[[Until We Become Lions]]

Chapter 79

Juan had only ever planned two operations that went tits up. The first had been during his time partnering with the CIA to uncover the exact location of CIA informants that had been inserted within Kyrat's royal army. The actual operation itself went fine. They got some idiot youngster to do the dirty work. The real problem arose when Juan was attacked by what he affectionately nicknamed a big, ugly motherfucker. Evimer had always corrected him during the times he'd recount that tale, explaining it was a yeti, but he always retorted that 'big, ugly motherfucker' had a better ring to it.

The second time was about a week ago when they failed to get to Evee in time before Anton scooped her up and whisked her away to his forbidden castle. Time had been of the essence, but so many things compounded onto one another and made the actual planning nonexistent. The first factor had been the fact that Danijela had the stubbornness of a bull in the middle of mating season. It didn't help to have Camila Montero instigate that they attack Jose right away. Drawing attention to different points of interest belonging to the little comemierda had been a valid attack plan, but not when there was a hostage situation involved too. They could have realized sooner that Evee had been moved, and then sent a small team to get her while Jose was distracted with the fight on the airfield.

To top it off, Juan had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. A beautiful woman with large dark eyes batting her eyelashes to get what she wanted. He could understand Danijela's urgency and need to be there when they retrieved Evee, but her condition had slowed them down tremendously. He could not place any blame on her though. She had acted in the way that a big sister should. That a mother would. Endlessly putting herself through the wringer to rescue the little family she had left. Juan should have written down notes - perhaps he could have learned a thing or two from her. Perhaps then he wouldn't have been such a shit father - hesitant to act. Hesitant to do anything that went against Evimer's word to stay out of their daughter's life. It stood to reason that he too was to blame. Perhaps he shouldered all of the blame. He should have put his foot down - demanded that he and his people went alone to Jose's island. Clara's insistence or not, he should have disregarded them, because now they were back to square one. Because he could not let go of his promise to Evimer - and because he was falling too hard and fast for Danijela. Evee was back in the capital, and there was no way of knowing when their next shot would be at rescuing her. The longer this war went on, the bloodier it would get. And eventually, it would make its way to the capital, and Evee would be on the chopping block with the rest of the Castillo regime.

To busy his mind, Juan had dove into his favorite pastime. Building a bunch of crap and hoping they didn't explode. The shield he had constructed for Danijela had held up rather well, despite being hurled into an active helicopter rotor. That was the joy of depleted uranium. He could count on it to not fall apart like the rest of his life. He began making a few adjustments to it, hoping to have it ready by the time Danijela was back on her feet. Secure the grip. Add another blast layer. Cut out a small area where she could rest a weapon and still aim down-sight. Try to make it more aerodynamic when needed.

He couldn't hear anyone approaching due to the radio blaring a Spanish cover of Careless Whisper combined with the sound of his soldering gun, but Guapo who always remained alert nudged his ankle. Juan spun around in his seat, pulling his goggles atop his head as he saw Clara approaching. Jefa looked a little worse for wear but her striking eyes refused to give away any inclination that she was run down. Juan reached out and lowered the volume of his radio as Clara leaned against his workbench.

"How is she?" Clara asked.

"Same as yesterday. And the day before." Juan shrugged.

Contrary to what made sense, Danijela had holed herself up on the same couch she had slept on the first night she spent here on Libertad island. She had not said a word since they returned from Madrugada. Even a brief visit from Camila Montero and Philly Barazaga who had come to check on the newly famed hero could not stir her. On the bright side, Juan did get Philly to help him with making one helluva back massager made out of dildos- who knew they could be so multi-purposeful?

This news made Clara frown.

"Is her leg getting better at least?"

"Well, falling thirty feet from a helicopter did her no favors but the swelling is going down." Juan remarked, "That doesn't account for the damage we can't see, though. Our Little Dani is tough but not invincible."

Clara glanced up at the catwalk. Juan followed her gaze. Danijela's back was to them, huddled under blankets with only the black of her hair poking out. Juan had had his fair share of injuries. Nearly getting his arm bitten off by training Guapo, getting caught in a stampede of zebras trying to smuggle one back to Yara, and of course his fistfight with the big, ugly motherfucker , so he knew just what kind of pain Danijela was in.

"I can call in a few favors. See if one of my contacts is still in Valle De Oro. He stiffed me on my last shipment by taking half of it on the way here last time. Comemierda has all sorts of candies. Uppers. Downers. He's got more drugs than a fucking sorority house."

"Juan. We are not giving Danijela any uppers or downers."

"Well, I'm sure he's got some sort of pain medicine too." Juan smiled wryly, "Give me a day or two Jefa . I'll get what Little Dani needs. And a little extra for me. C'mon Guapo."

Juan stepped down from his stool, but Clara stopped him. Her hand rested against his chest. She looked unsure - or, she was looking at Evimer's journal that rested on his desk. Danijela had nearly left it back in Madrugada, but Juan had a special sixth sense. Or he had snorted too much cocaine on their way back home.

"Do you think it was a mistake having her help us?" Clara asked.

Juan tilted his head. The question was quite simple, and Clara was a straightforward person. No nonsense. No riddles. Juan shrugged, knowing exactly where she was headed with this.

"Not sure what you mean jefa ."

"Yes, you do." Clara sighed and began to whisper, "She's too close to the Castillos. What happens at the end of all this? What if we can't save Evee before then? What if we need her to pull the trigger on Castillo and she can't?"

"Castillo killed her mother and has Evee brainwashed by now. Little Dani knows exactly what she's going to do." Juan said with a slight bite in his tone, uncommon for when he and Clara talked, "Same thing we all would do."

"I think you're projecting Juan." Clara said softly, "I know you're still hurt about Amaia...and from losing Evee again...but consider how close Dani was to Anton and that little boy..."

"I'd rather not. And I gather you'd rather not either."

Juan placed a hand over Clara's and gripped it, sighing. They were both a bit on edge with Danijela's condition hanging over their heads. It was only amplified by the feelings each of them felt for her and the closeness they had to one another after working together all these years.

"Casado women are something else aren't they?" Juan smirked, "They just get you so worked up."

Clara cracked a smile and shook her head, "That's your experience, Juan. Not mine."

"It could be." He chuckled, "We could even share."

Clara slid her hand out from his, shaking her head once again, "I couldn't-...I wouldn't put you and Danijela in that position. Besides, head in the game right?"

Juan smiled sympathetically at the big boss. Clara leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Clara asked quietly, " We ..are going to be okay?"

Juan stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head, "Of course jefa ."