Señora Ecsed's men stood watch on a lonely hill, keeping an eye on a semi-truck. The trailer was filled with men and women who paid to cross the border. Sister Sara expertly made her way through the brush without a sound. She held the silenced assault rifle close to her body as she maneuvered closer. Yelling came from inside the trailer in Spanish.
“Let us out!” shouted a man’s voice.
“Let us out! We can’t breathe!” yelled a woman.
One of the gunmen walked up to the trailer and hit it with the butt of his rifle.
“Callate! You'll get out when you get out.” he replied.
Sara took aim at a gunman relieving himself away from the others. These guards were not being very quiet and the muffled thump of her rifle went unheard. The man collapsed into the shadows of the night unnoticed. Sarah silently stalked in the shadows, moving nearer to the back of the trailer where the other two men were standing.
Back in the church, Ximena came to. Father Suarez was sitting next to her.
“That was... interesting,” she said.
“I didn't know you could get knocked out?” he replied.
“Yeah, neither did I. Sarah?” she asked.
“She made it out. And the big one took your bird,” he said.
“Which explains my nap. That is going to be a problem,” she said.
Ximena looked at the door.
“I need to get out there,” she said.
“He's like you, isn't he?” Father Suarez asked.
Ximena looked at the priest.
“Yeah. He's just like me,” she replied.
“And he works for her?” he asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” said Ximena.
“Then I'm going with you,” said the priest.
“No. You can still die. I go alone,” she said.
On the dark hilltop, none of the gunmen knew they were being stalked.
“Donde está La Muerte?” asked one.
“She'll be here, calm down,” said another.
“Yeah, well. She better. I don’t like it out here,” was the reply.
Sarah readied herself. She stepped out of the darkness with her rifle already raised and the buttstock tucked firmly into her shoulder. Her thumb smoothly turned the safety switch to semi, and she began firing. She dropped two of the gunmen before the others knew what's going on. She killed the last two as they raised their weapons. She scanned the area for movement then backed herself to the trailer. She needed to check on the people inside so she reached for the door latch with her left hand. Her head shifted to the trailer for only a second.
There was a loud bang and something smashed into her body armor, just below her chest. It knocked her back against the cold metal of the trailer. The violent impact forced all the air out her lungs and she almost lost her grip on the rifle. For a few seconds she forgot how to breathe and was near panic. She began to recover when another shot hit her chest, slamming her back again. Her body armor saved her from the two metal shotgun slugs, but it was now shattered and nearly useless. She fell to the ground and her hand lost its grip on her weapon. Sarah turned and clawed at whatever grip she could find to pick herself up. Her chest hurt. It felt like someone used a sledge hammer on her. Another slug hit her square on her back, throwing her into the trailer again, this time face first. Again, her body armor took the brunt of the punishment and saved her life, but the impact still punched painfully hard. She managed to get to her feet and leaned back against the trailer. Staying up took everything she had.
“Hello, sister,” said Señora Ecsed, stepping out of the darkness.
Ojo stepped out of the shadows holding a shotgun. Other men followed.
“Take her,” commanded the witch.
Hijo charged out of the dark. Sarah could not fight him at full strength, and here she was, badly battered. She still tried but he was too fast. Hijo punched Sarah in the chest, throwing her back into the trailer. He hit almost as hard at the shotgun blasts and her broken armor did nothing to help her. He hit her again and she felt like her bones were fracturing under every blow. Hijo pulled his fist back and paused. Sarah barely managed to stay on her feet. Hijo adjusted his stance, twisted his torso, and pointed his fist more outward.
“Roundhouse,” Sarah thought to herself, calling the next punch.
Though she knew what was coming, she had nothing left in her to duck or block. Almost in slow motion she watched as Hijo threw the punch, his fist moving in a viciously powerful arc at her face. The hit was too fast for Sarah to even register pain. When her body was twisting and falling to the ground, she was already out cold. Sarah woke to the pounding pain in her head that hit with every beat of her heart. Her body armor was gone, not that it could do anything else for her, and she realized her hands and feet were tied to something. As her consciousness steadily returned, she found herself strapped to a cross on the ground.
“I'm glad you wore body armor. You will be alive to savor the pain,” said Señora Ecsed.
Sarah weakly struggled against the ropes.
“Don't bother,” said La Señora.
Sarah could hear the roaring, popping, and crackling sounds of fire. She also heard voices screaming. She managed to raise her head just enough to see the trailer engulfed in flames. Her head dropped back down with tears forming in her eyes.
“Don't be so sad, Sister. This isn’t your fault. Little miss dead girl was supposed to come to the rescue. I may have let them go if she got the trailer open but she sent you instead. The ones in the trailer will pay the price for her poor decisions. And since she is not here to receive the pain of her penance, you will have to do. Nail her down,” said Señora Ecsed.
Ojo pulled a hammer and metal spikes from his jacket. Then he knelt on Sarah’s arm. She felt the tip of the spike on her wrist. She tried to pull her arm away but she was too weak. She saw Ojo’s arm raise the hammer high as another man knelt by her head and held her mouth closed. Sarah clenched her jaw and tightened her lips. The hammer fell. As much as she did not want to give anyone the satisfaction of her agony, pain like lightning ripping into her wrist was too much for her. She could not speak but she could scream. Every hit of the hammer rang the pain through her again and again.
“You know. I forgot you don't talk. I wanted to hear you beg. Such a pity,” said Señora Ecsed.
The nodded to Ojo and Sarah’s crucifixion continued with her other wrist and then her feet. With every hammer fall, and in spite of her mouth being held shut, Sarah’s pain cried out into the dark night. When it was done Ojo got up and stood at Señora Ecsed’s side. She stepped over the nun and sat, straddling Sara's hips.
“It's a shame you have that ugly scar on your neck. I mean, you are still quite stunning, but I like my pets in mint condition,” she said.
Then she laid down on top of Sarah, resting her head on the nun’s chest. Her hand reached out and plaid with Sara's hair.
“Sorry about cutting your throat by the way. I was a little hungry at the time and I needed a quick fix,” she said.
Sarah kept her head and eyes facing the sky, refusing to look at Señora Ecsed. La Señora pushed herself up and sat on Sarah’s hips again. Ojo handed her a dagger and she traced the tip of the blade across Sarah's battered neck.
“She is such a pretty picture, but I don't know, Ojo. It seems like something is missing,” she said.
“I think so too, my Lady,” said Ojo.
Señora Ecsed touched the blade to her lips.
“I got it,” she said with a wicked smile.
She jammed the dagger into Sarah's left side, below her ribs. Sarah knew the stab was coming. She clenched her teeth and willed herself to not scream. It didn’t work.
“There. Now that looks authentic,” said Señora Ecsed.
Señora Ecsed pulled the dagger out and licked the blade clean of Sarah's blood. A smile crossed her bloodstained lips.
“You are as delicious as I remember,” she said.
She could not help herself and leaned down to suck blood from the wound. When she was done she sat up and Ojo offered a hand.
“Such a waste,” said Señora Ecsed as she stood.
“If you live long enough to be rescued, tell the dead woman that if she wants her bird back then she can come and get it,” she said before turning and walking away.
“Adios,” said Ojo.
The other men converged on Sarah and lifted the cross into place so that she faced the burning truck. The pyre raged on in front of her eyes as the screams died out. The glow of flames lit the top of the hill like a beacon from hell. Ximena skidded the jeep next to the trailer. Smoke masked the hilltop so she could only see what was immediately in front of her. When she reached the back of the trailer a breeze cleared the smoke enough for Ximena to see the cross.
Father Suarez was pacing in front of the altar when the front doors were kicked open. Ximena rushed in carrying Sarah.
“My God!” said the priest.
“Keep praying, she isn't dead yet,” said Ximena.
Ximena gently placed Sarah on the altar.
“What did they do to her?” he asked.
“Isn't it obvious,” she replied.
The priest covered his mouth when he recognized the wounds and realized horror that was brought down on his friend and mocked his faith. But he only let the shock last for a moment.
“There’s an emergency kit in my room,” he said.
Ximena rushed to get is as Father Suarez put pressure on the wound in Sarah’s side. When Ximena returned she passed the priest a package of gauze. He placed it over the stab wound while she examined Sarah’s wrists and feet.
“No major bleeding. Looks like major blood vessels were missed,” said Ximena.
“Praise the Lord for that miracle,” said Father Suarez.
“I should have taken her to a hospital,” said Ximena as she wrapped bandages around Sarah’s wrists.
“She's better off here. The witch has people in all the nearest hospitals,” said the priest. “Keep the pressure here.”
Ximena took his place holding pressure on the stab wound. Father Suarez rolled up his sleeves and pulled out a curved needle and thread from the emergency kit.
“You’ve done this before, haven't you?” Ximena asked.
The priest let out a light chuckle.
“Maybe a few times... A long time ago. Let me take a look,” he replied.
Ximena moved her hands and the priest pulled up the red stained gauze.
“The bleeding has slowed. Might be that noting vital was touched here either,” he said.
“Another miracle?” asked Ximena.
“Or luck. But we’ll take what we can get,” he said.
He worked carefully with needle and thread, stitching the wound on Sarah's side. Ximena noticed a faded tattoo on the inside forearm of the priest. It was of a sword, crossed with lightning bolts, over a spade.
“Ex-military?” she asked.
Father looked at his tattoo, and then at Ximena.
“I did my time,” he said.
He finished the stitches and started dressing the wound. Then Ximena helped him stitch Sarah’s wrists and feet. As they finished, Mexican army trucks streamed through the center of town. The trucks stopped in the plaza in front of the church and soldiers swarmed out. Inside the church, the sounds of the trucks turned their heads. Father Suarez headed to the front doors and looked outside.
“Is that what I think it is?” asked Ximena.
“Yeah,” he replied.
Father Suarez walked back to Ximena and sat in the front pew.
“I guess you were right. I just made it worse,” she said.
“Well, to be fair, all this was probably going to happen anyway. Eventually,” he replied.
“I think your being too kind. The town is going to hell, she probably won't survive the night, and my bird is gone,” said Ximena.
Ximena felt for Sarah's pulse on her neck.
“It’s weak but she seems stable,” she said.
“Not a surprise. She’s too stubborn to die,” he said.
Ximena looked at the scar on Sarah's neck and noticed a black cord. She pulled at it and a small diamond ring appeared from underneath the nun's collar.
“She was engaged?” asked Ximena.
She touched the ring and got a flash of memory.
It was an abandoned apartment with broken windows. A young Sarah turned around.
“Eric!” she yelled with excitement and a big smile.
She ran to a man with long dark hair, dressed in black. His face was painted white with black on his lips and eyes.
Ximena snapped back out of the memory.
“I don't know. She had it when I met her,” said Father Suarez.
Ximena stepped back, confused.
“Father? Do you think we are predestined for things?” she asked.
“Yes and no. I know that God has a plan for us all. Whether or not we follow that plan is up to us,” he said.
“Does that plan ever include... You know…” said Ximena.
“Something like you?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said.
“Nothing would surprise me at this point,” he replied.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZe6UYNeoay
