La Rosa Del Sur (The Rose of the south)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7
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Diego pressed a finger to the man's neck. "Yeah, he's dead." He bent his head towards the man's mouth and sniffed. "I think it was a cyanide capsule. How vintage."

Rafael had started pacing, running his hands through his hair. "What was he saying? What is "the rose"? And who the hell was he talking about? Ahh!" He let out a frustrated yell. "We should've done more, maybe we should've shot him until he told us more. Carajo! We could've done that!"

"Rafael!" My father bellowed, pausing Rafael in his tracks. "There was nothing we could've done. He would've killed himself quicker under torture." He looked back at the body. "What we need to do now is search, then dispose of the body. We also need to come up with a clever story to cover up the commotion so the hotel staff and occupants won't be suspicious." He turned to my mother. "Arianna, that's on you."

My mother nodded and turned to Zoella. "Cariño, please join me."

Zoe turned to me. "Will you be alright?" I nodded. She squeezed my hand once, then followed my mother out of the room.

After they left, I sat down on the edge of the bed. My head was swimming with unanswered questions. Who was that man? Why was he here, and what had he been talking about? And what was "the rose"? Before I could think any further, Rafael called my name.

"Roseina?" He asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, forcing a small smile. "Let's just figure out who this guy is." As I began to stand up, Rafael put a hand on my shoulder.

"Not that I think you can't handle this," He said gently. "But we think it's a good idea that you stay here and try to get some sleep." He raised a finger to stop my protest. "It's been a long night, for you especially. We'll be right down the hall. Por favor?" His eyes were pleading. While adrenaline was still coursing through my veins, I nodded. Relief washed over his face and he turned away.

Diego and Rafael hoisted the intruder's limp body over their shoulders, and began dragging it down the hall. My father gave me one last concerned look, then closed my door softly. I continued to stare at it blankly for a minute, before resolving to try and sleep. I lay on my side, still facing the door, and drew the covers around me.

It was a pointless effort. I knew there was no way I could sleep again. I threw off the stifling blankets and stood up. I grabbed my key card, put on my discarded shoes and walked towards the door. I opened it, looked around to make sure no one was there, then stepped outside. I closed it as quietly as I could, and then tiptoed down the hall to Rafael's room. I stopped at the door, looked around once more to ensure that I was alone, and pressed my ear against it. I listened intently and could make out the muffled voice of my father.

"Rafael," He said with authority. "Did you pick up the gun?"

"Sí," Rafael replied. There was a rustle as something was passed between hands.

There was a long pause. Then, "He was a Frenchman," My father said.

"Really?" I heard Diego ask in astonishment. "How can you tell?"

"Well this is PAMAS-G1, a small gun specifically designed for and used by all branches of the French Armed Forces," My father said. "And his accent. Didn't either of you notice his accent during our questioning?"

"So he's a soldier?" Rafael had a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Why would a soldier try and kill our Roseina?"

My father didn't answer for a moment. "I don't think he's a soldier. No, soldiers don't act like that. There's something much more sinister at work. Do you remember what he said about 'the rose'?"