Flee (22 page)

I imagined how it must hurt her to hear of her firstborn son being talked about that way. I knew she loved Juan Carlos as much as she loved her other sons, and that his actions broke her heart. She was crying softly, but she had not contradicted Mateo or Thomas. She seemed to know JC for what he was.

“Thank you. I'll contact him shortly. In the meantime, you know what we all need, don't you?” Thomas' voice was serious, but I noticed his eyes were twinkling. “Barbecue. You don't know how I've suffered without it.”

His surfer charm was back. Meg responded to his easy-going voice and now relaxed posture. It was if he had softly and indiscernibly blown the tension out of the room. She stood and wiped her eyes and smiled at her middle son.

“Your favorite place is not too far. I'll call in an order and have one of the security guys pick it up.”

“Excellent,” Thomas replied. “Tell them
rapido
. I'm starving.”

My appetite, however, was suddenly gone. Ever since I came to the realization that I couldn't put Mateo in any more danger, I had felt sick to my stomach. A small, gnawing nausea was steadily growing in my gut. I glanced over at him. He sat slumped in the chair Meg had vacated, a look of weariness on his face, his hand over his eyes. His body language affirmed my decision. He was weary and worried. Enough was enough. I needed to eliminate the threat to me or literally die trying. I swallowed a gulp and went to find Thomas.

****

Thomas was alone on the back patio, talking quietly into his cell phone. I glanced back at Mateo as I quietly exited through the living room French doors. He didn't move. Was he going back to sleep? That didn't seem right. As a matter of fact, he hadn't seemed right all day. Was he okay? I waited at a little distance for Thomas to hang up.

When he did, he turned to face me and indicated that I join him at the far end of the patio, away from the house.

“What's up?” His brown eyes pierced into mine, causing me to internally squirm. Did he agree with my personal assessment that I was too dangerous to be good for his brother? I took a deep, shaky breath.

“I need your help. I'm not confident we have time to keep examining the evidence and hope for a break to help us identify who killed my parents and who is after me. I think we need to draw them out.” My voice had started off soft but had grown in volume with each subsequent word. I was determined. This was the right course of action. I was sure. Thomas' eyebrows raised, and he looked surprised as he considered my words and followed them through to their unspoken meaning. He began to shake his head no.

“Mateo will never go for that.”

“That's why I'm asking for your help, not his. Hear me out. If I can be bait and we can draw them out by letting them think I've rebelliously snuck away from my security for a little while, then maybe we can catch them. And if we can catch them, then problem solved for me and Mateo, and maybe life can return to normal.”

Thomas laughed. “What's normal? Surely you know nothing is ever normal for the Reyna family? Or for yours either, it would appear. No, it's too dangerous. Mateo would never forgive me if something happens to you. I see how he looks at you. He's claimed you. You're part of him. I've never seen him look at someone like that. I can't risk you. It would destroy him.”

“It may destroy him anyway. Thomas, I can't be responsible for anything happening to him. Please help me do this. Help me protect him.” I was pleading now, desperate and pathetic-sounding even in my own ears.

Thomas stood silently. Thinking. Considering my plan. He finally sighed and looked into my eyes. “If, and it's a big if, we can come up with a plan that we think will work, that minimizes the risk to you within an acceptable range, then we'll do it. Let me talk with Hector and Foster and get their thoughts. Speak to no one about this. I'll get back with you.” He turned abruptly and headed for the pool house.

Had I made it past this first hurdle? I hoped so. No more hiding and waiting and wondering and being followed and watched and worried over. I wanted this over, one way or the other
. Please come up with a plan we can put into place
. And what had Thomas meant by an acceptable range of risk for me? Twenty percent? Fifty percent? I knew Mateo would say zero percent. That was why he couldn't know this plan. I made the expression on my face as calm as I could as I turned to go back inside. I sucked at lying and didn't want to hide anything from Mateo. Breathing a silent prayer that I could pull this off, I walked through the door. Mateo was still slumped in the chair.

“Hey,” he said quietly as I approached. He looked tired and a little flushed.

“Are you okay?” I asked, sitting on the overstuffed arm of the chair he was in.

“I've felt better, but it's okay. I think I'm just getting a cold or something. No big deal.”

I reached over and felt his forehead, the way my mom used to touch mine when I was a little girl. “You're burning up! Let me get you something to get your fever down. Why didn't you tell me before that you were getting sick?”

“I didn't know before that I was getting sick. This came on kind of suddenly. And no, don't get my anything. Fever's good, right? As long as it doesn't get too high. It's a sign my white blood cells are doing their thing. Far be it from me to get in their way. I think I'll just ride it out.” He sat with his eyes closed, his head leaning against the back of the chair.

“Why don't you ride it out in your bed then? Go back to sleep. Do you want me to wake you when lunch gets here? I could bring you a plate. And I'm going to get you some water now. You need fluids.” I'd never seen Mateo needy. It was disconcerting, but at the same time I liked the opportunity to take care of him as he had been taking care of me these last few months.

Mateo smiled slightly, amused at my maternal ramblings. “Water would be good. Thanks. And no, don't wake me. I'm not really hungry.” He rose and headed for his room while I went to the kitchen. It seemed like things had gotten simpler. If Mateo was sick, it would be easier to get away from him. This thought both scared and pleased me. And it also made me very sad. I didn't want to be away from Mateo. Could I pull this off?

****

Mateo slept off and on throughout the day. It gave me ample time to plan with Thomas, Hector, and Foster. In the end, the plan was simple. Since going jogging had given them time to strike with the flowers, we assumed it would work again. Today was Tuesday, and I was staying here tonight under the pretense of helping Meg. On Wednesday, I would beg to go back to Joe and Mary's, and Thomas and Hector would work to convince Mateo security was tight and it was perfectly safe. I hoped they would be telling the truth. Early Thursday morning, assuming no one had offed me by then, I would take an early morning jog without visible security. In reality, people would be hidden all along my short route, ready to strike at anything suspicious. The best part was Thomas insisted I wear a Kevlar vest. How could I jog seemingly inconspicuously in a Kevlar vest? Thankfully the weather had turned cooler the last few days. I was hoping a fleece jacket would conceal the vest. If this plan didn't work, we would come up with another one.

I was sitting on the couch in the living room, all of these thoughts running through my head while I pretended to be interested in my science book, when the doorbell rang. Meg, sitting in the chair across from me with her laptop, jumped and started to stand up. Thomas, entering the room from the kitchen, shook his head no and pointed at her medical boot, which had arrived an hour earlier. Meg sighed and strapped it on, extending her leg to rest on the ottoman in front of her. My heart, which had started thumping as soon as the bell sounded, began to slow. Whoever was at the door had made it past security. There was nothing to worry about. Thomas strode to the door with confidence and flung it open.

“Dude! If it isn't my new favorite dinosaur! What's going on, little man?”

Benji's excited little voice rang past the entry way and into the living room. I stood to join Thomas at the door, laughing as I saw Benji once again in his Halloween costume.

“We bwot dinna! I hepped make it!”

“That's awesome. I didn't know dinosaurs could cook. We should take you on the road.”

Benji giggled and almost dropped the bag of cookies he was holding. Mary stood next to him, holding a loaded tray, Grace asleep in the sling strapped to her.

“I hope this is okay. I wanted to call, but Benji wanted it to be a surprise, and he was so excited I just went along with it.”

“Of course it's okay. What a treat!” Meg's voice sounded from the living room. “Come on in, Mary, and thank you so much.”

Thomas reached over to take the tray and began walking toward the kitchen.

“We ordered out for lunch, and I haven't given one thought to dinner. It'll be nice to have something homemade.”

Meg gestured for Mary to sit down. Benji had followed Thomas into the kitchen. I could hear them discussing carnivores.

“Thank you for letting me have Blake today. I've been so comforted having her here.”

I supposed that was a true enough statement in its own way. As long as I was here, she didn't have to worry about my impending death.

“We're glad she could help. I'm sorry about your foot.”

Mary adjusted Grace, who was beginning to stir, patting her on the back to lull her back to sleep. Benji ran back into the room, stopping right in front of Meg.

“Did you like my pikcha, Missus Weyna?”

Oops. I had forgotten that. I was just rising to look for it when I saw Meg pull it out of her pocket.
Mateo
. Of course he wouldn't have forgotten. I turned to Mary as Benji chatted away about his drawing. I had seen most of his drawings. One did need a guide to help understand what it was all about.

“Thanks for the dinner, Mare. And for letting me stay and help. Tomorrow Meg won't need me, so I'll go to school and come back to your place tomorrow night.”

Mary flashed a soft smile. I wondered if she ever noticed I didn't refer to her house as home. She looked around, searching.

“Where's Mateo?”

“Sick,” I answered. “We think it might be the flu. It's been going around campus. He's spent most of the day in bed.”

“I'm sorry to hear that. Joe will be especially sorry, with tomorrow night's scrimmage and all.”

Joe had been rubbing his hands together and grinning like a mad scientist ever since soccer practice had started and he had seen Mateo play. He couldn't wait to unleash his
fútbol
beast on unsuspecting teams.

I'd forgotten all about tomorrow night's scrimmage. Thankfully it wasn't a district game, just a warm up practice game against a small Catholic school from south Texas. I'd been wondering what had made them willing to drive so far to play us, until Joe had explained it was a college field trip of sorts. Play us Wednesday night and spend Thursday and Friday touring local universities.

“Joe will survive. He'll just have to be patient.”

I laughed with Mary. Joe was lots of good things, but patient wasn't one of them.

“Well, you be careful, and hard as it might be, keep your distance from Mateo. If you come down with something, it might push Joe over the edge. He needs at least one of you out there.”

“He still has Danny, and Callie is no slouch out there either. Chad and the football boys try hard and are athletic, even if their ball skills are, uh…”

“Developing? Good thing Joe has a soft spot for them already. I'm sure the scrimmage will be fine. At least it will all be over in ninety minutes.” She smiled and stood, cuddling Grace to her. “Come on, Benj, let's get out of their way. We need to drop off that after-school snack you made for Dad before he gets caught up in soccer practice.”

Benji planted a wet kiss on Meg's cheek before climbing out of her lap. “I hope you weg gets bettah fast.”

“Thanks, Benji. With this kind of love I don't see how it can do anything else. And thanks again, Mary, for dinner. That was very kind of you.”

“Our pleasure. Please let us know if you need anything else.” She walked toward the door, dragging Benji who seemed to have morphed into some sort of growling bear.

I followed, giving her a quick hug and shutting the door behind her.

****

The sun, streaming through my window, woke me the next morning. It was an unfamiliar sensation. I was used to having my blinds tightly closed against the scrutiny of the security team. It was funny that I hadn't even thought to close them last night in my room here at Mateo's. I knew there was security hidden everywhere, but no one specifically watching my window. I sat up, enjoying the feel of the warm beams washing across my face until I realized if the sun was already this high, I must be really late for school.

Crap! The plan had been for me to leave before Mateo was awake and ready to argue with me. I wanted Hector and Thomas to handle explaining to him that I was perfectly safe at school and back at Joe and Mary's at night. Tomorrow was the big day that I made myself bait and hoped someone would be fishing, but not too adeptly. My heart skipped a beat as I pulled a crumpled uniform out of my bag and hastily got dressed.

It was a good thing Mateo had spent most of yesterday asleep. I hadn't seen him much, other than to check on him. If he hadn't been sick and sort of out of it, he would surely have noticed that something was up. I wasn't much of an actress. I'd spent most of yesterday both resolved and sick to my stomach about it. But I didn't voice my fear to Thomas or Hector, knowing they would have quickly aborted the whole plan.

I hurriedly threw my hair up into a ponytail, brushed my teeth, grabbed my backpack, and quietly opened the bedroom door. The sounds of a morning news show softly filtered in from the kitchen, but the hallway was quiet. I tiptoed to Mateo's door and then gingerly placed my ear against it. The sounds of soft, even breathing filtered through. He was asleep. I started to move on and found I couldn't. What if something went wrong? What if the security team wasn't fast enough? I could numb myself to the idea that I might not make it. What I couldn't accept was that I might not see him again.

Turning the knob on his door, I gently pushed it open. It was as dark as night in his room, the shutters tightly closed. I could barely make out the shape of Mateo, propped up on pillows and sound asleep. The wastebasket beside his bed was full of tissues, the box on his bedside table empty, and his water glass drained. Did I have time to get him a fresh glass? A new box of tissues? No. I needed out of here before he awakened and saw me. Meg would check on him soon. She would meet his needs. I very carefully leaned over and lightly kissed his hot forehead.

“I love you,” I whispered. Mateo stirred but did not waken. I turned and quickly left the room before the loud thumping of my heart could give me away.