Page 40 of V-Day
“You always were stupid, Gallego!” Rubén called after them.
They ignored him.
Téra looked around. Everyone she knew who lived in the house was huddled in a ragged group on the gravel in front of the house. They were surrounded by armed Insurrectos.
Rubén was the only Loyalist soldier among them and he wasn’t wearing his uniform.
What had they done with the other Loyalists? They had all been injured in some way, too.
Minnie gripped Téra’s arm. “This isn’t good…” she breathed.
Téra swallowed. The sun was too hot for mid-morning. She could feel sweat breaking out under her arms and the back of her neck and it felt cold.
From the big teak front doors, an Insurrecto officer stepped out. His boots were polished, his uniform fit him properly. The holster on his belt matched the boots, the belt and the colonel’s epaulets on his shoulders.
He was clean shaven and tall. His hair had slivers of gray in it. Téra didn’t know him. She thought she knew all the former officers of the Loyalist army, when it had been the only army of Vistaria.
As the colonel moved toward the group on the gravel, he spoke, lifting his voice so everyone could hear him without effort. “And who let the Insurrectos just walk in the door and failed to raise the alert, hmm?”
Téra stiffened. Is that what had happened? The first she had known of the Insurrecto attack was when the fire alarm had been tripped. She had collected Minnie and run out of the house…and straight into the arms of the Insurrectos climbing out of the three black Escalades.
Had someone betrayed them?
The officer moved through the line of Insurrectos and into the cowering group of Loyalists. Everyone made way for him, which irritated Téra. She ground her teeth together. They were all just folding. Cooperating. It was pathetic.
Only, she had no idea what else they could do. They were women and injured men and few of them at that. The house had been emptied of any able-bodied people when Duardo started his push north towardla Colinas.
The officer turned on one heel to face Rubén where he leaned against the Escalade. “Captain Rey,” he said slowly, as if he was relishing the sound of Rubén’s name.
“Zapatero,” Rubén said shortly, not using Zapatero’s rank. “I see they let you out of your kennel.”
Zapatero just smiled. “There’s no need to play the game anymore, Rubén. We’ve got what we came for.” He rested his hand on Rubén’s shoulder. “You have been of great assistance. General Serrano will hear of your efforts on our behalf.”
Téra froze. Minnie gasped, but the sound came from far away.
Rubén’s eyes widened. Then he knocked Zapatero’s hand away. “No!” He tried to shove Zapatero out of the way, his other hand splayed across the hood of the car for leverage. His gaze sought at Téra. “He’s lying. Don’t believe him!”
Zapatero spun on his heel again, to face Téra. “Ah! A romantic interest. How sweet.” His black eyes were dancing with amusement. “You appear to be a sensible woman. Clearly, Captain Rey is good at his work. He fooled you, too.”
Téra tried to breathe. Her throat was too tight. She was growing dizzy.
“Téra, no!” Rubén cried, behind Zapatero. “Don’t listen to him. Don’t trust him!”
I can’t trust anyone. She couldn’t speak the words aloud. She didn’t have the breath for it.
“I think you’ve earned a bench to stretch out upon, Captain Rey,” Zapatero added. Téra realized she had stopped looking at him. She was staring at the gravel, which danced with black spots. “Take him into the room with the sofa, please.”
The crunch of boots on the gravel. Rubén struggling and swearing.
“Breathe,Téra,” Minnie whispered, her hand on Téra’s back, soothing. That was when Téra realized she had sunk to the gravel and was holding herself up.
Still, she couldn’t make herself take a breath. She knew when she did the pain would hit.
