Page 125 of Liar
For a few seconds, all I hear is gunfire.
Hayden must be on the opposite side of the street.
“They have the Sureños penned in from three directions. We should get going because the only way out is this way.”
I nod. Following Javier’s lead, wiggle forward until I can come up onto my knees.
Something hits the front of our pickup and shatters a headlight. A stray bullet. It has us both scrambling onto the sidewalk.
That’s when a fourth vehicle, a large, red Hummer, passes by.
Lost?
“Goddamn it.” Javier ducks and I do the same. The Hummer stops and for a few seconds, nothing happens.
Sureños pile out and fan out through the street. And then, a familiar face appears—Ignacio’s.
Javier slides back beneath the pickup. I hurry forward instead, and plaster myself behind a tree.
Hayden was right. This is an ambush.
And my fault. That little boy was Ignacio’s lookout.
Smoke fills the air as the bonfire of vehicles grows.
There’s screaming, cursing, and gunfire. Then, everything goes quiet.
“I’ve got your boy.” Ignacio yells. “Reveal yourself, you bastard, or I’ll blow his brains out.”
I steal a peek around the tree, and my heart drops.
Miguel lies in a pool of blood. I quickly say a prayer for him as my attention swings toward Ignacio. He’s over by the sidewalk, with an arm around Diego’s throat and a gun at his temple.
“Did you get a good motherfucking look? The tunnel is completed. Our product has arrived. International distribution is about to begin.” He presses the gun against Diego’s temple. “What did you think? You’d come strolling in here and steal my fucking tunnel out from under me?”
“Like you did to Marifer?” Diego smart-mouths.
Ignacio punches him in the side, though even at this short distance, I can see my brother’s smug smile.
Madre de Dios. Please stop antagonizing Ignacio.
I’m frightened. Panicked. But my anger overshadows everything else. How many people has this man victimized? How many more young women will be harassed? Families tormented? A community at the mercy of his whims?
He killed Miguel ... Eduardo.
He has a gun to Diego’s head.
“I’m here,” a voice rings out. Hayden.Gracias a Dios.
There’s a flurry of movement as bodies readjust to the threat across the street. I don’t dare stick my head out to look. Hayden has this under control, right?
“A draw, eh? Just like in a western movie. Kill me while I kill your man. Then, my men will kill you. It’s a lose-lose situation for you, given how my men outnumber you.”
The smoke from the burning vehicles makes it difficult to get an accurate count. Too many. Ignacio’s right. I don’t see how they can survive this.
“That is if your men are as loyal as you believe. I’m willing to bet that the second after you hit the ground, they’ll drop their weapons and swear loyalty to me. Your men are smarter than you, culo. I’ve no doubt they’ll choose a better life over one dictated by a tyrant like you.”
Ignacio erupts, as expected. “You pinche cabrón.”
