The Charity Chip (28 page)

The glow from the fire lit up the dilapidated warehouse and the lingering smoke burned Julio’s eyes. Sergio sat by the fire playing on his tablet with Brujo looking over his shoulder. Esqueleto and Chancho sat across the fire arguing about something while Peludo stoked the fire. Several others sat around the fire like vultures waiting for something to die. Julio fingered the pendant.
This doesn’t feel right.

“Did you bring the money?” asked Sergio without looking up from his game.

Julio expected Raúl to answer, but instead he gave Julio an expectant look. “It’s in a safe place,” answered Julio.

Brujo’s hollow eyes locked on to Julio as he slid around the fire. Sergio looked up from his game. “How much?”

Again Julio looked at Raúl expecting him to answer. After a moment of silence, he said, “One hundred soles. Didn’t Raúl tell you?”

“Puma? All he said was that you were bringing all of the money he owed tonight.” Sergio handed the tablet to Peludo and stood. “He also said you had reconsidered our offer to join us.”

Brujo moved behind Julio and blocked the exit.

Julio glared at Raúl and tightened his jaw. “Raúl lied to you. I don’t have all the money. I have only one hundred soles, and I’m not interested in joining your gang.”

“Is that true, Puma?” asked Sergio as he sauntered around the fire circle. Several boys stood and began to form a circle around Julio and Raúl. “Did you lie to me?”

“Chicha,
vamos, hermano
. I thought we could work this out,” said Raúl. “My brother just needs to see how membership in
los mALditos
will benefit him. He just needs a little persuasion.”

Sergio smiled. “And how about the money?”

“I swear. He told me he had the money.”

Julio smacked Raúl in the back of the head with his open hand. “
Mentiroso
! I told you this afternoon that I only had access to one hundred soles and that I had no intention of joining
los mALditos
.”

Raúl glared at Julio, and a moan went up from the closing crowd. Brujo clicked his tongue. Sergio raised his hands to quiet the crowd. “
Hermanos
, we have a stranger in our midst that has dared to strike one of our own. We might also have a liar among our ranks.”

They began to chant quietly, “
Al infierno. Al infierno
,” but each chant grew louder. “
Al infierno! Al infierno!
”

Julio didn’t wait for them to make their move. He spun around and swung his board at the closing crowd. Brujo jumped back and crouched, ready for Julio’s next move, but he was the only one blocking the exit. Before anyone else could lay a hand on him, Julio gripped his skateboard at each end with the wheels facing outward and plowed into Brujo. Julio knocked him down with his board and hurried down the stairs two-by-two. Turco was still facing the street when Julio darted out the front door and tossed his board for a running start. Just as he planted his feet on the board and started rolling, he heard Raúl scream.

Julio carved to the left and coasted to a stop against the sidewalk.
Don’t stop. Raúl brought this on himself
.
He can take care of himself.

“Julio! Help me!” screamed Raúl. “Don’t leave me!” The sound carried through the open upstairs window and bounced against the empty buildings. Mocking laughter followed the cry for help and echoed in the fog.

Julio shook his head and turned his board around. He kicked his way back down the street, but was careful not to get too close to
El Infierno
. He carved his board in a tight circle opposite the old warehouse. The fire cast a dim glow against the overcast sky as the smoke escaped the building and mingled with the fog. The air felt oppressive and acrid. Turco stood in the doorway with his knife in hand.

“Leave my brother alone,” shouted Julio.

Los mALditos
laughed. Sergio silenced them and shouted back, “Or what?”

Julio knew he was helpless. He couldn’t rescue Raúl. He had nothing to negotiate with, and he wasn’t strong enough to defeat them all. He remembered Isak’s offer—
I can show them that you have allies that can make their lives miserable. Would you like me to help you send them a message?
He thought about calling Isak for help, even if it meant exposing Raúl as his twin brother, but he knew that Isak would never arrive in time. He needed to buy some time, some time to set a trap and execute his revenge. He smiled to himself.

“Do you want the money Raúl owes you?” asked Julio. “Or would you like a lot more?”

It was quiet for a minute, and then finally Sergio stood in the broken window at the front of the warehouse with fire silhouetting him from behind. “You said you only have one hundred soles,” said Sergio.

Julio nodded. “True. I have one hundred soles right now, but I can help you get a lot more.”

“How?”

Julio held up his left hand and pointed to the charity chip beneath his skin. “I have a money chip. Every day they deposit enough money for me to buy food. They have very tight control over how I spend the money.” Julio held up a finger. “But the people that control the money don’t want anything bad to happen to me. If you let my brother go, tomorrow I will take you to the facility and you can use me as a hostage to negotiate for more money from them.”

“It’s true, Sergio,” yelled Raúl. “I’ve seen him use the chip.”

Sergio looked back at Raúl and then at Julio. “How much can we expect?”

“That depends on your powers of persuasion with the people that control the money,” answered Julio. “They have funding from the United Nations.” Julio shrugged. “If I get you into the facility tomorrow, you can hold everyone hostage and demand a tidy sum.”

Sergio looked back at
los mALditos
. “I think we’ll pass. Your brother can work off his debt as a
mula
, and we will deal with you another time.”

“I figured you were too big of a coward to pull it off anyway,” said Julio. He started skating away hoping that his dig would spurn Sergio to action.

“Are you calling me a coward?” shouted Sergio.

Julio smiled and stopped. “What does it look like to you? You would rather force your gang members to work as
mulas
instead of taking an opportunity for some real money because you don’t have the guts to face a real challenge.” Julio folded his arms and stared at Turco. “I think all of
los mALditos
are a bunch of thieves and cowards too afraid to take on a big job.”

The gang began to howl. Turco thumped his chest and pointed at Julio with his knife. Sergio waved his arm to silence them. “
Los mALditos
are afraid of no one, especially you.”

“Well then, meet me at Plaza Manco Cápac at nine o’clock tomorrow morning, ready for action, and I’ll introduce you to an opportunity that can pay out more in a day than you bunch of petty thieves make in a year.” Julio put his hands on his hips. “Unless, of course,
los mALditos
are simply a bunch of snot-nosed punks afraid of their own shadow.”

The gang burst into jeers and shouts. This time Sergio didn’t silence them but shouted over them. “We will see you tomorrow morning! Your brother stays here until you make good on your promise.” He turned and raised his arms. “
Los mALditos
are afraid of no one!” The sounds of their chants echoed against the empty buildings on the street.

Julio saluted Turco and kicked his way down the street. As soon as he turned the corner at the end of the street, he had to stop because he was laughing so hard. After a few moments he skated on and sang the Alianza fight song all the way home.

C
HAPTER
E
IGHTEEN

Cuatro Tiros

(Four Shots)

^B
y the next morning, Julio’s excitement about luring
los mALditos
to Caritas had passed. He awoke early and lay there in the dark feeling his anxiety build with the rising sun. He rolled over and stared at Raúl’s empty bed, wondering if he had set something in motion he would regret. It had seemed like a good idea—let a confrontation with a gang be the diversion and at the same time get Isak to send the group of bullies a message. But a thousand things could go wrong.
I hope it goes well, but it’s too late now. The course has been set.

Before he got out of bed he grabbed his phone and called Angelica. She answered on the fourth ring, “
Hola
, you’re up early.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I’m worried.”

Angelica yawned into the phone. “You woke me up to tell me that?”

Julio hesitated.
Should I tell her?
He decided it would be better if she didn’t know. “Make sure you are at Caritas before nine thirty today. I want to get an early start.”

“Are you ready to puke your guts out?” she asked.

Again Julio paused.
If I tell her about my plan, she might be angry. She might call it off.
“It seems like such a waste of good food, but I’m ready.”

“What are we going to do if Isak doesn’t come out of his office and just lets Doctor Kozyar deal with it?”

Julio smiled. “You leave that up to me. With what I have planned, he will definitely leave his office. Just do me a favor. As soon as I show up, you leave. I want you ready to move.”

Angelica yawned again. “No problem. Now let me get a little more sleep. It’s early.”

“
Hasta luego
,” said Julio and ended the call.

* * *

It was drizzling when Julio pushed open the uneven door at the bottom of the stairs. He slipped his jacket over his Alianza jersey, pulled the hood over his head, and skated toward the plaza. By the time he reached the supermarket, his jacket and pants were damp. He checked his phone—eight o’clock. He ducked into the supermarket, grabbed a yogurt and a muffin at the deli, and ate them inside, hoping to dry off.

At nine o’clock he stood in front of the statue of Manco Cápac with his hood pulled over his head to protect against the continuing drizzle. Part of him hoped that
los mALditos
would wake up to the rain and decide not to show, but he knew that wouldn’t keep them from taking their revenge at another time. When he saw them riding their skateboards into the plaza, he felt a strange sense of relief—and dread.

“What’s the matter? Afraid of little drizzle?” asked Sergio as he skated up with at least fifteen of
los mALditos
on skateboards behind him. They circled the statue and Julio. “Look at him,” said Sergio, sneering. “He looks like a toad with his hood over his head. We will call him
Sapo
.”

Julio glanced around at the group. Brujo, Esqueleto, Chancho, and Turco were all there, but not Raúl. “Where’s my brother?”

“His doctor ordered him to stay in bed.” Sergio turned his board. “Let’s get moving,
Sapo
.”

He looked at Sergio and smiled. “See if you can keep up with this,
Sapo
.” Then he kicked his board and picked up speed as he headed for the corner. He didn’t have to look over his shoulder to see if they were following. The noise of their skateboards over the concrete was louder than the hum and rattle of the morning traffic.

Julio felt a rush of adrenaline and picked up speed. He weaved in and out of morning pedestrians feeling more energetic with each kick. The moisture from the air built up on his cheeks and trickled down his neck. He glanced over his shoulder.
Los mALditos
were strung out over a city block. Sergio, the closest, was almost thirty meters away. Julio kicked harder and picked up more speed.

Julio never slowed down until he stopped at the corner of Obsidiana. He looked back and saw that the closest gang member was still a half a block away. He pulled out his phone and texted Angelica while he waited—
Get out now
. He stood there with his arms folded and a grin on his face, trying not to show any fear when Sergio skated up.

“Where’s the fire,
Sapo
?” asked Sergio, still breathing hard from the ride. “Afraid we were going to catch you?”

Julio didn’t answer. He stood there with the board under his arm and waited for the stragglers to catch up. “Good thing
los mALditos
don’t play for Alianza,” he said as Turco, the last rider, skated up out of breath. “La U would run you into the ground.”

“
Basta, Sapo
!” warned Sergio. “Where’s this place, this El Dorado for our taking?”

Julio pointed with his chin to the Caritas building. “Over there.” Just then Angelica slipped out the front door. “The door where she just left.”

Angelica stopped when she saw Julio with
los mALditos
, but only for a moment. Recognition crossed her face, and she turned and hurried down the street for the alleyway.

“How do we get in?” asked Sergio.

Julio held up his left hand. “I swipe my chip to open the door, and you follow me in.”

Sergio nodded at Turco.

Turco stepped forward and grabbed Julio by the left arm. Julio tried to jerk his arm free from Turco’s grasp, but Sergio punched him in the stomach. He dropped his board and gasped for breath. Brujo grabbed his right arm, and they drug him across the street to the front door of Caritas. The rest of
los mALditos
laughed and followed.