Tales from Éden - Who is Edmundo Montenegro?

Chapter 21 - Heading West!

Jack entered the room, Jennifer's body was placed on an improvised altar with tables and covered in flowers. He stood there admiring her beauty for the last time, he looked like a sleeping angel.

Eduarda ran in and said:

- He arrived:

Jack accompanied her, Dimitri Gredenko was waiting outside with a detachment of soldiers.

- I always considered you a nosy son of a bitch, but the one time we needed you we couldn't find you...

-Hello, Jack, it's been a while - said Gredenko - After the agreement I made with Jennifer, the bugs and surveillance were removed, she wanted to live a normal life, we were in Andorra we had to blow up the place so that the white people wouldn't escape from there , as soon as I received Eduarda's message, I came as quickly as I could.

-Did you bring what I asked for? - asked Jack.

- Yes, Jennifer will have a military burial as she always deserved - Gredenko assured - I just think burning the house down is a bit much.

-I couldn't live in it, not after everything that happened.

-I'm sorry for your pain, son!

-I'm not your son! - Jack exploded.

-All the children in the initiative are like children to me - assured the general.

-No, they're not! You can move gullible and sweet people like my wife, but I know very well that we are nothing more than weapons for you.

-Is not true! I loved Jennifer like a daughter, I'm destroyed too - faced with the look of disbelief he continued - Why do you think I allowed them to live in peace all this time? I wanted to give her the chance to be happy with her, she loved you, Jack, against all logic and common sense, that woman loved you deeply.

-She loved Edmundo.

-Only because loving Edmundo was the only way to reach you. Did you know that she tried to kill you, after you forced Eduarda to shoot her? She followed you to the place where you were staying and tried to kill you with a sniper, but she couldn't, even though she knew it was the only way to keep Eduarda protected, she couldn't shoot you.

Jack said nothing:

-That was when she realized that she loved you and when I realized that I had lost my best soldiers, so we made an agreement, I would leave them alone and in return when the children reached the age of 18 they would volunteer to serve in the initiative.

-Why are you telling me these things? Jack asked irritably.

- Firstly because she is dead and now the oaths I made don't matter anymore and secondly because I don't want you to doubt for even a minute how much that woman loved you.

***

The soldiers were preparing to throw explosive grenades at the inn, the flames would consume everything, giving Jennifer the typical Pallano burial, after the ceremony, they were all ready waiting for Gredenko's signal when Jack realized Eduarda was missing.

- Wait - asked Jack - Eduarda could still be inside.

Before Gredenko could respond they saw Eduarda coming out of the house pulling a sheet full of something.

Jack went to meet her and asked:

- What are you doing, girl?

-Nothing dad, I just forgot some of my things - Eduarda replied, walking as quickly as possible towards the carts.