Dead Straight (Lee Christmas Romance)

Part 8

Sandra led us to a rusted blue truck where Barney sat in the front with Sandra and I had to sit in the back with Lee. There was no way for us to comfortable sit in that little truck since our legs were practically squashed together awkwardly but we managed. " Well this is cozy" Lee said trying to make more room for us to be able to sit easier but didn't succeed. "Yeah no kidding" I replied as the truck started. My gun was seriously digging into my hip.

" Sorry, I would have gotten a bigger car I just didn't think there would be three of you" Sandra explained in her thick Hispanic accent. I shrugged it off though, it wasn't terrible. I honestly didn't mind being squished up against Lee.

I looked up at the ceiling of the truck to see small drawings on white pieces of paper of woman's faces. Each was delicately drawn and different. Some showed masked or painted girls and other showed natural faces. " You draw these?" Barney asked gesturing to the drawings I had been looking at. Sandra nodded " Yes, take one. A gift" Sandra offered. " I don't take free gifts" Barney replied and selected one of the drawing that showed a woman with an almost feathery helmet on with blood seeping from her eyes like tears. " How much you want for it?" Barney asked curiously.

"Nothing, taking money for something is not a gift, taking nothing for something is" Sandra said back abstinently. Barney looked ready to say something else before we passed by several soldiers harassing two young men and an elderly woman. " Was it always like this?" I asked watching the soldiers cuff the boys before I lost view of them. " The place was a beautiful place once,the one day they came with money and General Garza sold his soul" Sandra responded gravely.

"You said "they" came with money? Who's they?" Barney asked.

" Some Americans, that's all I know. But someday this will all change" Sandra claimed hopefully. Barney looked at her skeptically " You really believe that?" Barney asked.

"Yes. The best day will be the one when we can say that our lives are our own again" Sandra told us. I rose a brow, she really did sound like she believed her words.

" You have any family Sandra?" Lee asked randomly.

" My Mother, when I was little, she died and my father.... he's gone too" Sandra replied hesitantly and I felt a small bit of pity for her. My mother died of old age a couple years ago and my father was in a nursing home with a terrible case of Alzheimer's. Last time I went to see him he couldn't hardly remember who I was. He didn't even know that my team was gone I don't think.

"Sandra how close can you get us to the Palace" Barney asked innocently. " The Palace?! Why" Sandra asked sounding rather alarmed. " We just wanna, check out the view" Barney replied casually. Sandra shook her head " There is no view" She said quickly.

" Why don't we just go there any way?" Barney asked softly and Sandra complied as she turned down a street. We pulled up onto a hillside and were soon surrounded by towering tropical trees. " How far from the palace?" Lee asked as he looked out the window at the foliage. " It's just right over there" Sandra replied gesturing in front of her.

" Pull over please" Lee asked and Sandra did so and Lee got out of the truck. " Lee what are you doing?" I asked curiously shifting my legs now that I had more room. Lee shrugged " Let's just say I like seeing the world, from different views" Lee answered causing me to quirk a brow. He was probably going to scout ahead.

Lee was about to take off when we started up the Truck and continued driving to the palace. The road got continually bumpier as we drove further until Sandra stopped when the muddy road ended. We got out and surveyed the scene, it was mostly all just tropical trees and shrubs but off in the distance you could see the palace. Was this really the closest we could get?