La Rosa Del Sur (The Rose of the south)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16
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"Roseina?" I woke with a start, feeling a sharp pain in the back of my neck.

I rubbed my neck and looked around. I was still sitting on the closed toilet in the bathroom, the black voice recorder still tightly clutched in my hand. I blinked a few times, trying to clear the sleepy haze. I was still in the bathroom. I stood up and stretched, multiple pops and cracks sounding along my back.

"Roseina?" Rafael's voice sounded again behind the bathroom door. "Are you in there."

"Yes," I replied quickly, my voice cracked with sleep.

"Were you in there all night?" He sounded incredulous.

"Uhh... no," I said, failing to sound convincing. I unlocked the bathroom door and opened it. Rafael gazed at me in bewilderment.

"You slept in the bathroom," He stated slowly. I shrugged. He shook his head and turned back to grab his clothes. Turning back to me, he said, "Well, if you're fully rested, I would like to use it now, please." I stepped to the side and Rafael closed the door behind him.

I ran a hand through my tangled hair, looking around at the clock on the nightstand between the beds. Six am. I really had slept in the bathroom. I shook my head and sat down on the bed, resting my chin in my hands. I closed my eyes, replaying the story I'd heard last night. Dios mío. There was so much to unpack. Now I knew why my grandfather had been targeted. Now I wondered if he was still alive.

I opened the drawer of the nightstand and found a hair tie. I slowly put my hair into a bun at the nape of my neck, running my fingers through my curls. It was therapeutic, and would keep my hair out of my face. I found my clothes from the day before, folded up at the foot of the bed. I hugged them close to my chest, trying to ease my mind, trying to keep everything in order. My aunt had been killed, but there was still a possibility that mi abuelo was still alive. He had recorded that message only a week into his captivity, but he had still been alive...

"Hermanita," Rafael said, making me jump. He was hanging out of the bathroom, all dressed. "Your turn. Y ser rápido. We can't be late." I blew a stray hair out of my face and stood up, walking towards the bathroom.

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Breakfast was a short affair. Mia set a bowl of steaming hot oatmeal in front of each of us and told us to "be quick but don't choke". We'd each gulped down the blazing oatmeal, setting our mouths aflame. I still had stalactites hanging from the roof of my mouth. After we'd finished eating, we'd headed down to Ezekiel's study. Ezekiel's study looked quite similar to Lorenzo's, except when he pressed a button under the desk, the oiling painting of Ezekiel turned around and produced a panel lined with firearms of all sizes. We each loaded ourselves with our weapon of choice, mine being two small handguns, and made our way to the cars.

Now I was bumping along, again, in Rafael's battered rental with Luca in the backseat and Rafael driving, staring out at the road, trying to work up courage and strength about what we were about to do. There was no room for doubt or fear in this operation. These people, my friends, were being held captive because of me. I needed to get them out, and get them out alive.

"You alright?" Luca asked. "You're awfully quiet this morning." He leaned forward, putting a hand on the back of my seat.

"Yeah," I lied, turning around slightly to look at him. I wanted to tell him, and Rafael, what I'd heard last night. But I just smiled and said, "I'm just praying for this to go well."

Luca leaned back into his seat. "So am I," He sighed. He sat up abruptly, once more, and directed his next statement to Rafael. "When we get there, don't park in front of the house. There's a side road you can take along the lane of pine trees that takes you behind the house and out of sight. I told Mia, Ezekiel, and Malik about it."

"Alright," Rafael replied. "I'll let our parents know when we get there."

Just as Luca had said, along the lane of pine trees, there was a small road off to the right, almost hidden among the thick bushes. Rafael turned down that road, and trundled slowly along to a small clearing in the woods. Rafael parked the car and I caught a glimpse of the house ahead of us. We were behind the rose garden Luca had taken me to. I could smell the strong perfume of the flowers on the breeze.

Ezekiel and Mia pulled up next to us, followed shortly by Malik's car. Rafael used Mia's phone to call my parents again and tell them where to come. I stared up at the house, praying to god that they were still alive. If one of them was dead, this rescue mission would be all for nothing.

"They're almost here," Rafael informed everyone, snapping Mia's phone closed.

"Right," Luca clapped his hands together. "Let's partner up. Everyone needs one or two other people with them." He looked around at everyone. "Mia, Ezekiel, and Malik, you're one group."

"I think I'm going to stick with my parents," Rafael said suddenly. "They don't know the house and I can show them the way."

"Great," Luca said. He looked at me and swallowed slightly. "I guess that just leaves you and me."

I nodded. "Ok."

"Unless you would like to go with Rafael and your parents--"

"No," I interrupted. "You wouldn't have a partner, and everyone needs a partner." I looked away from him, feeling miserable.

Just then, a black vehicle came through the forest. It was my parents. They parked next to Rafael's rental, rather forcefully, then the passenger-side door opened up and my mother stepped out. She was dressed in all black with a large rifle strapped to her back, and a steely look on her face. She looked around at the group until her eyes fell on me. She walked towards me with long quick strides, and came to a standstill. Before I could say anything, she raised a hand and smacked me in the head.

"Mamá!" I exclaimed, holding a hand to the stinging spot.

"That is for all the foolishness you've done," She said. She then strode around to Rafael, smacking him upside the head as well. "And that is for allowing her to do all of it." Rafael rubbed the side of his head, looking sheepish.

My father then came around the side of the car. He looked just as steely as my mother and glared at Rafael and I. He had a rifle strapped to his back as well, along with two pistols stuck into his belt. His graying hair looked a bit disheveled.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Santiago," Luca began hesitantly, but my father held up a hand.

"I know who you are," My father growled. "And we know why we're here. Our son explained everything to us. When this is all over, you will never see our daughter again." He gave Luca one final glare and walked over to join Rafael and my mother.

"Ok," Malik said, bringing the conversation back around. "If we are all ready and set to go, let's get on with it." Everyone turned to look at me.

"Um, alright," I took a deep breath. "As discussed there are quite a few smaller entrances into Lorenzo's house." I turned to Rafael and my parents. "You three will be going through the rose garden. Malik, Mia, and Ezekiel will be taking turns entering through the dumbwaiter to the kitchen. And Luca and I," I gulped slightly. "Will be going through the sewer line."

"Espera," My father said abruptly. "When did we agree on this? Roseina Santiago, I am not letting you go down into the sewers with him." He glared at Luca.

"Papá," I pleaded. "Por favor, I'll be completely safe. This is all about rescuing Zoella and Diego."

"She's right," Rafael spoke. We all looked at him in shock. "Luca has earned my trust, he's a good man." He locked eyes with me and nodded. I beamed at him.

"While this is a very touching moment," Mia interjected. "We're here for a rescue mission. If there's nothing else you people want to say, then let's go." She shrugged her gun over her shoulder and waited, a look of impatience on her face.

"Yes, you're right. Thank you, Mia," I said, shaking myself into action. I addressed the entire group. "Look alive, everyone. Don't be afraid to kill, we've got lives on the line. Get out of there as soon as the mission's complete and get back to Mia's home. Que Dios esté con nosotros." With that, I grabbed Luca's arm and strode off towards the sewer grate.