Mila Santos Is (Not) Dead

xi: bloodlust

THE ONLY PEOPLE IN Waffle House were a teenager in stage makeup and a slick bun, her tired-looking grandparents, and a single worker—a twenty-something white girl with short, fluffy brown hair; light olive skin; and a curved, aquiline nose. With her doe brown eyes, square jaw, and red lipstick, she looked enough like Audrey Hepburn to make Malachi take a double-take. (He'd always known he'd run into the ghost of Audrey Hepburn in a Waffle House.)

Malachi rushed to the counter, Reza at his heels. He hadn't felt this close to Mila since the last time he'd seen her. He didn't want to let her slip through his fingers.

"You can sit wherever," the Audrey Hepburn lookalike assured them. Her name tag read "Louise."

Malachi shoved the photo of Mila in her face. It had a tear in its edge by now. "Have you seen this girl?"

Louise's eyes widened. Her cheeks reddened. "Yeah, that's Sofía. Sofía something. Bit of an odd duck, isn't she?" She chuckled. "Why? She in trouble?"

"Missing." Malachi shoved the photo back in his pocket.

"When did you last see her?" Reza asked.

"You just missed her." Louise stuck her hands in the pockets of her apron, concern darkening her eyes. "She followed this guy out... he looked a whole lot older than her. Lord, if I had known, I would not have let her walk out those doors—"

"It's not your fault," Reza assured her.

"What kind of car was she in?" Malachi asked. "Did you see where they headed off to?"

"A gray Oldsmobile. She just left, heading... east on Route 66, off toward the desert. If you go now, you might be able to catch up with her. Road only goes one way, after all."

Malachi turned toward the exit without so much as a thank you. He had other things on his mind.

"Hang on!" Louise called. "I care about that little weirdo. She's grown on me. If she's in trouble... I want to help. I'm coming with you."

Malachi didn't have time to argue. And maybe Louise knew this town better than he did. "Just hurry."

"Jacob!" Louise called over her shoulder toward a door against the wall, behind the open kitchen. "Get off break! I'm leaving!"

"Fuck off! I still have three minutes!" This disembodied "Jacob" yelled back.

"It's an emergency!" Louise yelled as she cleanly slid over the counter, joining Malachi and Reza at the door. "It's about that Sofía girl."

"The weird one?"

"Yeah. Hot chocolate girl."

"Get some, Lou!"

Louise's cheeks reddened. She opened the door and the three ran outside. They piled into Reza's car, Louise in the backseat. Reza threw the car in reverse.

"Her name's not actually Sofía," Malachi pointed out.

"What?"

"Her name's Mila. Camila Santos."

Reza shot out of the parking lot, turning back the way they came.

Louise scrunched up her nose. "Why did she lie to me?"

"She's been lying to everyone," Malachi replied.

"Oh." Louise hunched in on herself. "How do you guys know her? She never mentioned any brothers."

"She's my best friend," Malachi answered.

"I only sort of knew her." Reza pointed his thumb at Malachi as he pushed to twenty past the speed limit. "I'm only here because this idiot can't drive."