To the Land of Green

Chapter Eight

He stops in front of the guy I fought with earlier and puts his foot on top of the guy's body. "Pathetic," he says, kicking the body. "Santiago, Valdez, carry him back to the camp for a proper burial," he continues. The man looks around and lands his eyes on me. "You're a pretty one." He raises his hand to touch my face. However, José grabs his hand and swipes the man's hand away from my face.
"Don't you dare touch her," I hear José say next to me? How did he get next to me so quickly? "José, it's been a while," the Spaniard says with a smirk on his face.
"Yeah, it has been a while. How's your brother by the way?" José smirks back.
"Good. He would've been better if it weren't for you! You low life!" The man says.
José responds, "He deserved it. The way he screamed when I was pressing the hot and glowing sword to his legs. Oh, You should have been there."
He did what now? I look at him, scared. How could anyone say those types of things with a sadistic smile? That is just cruel. Hearing what he said I step a little farther away from him. What if he does that to me? What if he does that to me for keeping Ractro from him? I feel a handhold my arm.
"He deserved it, Marie," Andres whispers in my ear. "I will explain it to you later when I get the chance," he says. I look around and realize Nando, Eman, and Manoy stand next to us as well. The Spaniard man stops smirking and commands, "Take them!"
We all start running. However, the Spaniard reaches his hand forward and grabs my bag pulling me close to him.
"Ouch. Let me go!" I say trying to kick the man but to my surprise, he doesn't even budge. Is this dude a robot or something? Hearing what I said, everyone stops and turns around.

"Let her go, Alvarez!" José says.
"Is she that precious to you, José?" he says holding my face. I spat at his face. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes the spittle away. Holding my face tightly, he says," You will regret that little girl."
"Let her go, Alvarez. We will come but she and Nando have to go!" Andres says.
"What you want is us right? You want revenge. It is either we leave now or you let them all leave. She doesn't matter to us that much anyway," José says.
"Fine," he says letting me go. "I will let the girl go but you and your brother must stay. I have been waiting for this for two years," he says.
"I am staying too. I can't just leave you guys alone. I can't bear to have more blood on my hands." I say.
"No!" he tells me. "Eman, Nando, Manoy, take her. Nando, you know where it is." he whispers to him.
"Come on, Marie," Nando says.
"What?! We can't let them go!" I say.
"This time we can't help them, Marie. Remember, you said that we must help the people we're with as much as we can and we just did. Now, it is time for us to think about the people that are waiting for us," Nando says grabbing me and hoisting me over his shoulder. Eman, Manoy, and Nando start walking carrying me on top of him. The Spaniards made a way for us and in front, Andres and José can be seen getting beaten up by the Spaniards.
"Nando, let me go! We have to help them," I say, tearing up. I can hear sticks hitting their skin from afar. I can even feel Nando flinch and tense up after every whip. He must have also been in the same position as them like what he said earlier. Maybe if I listened to Nando and we never

went back they could have controlled the situation better. They would not have to worry about me, their "savior," being put in danger.
We have been walking for a while now and the sounds of every whip can no longer be heard. Instead, silence surrounds the area.

"You can put me down now, Nando," I say to him. "Ok," he says.
"Thank you."
"No, problem."

"Where are we going now?" I ask.
"We are sticking with the plan. We have to let Fredo and the rest know about what happened here. We have to help Andres and José as soon as possible before Alverez gets them killed," Manoy says.
"I am sorry but we can't do that," someone behind me says.