Taste Of Scotch // James Valdez

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The pain in my chest is trobbing. My breathing is uneven and heavy. I can't keep going, I just can't. Suddenly my whole body is falling to the ground, tears sting my eyes as they roll down my checks. "Come on. Get up." One of the men said. His own breathing matching mine - uneven and heavy - with a forceful sigh he leans down and grabs me under my arms. Grunting he hauls me up from behind. His breath smells bitter, like hard whiskey. I keep my body limp, trying to make it as hard for him as possible.

"Don't be ah Punta eh." He says nudging me forward. He leads me to the other man who is now standing by the car with the door open. I can see it in his eyes. He's going to kill me. These men are going to kill me, shoot me in the head - maybe the heart - and they're going to leave my lifeless body laying out in the middle of the desert.

I stand just inches away from the tall Mexican. His dark eyes staring directly into my soul. I know he can see the fear in my eyes. The corners of his mouth twist into a smirk as his eyes explore my body. I felt repulsed, disgusted. Suddenly his hand is raising up slamming me right in the jaw. A pain filled grunt leaves my lips. My mouth fills with the taste of copper. My head still leaning over to the side I spite the red liquid out. "Get her in." He demands, moving to the side so the man holding me can shove me into the car. Once inside the man who hit me gets in the drivers seat and the other man sits beside me in the back seat with a gun pointed in my direction

Now what do I do?

I can't run. My bodies to weak to even adept that again.

I can't fight them. The odds aren't in my favor, plus they're stronger than I'll ever be.

If I take the gun from the man sitting next to me I might have a chance. But I'd most likely have to shoot him, he sees me as a small girl and I know he'd try to over power me. He'd win.

***

I wake up. Not quite remembering when I fell asleep during the ride. My eyes scan my surroundings. I'm still in the car with the two men who kidnapped me. only difference now is I don't have a gun pointing at me. I look out the window of the car and my eyes widen. We where no longer in Mexico. "Where are we?" I asked, but got no answer or even a glance.

We pull up to a broken down warehouse, that's heavily guarded. My mind goes straight to the bad. This is where they are going to kill me. This will be the last things I see. The car comes to halt, both men getting out. The driver who laid his hands on me gets out and walks around the car while the other man grabs my wrist and jerks me out. "Come on."

With trembling legs I step out of the car. Men with loaded guns surround the whole place, keeping watch is my first thought. With the mans arms clamped around my shoulders he begins to guide me towards the warehouse but right before I even step foot inside the warehouse I felt a burning pain in the side of my neck and suddenly my whole body was going limp, my eyes slowly closing, then everything went black.

I come to. A groan escapes my lips, my head feeling heavy as I open my eyes. Broken windows, cobwebs, and yard fencing snapped into focus. shadows danced the walls with only a small slit of light coming through. My hands where zip tied behind my back fixing me to a chair. I struggled against the ties, tears sting my eyes. "I wouldn't do that if I where you." A voice sounded up in front of me, my head snapping up. Fear creeping into my mind. This was it. This was the moment they where going to kill me. And as I stared up I was met with a older Mexican woman - red dressing fitting her curves, dark hair straighten to perfection.

"The gas station you stumbled upon is in my mule route." She started up again. Her eyes fixed on me as he made her way dreadfully slow to the table. "My people always tell anything strange they encounter." she finished as she sat down in front of me. Her eyes still staring at me as if she was waiting for me to say something, but I didn't. I stayed silent.

"Curiously enough, you found them." She started up again when she realized I wasn't going to answer. But it was also then that I realized just who she was. "My husband has been leaving me messages, he said he's looking for a girl. what a curious coincidence." she finished the last part in Spanish. She then sat back in her chair, put her hands on the table intertwining her fingers, as he she raised a brow at me.

"You are that girl, I know you. Where do I know you from?"

"I was Guero's girlfriend. I met you at your house last charismas." My voice was low and hushed. I never made eye contact with her, keeping my head low.

"Was?"

I didn't want to answer. I didn't want to say it out loud. If I said It out loud then it was real, every painful part of it was real and I didn't want it to be real. It couldn't be real. but it was, this is real. A voice whispers inside my head. The inner human inside me, she was right.

"Guero's dead."

She didn't seemed fazed by my words instead she just asked another question. "What where you doing in such an out of the way place? You where running, did my husband really chase you into the desert? "

when I didn't answer again she kept talking. "Why do you think he went to such lengths . . . why?"

I thought about telling her. Telling her about the book, about Teresa. But what good would that bring me? after I told her she'd kill me. she'd have no use for me. So still I sat here staring at her with my mouth shut. She didn't seem to pleased. she heaved a sigh, got up, and walked out. I didn't know what was coming next. I didn't know If I was going to live through the night but I knew one thing. I wasn't going to talk, I wasn't going to tell them anything.