Page 6 of Locke

It’s the lack of sleep.

I sat at the small table, unpacking the groceries while deep in thought. My mind was fuzzy, and I needed sleep. Taking a sleeping aid was the only thing that was going to help.

My mind kept going to Iron Fang bikers instead of my target. They piqued my curiosity. If they were truly as involved in helping people as Garret had mentioned, perhaps they would know where the target was.

Then, those women coming out of that apartment building, and the men that surrounded it with guns at their sides. Were they protecting them? Or just making sure they never leave?

Between the internet post and Garrett’s confession, that the Iron Fang was important to the town, I couldn’t make sense of it. It was distracting. I shouldn’t care, I was here for one thing.

Then again, they could be connected. This male could be involved in the gang. The description of the target included strong leadership skills, cunning, tactfulness and even psychosis.

I huffed in annoyance, feeling a headache growing, and pulled the burner phone from my pocket. I plugged it into the outlet, using the RV battery reserve. I waited a few minutes until there was enough charge so I could use it, and quickly typed in the number I had memorized years ago.

It rang three times before they picked up.

“Hola?” The voice was small and meek, and instantly I knew who it was.

I smiled instantly. “Hi Luis, how are you doing, mijo?”

“Good. Mama is walking a lot today.”

I let out a sigh of relief and played with the paper in front of me. “That’s great, Luis, that’s really great! Is she taking her medicine, like she’s supposed to?”

“Mmhm, the nurse is nice. She’s helped a lot. She lives with us, now.”

The muscles in my throat constricted.

Thank God.

“Yeah, she should stay there with you, now. Is the apartment okay? You are still going to school?”

Luis is quiet for a moment. I pulled the phone away to make sure the phone hadn’t died on me. “Luis?”

He sniffed. “Si, school is bueno. When are you coming to visit? You haven’t come to visit in so long.”

I tried not to frown. Somehow, kids can always sense a frown. “Oh, mijo, I wish I could. I have this big job, and if I finish it in time, then I will have a big, big surprise for you.”

Luis groaned. “That will take forever.”

“Luis, who is on the phone?” my sister, Elena, called. Her voice sounded strong, but there was a hint of pain that only I could recognize.

“It’s Tia Emmie! She is going to give me a surprise after her job.” His voice faded and Elena’s giggle came into the phone.

“Emmie, you can’t be making a promise to Luis. He will hold you to them,” she chastised.

Doctors diagnosed Elena with MS ten years ago. It wasn’t so bad back then. She had symptoms, body aches, fatigue. She has her good and bad days, but they have been worse as of late. Especially since she had Luis.

When her no-good on-again, off-again boyfriend found out she was pregnant, he took off. He didn’t want to deal with a child. Elena stayed with Abuela all this time and I’ve taken care of both of them financially since we all left Mexico. I came to the States, since I had a bounty on my head, and they went south to Venezuela. It was safer for me to stay away from them.

“I promise to come visit.” I laid my hand on my chest. “And if I don’t visit, then I promise to bring the family up here.”

Elena was silent, I could almost hear her grip the phone.

“What?” she finally uttered through the phone.

“I’m onto something big. If I can secure this job we will be set. I’ll get you all up here with a green card and everything. Make it legit. Abuela will be happy, you can be more comfortable, Luis will get better schooling—”

“You can’t keep doing this,” Elena said, sadly. “Abuela is getting older, she just wants to see you, she doesn’t want you doing what you’ve been doing—”