Dual Eclipse

20

“Van en cinco, cuatro, tres— Espera!” I jerk back from the door on the Chief’s orders. “El no esta solo.” Chief holds his hand up to halt us from leaving. “Rafael esta con una mujer.” He is quiet, and I assume he is running her profile into the database. “Rosaline Voinov?”

[They go in five, four, three— Wait! He is not alone...Rafael is with a woman.]

My brows furrowed at the surname as I sat on the bench. Undoubtedly, many people had the surname Voinov. Right? The bastard couldn’t possibly know this woman, and what pray-tell is a Russian doing in Cuba? I caught Harold’s glare and turned.

I swallowed and looked at the others inside the moving truck. Carolina ran her hand through her hair and sighed deeply. “¿Qué?” She opened her arms, and I quickly turned my head. It was no secret that the valiosos didn’t want a nineteen-year-old between their feet. No matter how worthy I proved them to be of this promotion, they wouldn’t accept it. They preferred me behind a desk or preferably in a flower shop or anywhere for niñas.

[What? Valuable...Girls]

I study the footage on the computer discretely from the side of the bench, forcing my guilt down. Chief’s body blocked it off, and Harold joined him. They exchanged a few words, which made Harold angry. “La misión falló esta noche.” Heavy groans filled the shallow space. Chief didn’t owe anyone an explanation, yet he was stern with it.

[The mission failed tonight.]

The van starts moving. “¡Para nosotros no hay nada más que un hombre y una mujer! Chocamos y uno escapa y el otro muere. Cuéntales la misión, Victoria.”
I jerk my head up and meet everyone’s gaze. My heart dropped from all the spotlight. Christ! Don’t show fear; it’s a weakness. “Consigue a Rafael Gamboa y encuentra los túneles utilizados para importar y exportar a las niñas.”

[For us there is nothing but a man and a woman! We crash and one escapes and the other dies. Tell them the mission, Victoria...Find Rafael Gamboa and find the tunnels used to import and export the girls.]

“Exactamente. Nosotros esperamos.” His phone rings and everyone accepts defeat. That wasn’t defeat because I had all the time in the world to get my hands on the hijo de puta. Sasha left him behind, and I wonder if he didn’t know about this man or if Gamboa was as powerful as the world painted him to be.

[Exactly. We hope... Son of a bitch.]

Chief Ramirez continues to speak to his daughters over the phone, and Harold doesn’t take his hateful eyes off me. Everyone sat and focused on the drive to the station, but the bastardo was intent on making me uneasy. I get up for some coffee. “Señorita Castillo,” Harold cajoles as he stalked closer to me.

I don’t answer as he stops beside me. “¿Me estás ignorando ahora?”

[Are you ignoring me now?]