Page 14 of Run with Me

After we walkedFather Francis all the way up to his door, we decided to cross through the back fields to the fiesta. It would take us a little longer to get there, but this way, we could avoid Ben, Mateo, Pablo and Dante as they headed to the religious celebration. They had never missed one before and seeing them again was inevitable. The thought made me feel queasy.

“I hope he chokes on those tomatoes.” I stomped my feet over the soil like an obnoxious four yearold.

“I doubt he will.” John took hold of my hand and gently tugged it for me to slowdown.

“Why?”

“Because he threw themout.”

“You know that’s not what I meant. We shouldn’t have gone there in the first place.”

“Anna, you were trying to find a friend. Obviously this Xavier guy left town. We should be grateful that nothing worse crossed his path. We didn’t have much choice anyway. It was either play the chess game and leave, whether we lost or won, or not leave at all. When Ben wants something, he doesn’t stop until he has it, and I can’t allow him to have everything he wants. A basket of tomatoes is a small price to pay. I’m not afraid to lose when the stakes are low, but I will win when they’rehigh.”

“So you let him win to keep him somewhat satisfied?”

“Yes. With Ben’s growing thirst for power, it will take a little bit more than one chess game to win the high stakes.”

We stopped just before reaching the old barn where the band was playing and people were dancing. One of the hall quarters was occupied by Ben and his clan. They were looking for something or someone, but didn’t seem like they’d found it. I shuddered.

“John, when I went to the back of the Bistro, I saw something. Something I shouldn’t haveseen.”

“Did anyone seeyou?”

“I don’t thinkso.”

“Then you should forget about anything yousaw.”

“But John, they’re smuggling money. Big money.”

I waited patiently until I had his full attention, and then added, “Twenty-five million. Mateo and Pablo are tired of their father and uncle running the business. They want to take over. They want to move on to bigger and better things. It sounds like the boys want to party. This may be our chance to get themout.”

“That sounds like it’s still beyond anything we can do. Anna, please don’t plan anything. Let this happen on its own, then. The boys have no entertainment here. Everyone’s backed away from the family. The life they thought drugs and criminal activities could buy them is pointless. Maybe with a little guidance from a higher power, they’ll move away on theirown?”

This was one time I thought John was wrong. What if I could grease the wheels a little? What if I could find a reason for them to leave Pace? I pushed the thought aside, but if an opportunity ever showed, I knew I’d take it with my eyes closed.

“I hope you’re right because if they don’t, I swear that Iwill.”

“Come on. Forget them for a couple of hours, and let’s take part in the celebration.”

John took my hand again, and we walked down the small hill to the venue. The sun was setting by now. The bulls were secluded in the south, though my nose picked up the smell of their sweat and cooling adrenaline each time the windblew.

We joined our friends and John’s parents on the dance floor. The barn was decorated in its usual festive ribbons. Bales of hay lined one of the walls where they were being used as a sitting area. The addition of white lights strung around each post and beam gave a special warmth to the evening. John spun me around and held me close.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Good. Relaxed, I guess.”

“You don’t sound relaxed.”

“It’s a little difficult when I think that there’s twenty-five million in cash just a mile away. Cortez is trouble.”

“Trouble you need to stay away from. Anna, you need to let itgo.”

“I know. I’d never take the money. I just think it’s an opportunity to use what we know to get them out of town. Like, we could load it on a truck, tie a rope to the steering wheel, and put a brick on the gas, then make them run after it, right over a canyon.”

He laughed. “You know that would never work. The road isn’t straight. And I really believe that those guys will want to move out of this town sooner than later. There’s nothing to do here. They’re curious, full of energy and testosterone. They’ll leave, believeme.”

“I do believe you, but I don’t want to wait years. I want them gonenow.”

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