pleasure the men. Lina kept her supplied with water and food, but thought it too risky to look for the stopcock that supplied the toilet ; hence the room became very smelly.
It was on the morning of the d ay that Mateo was due to return that Lina came to Maria’s room with some fruit. She said it was safe as the men were having a meeting with some other men who had just arrived. Maria thought it strange that a meeting should have been conducted withou t Mateo being present so, sending Lina back to her room, she crept towards the doorway of the living room and peered around the corner. Indeed a meetin g was taking place and Maria immediately recognised one of the men as being from a rival guardianes clan. She had witnessed the work of Luis Almero while she was working as a guide. He had tied up an old couple in their shack and set fire to it, leaving the rest of their family to hear their screams, just because they owed him an amount of money that wouldn’t keep him in cigars for a week. He was a particularly nasty character in an horrific business. She assumed that the other four were his bodyguards.
As Maria crouched in the doorway, she heard a plan unfold that would get rid of Mateo and leave Pablo in charge. Almero planned to take over Mateo’s territory, but he would need some local knowledge. With Mateo out of the way he would negotiate deals with the drug barons and Pablo could run things locally.”
“Why couldn’t Pablo simply cut a deal on his own?” I asked.
“Pablo didn’t have the contacts to deal with the drug barons, but running the house and the local business was the next best thing. This was bad news for Maria and Lina. With Pablo in charge he could do whatever he wanted, although it would only be temporary. He didn’t have the intelligence to know that nobody was going to leave a mountain-man in charge. Once local knowledge had been gained, Almero would have got rid of Pablo and substituted one of his men. Of course none of this helped Maria.
She listened carefully as the plan unfolded. When Mateo returned, a bomb (which Almero had supplied) would be placed under his car. Then he would get an urgent phone call which would see him and his bodyguards get back into the car. The bomb would then be remotely detonated and in the ensuing mayhem, the gates would be opened and Almero and his men (who would be camped nearby) would drive in and take over. It made little difference to the mountain men, who was in charge; except of course for the three at the table. Pablo would have been the leader and presumably Cesar and Leandro were to be his seconds in command. ”
Maria’s situation was now grave. If Almero took over, Pablo and the rest of the mountain men would have their fun and Maria would not live for very long. If Mateo remained in charge, he would quickly become bored with her and the mountain men would get her anyway. As I saw it, her only salvation would be to escape, perhaps in the mayhem after the bomb had exploded.
“So how did she escape?” I asked.
“Maria slipped out of the front door and hid in the garden, as close as she could to the gate. She planned to slip out when the gate was opened for Almero’s vehicle to exit. It was a slim chance but one that she had to take. The gate eventually opened and Maria ran through; straight into the arms of one of the guards. He dragged her back to where Pablo was standing beside Almero’s vehicle. She peered into the car and the sight of his face brought back memories of the first time she had seen it. Even then she was fascinated by the Celtic-like design tattooed on his right cheek. His left ear was partially missing and the scars on his left cheek told of the dangerous life that he led. ‘This girl recognises me,’ he said. ‘Get rid of her.’
From that moment Maria knew that her fate was sealed. They took her back to her room and locked her in.”
Now I could
It was on the morning of the d ay that Mateo was due to return that Lina came to Maria’s room with some fruit. She said it was safe as the men were having a meeting with some other men who had just arrived. Maria thought it strange that a meeting should have been conducted withou t Mateo being present so, sending Lina back to her room, she crept towards the doorway of the living room and peered around the corner. Indeed a meetin g was taking place and Maria immediately recognised one of the men as being from a rival guardianes clan. She had witnessed the work of Luis Almero while she was working as a guide. He had tied up an old couple in their shack and set fire to it, leaving the rest of their family to hear their screams, just because they owed him an amount of money that wouldn’t keep him in cigars for a week. He was a particularly nasty character in an horrific business. She assumed that the other four were his bodyguards.
As Maria crouched in the doorway, she heard a plan unfold that would get rid of Mateo and leave Pablo in charge. Almero planned to take over Mateo’s territory, but he would need some local knowledge. With Mateo out of the way he would negotiate deals with the drug barons and Pablo could run things locally.”
“Why couldn’t Pablo simply cut a deal on his own?” I asked.
“Pablo didn’t have the contacts to deal with the drug barons, but running the house and the local business was the next best thing. This was bad news for Maria and Lina. With Pablo in charge he could do whatever he wanted, although it would only be temporary. He didn’t have the intelligence to know that nobody was going to leave a mountain-man in charge. Once local knowledge had been gained, Almero would have got rid of Pablo and substituted one of his men. Of course none of this helped Maria.
She listened carefully as the plan unfolded. When Mateo returned, a bomb (which Almero had supplied) would be placed under his car. Then he would get an urgent phone call which would see him and his bodyguards get back into the car. The bomb would then be remotely detonated and in the ensuing mayhem, the gates would be opened and Almero and his men (who would be camped nearby) would drive in and take over. It made little difference to the mountain men, who was in charge; except of course for the three at the table. Pablo would have been the leader and presumably Cesar and Leandro were to be his seconds in command. ”
Maria’s situation was now grave. If Almero took over, Pablo and the rest of the mountain men would have their fun and Maria would not live for very long. If Mateo remained in charge, he would quickly become bored with her and the mountain men would get her anyway. As I saw it, her only salvation would be to escape, perhaps in the mayhem after the bomb had exploded.
“So how did she escape?” I asked.
“Maria slipped out of the front door and hid in the garden, as close as she could to the gate. She planned to slip out when the gate was opened for Almero’s vehicle to exit. It was a slim chance but one that she had to take. The gate eventually opened and Maria ran through; straight into the arms of one of the guards. He dragged her back to where Pablo was standing beside Almero’s vehicle. She peered into the car and the sight of his face brought back memories of the first time she had seen it. Even then she was fascinated by the Celtic-like design tattooed on his right cheek. His left ear was partially missing and the scars on his left cheek told of the dangerous life that he led. ‘This girl recognises me,’ he said. ‘Get rid of her.’
From that moment Maria knew that her fate was sealed. They took her back to her room and locked her in.”
Now I could
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