Framing Felipe (25 page)

And
maybe
she
was.
The
Visa
in
his
human
form
wasn’t
particularly
memorable,
so
Felipe

probably
wouldn’t
have
recognized
him
even
if
he
had
been
a
fixture
at
the
circus.
He
was

just
bland.
Dishwater
blond
hair.
Nondescript
brown
eyes.
Swarthy
skin.
Clothes
he
could

have
gotten
from
any
big
box
store.
No
jewelry.
No
distinguishing
features
to
speak
of,

other
than
a
nose
that
was
a
bit
too
large
for
his
face
and
a
few
cuts
that
would
probably

leave
scars
on
any
other
man.

Sarah
crossed
her
legs
at
the
knees
and
leaned
back
in
her
chair,
drumming
her
fingers

along
the
sides
of
her
arms.

The
Visa’s
gaze
softened,
and
traveled
down
her
torso
to
her
thighs.
His
cheeks

twitched
behind
the
bandana
holding
his
gag
in
place,
and
Felipe
imagined
he
must
have

been
smiling
behind
it.

He
wanted
to
walk
over,
grab
his
head,
and
twist
it
on
his
neck
so
the
Visa
would
never

look
at
his
woman’s
body
in
such
a
way
again.

Felipe
tightened
his
hands
into
fists
at
his
sides,
but
stayed
in
his
corner.
If
Sarah
didn’t

seem
bothered
by
the
man’s
lecherous
stares,
then
Felipe
could
stay
put.
For
all
he
knew,

maybe
that
was
part
of
her
magic.
Maybe
she
was
already
at
work,
spinning
the
Visa
off
his

axis.

“You
know,”
she
started.
“I
spent
the
last
six
weeks
working
undercover
for
a
man
who

exploited
young
women
and
children.
For
six
weeks,
I
sat
back
and
did
refrained
from

acting
because
I
had
to
wait
on
the
FBI
to
make
a
big
bust.
Twenty
hours
every
day,
I
was

on
the
go.
Bussing
tables,
serving
drinks,
doing
my
job.
And
when
my
boss
wasn’t
looking,
I

was
checking
in
on
those
girls
and
getting
them
patched
up.
Reassuring
them
everything

would
be
okay,
although
at
one
point,
I
wasn’t
sure
that
was
true.”

FRAMING FELIPE
–
97
–
Holley Trent

The
Visa’s
eyes
scanned
upward
and
met
her
serious
expression
now.
Like
Felipe,
he

probably
wondered
what
she
was
getting
at.

“I
saw
a
lot
of
dirty
deeds
while
I
was
up
there.
Sickening
things,
and
that’s
coming

from
someone
who’s
been
deployed
overseas
and
nearly
blown
up
a
handful
of
times.
I’m

not
scared
to
fight.
I’m
not
afraid
to
get
in
close,
even
if
it
means
I’m
putting
myself
at
risk.

But
to
be
in
a
situation
where
people
are
getting
mentally
and
physically
ruined
at
the

hands
of
someone
else,
only
because
they
were
trying
to
do
something
better
with
their

lives
than
what
they
were
getting
in
their
home
country
is
just
abhorrent
to
me.
Can
you

imagine?”

The
Visa
raised
his
shoulders.

She
shook
her
head
with
a
scoff
and
leaned
in
closer.
“Really?
Can
you
imagine
being
a

poor
little
kid,
hungry,
barely
having
a
roof
over
your
head?
You’ve
probably
given
up
on

the
world
and
think
that’s
just
your
lot
in
life.
Maybe
death
will
come
soon,
right?
Take
you

out
of
your
misery?
Then
you
think
your
prayers
have
been
answered.
Some
man
tells
your

mother
he’ll
take
care
of
you.
Get
you
some
work
in
America.
Make
sure
you’re
in
school.”

Felipe
could
imagine.
It
all
sounded
so
familiar
to
him.

“Maybe
he
gives
your
mother
some
money—
good
money—as
a
show
of
good
faith.
So,

you
pack
your
bag
and
have
stars
in
your
eyes
because
things
are
looking
up.
You’re
going

on
a
plane
ride
for
the
first
time
ever!
But
as
soon
as
you
touch
ground
in
the
U.S.,
things

get
weird.
This
man
is
telling
people,
important
people,
that
he’s
your
uncle
and
that
you’re

an
orphan.
And
they
stamp
your
paperwork
and
lift
the
gates
so
you
can
walk
through.

Then,
you
get
in
a
van
with
three
other
girls
he’s
picked
up
at
the
airport,
and
no
one
says

anything
all
the
way
home.
Your
new
home
is
some
dank
basement
beneath
a
strip
club.

And
then
you
realize
the
next
day
when
some
crying
woman,
not
much
older
than
you,
is

putting
make-‐up
on
you
and
telling
you
how
to
fluff
your
breasts,
that
you’re
just
a
body
to

put
on
display.
Meat.
And
they
all
tell
you
if
you
try
to
run,
he’ll
kill
you.
There’s
no
going

home.
There
is
no
home
for
you
anymore,
because
once
your
family
finds
out
what
you’ve

been
doing,
they’re
not
going
to
want
you
back,
anyway.
You’re
a
disgrace.”

The
Visa’s
eyes
widened.
Maybe
his
heart
wasn’t
so
black,
after
all,
but
Sarah
wasn’t

even
done
yet.

FRAMING FELIPE
–
98
–
Holley Trent

“Now
imagine
if
that
were
you,
stolen
away
under
pretense
of
lies,
only
to
be
abused

for
years
upon
end.
That’s
how
long
some
of
those
girls
had
been
there.
Ten
years.
More.
All

used
up.
Some
had
become
mothers
while
they
were
there.
Hid
their
pregnancies
and
when

he
found
out,
he
took
their
babies
away.
Those
women
might
as
well
be
dead.
If
you
look
at

them
now,
there’s
no
life
in
their
eyes.
But
at
least
they’re
safe,
right?”

Slowly,
she
extended
her
hands
and
rested
them
on
top
of
his
bound
wrists.

When
he
didn’t
move,
didn’t
flinch,
she
squeezed
his
hands
gently.

Her
voice
was
soft.
“I’d
barely
been
home
for
an
hour
when
my
boss
out
there—Dana—

put
me
in
the
truck
and
brought
me
out
here,
only
for
me
to
learn,
what?
That
there’s

someone
else
like
that
asshole
from
the
club
exploiting
people.
Men.
Women.
Children.

Doesn’t
matter
to
him.
As
long
as
he
can
put
them
under
his
tent
and
make
a
few
bucks
off

them.”

Felipe
now
understood
the
Shrew’s
desire
to
punch
Jacques
in
the
throat.
It
wasn’t
just

bellicosity.
She
could
fight
damn
well,
but
Sarah
was
a
lover
at
heart.

The
Visa
mumbled
something
through
his
gag
and
shook
his
head.

Sarah
sighed,
stood,
and
walked
behind
him
to
untie
it.
Once
the
bandana
was

loosened,
he
spit
out
the
wadded-‐up
sock
holding
his
tongue
flat
and
swallowed.

“He
told
us
either
we
find
performers,
or
he’d
take
us
,”
he
said,
voice
raw
and
gravelly,

and
accented
with
some
language
Felipe
couldn’t
identify.

“
Es
absurdo
,”
Felipe
said
with
a
shake
of
his
head.

The
Visa
wrenched
his
head
around
to
see
Felipe
and
nodded
rapidly.

“Is
true.
We
are
as
trapped
as
you.
Maybe
more
so.
You
sign
a
deal
with
the
devil
and

even
your
children
will
pay
the
price.
I
am
second
generation.
My
father
signed
us
all
away.

Couldn’t
resist
the
money.”

Sarah
put
her
hands
on
the
Visa’s
cheeks
and
forced
his
face
back
around.
“I’m
not

going
to
hurt
you.
I
don’t
hurt
people
unless
I
have
to,
but
I’ll
hurt
you
and
your
buddy
out

there
in
the
bread
truck
if
you
don’t
give
me
the
information
I
need.”

“I-‐I’ll
try
to
help.
I
don’t
know
it
all—none
of
us
do.
We’re
only
told
what
we
need
to

know
to
acquire
troupe
members.”

“How
many
were-‐animal
groups
in
this
area
have
you
been
infiltrating?”

“Uh…four.
I
think.”

FRAMING FELIPE
–
99
–
Holley Trent

“Which?”

“Cats.
Bears.
Uh…”
His
jaw
flapped
and
his
gaze
flitted
around
the
room
while
he

searched
for
words.

Felipe
moved
closer
and
leaned
his
butt
against
the
dresser.
He
thought
maybe
the
Visa

needed
some
help
thinking,
and
he
was
ready
to
help
him
with
his
fists.
“What
else?”

“I
do
not
know!
I—”

Sarah
tightened
her
grip
around
the
Visa’s
wrists
and
squeezed
hard
enough
for
him
to

wheeze.

“I
swear,
I
do
not
know!
Jacques
split
us
up.
The
other
two
groups
were
very
small.

Isolated.”

“Okay…”
Sarah
leaned
back
a
bit
and
yelled
at
the
closed
door.
“Patrick?”

Moments
later,
the
Irishman
poked
his
head
in.
“You
called?”

“What
other
were-‐groups
are
in
this
area?”

“Bears,
wolves,
and
there’s
a
very
small
group
of
goats.”

“Are
you
friendly
with
the
wolves
and
goats?”

“Goats,
we’re
neutral.
Wolves?”
Patrick
blew
out
a
breath.
“No.
Why?”

“They’ve
been
infiltrated.
Maybe
you
can
have
Billy
give
them
a
heads-‐up.
Show
of

good
faith.”

“You
don’t
want
to
put
Billy
anywhere
near
the
wolves.
He’s
the
reason
why
they’re
not

friendly,
but
I’ll
take
care
of
it.
What
do
you
want
to
do
with
him?”
He
bobbed
his
head

toward
the
bound
man
in
the
chair.”

Sarah
sat
back
and
crossed
her
arms
over
her
chest.
“I
don’t
know…”

“Might
I
make
a
suggestion?”
Felipe
said.

Sarah
looked
doubtful,
but
Patrick
nodded.

“The
farm
you
found
me
at,
I
know
it
is
near
bear
land,
but
it
was
far
down
that
long

path.
Remote.
I
only
found
it
because
I
was
walking
the
roadside
and
saw
the
old
mailbox

covered
over
in
vines.
I
actually
walked
by
the
driveway
entrance
on
first
pass.
Possibly
the

house
had
a
basement.
Perhaps
you
can
keep
Mr.—”

“Tolvaj,”
the
Visa
volunteered.
Oh,
he
wanted
to
talk
now,
and
it
probably
had
nothing

to
do
with
how
Sarah
worked
him
over.