The Angel Trumpet

12.

Current time

I sneak away after breakfast to do more research, putting the pieces in places on the invisible game board, strategizing everything to the last key. I wanted it to all fall perfectly and to make sure it does I call one of my contacts back on the island besides Xavier. A few rings sound out on the burner phone I got until the person answers. "Misty speaking." I smile while hearing her voice. "M it's me, Aleya." She sighs in happiness, "Girl where have you been? I miss our girl times." I laugh low. "I'm in a sunny place that has the best beaches." She lets out a snorted laugh. "The island has the best beaches what are you talking bout , must've bumped your head girl." We catch up a bit but then I ask her for a favor. "I need you to hack into some things like old times and send me some files I can't locate from over there." Misty starts tapping away on her computer searching for what I told her while we're still on the phone. "A Ricardo Quilles...is that name familiar?" Of course. "Yeah, thank you." Misty keeps tapping sending me the rest then stops mid way reading something to herself. "Aleya I think you should see this too." My phone goes off and a file pops up having me open it reading through the text to see something I can't believe.

It was an old email between Fernando and Quilles. It was saying things I couldn't grasp unaware of the impact it was making on me.

"I'll call you back. Thanks again." I hang up still reading scared what else I might find out.

I shove the phone in my back pocket heading out to the backyard where everyone was.

My eyes land on Tobias with pure anger, disgust, hatred. How can someone you trust stab you in the back while smiling in your face, laughing, pretending to care about you. He was a traitor. The worst of the worst. A soldier playing in Fernando's game. He lead Fernando here. He got the house burnt down. He did the dirty work. Leo notices my eye twitch knowing I'm holding back giving Pito a nudge. Pito glances over rising to his feet walking towards me.

"Leave. Both of you. Tobias let's have a one on one." I say ignoring Pito's furred eyebrow and Leo's confused expression.

Tobias shrugs unaware what danger he's in right now.

Both guys leave keeping their mouths closed but ears open as they wait inside the house near the patio doors.

I pull up a chair next to Tobias studying his body language and facial expressions.

"How long did you work for Quilles back then? A year? Two years?" I ask folding my hands together in front of me.

"Why are you asking about Quilles?"

I scoff adding a smile afterwards.

"Just answer."

"Three years and some change, why?"

I nod biting my bottom lip concealing the truth wanting him to trip up on his own lies.

"You never knew Fernando until that day he came knocking right? Had no idea what he looked like, sounded like, didn't know nada? Correcta?" Tobias jaw flexes knowing I'm leading up to calling him out on his deceit.

"No-"

I put my finger up to my lips then head telling him to just think before he fully answered what I just asked.

The ends of his lips twitch in guilt and fear knowing what I'm capable of, which is shoot first ask questions later and right now I was just focused on the shooting part but I'm holding back trying not to. "Aleya let me explain—I had no choice." I stand up having the chair slide back hitting the ground as I grab his neck. "You fucking knew." All I saw was red. My hand wraps around his neck more wanting to squeeze the life right out of his eyes but in that moment it came to me. He's a rat. A rat that has to answer to Fernando. I'll use him until I trap his sadistic master in his own cage.

"Here's what is going to happen. You're going to keep informing him. Keep playing his side. But when it comes down to it-" I pull him close almost as if we're having a stand off. "You're going down with him." I searched his dark brown eyes, watching for any type of despair, but all I found was emptiness. "If the guys ask, you disrespected me and did something unfortunate to your future with us." I let him go sliding the patio doors wide open leaving him to take in the enemy he just made for himself. Moments after Conor comes back from wherever he ventured off to with a card and ticket of some sort. If it was a romantic gesture I wasn't looking forward to it feeling my blood boil underneath my skin.

"Angel, I want to take you somewhere."

Angel.

I clear my throat and turn as he hands me the card and ticket holding one for himself.

I look down opening the beige card seeing the words boundaries list with two x's at the bottom for signatures and empty spaces for those boundaries.

"And the tickets?"

He tells me to turn it over so I do and see it's for a art show tonight at a rich looking museum.

"You deserve a distraction even if it's some old vintage building with priceless art with people with no taste."

A laugh escapes my mouth, but I accept wanting to get away, not wanting to confront the idea that one of my own betrayed me.

"Sounds good honestly."

He pulls me into a hug like he knew I just needed one.

It was hard for me to be in his embrace in any one's embrace but I kind of missed it so I didn't let go.