticing the change in the atmosphere, Rodrigo grimaced, “wait, there’s someone else here?” Amber and Talia shared a glance and a nod. This whole setup was to catch Rodrigo off guard and they had succeeded.
Stopping at his back, Amber knelt down and pulled a knife from the sheath on the side of her right boot. She located his wrists under the ropes holding his hands firmly behind his back. Mustering up all of the courage and seething sarcasm she’d been keeping inside for this moment, she demanded, “in case you need reminding, my safe word was ‘Alejandro’ and that means you STOP!!” Two quick slashes later, blood trickled down Rodrigo’s wrists. A jaw breaking right hook was Talia’s sole contribution but it was all she needed. Rodrigo cursed both of them out at the top of his voice but it was all in vain. The two women raced back up the stairs in silence. It wasn’t until they were back on the ground floor and Alejandro passed by them Talia said, “finish the job, Alejandro. Then we can put all this behind us.”
Two consecutive gunshots rang out five minutes later, by which time they were already headed toward their final destination for the night.
After a little back and forth, Talia and Amber agreed that Emilia deserved to know the whole truth about Rodrigo’s connection to all three of them. They invited her to Amber’s apartment and sat on both sides of her as they walked her through the details. Emilia showed maturity beyond her years as she took it all in stride. When one was speaking, she’d spare a few seconds looking at the other. In both cases, there was nothing but strength and sincerity. This conversation was almost a bigger victory than Rodrigo’s fate. Emilia had come to regard both women on either side of her as sisters. The fact they found a way to form a united front for her sake, throwing their differences to the wayside, meant the world to her.
“Listen, I didn’t offer my services just to be your escort. I have just as much stake in this as you do.”
“That goes for me as well.” Alejandro strolled toward them, completely unscathed by the journey. A camouflage green vest sat atop his white shirt. The slight bulge under the right side caught Amber’s eye. The two of them made eye contact before Talia noticed he was there. He brought his pointer finger to his lips and she nodded in agreement. “Are you ready for this, Talia? I can go alone and finish this right now. You just say…”
“Fine. Fine. Let’s get this over with.” She stopped short of the door before adding one last comment absent of any nuance, “If we’re not back in fifteen minutes, follow after us. Otherwise stay here until I say you can come down.”
“Sure, I can do that.”
Talia went inside but Amber lingered behind. She bit her lip, sparing Alejandro a few glances, but no words came out.
He quickly filled the void with a sigh. “This is only my second time doing this… doesn’t matter who the scumbag is. It doesn’t get any easier. It’s the reason my uncles didn’t want me anywhere near their business.”
“So why not leave it to us?”
He hissed, skeptical, “I know the horrors all you girls have had in your lives. It’s easy enough for you to act this out on stage but that is nothing compared to living with this on your conscience. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Have you ever regretted it?”
“Saving your life? Nah, I’d do it again if I had to.”
“Why? You barely even knew me.”
“But I saw how hard you worked. Like you had something to prove. It’s a feeling I knew very well. But the way you never gave up and kept pushing to get what you wanted, I always admired that about you. I still do.”
“Wow…” Amber blushed, automatically turning away to hide it.
Talia peeked her head out of the door. “Are you coming or not?”
“Yeah, I’m coming.” Amber brushed her off, partially distracted. She waited until she was gone before exhaling. “Almost forgot why we were here,” she chastised herself.
“Hey,” Alejandro patted her shoulder, a calm solidarity in his eyes. “This will all be over soon, ok?”
“Right.”
It was impossible to know what was going through Talia’s head as she made her way to the stairwell across the room. Whether she dreaded what had to be done, reflected on her many regrets or looked forward to ending this whole affair. For Amber, the same walk felt like it took forever. Her heart thumped against her ribcage while each breath proved more stifling than the next. Despite it being midafternoon, it was dark enough inside to pass for nighttime. Several of the overhead lights had fallen from the ceiling. Various sizes of shards from broken bulbs lay scattered underneath them. Those that remained intact, their brightness had significantly faded. Some crackled and flickered, ready to give out at any minute.
Meanwhile, the lighting inside the stairwell remained a steady but eerily unnatural dusty yellow. The echo of the rusted metal staircases carried all the way down, each step louder and more purposeful than the next. Their final destination was two stories below the surface. The basement was empty except for the blindfolded occupant bound to a chair bolted to the floor and positioned so that his back was to the door. A single lightbulb was suspended over his head; its shine revealed the water damage that’d accumulated on the floor and the walls.
As Amber prepared to follow Talia’s lead, she held out a hand to stop her. The open palm transitioned to a single finger, indicating she needed one minute on her own. A request Talia was more than happy to grant. The reason behind it wouldn’t become clear until the whole affair concluded.
Talia’s heels clacked against the concrete and carried through the entire floor. Inclining his head over his right shoulder, Rodrigo smirked, “you cannot fool me, Talia. I know that perfume anywhere.”
She said nothing in response as she circled around before facing him head on. Right away, she noticed the scar on the side of his neck that’d barely begun to heal. The reminder of Juan Paulo’s heroic act produced a smile, but now wasn’t the time for ruminating. Crossing her arms and shifting her weight to her back leg, she said, “I just want to know why. You were to only deal with me. Instead, you hurt the one most precious to me.” She shook her head. “There is no forgiving for this.”
Even without his sight, Rodrigo remained arrogant. “You were the one that backed out of our commitment. I had no choice but to take my business elsewhere. I was the greatest pleasure you ever had. So when you find yourself alone because no man can satisfy you like I can, just remember the reason why is the one looking back at you in the mirror.”
The mix of horror and disgust on Talia’s face drained away all of the beauty the rest of her body naturally exuded. Her glare was so intense, it could have peeled the paint off the walls if any was left after the deterioration that’d already taken place. Once she recomposed herself, Talia beckoned Amber to her side and motioned to Rodrigo’s hands. She made her approach with more vigor and determination. Time now felt like it was racing.
Noticing the change in the atmosphere, Rodrigo grimaced, “wait, there’s someone else here?” Amber and Talia shared a glance and a nod. This whole setup was to catch Rodrigo off guard and they had succeeded.
Stopping at his back, Amber knelt down and pulled a knife from the sheath on the side of her right boot. She located his wrists under the ropes holding his hands firmly behind his back. Mustering up all of the courage and seething sarcasm she’d been keeping inside for this moment, she demanded, “in case you need reminding, my safe word was ‘Alejandro’ and that means you STOP!!” Two quick slashes later, blood trickled down Rodrigo’s wrists. A jaw breaking right hook was Talia’s sole contribution but it was all she needed. Rodrigo cursed both of them out at the top of his voice but it was all in vain. The two women raced back up the stairs in silence. It wasn’t until they were back on the ground floor and Alejandro passed by them Talia said, “finish the job, Alejandro. Then we can put all this behind us.”
Two consecutive gunshots rang out five minutes later, by which time they were already headed toward their final destination for the night.
* * *
After a little back and forth, Talia and Amber agreed that Emilia deserved to know the whole truth about Rodrigo’s connection to all three of them. They invited her to Amber’s apartment and sat on both sides of her as they walked her through the details. Emilia showed maturity beyond her years as she took it all in stride. When one was speaking, she’d spare a few seconds looking at the other. In both cases, there was nothing but strength and sincerity. This conversation was almost a bigger victory than Rodrigo’s fate. Emilia had come to regard both women on either side of her as sisters. The fact they found a way to form a united front for her sake, throwing their differences to the wayside, meant the world to her.
***
The title comes from the Carrie Underwood song "2 Black Cadillacs".
Originally, it was going to be another twin routine for Scarlet and Ruby, but like many other ideas I had, I couldn't fit it into the final sequence of the story.
More on that at the end of the next chapter...
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