Chapter Sixteen
"Luis. Luis, wake up!" I yell, fanning my brother as Tony elevates his head. I glance between my father
and brother. "Maybe you should get outta here. He may not even remember, or if he does, we can convince him
it wasn’t you." I suggest.
"No. He saw me. He said my name. I’m not going to deceive him. It wouldn’t be right." Father replies.
"Father, it could-"
"The case will be fine. You said it yourself, it’s almost over." Father cuts Tony off.
"Father, I don’t like it. Luis won’t keep his mouth shut. He’ll tell everyone he saw you." I say, practically
pleading with my father.
"Not if we sit him down and explain everything to him. The importance of silence." Father replies.
"He’ll tell mother." Tony remarks.
"I think it’s about time someone tells her. She deserves to know the truth." Father says, glancing down
at Luis. "He’s not waking up."
"Jess said seeing you would cause him to have a heart attack." I mumble.
"No, he didn’t have a heart attack. He’s got a pulse." Tony states, "The pansy just fainted."
"Antonio!"
"Sorry father. But I never expected him to faint. He sure as hell didn’t faint when he saw me."
"Seeing you is different. He knows you left on your own. He thinks I was kidnapped or killed." Father
sighs.
"And he still has the notion that the Cranes had some involvement in it." I add.
"Ah, but they did."
"Yeah father, but not the way he thinks. I swear, sometimes he’s so stupid." I mutter.
"Maria, the way things look, it does look like the Cranes had some involvement. They can’t say anything to
point the other way. He’s just going on what he knows."
"Well, him doing that has cost us a lot. Johnson was killed because Luis got a tip about a ‘Martin Fitzgerald’
out in New Mexico. Johnson was one of our best agents, he really had Clovac’s guys fooled too. That is until Luis
decided to play detective." Tony bitterly remarks.
Luis moans loudly, and the three of us alert humans exchange glances.
"Call you mother Maria. Tell her and the rest of the family to be here with in ten minutes. If we explain
to all of them at the same time, then there should be less confusion about the secretiveness we need to maintain."
Father commands. I glance over at Tony, who nods solemnly. Getting up from my crouching position, I walk to the
phone and dial the newly memorized number.
"Hi mother, it’s me, Maria ah I mean Paloma.....Yeah, listen, could you round up everyone and be at my hotel
room in like ten minutes. Me and Tony have something to tell you all, and everyone needs to be here.....Uh huh,
sure. Oh, Luis is already here....Yeah, room 319, third floor....Okay, see you in a few." I say into the receiver.
I glance over to where Tony and my father are, now standing away from Luis.
"They’re coming." I say to them.
"Good. Me and father were talking about how we should do this. Any ideas?" Tony asks.
"I think we should explain everything to them first before they see father. They’d just get all caught up
in the emotion, and forget about everything else." I sigh.
"Very true, but how can we make sure that they won’t after they see me?" Father asks.
"We’ll just have to keep saying how important it is. Keep reminding them it’s a life and death situation,
and hopefully it’ll get through." I explain.
"We gotta tell them that they have to act normal. Nothing outta the ordinary." Tony rubs the back of
his neck and glances up at the ceiling. "I can’t believe I’m doing this." He mumbles, barely audible.
"Believe it. I never believed I’d be back in Harmony, but here I am." I say. Another loud moan comes
from Luis, and we all look over to see him starting to move.
"Go into the other room and wait." Tony commands father to do. Father nods his head and takes one last
look at Luis, before turning around and exiting the back room. A few seconds later we hear the door to the other
room close, and we walk back over to Luis.
"How you feeling?" I ask him, his eyes still closed. They immediately pop open, and he looks around at
the room, a bit disoriented.
"Where am I?" He croaks.
"My hotel room. You passed out." I answer.
"I what?" He mumbles.
"You passed out. Fell down to the floor, lost consciousness. Comprende?" Tony spits.
"Tony!" I hiss, angry at his behavior. "Do you think you can stand?" I ask Luis.
"I’ll try." Luis answers, lifting himself off the floor. He stands still for a moment, before warbling
around. Both Tony and I rush to his side and help stabilize him. We walk him to the bed and sit him down gently.
He rubs his head with his left hand. His face then changes to confused look, followed by shock, and anger.
"Where is he?" Luis demands.
"Luis, don’t get upset. You just woke up." I answer.
"Answer me damnit! Where is Papa?" Luis yells.
"All will be answered in time. You just have to be patient, although I doubt that is possible." Tony
snickers.
"Will you stop talking in cryptic phrases? When? When will everything be answered?" Luis demands.
"As soon as the rest of the family gets here." I say, looking him straight in the eyes. |
