Sierra Santiago and the Invisible City

Chapter 14 - Battle by the Bridge

"We have to get to the river," Biaque said. "And we have to leave now." And then he vanished just as Sierra and Robbie's mom walked in wearing a bathrobe and carrying an aluminum baseball bat.

"What happened?" she said.

"It was a break-in, mom," Juan explained. "We came down just as they were getting away."

"My god!" she yelled, sitting dazedly at the kitchen table. "Did you see them? How many were there?"

Sierra quickly folded up the map and stuffed it in her pocket. "No, Mami. We just came down and heard them scattering out."

"Why does it smell like Tío's cigars down here?" María asked, narrowing her eyes. Juan shrugged weakly. "Were the burglars smoking?"

"Musta been. I guess," Sierra said, her patience running thin. Her mind was already busy plotting out their path to the river and couldn't be bothered making up stories to appease her worried mom.

"And why is it so dim in here? Did you call the police? I need to get hold of your father, he'll be furious."

"Mom," Sierra said finally, "I know this is hard for you to understand, but Juan and I have to go. Right now."

"What? Are you crazy? We just got robbed!" María stood up from the table and looked back and forth between her son and daughter. "You're not going anywhere. You're going to stay here and help me sort this out."

"We can't," Juan said, taking a step towards his mom. "We just can't. And we can't explain why either."

María Santiago's face wavered between rage and confusion. She opened her mouth but it took a few seconds for anything to come out. "You know...the people that did this? Juan...are you, is your sister involved with drugs?"

"Mom," Sierra said, taking her by the hand. "Listen to me: no. It's not drugs, it's not anything we can explain. But we're leaving, right now. I'm sorry."

María's fingers tightened momentarily on the bat as she glared down her two children.

"Is everything okay?" said a voice from the doorway. Terry peered in nervously. He was wearing an extra tight Brady Bunch t-shirt and striped long johns. Sierra suppressed a chuckle.

"It's fine, Timmy," María sighed, sitting back down. The tension seeped out of the room completely. "We had a break in, is all."

"Oh, wow." Terry looked impressed. "Like a movie. Jeez. Do you need anything?"

"No, sweety, thank you," María says. "Just have to make some phone calls and clean up this glass."

Sierra smiled at Terry. "Why don't you come in and have some coffee?" she said, leading him in by the elbow and sitting him forcefully at the kitchen table. "And you can help Mami clean some of this up? That's so sweet, T!" She patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Mom," she directed an I'm-not-doing-what-you-say-and-I-will-happily-make-a-scene face at her mother, "we'll be back."

María gave her a go-ahead-worry-your-poor-mami-and-wait-for-the-ass-whupping-to-come face and sighed again.

It was three AM and the dark streets of Bed-Stuy were deserted. Sierra ran, her hands gripping tightly to her slightly warped skateboard. Over her shoulder was slung the courier bag with a few supplies and Tinibu inside. She stopped at the corner of Throop and Lafayette. Biaque floated up and Juan followed, running awkwardly alongside his 10-speed. They squinted down the avenue. A hushed night wind rustled the trees above them, but besides that nothing moved at all.