Page 36 of V-Day
Isabela turned to Cristián, visibly dismissing Parris Graves. “Youmusttake me with you. Pia and Trini, too, for they can help. Theyhavehelped. You would not have been able to feed these people if not for us.”
Cristián didn’t speak. He rubbed at the back of his neck and Chloe watched him sympathetically. He was a good Vistarian man. He didn’t want to disobey his mother.
“We can help again,” Isabela added. “And I want to see my house. I want to see what the pigs have done to it.”
“That’s it,” Parris said. “We arenoton a domestic rescue mission. Cristián…?” She looked at him, expecting him to pull his mother back into line. Which was smart of her, Chloe decided. Parris had picked up on the power lines immediately and knew Cristián was the only person who could reason Isabela into staying behind.
Chloe’s phone vibrated against her hip. Astonished, she pulled it from her pocket, glancing at the charge as she brought it up to her ear. The number was not known to her, and the battery was at nine percent. She had forgotten to power it down after checking for messages this morning. This call, which was likely a wrong number, would kill the battery. She really hoped Pia’s solar-whatever would do the job.
“Hello?”
Isabela was talking volubly again. Chloe tuned her out so she could hear the call.
“Chloe, this is Daniel Castellano. You know the name?”
Cristián’s sort-of brother. “You married Olivia a few days ago,” Chloe said.
“Yes. Have you found Cristián yet? Is he there with you? I need to speak to him urgently and he’s not answering his phone.”
Chloe marveled at the man’s grasp of current affairs. He was somewhere on the island, or maybe in the States—no one was entirely sure, including Minnie, who was supposed to be on top of that sort of detail. Despite his remote location Daniel seemed to know everything about her affairs…and they had never met.
She held the phone out to Cristián. “It’s for you,” she said, feeling winded.
The heated conversation halted, as everyone looked at Cristián, astonished.
Cristián took the phone and Chloe thought that perhaps he welcomed the timely call. It took the heat off him for a moment or two, at least.
“The battery is nearly dead,” Chloe warned him. “Finish quick.”
Cristián nodded and turned away, bringing the phone to his ear. “Hello?...Danny!” He listened, his back to everyone.
Parris looked at Chloe. “Danny? Daniel Castellano?”
“You know him?”
“I know about everyone mixed up in this business,” Parris said shortly. “It’s my job to know. Why does he want Cristián?”
“I didn’t want to use up the battery asking,” Chloe told her.
“We were just heading there now,” Cristián said into the phone, his tone sharp.
Parris’ brow lifted.
“Tell me…No, I’ll remember,” Cristián added, with a sharp note in his voice which made even Isabela consider her son curiously.
“Got it,” Cristián said, with the same crisp note. “If it’s there, I’ll spot it…Daniel?” He turned back around and held the phone out to Chloe. “It’s officially dead now, sorry.” He looked at Graves. “They just took out some guy in the White House who was in on it. The guy said the control room was in Los Alamitos, which makes Danny think it’s at the base in Pascuallita, for all the same reasons I do. He knows the inside of the base. He narrowed down the possibilities. That’ll make finding the location far easier.”
Parris frowned. “We’ve delayed long enough over this stupid business. Let’s go.” She put on her helmet once more.
Isabela crossed her arms once more. “Cristián?”
Parris considered them. Her gaze settled on Cristián.
“You need me,” he told her.
Parris rolled her eyes. “They’repassengers, Cristián! You want your mother and sisters killed because you’re too soft hearted to say no?”
Cristián’s expression didn’t change yet Chloe saw the little tic start in his temple. “They can die stuck in this gully as fast as they canen route.”
