The Bone Collector

12

The short plane ride had felt like eternity as I bounced my foot repeatedly. Miguel's hand had eventually gripped my knee to still it before resting it there. I knew he was as anxious as I was since we were so close now, but until we had our children in our hands the fear of failure creeped in. We drove through your average family suburbs to a cul-de-sac on a nice street. At least they weren't in the swallers on the rough side of town. The car came to a stop and Nestor turned from the drivers seat.

"Please, just stay in the goddamn car Libi." My brother growled as he turned the car off at to the address we were given.

My baby was inside that house, like hell was I going to get this close and not be there when they got him. I nodded to my brother and watched him and Miguel walk to the front door. They had Marcus and a couple of local Mayans with them as the approached the door. When they were all focused on the house I slipped out of the car and skirted around the back fence.

I peered over the fence and saw a plastic playground and toys scattered around the lawn as well as baby clothes on the washing line. I struggled to pull myself up the fence and had to hold my breath when I fell heavily down the other side. I quickly limped across the lawn and peered into the window covertly. It was an empty bedroom so I crawled along to the next window and once more it was an empty room.

The last viewing point was a large French door so I very carefully looked inside and saw an old man sitting facing the door with a sawn off shotgun on his lap. I quickly pulled my phone out and called Nestor but he didn't answer. I heard voices inside, close to the door and my eyes shot wide in panic.

"Take the kids, pops and I'll catch up." The hushed but serious words of a man said as the French door opened.

I couldn't hide and I didn't want them to escape so I grabbed the closest thing to me. It was a rake and I didn't know how I was going to use it so I just picked it up like a long bat. I heard a crash as the front door was rammed in and the shot gun went off. More gunshots fired just as Emily was pushed into my line of sight and she had Albert in her arm and Cristobal holding her other hand for dear life. She saw me and cried out giving my position away.

"I'll deal with her, go Emily!" The man commanded as he walked towards me.

His hand went to the back of his jeans and I knew this was it. I swung the rake with all my might, just like Nestor showed me when he coached me in little league baseball. I hadn't even realised the spiked ends were facing him until they pierced him his head with a sickening whomp sound. He fell to the ground lifeless and I heard Emily scream like a banshee. She had left Albert on the grass and I prayed she hadn't dropped him. Cristobal was standing beside his little brother while Emily ran to the fallen man.

"Ez! Ez! Please baby, wake up." She cried beside him as blood pooled around his head.

She looked at me and snarled, "You took everything from me you fucking home wrecker. My husband, my family and now Ez." She grabbed EZ's weapon and pointed at me.

I saw Nestor and Miguel freeze as they took in the scene from the door. Nestor rounded the back of Emily in a wide berth to get to the kids. Miguel, however stepped closer to Emily.

"It wasn't her fault Em." He said gaining her attention and the weapon to turn to him. "It was mine."

I wondered what the hell he was doing. Did he want her to shoot him! Nestor was almost at the kids now but where was Marcus and the Mayans.

"Don't be a martyr Miguel, it doesn't suit you. Things were just fine until she came along." She said aiming the gun back to me and Miguel stepped closer to me too.