Chapter 8 - RUN
Julian wanted to go back.
Every part of him wanted to.
But Dieguito was crying in Mariana’s arms.
That decided it.
Family first.
Always.
Julian kicked open the rear door.
They ran into tall weeds behind the warehouse.
Another gunshot cracked.
Metal sparked off a nearby truck.
“Down!”
Julian pushed Mariana and Dieguito behind a concrete drainage wall.
He looked back.
One man had followed them.
Julian grabbed a rusted pipe from the ground.
The man raised the gun.
Julian threw the pipe.
It hit his wrist.
The gun fell.
Julian charged.
They slammed into the dirt.
The man punched him.
Julian drove an elbow into his jaw.
The attacker grabbed Julian’s throat.
Julian reached for the fallen gun.
His fingers touched it.
The attacker saw.
Both grabbed it.
Mariana screamed.
Then a siren wailed in the distance.
The attacker froze.
Julian drove his forehead into the man’s nose.
Blood exploded.
The man rolled away and ran.
Police vehicles came down the access road.
Officer Torres jumped out.
“Hands!”
Julian raised both hands.
“That way!”
Paramedics found Ernesto alive.
Barely.
The bullet had hit his shoulder and passed through.
At the hospital, Torres tore into Julian.
“I told you not to come here.”
“You also told me my family might be in danger.”
“That doesn’t mean walk into an ambush!”
Julian slammed the cassette recorder onto the desk.
“We found this.”
Torres calmed.
“What is it?”
“My father.”
They explained.
Torres listened to what remained of the tape.
Then he looked at Julian.
“You realize this could connect your father’s death to the same people involved now.”
Julian nodded.
Torres asked, “Who knew you were coming here?”
Julian thought.
“Only Ernesto.”
“Mariana.”
“You.”
Torres frowned.
Then Julian remembered.
His mother had called twice that morning.
He hadn’t answered.
But could she track him?
Arturo had accessed his emails.
Maybe his phone too.
Torres took Julian’s device.
“Turn it off.”
“Why?”
“You may have spyware.”
Julian stared.
That night, Dieguito slept in a chair beside Ernesto’s hospital bed.
Mariana rested her head against Julian’s shoulder.
Then Julian saw someone walking down the hallway.
Red dress.
Patricia.
She stopped when she saw him.
Julian stood.
“What are you doing here?”
She was crying.
“I need to talk to you.”
“Where’s Arturo?”
“I don’t know.”
“Lie.”
“I’m not lying.”
Julian stepped closer.
“You pulled a knife on my wife.”
“I was scared.”
“You helped starve my son.”
Patricia broke.
“You think I wanted any of this?”
Julian stared at her.
“You enjoyed that house.”
“I was trapped too.”
“By what?”
“Mom.”
Julian laughed bitterly.
“Try harder.”
Patricia wiped her face.
“Mom didn’t steal your money because she wanted jewelry.”
“She stole it because someone was threatening us.”
Julian’s expression changed.
“Arturo?”
“No.”
“His father?”
Patricia shook her head.
“César died four years ago.”
Julian froze.
“Then who?”
Patricia looked behind her.
Then whispered.
“Arturo’s older brother.”
“Who?”
“Mateo Vélez.”
Julian had never heard the name.
Patricia’s voice dropped further.
May you like
“He’s the one who followed you in Saudi Arabia.”
And before Julian could ask another question, a bullet shattered the hospital window.
