I WISH THAT I COULD TELL YOU

Chapter 4 - in which Camila changes her name to Carmen

"Mama, what is happening to us?" Lita threw herself, sobbing, into Camila's lap. She had been tired and grumpy before their abduction, now she was exhausted, and terrified as well.

"These are bad men, mija, and they are hoping to get some money from us. It will be fine, don't worry." She hoped she sounded more convincingly reassuring than she felt.

Lita looked up at her with her dirty, tear stained face, clutching the tiny stuffed rabbit, that she hidden in her pocket. "Papa will save us, won't he Mama? He promised nothing bad would ever happen to me and you and my baby brother."

Camila didn't correct her assumption that she was having a boy, she could be right after all, and it was not the time. Oh God, they had to get back to the hotel before Shawn arrived tomorrow, or he would go out of his mind! There was a scratching at the door and Lita grabbed tight. They both stared as the doorknob slowly turned and the door began to open. A little brown face peered it.

"Hola!" she whispered.

"Hola," Lita and Camila whispered back in unison.

"Who are you?" Camila asked in Spanish.

"I am Maria," she said in English, still whispering. "You are in the home of my Papa, Hector."

"Why has your Papa locked the door? Where is he?"

Maria looked sad, her eyes large in the darkened room, her little gold earrings twinkling in the sliver of moonlight that was sneaking in through the window. She looked at Lita as she spoke.

"My Papa, he is a good man, I promise you, but my abuela is very very sick, and it will cost many American Dollars to get her well, and he was going to save you, but now he thinks your papa will give him a lot of money for you."

Lita looked up at Camila. "Is that right Mama? Will Papa give them money to make their abuela not sick any more?"

"I'm sure Papa would try to help Maria's abuela if her papa told him about it. He might not want to help him if he tries to scare him into giving money though."

"This is also what my abuela and me think, and she said "go Maria, and make sure they are safe". She says she cannot live knowing this is where the money come from. She is old and has had a good life, she doesn't mind going to heaven."

Camila felt a lump in her throat. Suddenly Maria's head snapped around, and her eyes widened.

"Oh no!" she said.

"What? What's wrong?" Camila asked.

"My Uncle is here, and he just said El Jefe is coming after papa, come on we must get you out now, before he comes! It is better for my papa if he doesn't find you here, and also for you!"

She led them out the back, and it was so dark now that Camila couldn't see a thing, but little Maria with her long black hair so like Lita's, her little pink dress and flip flops, led them out as if she was a cat and could see clearly where to go. They followed her silently and she took them to a main road.

"Which way to the city, Chiquita?" Camila asked. Maria looked both ways then pointed.

"This way I think, if you walk, keep close to the edge, in the darkness," she said.

Lita ran to the other little girl and hugged her. "My Papa Shawn would have found us, because he is a hero you know, but you are a hero too Maria, and I will ask him to help your abuela." She kissed the little girl's cheek and then ran back to Camila. They waved as they started walking toward the city.

Camila was sure it couldn't be too far. She had thought about it, the city is about twenty minutes from the airport, but they turned off half way and then travelled about twenty minutes. When Hector took them out, it was about a ten minute walk. All in all it should be about a three hour walk to the hotel, four if Lita was slow, because Camila couldn't carry her. It was probably about eight pm now, so if they walked to the hotel they should be there by midnight.