Memories of a Life That Never Happened

Chapter 100 - Tightropes and Safety Nets

"Oh, isn't that sweet? She misses you already, Escobar!" Nicholas mocked and the crowed burst into laughter.  

Next, he announced he was going to run for Congress on behalf of the city, which was vigorously celebrated of course. 

Sanctified and revered, Nicholas' flock was the largest that church had ever seen. And he intended to guide them with a firm hand. When Theo budged to follow Mica, his father grasped his wrist to stop him.  

Escobar, however, was free to go after his stepdaughter. He followed her into the church, calling out her name several times to no effect. 

He reached her inside the church, hidden in the confessionary.  

"Tell me this isn't true," Mica urged him a cracking voice. 

"Cariño..." Escobar raked his hair, picking his words. "You need to look at the bright side of this." 

"Going to Switzerland? And leave all of you here? Not a chance!"  

Sobbing, she wiped off her cheeks with the back of her hand.  

"There must be another way!" 

But the tears kept coming as Escobar kept staring at her miserably.  

When her breathing slowed a bit, he promised her, "There is no other way, Mica. I tried everything I could. There is no other way." 

"If we got to go, we could leave together," she suggested. "It's not like we have a home here anymore." 

He gave her a skeptical smile "You know your mom would never leave. House or no house." 

"Maybe she would. If we tell her-." 

Before she was finished, Escobar was already shaking his head. 

"We can't tell her. Not yet. She is too weak. They only let her out of the hospital because they needed every single bed they have. Unless you are dying, they are sending you home. Jacira is not strong enough Mica. If she knows what happened to you-. She cannot protect you-," he broke off and sighed. "And I cannot live without her, Mica." 

"But Switzerland?" 

"It is very far, I know. Which means it is much safer than here." 

"So-," she gulped. "You think-?" 

"Yes," he smoothed his mustache. "Someone burnt down our house."  

Escobar brushed off new tears slithering down her face. 

"And Nicholas will pay for everything?"  

"Everything," her stepfather confirmed. 

"Why?" 

Escobar tipped her nose, as he often did with Julian.  

"Because our plan worked."  

"It did? I wasn't sure." 

"He agreed to keep you safe and we'll not give the police any photos." 

Mica sniffed. "What about my deposition?" 

"We are telling the police another story. You see, Mica, the one you told me that night at the hospital can never be told again. It incriminates his son, but it also may incriminates you. Unlike us, they can pay big money to top lawyers. Nick will end up being the victim and whoever accuses him will end up in jail." 

Short of breath, both because her running nose and because the scene Escobar was depicting was too terrible, Mica took a long, wheezing breath. 

"If we let him pay, isn't he buying us? Our silence?" 

"That's what it looks like. That is what he thinks he is doing. It is what we want him to think. Mica, he has to believe that he has us under control." 

"But it's not just what he'll think!" she cried. "It'll be the truth!" 

"No, it is not. That is why we have a plan B." 

Her eyes widened for a second.  

"What?" 

"I will tell you soon."  

Mica opened her mouth to protest, but reconsidered and closed it again. 

Knowing that there was a backup plan gave her enough comfort to wait a little longer. But it was not long before her mind drifted back to plan A.  

"Does Mom know?" 

"About Switzerland?" Escobar sighed. "Not yet." 

"When are we going to pick her up?" Mica wanted to know.  

"Today. But there's somewhere we need to go first." 

He offered her a callous, dependable hand and together they left the church, got into Eloy's car and set off to another mysterious destination.