Beyond the end

Under my skin

Ecuador
Brenda and Dylan came back from surfing around noon. Old habits remained under the skin. Brenda felt like going back in time, on that trip to Mexico, the last of the happy moments between them. This well-happy memory carried with it a baggage of unrest, because Brenda had not forgotten what had happened after that trip, how her life had changed, how her plans had definitively deviated.
SHe couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like if she had never left for Paris, but she had known the answer for a long time, probably the result would have been the same but it would have taken longer... Who knows if she could ever stop that havoc in her heart, who knows if she could ever have taken Dylan back during those harsh seasons of her life.
"I'll be back to Los Angeles in two weeks," Dylan told her in the car, "it's Sammy's birthday"
"Yes," she replied, "I figured out "
"I wish you would come with me, I would like to let you know"
Brenda wasn't surprised by Dylan's request, deep down she was hoping for it, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to go back to Los Angeles. SHe hadn't come back in years. Since her family had ended the diaspora around the world. SHe had never really felt the need to come back.
"I don't know, I should go back to London"
"Come on, you can get yourself for more days."
Brenda chose the words well. She knew it was important to Dylan, but she had promised herself not to be dragged into his life that way. Dylan always came in on a tight leg and often didn't realize the consequences and pain of his actions.
SHe shook her hand trying to interrupt her thoughts. He knew she was afraid and couldn't blame her.
"Your brother is there. Friends too. After that we will be back in London"
"Are we going back? Plural?
"We'll come back," he repeated.
When they arrived they immediately noticed four men in front of the entrance gate. They wore big black glasses and one of them had a pigtail. They smiled at their passing, They smiled in an evil way, so much so that Brenda felt the need to hold on Dylan's arm. For protection. To get older.
"Mr. McKay!"
One of them stopped Dylan when he was now past the gate.
They had no more doubts, they had come to look for them. They were the men of Perreira.
"What's up?" Dylan replied.
Xavier had come closer to the gate. He had bare eyes and fear in his body.
"Does it make us sit down?"
"What's up?" Dylan repeated
The car door opened and a sturdy man got off. Unfilled. Eyes alive. He smoked a cigarette that lit up as much as his eyes lit up.
"You have something that belongs to us Mr. McKay. We take it back. Nothing personal"
Dylan was nervous, but he had taken on that tough face that he always gave in.
"I have nothing that belongs to you, I don't even know who you are"
"Hey Mr. McKay don't get nervous.. we just want our kids , our people to help families"
"These kids don't have a family"
"We are their family," said the defed man opening his arms.
The man approached Dylan's face "Don Perreira wants his girls and boys back. You're making him lose a lot of money"
Dylan didn't regrade a millimeter "if not what's going on?" He replied.
The man splashed to laugh in his face.
"Time a week. The kids from Santa Cruz need to go back to the workshops and the girls to cheer up our customers, Mr. McKay. Don't believe we don't know who you are. Don Perreira has no patience. And not even those above Don Perreira."
One of the henchmen began to pour gasoline while the other three rushed to Dylan.
"If he doesn't know who Don Perreira is, he can ask his friend Xavier. If he doesn't know who's on top of Don Perreira ask his friend Xavier. We are used to having what we want. Even a pebble if we want it. You'll be leaving, Mr. McKay but these guys are going to stay."
He throwed the cigarette on the gasoline that caught fire immediately.
Juan and Xavier grabbed old blankets to try to put out the fire as the five walked away at high speed.
The fire was circumscribed and reduced.
"We have to give the Santa Cruz boys," Xavier said as they got up with blankets in their hands.
"No," Dylan replied.
"What do you think you're doing? You will leave, we will stay. It's fifteen kids. We can't win"
Dylan turned to him "how do you think of such a thing?"
"And how do you not think about it? There are a hundred kids in here. Who have a future. They finally have something. Do you want to take it away from them? We'll stay here, Dylan, every single day we will have to deal with them."
"If we give in .. they will want more kids. Other girls to start prostitution"
"Yes.. because it works like this here. We are not in the United States. If we don't give in, they kill us all"
Dylan did not answer and did not notice Brenda's gaze watching him. She still had wet hair and the costume starting to form a halo of water on her shorts. There were dark shadows on the horizon.