Plausibility (20 page)

Aquilla smiled and walked upstairs.

She didn’t play with the phone. She had something else she had to do first.

Oh my God, Julius. I’m going to kill you when I see you
. The numbers didn’t work. What the hell did they mean? She was sure that it was Quill. She tried every number combination there was. Nothing,  denied access. She didn’t use any numbers and typed the simple name Quill. Fucking A, yes!!! Stupid fucker, there better not be any more barricades to get through.

Hey pretty girl.
The first sentence confused the hell out of her. Did he know she was going to read his journal?
This is not the journal that I lied and told you that it was. Remember a few years ago when we were stuck in that hotel for a month? You made fun of me for keeping a journal. It was never a journal, Quill. That was the first time that I was scared for you. I didn’t know what was going to happen. My father had never screwed up enough to stay in hiding for that long of a time.
He wrote this for her?

If you are reading this, Quill, then one of two things have happened, either I am dead or we have been separated.  I have no idea if you will even get the chance to read it, but I have to try. I’m not worried that you won’t be able to figure out my gibberish codes. You will, you’re too damned stubborn not to.

I have to tell you things that you have a right to know. The first one is that I love you. I love you so much, Quill. I have always loved you. It goes way beyond how a man loves a woman. It’s different than that
, and I’m not sure I can even explain it. I felt an attraction to you when you were three, when we first took you from your family.
You didn’t take me, Julius. You were just a little boy.

That is where I am going to start, Quill, from that morning in New York. Wait…let me back up just a bit. You need to know where I came from, as well. I know how much you love my father. I know that you think there is no one like him. I am glad of that. I am glad that he has always treated you like his little princess. He wasn’t always a good man, Quill. He was not a good husband to my mother…at all. I was afraid of him for many years. I hid behind my mother’s legs many times. Valdez is the one that gave me the story. It was shortly after you came along.

My mother was never meant to be anything more than another chattel. My father was training her when she became pregnant with me. He never knew it until he showed up months later to ask her to do another three month assignment. She was almost ready to give birth. He left her there until I was born, and sent his own physician in to do the paternity test. Although, he resented her for getting pregnant (like she didn’t have help), he wasn’t about to leave me there. She gave up her life for me. She thought that he would be able to give me a better life than she could in that poor little village. I’m sure we would have both been better off to have been left alone. I would think that her worrying about feeding me was less bothersome than what she lived through with him.

They were never like a married couple, and not even close to being a mother and father. They slept in separate rooms and my father got his thrills from training chattels. He was never intimate with my mother. Not usually, anyway. I do remember a few times when things were a little touchy and he would cease any new chattels coming in. He would just burst into any room or whatever she was doing and demand that she go to the training room. I assume that is how my blood sister came along.
He was mean to her? Aquilla couldn’t believe what she was reading. Not from her father. He wasn’t capable of being mean to his family, was he?

I was the reason we were in New York. I begged my father to take me. I was too young then to know that his business consisted of a large shipment of coke being brought into the city. I wanted to see
Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had just finished doing a report on the city and begged my father to take me. Aquilla was only four at the time, and although she had no idea what New York City even was, she crawled onto my father’s lap and begged too.

It melts my heart thinking about her. She placed both her little hands on the sides of his face and said, “I want to see the tire building too.” I didn’t think it was possible for him to love anyone as much as he loved her. He did, Quill. He loved you so much. I don’t know how or why, but he did. I’m sure he was a little sick. He had himself convinced that you were his little Quill. It’s actually kind of funny. You look like a ghost compared to the real Aquilla. I know now that he chose that week because of all of the commotion that would be taken away from the barges coming in and more focus being put on the festivities at Times Square.

I blamed myself for years for being there. We shouldn’t have been there. He shouldn’t have had us in that car. I miss her, Quill. I miss them both. She was such a joy to be around. I too didn’t think I could love you. I didn’t want to love you. You weren’t my little Quill. You were some white girl that my father snatched from the streets. Don’t worry. I did fall in love with you. I had to. You followed me around like a stray dog and I felt compelled to protect you, even though I too was just a boy. It was my duty. You were my new Quill, and I would have done anything to make you happy.

Aquilla wiped a tear that she hadn’t realized had fallen, and quickly closed the laptop.

“Hey, you okay?” Seri asked, sitting on the small bed with her.

“No,” she accidently sobbed. “I miss him, Seri. I need him. I don’t want to be here.”

Seri had no words. What was she supposed to say? She brushed her hair behind her shoulder and smiled a caring smile. “I don’t know how to make this easier for you, Quill.”

“I haven’t even been here one Goddamn day and I feel like I have been away from him for years. I need to touch him. I need to smell him. I have to find him, Seri.”

“Quill, you’re right. It’s only been one day. Give it some time. You’ll forget him. Time mends all wounds. You’re going to be okay.”

How the fuck did she
know? She was going to leave and go back to her life. Aquilla moved the laptop to the nightstand. “I’m going to take a shower in my shared bathroom that isn’t even in my room,” she complained, grabbing clothes from her bag.

<>

Aquilla appeased her so called parents and ate dinner with them. She didn’t talk much and only answered questions when she was asked. They tried to get her to stay downstairs and watch television, but she didn’t want to. She was already tired of seeing her picture all over the news. She hated it. She hated being the kidnapped girl. She wanted to go home. She wanted her father and Julius. This was so unfair and nobody gave a flying fuck about what she wanted. They all knew what was best for her. Fuck them, all of them, even Seri. She didn’t need any of them. She needed Julius. Julius had to have something written about his whereabouts. He just had to. How long could she keep this up?

Aquilla showered, letting the hot water mix with the tears. Why the hell was she crying? She didn’t cry. She was a Chavez. Chavez’s didn’t cry. She wanted Julius, that’s why. She just wanted him. She needed him.

Aquilla used a little of Reese’s makeup, trying to hide the puffy eyes before rejoining Seri, who needed to leave her alone so that she could read.

“I’m going to grab a shower and then we’re going to talk,” Seri warned, dropping her cellphone to her twin bed.

“About what?” she wanted to know. Aquilla didn’t want to talk. She wanted to read more. She needed to read more. She had to get out of there, somehow, someway, she had to. She was going to lose her mind.

“Life, my little Quill, life.”

Great.

Aquilla didn’t want to talk to Seri about
life
. She wanted to find out where Julius was. She wanted to read more about what he was telling her. She waited until she heard the water across the hall before logging back on.

Her eyes glanced to Seri’s ringing phone. She would just peak at the screen and see who it was. Monica. Hmm. Should she?

“Hello,” she answered.

“Uh…Is Sarah there?”

“No, Seri is in the shower. This is her secretary.”

Monica laughed. “Sarah was right. You are quite the card. How are you? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I am great, and I have heard a lot about you too. You know Seri doesn’t really like you, don’t you? She told me so.”

Monica laughed again. “That’s okay. I don’t really like her much either. So I guess we are going to meet in a couple of days. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yeah, me too,” she lied, rolling her eyes. “I can’t freaking wait to sit for an hour at a time, in silence with you.”

“Are you informing me that you are going to refuse to talk to me?”

“No. I’m just notifying you ahead of time that you may get pretty bored.”

“We’ll see. Can you tell Sarah to call me?”

“Only if you stop calling her Sarah, that name really doesn’t fit her.”

“I’ll try to remember that, and I will see you on Tuesday.”

“I can’t wait.”

Aquilla cracked the door when she thought she heard yelling from downstairs.

“You have no room to judge anyone,” Liz relatively yelled.

“Just go, Elizabeth. Forget that our daughter is home after all these years. Forget that she is scared to death and doesn’t know where she fits in. Go! Go Liz. Go fuck your teacher.”

“What would you like for me to do, Manny? The girl won’t even talk to me. Or did you just plan on me staying here and fucking you?”

Seri opened the bathroom door and stared at Aquilla across the hall. Were they really doing this? Maybe Aquilla
was
the mature one.

“The GIRL…is your daughter. The daughter that disappeared and caused your meltdown, remember that Liz? Do you remember any of those days?”

“Fuck you, Manny. I don’t need you here for
your
moral support. You’re free to go.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m not here for you. I’m here for my daughter, and furthermore, I haven’t wanted to fuck you in a very long time.”

“Stop it!” Seri demanded from the kitchen door. “She can hear every word you are saying,” she scolded the two teenagers. Really?

Shit, she was wearing a towel. Manny’s wandering eyes didn’t go unnoticed by either of the women. Liz grabbed her keys from the hook by the garage door with a snort and a shake of her head.

“I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” she said, leaving her ex-husband alone with towel lady.

Seri wasn’t about to give him time to say anything. She turned and walked back upstairs, hoping like hell her ass was covered by the towel. It was
, but barely. Manny uncannily watched her towel wrapped body walk back up. Yup, there was no doubt a spasm in his jeans. That’s what he wanted, just once. Shit, he needed to stop. Holy mackerel, Batman, he needed to stop.

<>

“Seri, I really don’t want to talk about it. It’s fine. I get it,” Aquilla assured her as she watched her drop the towel and slide on panties. She was perfect. Aquilla couldn’t help but stare at how perfect she was.

“Having a little hint of nostalgia there, Quill,” Seri smirked. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t think of the girl like a 17 year old. She was way past her age, and Seri thought a lot of her. She was a friend. She cared about her wellbeing.

“Fuck you,” Aquilla retorted, turning her eyes away from her breasts.

Seri laughed. “I’m just kidding. I didn’t get mad when you said it.”

“Whatever, either smoke some more of that with me or leave me alone.”

“I’ll leave you alone. I have to go call my boss.”

“Oh, you’re supposed to call Monica too. She called while you were in the shower.”

“You answered my phone?”

“Yeah, I wanted to see whether or not she was going to be bearable.”

“And you’re conclusion?”

“She sounded pretty annoying on the phone, and she laughs too much. I wasn’t trying to be funny.”

Seri didn’t ask what she said. She figured she would ask Monica herself. Damn, she needed clothes. She needed Monica to come now.

“I need something to wear,” Seri requested, searching through the three dirty shirts and two pair of slacks in her bag. She really didn’t want to wear the FBI shirt, walking around Aquilla’s parent’s home.

“Not really, you look better naked.”

“Stop it, Quill,” Seri warned with a stern look.

Aquilla laughed. She couldn’t help it. She loved tantalizing her. “I was just being nice.”

“You’re too much like me to be nice. Give me a shirt and some shorts or something.”

Aquilla rummaged through her own bag to find Seri something to put on. “How do you mean, I am like you?” she asked, tossing her a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt.

“You’re a bitch.”

Aquilla laughed. She took it as a compliment.

“I’m going downstairs to make a few calls. Do you want to come down?”

“No. Why would I?” Hell no. She wasn’t going downstairs. She was going to read more. It was driving her crazy and she hoped Seri stayed down there long enough for her to see if Julius gave her any clues as how to get to him.

Seri looked out the front door. Good, the media left, for the day, anyway. She was sure they would return the following morning. She walked out and sat on the porch swing and dialed her boss.

“It’s about time,” he answered.
“Any news on the whereabouts of Julius Chavez?”

Seri rolled her eyes. “No, and I told you, she doesn’t know where he is.”

“I beg to differ. Have you gotten anywhere with her yet?”

“There is nothing to get. She doesn’t know anything. It’s stupid for me to stay here and torment her and myself. SHE DOESN’T KNOW ANYTHING.”

“Maybe Monica will get somewhere with her.”

“Monica is coming to help her with the transition. She’s not coming to interrogate her.”

“If Monica can pull any helpful information from her, I’ll take it.”

“She can’t disclose that. It’s against Quills rights.”

“This isn’t your back yard shrink, Sarah. This is the real life. She’s not transitioning from mommy and daddy getting a divorce. She was involved with a major drug cartel.”

“She wasn’t involved in anything. They never told her about any of that.”

“So she says. I, myself, find it very hard to believe that she lived in the same house and knows nothing. You of all people should get that.”

Seri closed her eyes and shook her head. It was pointless. He was impossible. “Why the hell did you go and let Malone call the media. They’ve been camped out here all day.”

“What did you expect? She’s a recovered kidnapped victim. Of course it was going to get out.”

“It didn’t have to. He did it for his own glory.”

“Are you getting soft on me, Sarah?”

“No. Forget it. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Keep me posted.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Damnit, Seri came outside for a reason.

“You look like you could use this,” Manny said, sliding beside her and handing her a mixed drink. Okay. She could probably use a drink. She needed to call Monica yet. Although she was grateful that Aquilla was the same size as her, she wanted her own clothes.
One more day, just one more day, she could make it.

<>

Quill peeked out the door before logging back on to the computer. The coast was clear. She plopped to the small bed and began her awaited task.

I was so excited to be in New York. We had such a great time, and for the first time in my life, I felt like we were a family. We even stayed in the same hotel room and my parents slept in the same bed. Other than the one time when my father demanded my mother to go into the bathroom, it was great. I stayed with Quill while he did his thing with my mother in the next room. Quill sat on my lap and we watched cartoons….really loud.

I wish you could have met my mother, Quill. She was so beautiful. She deserved so much more than my father ever gave her. It was so fucked up. She was there and then she wasn’t. Quill was there and then you replaced her. Although, I have forgiven him, I had to; it would have eaten me alive from the inside out, anyway, although I forgave him a long time ago, I can never forget it. He did things, Quill, things that would make you vomit. I’m not going to go into all of those details because I know that you love him, and I’m not going to take that away from you.

We spent four days sightseeing, eating at fancy restaurants, and just being a family. I was the happiest ten year old boy on earth. Thanksgiving morning was supposed to be our last day there. We were scheduled to leave at three that afternoon. I heard my parents argue that morning, well, I heard my father argue. My mother was never allowed to speak. She did argue that morning. She was protesting him taking us along with him. I didn’t know where he had planned on taking us, but as a young boy, I was excited. Was it a surprise? It was no surprise. We picked up the rental car in an abandoned warehouse. I remember thinking we were going to miss the parade. Quill was so excited about the parade. My father kept talking and talking to the two men in the warehouse while I waited in the car with Quill and my mother.

I was so mad at him when he finally moved into the driver’s seat. We had to go drop the car before we could attend the festivities. We were running out of time and still had to be at the airport by three. I sat in the backseat with Quill, staring out the window with crossed arms and a scowl. He told me to be a man and stop pouting. He pulled the car over to the side of the road and told my mother to get in the back with Quill. He needed to teach his son a lesson or two about business. I knew my mother wanted to protest. I could see it in her face. She didn’t. She got out and traded places.

He talked and talked about the importance of deadlines, limits, targets, and I have no idea what else. I had no idea what the hell he was even talking about. I just nodded as he spoke. I was ten for Gods’ sake. I didn’t care. I wanted to go to the parade. 

<>

“Rum and coke,” Seri smiled over to Manny, savoring her drink. He smiled back. Fuck. He needed to go back to New York.

“My favorite,” he admitted with the same stupid ass sexy grin.

Seri quickly turned her eyes from his and made some sort of get your shit together moan from deep in her throat.

“What?” he asked, catching it too.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“But, you were thinking it. What were you thinking?”

“I don’t sugarcoat anything, Manny.” She warned. She didn’t. She spoke it like it was. She always had. If you didn’t like what Seri had to say, tough shit, she didn’t care.

“I don’t need to be pacified.”

Seri snorted and shook her head.
UNBELIVABLE. “How long you going to be here?”

“I’m staying until I meet this Monica that is coming to fix my daughter, and then I am heading out. Why?”

“She’s not coming to fix your daughter. She’s coming to help her deal with everything that has happened to her. She is a very good friend of mine. Quill will be in good hands.”

“Okay????”

She snorted again. Why the hell did she keep doing that? “I need you to be far, far away from me.”

Manny smiled. He knew where this was going, right where he wanted it to go. “Why?” he asked in a low husky voice.

“No sugarcoating,” she warned again.

“Don’t need it sweetened.”

Seri looked straight into his eyes. “I have a very strong urge to want to fuck your brains out.”

“I don’t need brains.” Shit. That sounded stupid.

She laughed. “We need to stay away from each other. You think I haven’t noticed the looks all day?”

“You think I haven’t?”

Shit. Was she that obvious?

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No. I don’t do relationships”

“What do you do?”

“I fuck.”

Shit
, his hard on was out of his control. “I like to do that.” Stupid, again, what the hell?

“I’m going to hang out with Quill and let you take care of that problem you’ve got going on there,” she said, nodding toward his crotch. She gave him her empty glass with ice and walked away. She had to. She was ready to straddle him right there on the swing.

<>

Goddamnit
, why can’t she go away? Aquilla closed the laptop…AGAIN.

“What are you doing on that thing?” Seri asked, plopping to her bed next to Quills.