When We Met

CH 1 Rosaline

I couldn't catch my breath as I sprinted down the darkened streets of Santiago, my heart pounding out of my chest. Behind me, I could hear the shouts and pounding footsteps of the men chasing me - my uncle's henchmen hot on my trail.

Just hours earlier, my world had been shattered in an instant. We had gathered for what was supposed to be a routine family meeting at my father's compound. But it was a trap. Gunshots rang out and chaos erupted as my uncle's forces laid siege. I watched in horror as my father and brothers were cut down before my eyes by the hail of bullets.

My uncle had been jealous and resentful of my father's power for years in the cartel. He had finally made his move to take over, eliminating anyone who was loyal to my father. I was the only one who managed to escape in the firefight, but I knew they would hunt me down next.

I dared a glance over my shoulder as I turned a corner. Three large SUVs full of armed men screeched around the bend, rapidly closing the distance. Pushing my legs as hard as I could, I fled down an alleyway, frantically looking for any escape.

Up ahead was a fence, and without hesitating I scrambled over it, scraping my hands and knees on the rusted metal. I found myself in someone's backyard, a small adobe home with clothes hanging on a line. A light came on in an upstairs window. I had no choice but to keep running.

Bursting out onto another street, I zigzagged through neighbourhood after neighbourhood, gradually making my way toward the outskirts of the city. My uncle's reach was long, but I knew I had to get out of Santiago. Out of Chile entirely if I wanted to stay alive.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I reached a shabby motel on the edge of town. Using the last of my cash, I was able pay for a cheap room for the night under a fake name. I collapsed onto the musty bed, every muscle screaming in pain and fatigue.

But I couldn't rest for long. With the first light of dawn, I would need to get moving again. My father's few remaining loyal soldiers were waiting for me across the border in Argentina. From there, we would scatter, disappear, and begin rebuilding from the ashes to take revenge on my traitorous uncle. The nightmare was just beginning.