Hot & Spicy: De La Cruz Saga (49 page)

Si, mi hermano,
thought Bella with relief, smiling. Her expression is full of love and relief. She nods her cabeza, acknowledging that she understands his instructions, slowly standing up.

Jessy sees Christian, sighs with relief. With a smile and her ojos full of tears, she nods. Slowly she stands up without making any noise.

Paty nods contenta, softly crying in relief.
Mi primo Chris is here
, she thought, nodding following his instructions, standing up quietly.

Chris quickly gives them a quick hug. He then kneels and starts to get them free. Urgently he cuts the plastic straps that holds the chain at their ankles.
Damn, estos animals
,
thought Chris. He is furious when he sees the deep red welts on their delicate skin.
I’m going to kill each one on this damn compound.
Chris stands up, attempting to smile to encourage them. He whispers in their ears that Gabriel is outside to help them go down.

I have to do something about their bare feet,
he thought looking around.
I don’t see their zapatos, and knowing them, they had on high heels. That will not help them get down
, he thought grinning.

Si, they’re so feminine and delicate, I will wrap their feet.
He quickly takes off the sheet on the bed, tears it up in strips. He indicates for them to sit on la cama. Quickly, efficiently he wraps up their feet with the strips of sheet, protecting them a little from the rough ground.

Paty looks at her primo softly wrap her feet up with the sheet, smiles.
He is the greatest
, she thought.

Bella is proud that her hermano is so sweet. He thinks of everything, smiling at him in gratitude.

Jessy smiles, thanks him with soft whisper.
He is just great
, she thought with relief that he is here to take them a casa.

Chris stands, smiles, making hand signals, indicating that one at a time will go down, to be quiet until all are out of the cuarto.

Paty, Bella, y Jessy nods in understanding. They walk to the window, onto the balcony, looking down. There is nothing to hold on to. There are lots of trees close to the balcony. Gabriel is waiting for them on the tree branch across from the balcony.

I will go first
, thought Bella, jumping onto the tree.
I know that I can do this. I always loved climbing trees with mis hermanos when I was small.
Bella jumps onto the tree, and Gabriel assists her. Bella went climbing down the tree, making room for Paty y Jessy.

Yeah, mi prima did it, and I can do it too
, thought Paty.
Okay, I can do this. I never really liked climbing trees like Bella did, but I know I can do this.
Paty crosses herself with her right hand before taking the jump.
Okay, one, two, and tres, here I go.
Paty jumps and holds onto Gabriel’s strong brazos as she lands, a little wobbly but grinning with relief.
Si, I made it. Damn, that is scary, and I need to control mis nerves,
she thought with relief. Paty smiles at Gabriel, following his directions, moves down the tree near Bella. Paty climbs down the tree to make room for Jessy.

Gabriel smiles and instructs her to go further down the tree next to Bella.
Okay, now I need to help Jessy. She really looks terrified.

I’m scared
, thought Jessy, watching Gabriel signal for her to jump.
I know that Bella y Paty made it. I saw them jump, and it looks easy. Oh Dios mio it looks like the ground is really far. This is scary. What if I hurt mi bebe? Si, they are all waiting for me to jump. I’m wasting time. I need to get back to Jose Enrique.

Paty and Bella start to signal for her to jump.

Chris leans close and whispers, “You can do it.” He is watching Gabriel get ready to catch her.

Jessy looks at Gabriel’s smile and hears Chris.
Si, I can do this for mi bebe. I have to get back para la casa.
Jessy crosses herself with her right mano, asking Dios to help her. She closes her ojos and jumps, landing on the branch, feeling Gabriel hold her. Jessy opens her ojos, smiles with relief.
Si, I made it, and now I can go a casa.
These wrappings that Chris did on mi feet feel comfortable.

Chris jumps on the other tree going down quickly and quietly.
I need to be down on the ground to help them get down.
He hikes over to the tree that the mujers are on.
Okay, they are coming down. I will catch them.

Slowly and quietly Bella came down first, grinning.
Si, I always loved climbing trees. This is fun.

Paty follows a little more slowly, cautiously trying not to think of what she is doing.
Si, finally I’m almost there. I need to jump. Okay, mi primo, Chris, is ready to catch me in his strong brazos. Damn, mi primo is strong.

Okay, now its mi turn
, thought Jessy.
Here I go, but I’m going down slowly. I’m so contenta that Gabriel is behind me and can help. Hmmm … I’m almost down. I’m getting onto the last branch. This is not too bad, but it is scary. Okay, I need to sit down on this branch and balance. Chris is signaling me to jump. I know that Gabriel is right behind me, waiting. I need to do this quickly without thought. I know Chris will catch me. Damn, it’s still a little too high. Okay, Dios mio, take care of me y mi bebe. Here I go
, she thought throwing herself down.
Damn, Chris is strong, and he catches me like if I didn’t weigh a lot. I need to thank him
, “Gracias.”

Chris nods, looking over at Gabriel.

Gabriel spoke into the mic in his ski mask to advise SOTO Officer Ford that they have las primas. “Goods extracted and secured,” said Gabriel, looking around, waiting for the orders.

“Request permission to infiltrate to eliminate,” requests Chris, looking at Gabriel with a raised eyebrow.
I’m going in regardless
, thought Chris, looking at Gabriel.

“Permission granted,” said Officer Ford, looking at the other men nod in agreement, “Sending McKay and Lewis in.”

“I want in,” said Corona, looking at Chris shake his cabeza in disagreement, looking at las mujers, “Need escort for goods.”

“Negative,” said Officer Ford, walking over to the area that De La Cruz and Corona are located, from the east of the villa, taking out another two drug soldiers out on the way.

I see that Corona has the ladies behind the trees. Damn, they are real beauties. I believe that they are even more beautiful in person.
He nods in greeting to the young ladies.
Wow, look at their beautiful smiles
, he thought.
Damn, I would have loved to have met them before, under different circumstances. I see that Corona is anxious to go with De La Cruz.

Gabriel is watching Chris with anxiety, sprinting across the terrain to enter the villa, shit. “Lewis, to assist me with these ladies,” said Officer Ford into the mic, “Corona, permission granted.”

Gabriel breaths in deeply with relief, urgently running right after Chris, Gabriel thought,
Si I have to help Chris kill these bastardos.

“Lewis, let’s go and guard our backs,” said Officer Ford heading toward the boat, leading the group. Lewis is the last one in the group, covering their backs.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
 

THE
SEALS
HEARD
THE
ALARM
go off, and they know the drug lord soldiers will soon be on them. Now the heat is on. The drug cartel lord is aware that the mujers are gone. The drug soldiers are now in fighting mode. There is a lot of yelling and gunfire going on, making Bella, Paty, and Jessy real nervous as they attempt to keep up with the officer.

The group almost makes it to the beach. They can see the ocean and hear the waves crashing against the rocks. The group is intersected by eight drug soldiers. “Run to the boat,” yells Officer Ford as he and Lewis engage with the drug soldiers.

Okay, I need to run
, thought Bella, running toward the beach.
Oh dios mio
, she thought, running as fast as she can.
I’m going to die
, she thought looking back.
Oh no, there’s un hombre chasing me.
Bella trips over a branch and goes stumbling down onto the beach scraping her knees.
Oh Dios mio, help me, he’s going to catch me.
Bella yells at the top of her lungs with terror.

The drug soldier picks her up, striking her across the cara. Bella cries out, and her cabeza whips back from the force. The drug soldier strikes her again, splitting her lower lip. Her lip starts to bleed. Her blood travels down her chin. The huge drug soldier throws Bella over his shoulder walking back to the villa.
Si, El Mextli is going to be real contento with me
, he thought.

“Help me, please help me, Greg,” she yells, sobbing hysterically for her esposo.
I’m so afraid and it hurts.
Crying in pain, she begins to hit the bastardos back with her fists, yelling for help.

Jessy sees the hombres and starts to tremble with terror.
Oh dios mio, please help us. I need to run. I will make it to the boat. I’m not looking back, I have to make it. Mi bebe, Dios mio, help us. I have to run faster.

Okay, I’m on the beach. Where is the boat? I don’t see it. I don’t see the boat. I have to stay calm. I need to know that Bella and Paty are okay. Jessy turns to look back to see if they are coming. Oh dios mio, I don’t see them. I can’t stop shaking. This is so scary.

I need to locate the boat. Should I walk into the sea? It’s so dark and cold. I can’t cry
,
thought Jessy, wiping at her tears.
Where is the boat? The moonlight is not strong enough for me to see anything out in the dark ocean. I’m going in further into the ocean. Dios mio, please help me find the boat. Oh I can see the boat. I see the dark outline of the boat. There are two small inflatable boats waiting for us. Si, I need to hurry and get in one of those boats. I need to get on the boat
, she thought, frantically waded through the sea.

Si, I need to climb up onto this boat. I have to pull myself up. Huh, someone is helping me up. It is un hombre. Is he a SEAL? I pray that he is
,
thought Jessy, looking up into the hombre’s cara.
I made it. Hmmm … is he another SEAL?

The SEAL assists her to the boat bench. He bends down and gives her a towel.

“Thank you,” she whispers, taking the towel from his manos.
Where is Paty y Bella? Is that Bella yelling? She needs help? This SEAL next to me can help them
, she thought, turning to him to ask him to help them.

Oh dios mio, he is shaking his cabeza no. Damn, what can I do? Somebody has to help her. Bella is punching the drug soldier with her fists. I don’t think that she is strong enough to make that bastardo release her. Geeze with the illumination of the moonlight, it makes it much easier to see
, thought Jessy, watching the entire scene.

I can see the beach real clearly. I need to keep up with Jessy
, thought Paty, running behind her.
Shit, two gunshots hit me. This is real painful. Damn, I’m falling.
I need help
. “Help me! Help me!” she yells with pain. “I’m shot!” She starts to get up, trying to walk closer to the shore. Paty hears Bella screaming for help.
I need to help mi prima
, she thought, wildly running toward Bella as fast as she can.

I need something to hit that bastardo
, thought Paty as she picks up a branch from the ground.
Yeah, I’ll hit the bastardo as hard as I can on la cabeza. He better put me prima down
, thought Paty with rage. She goes toward where Bella is attempting to hit the drug soldier’s cabeza. Paty is high on adrenaline and doesn’t feel the pain of the two gunshots in her right thigh. She is full of fear and rage.

“Help me!” yells Bella.
I need to make him put me down before he takes me back to la casa
, she thought with fear.
I’m going to hit his hard cabeza
, she thought, raining all the punches that she can.

Paty manages to run as fast as she can to catch up to Bella and takes a swing, hitting the hombre in his groin causing him to go down onto his knees, yelling out in excruciating pain, letting go of Bella.

Bella quickly struggles out of his brazos, picks up a rock to hit the bastardo on the cabeza with all of her strength.

Si, I’m real close to the bastardo now
, Paty thought.
I need to hit him again. This bastardo is dead.
Paty takes another swing, but before she could make contact with the branch, she is stopped by another animal.

Another drug soldier approach Paty and grabs her brazos. He tugs the branch, swings it across the beach. The drug soldier is laughing, hold her real tight, walking away.

“No!” yells Paty in agonizing pain and fear, trying to make the bastardo to let go.

Bella turns as Paty yells and sees the bastardo that has Paty in his brazos starting to walk away.
No way in hell will I allow this bastardo to take mi prima
, thought Bella.
This one is down, and Paty needs me
. Bella picks up the branch that the drug soldier has thrown down.

Si, I’m killing this one.
With rage Bella runs after the hombre that is walking away with Paty. Bella takes a swing, hitting the drug soldier hard in the knees, cracking his kneecaps. The impact and damage causes the drug soldier to fold, yelling out in horrendous pain. His grip grew slack, and Paty quickly moves out of his brazos.
Si
, thought Bella, swinging at his cabeza with all her strength, knocking him out. The hombre falls forward onto his cara with a loud, excruciating scream.

Paty y Bella turn to look at each other smiling.
Si, we make a great tag team. Yeah, all the play fighting with our hermanos helped.

Bella then sees that Paty is bleeding. “Prima, your leg,” said Bella as Paty looks at her right leg that is bleeding and faints. Paty has lost a lot of blood, and she finally feels the pain.

Bella moves quickly to look at Paty’s leg.
Oh dios mio, Paty has two gun wounds, and they are bleeding like crazy. I need to do something. I need help to get her to the boat. I will have to drag her because I’m not risking leaving her on the beach to get help.
Bella wraps her brazos under Paty’s brazos, starts to pull her slowly.
Hmm … mi prima is dead weight because I know that she doesn’t weigh a lot.
Bella is starting to get real tired, sits down to take a deep breath before continuing to pull Paty again. Just as Bella is going to try again, she feels a mano on her shoulder, causing her to yell out in terror.

“Okay, it’s okay,” said Officer Ford, picking up Paty to carry her to the waiting boat.

Bella realizes that it is the SEAL officer and breaths out in relief.
Gracias dios mio
,
she thought, getting up to follow him into the ocean.
Hmmm … I wonder where Jessy is at.
Bella turns to look back. “We need to get Jessy,” she said, putting a mano on Officer Ford’s brazo.

“Jessy is on the boat,” responds Officer Ford without looking at her, continuing into the water.

How does he know that
? Bella thought, looking into the ocean, not seeing anything.
Damn, I need to trust him because he knows what he’s doing. Okay, I’m staying close to him because I don’t want to be left behind. I need to get back to Greg
, she thought with an enormous anguishing heartache.

Officer Ford wads into the water a few more feet, hands Paty over to the SEAL.

He then turns, picks Bella up putting her into the inflatable boat.
Si, I can see Jessy, and she looks okay
, thought Bella with felicidad.

The SEAL on the boat quickly takes Paty down the boat to inspect her injuries. The SEAL grabs his medical bag, started extracting the bullet from Paty’s thigh.
Hmm … it’s a good thing that it didn’t go in real deep
, he thought as he extracts the bullet.
There is another wound but I see that the bullet went through and out her thigh. This is good
, he thought as he starts to clean the wounds, putting pressure as it starts to bleed again. Then he dabs a bit of antiseptic ointment on the wounds.

I need to put some butterfly enclosures until we get to the medical department on the ship
, he thought as he puts some antiseptic ointment over the butterfly enclosures. Then the SEAL dresses the wounds.
This should be good until she gets stiches.

Bella sees as the SEAL extracts the bullet.
Oh dios mio
, she thought as she feels sick, went over the boat to vomit.
This is too much. I’m tired and scared
, she thought, turning to look at Jessy. Jessy hands her a bottle of water.

Jessy doesn’t look good and moves closer to her. “You’re okay?” she asks, concerned with how pale she looks.

“Si,” said Jessy, looking out into the ocean.

Hmmm … she looks to be in shock. What do I do about it? I don’t know.

Officer Ford turns to the SEAL putting on his ski mask. “Take them to the ship and come back,” he instructs into the speaker getting off the boat.
I need to get to the SEALs and get them out of this hellhole. Who knows how many are on the compound.

El Mextli yells out in frustration. “Que en la chingada is happening! Jaime!” he yells at the top of his lungs. He walks to the door of his officina.

Jaime is just walking down the hall when he hears the gunshots. He starts to turn to go and investigate when he hears El Mextli call him.
Damn it, what does he want now
, he thought, turning around to go see what El Mextli wants.

“Si,” said Jaime, walks toward El Mextli’s officina.
Hmmm … he’s standing at the door, and he looks furious. Damn!

“Que pasa!” demands El Mextli, getting out his gun walking into the hallway waiting for some answers.

“I was going to see when you called,” said Jaime, turning to go investigate, el Zorro runs down the stairs, went to El Mextli.

“Mextli, las mujers are not in el cuarto!” he yells turning to look at Jaime. “Where did you hide them?”