Gold Dust

Epilogue

I sat in the pale white room nervously waiting. I tapped my fingers against the table, wondering if this was the right thing to do. It was, wasn’t it? Leaving Antonio was for the best. He had even said his self. Ricardo had agreed that my presence alone made Antonio weaker. He was more impulsive when I was around. I couldn’t put him at risk. I just couldn’t do that.

“Robert, Nice to see you again,” Agent Johnson said walking into the room and closing the door behind him. “I knew we’d be seeing each other. So how can I help you today?”

“I want a new identity far away from here,” I said folding my arms across my chest. “Me and my friend, Vivian.”

“Do you have some information for me about your boyfriend Antonio Estevez?” he asked raising an eyebrow at me. I chewed on my lower lip for a moment, shaking my head.

“No I don’t,” I sighed running my fingers through my hair. “I don’t. He didn’t tell me anything. I just need to go. Someone is after me."

Agent Johnson was silent for a moment flipping through Antonio’s file for a moment or two. As soon as he did, he began to laugh. I stared at him in confusion unsure what was happening.

“You people are funny,” he said wiping the tears from his eyes. “I was just testing you. You see someone already came in with information on Antonio. I have enough to finally take the son of a bitch down.”

“What? Who?” I said glancing around.

“Doesn’t matter,” Agent Johnson huffed. “They are in witness protection now. So I’m sorry someone’s trying to kill you. Perhaps you should arm yourself. Have a good day, Robert.”

I stood up from the table, clenching my fists, as I stormed out of the room. I pulled my cell phone out and was about to call Antonio, when I stopped myself. They were probably tracking my phone. I slammed my phone against the ground, smashing it into pieces. I would have to meet Antonio at the spot he and I had agreed on. I planned on having Ricardo deliver him the note there, but the plan had changed.

I slid into my car and sped off to Vivian’s house. I grabbed all of my things and started packing the essentials. I shoved them into a suitcase and dragged them into my car. Just as I slammed the trunk shut, I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder.

“Robert?” Vivian said. “I – I haven’t seen you in days. Weeks? Where have you been?”

“Viv! I really don’t have time to talk,” I sighed. “Antonio is in trouble.”

“I know,” Vivian replied. “It’s all over the news. He’s a wanted man. Don’t tell me you’re running away with him?”

“Vivian! I love him,” I retorted. “I am in love with Antonio and I’m not leaving him.”

“He killed an innocent child,” Vivian explained. “He killed him for you. That’s what he told me.”

I froze for a moment unsure what I was hearing. I glanced at Vivian for a moment, shaking my head.

“No! He told me didn’t,” I replied. “He didn’t kill that boy. He told me. He promised me.  And what do you mean he told you that?”

“He’s a liar,” she continued. “Antonio is a liar and murderer. It’s his fault my brother is dead, Robert. I’m not letting you go with him.”

“I can make my own decisions,” I said sliding into the car seat and slamming the door shut. Vivian hit my car door as I sped out of the driveway towards Antonio and I’s meet up point. I passed by his place on my way to see it infested with cop cars. They were everywhere. It was definitely go time. I pulled into the shady parking lot, glancing at my watch. I was a few minutes late. I grabbed my suitcase and rushed out towards the air strip to see Antonio standing off in the distance with Ricardo. My letter was in his hands. I chewed on my lower lip as he ripped it up into pieces.

“Antonio!” I called out as I moved quickly towards him. I was out of breath when I reached him. He grabbed me and wrapped his arms around me unable to say anything.

“This letter? Why did you?” He huffed.

“There’s no time,” I retorted. “We have to get out of here now. The cops are looking for you, Antonio. They think you murdered that boy.”

“I didn’t kill that boy,” Antonio said shaking his head. “You know I didn’t do that. I – I brought him back safely.”

“It’s a set-up,” Ricardo chimed in. “He set you up Antonio. We have to get on that plane now.”

Ricardo, Antonio and I rushed onto the plane quickly. I tossed my suitcase on the top, and sat down. Ricardo and Antonio moved to the front to speak to the pilot. I leaned back in the chair nervously biting my nails. We needed to go, before the cops showed up. As of now, Antonio was a fugitive and I’m an accomplice. I assisted in his escape. That meant I could go to jail. I ran my fingers through my hair, as I began hyperventilating. I had never been on the other side of the law and it was not a good feeling. God, what would my family think? My mother and my father? Oh god. All of a sudden I was feeling nauseous.

After a moment or two, the pilot began to take off. Antonio returned and sat down next to me, grabbing my hand.

“Are you ok? You look a little pale,” he asked placing a hand on my face.

“I’m scared,” I choked out. “I’m sorry but I am. I – I’m scared Antonio. Where are we going to go? What are we going to do? The cops are after you.”

“They can’t touch us once we are out of the country,” Antonio said grabbing my hand. “Everything will be alright. I’ll take care of us. You don’t have to worry about a thing. I have friends in many places.”

I glanced out the window as the air strip became a tiny dot in the window. I hoped everything would be fine. I tapped my fingers against my leg anxiously. Antonio put his hand on top of mine stopping me in my tracks. He raised the arm rest in between us, kissing me on the neck affectionately.

“Relax,” Antonio whispered running his hands across my thigh. “Or do you need some help?”

“Are you serious? At a time like this?” I huffed crossing my legs. Antonio chuckled, shrugging. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder pulling me close to him. I rested my head on his shoulder and we sat like that for a moment in silence. Antonio ran his fingers through my hair, kissing me on the forehead.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promised. “We’re going to be ok.”

“I hope so,” I nodded. “So where are we headed?”

“Brazil,” Antonio explained. “I have family in Brazil. We’ll be safe there from the Americans at least. They can’t touch us there.”

I nodded. Brazil. I had never been. Hell I would I have never guessed that any of this would have happened to me. Six months ago if you told me that I would be involved with a drug lord and would be evading the police and flying out to Brazil for god knows how long, I would never believe you. I probably would have laughed in your face. But now look at me – I was on a flight to South America with the notorious Antonio Estevez.

“I can’t believe you were planning on leaving me,” Antonio said shaking his head. “I can’t believe you were going to leave me a note. You could have least come in person.”

“Us being together is dangerous, Antonio,” I sighed. “I was just trying to do the right thing.”

“By going to the DEA!” he retorted. “That’s the right thing.”

“We’ll someone already did before I could,” I replied. “He laughed in my face. I mean I didn’t have anything to give him. I don’t know anything. I never did.”

“Thank god someone did,” Antonio said. “I thank whoever did that because if they hadn’t you and I wouldn’t be here together right now. You’d be somewhere hiding from me. But you wouldn’t be able to. I’d find you, Robert, just know that.”

“I know,” I nodded. “I know. So how far until Brazil?”

“About 8 hours,” he said.

I nodded. In eight hours, I would be leaving my old life behind and starting a new one with Antonio. I would no longer be Robert and Antonio wouldn’t be Antonio anymore. We’d have different identities, but it didn’t matter. We’d be together.

That’s all that mattered.