Page 60 of The Guardian

In a shaky voice, Maya kept reading it, “Posiblemente haya asesinado a más de una docena de personas. Una recompensa de cien mil dólares por su captura.”

“What? What does it say?” I even heard the panic in my voice. I leaned forward and tapped the keyboard on the translate button. Then I read it aloud, “Wanted for murder. The Bloody Angel. A female serial killer. Maya Perro. She has possibly murdered more than a dozen people. There is a hundred-thousand-dollar reward for her capture.” I stared at the words as if I hadn’t just read them in English because they just could not be real. “Bloody hell,” I grumbled in shock. They did have a picture of her. It looked like it came from a passport photo. Then I looked up at Maya who seemed to have lost all the color in her face.

“The report below it says, they found her victims buried in the basement of a house,” Mancini informed us. “The two older ladies who owned the house, then several other bodies of men who had been declared missing for the last few years. They also found more bodies buried in the backyard.”

Maya leaned back in the chair as she looked like she might pass out. “T-they are blaming me for the murders that t-those two old women committed? Yes, the local authorities came around asking about a few men who were missing. But t-they killed a dozen people?” She visibly shuddered.

“The Castillo family were natural born killers,” Mancini stated. “So this does not surprise me. I admit my Italian compatriots are notorious for this as well. However, Santiago himself, reportedly killed not for business reasons or out of necessity. It has been reported by many that he did it for the joy of it. He killed hundreds during his miserable existence. You all know the story of what he did to the twin’s father and he was very young. Like twenty-years old. My Gabriela lived through that and I am grateful she survived it. But there is a long history of this in that same family. In Mexico, Santiago’s grandfather was called El Carnicero Negro. The Black Butcher. Before him, the family hailed back to a black hearted general in the Mexican army that was involved in the historical killings at the Alamo in this country.”

“This is so.” Rain nodded.

Mancini looked up at him.

“I do my research and especially on cartel members,” Rain explained.

I reached over to take Maya’s hand in mine and told her, “Maybe you should stay he––”

“No!” She cut me off. “I have to be there. I spent three years in servitude to the witches from hell so that I could be there on the blood moon, Henry. I cannot allow this to stop me. I would go insane waiting here. Do not ask me to stay.”

I wasn’t surprised by this statement as I knew this had been something she had spent years waiting for. But it made this endeavor even more dangerous and I had not believed that would be possible.

“I knew this would be your reaction,” Mancini said. “So, all I can do is aid you and your friends here, Maya.” He waved his hand at Rain and I. “Remain in disguise and please for the love of God stay in between these two men to keep yourself from harm. If…” He paused then went on, “The twins lose you? The loss would deeply affect their lives. And therefore, it would affect my wife’s life. It might…” He sighed. “…Do irreparable damage to my world in the end. So, you can see why I am so invested in this.” He looked up at me then at Rain to give us instructions, “Watch for these men I have sent, when that seven-point star is lit and the ritual starts. They will be masked in balaclava but they will have a gold X on their masks and clothing. So you will know them instantly. If you see others dressed in black or otherwise, they may be the League. So the X’s will be the good guys. Then it will be your job to rescue her family. And by the way, Carlos and Selena left the estate about an hour ago. They only said that they had a pressing matter to attend to? They said goodbye to Gabriela.”

Rain took his phone out and tapped the screen. “They didn’t text me.”

I dug my cell out from my pocket and checked it. “Me either.”

Mancini stood and came around his large desk to where we sat in the leather chairs.”

I felt surprised when he extended his hand and I shook it.

Next, Mancini did the same with Rain. “If they return, I will tell them to call you. Then let me know before you leave if there is anything at all that you need. If it is within my power to provide it, I will.”

Chapter Twenty: Do Or Die

Maya

Yes, I was a blonde now. Rain had whistled at me when I came down the steps of the Mancini mansion to get into the car.

Henry, however, told me the blue eyes and blonde locks, wasn’t me. Even though I was still beautiful, he liked the way I really looked. As I put heavy sunglasses on, I knew this might be the biggest compliment of my life. I did have a few outfits from that delivery place but they were of my choice. Jeans and T-shirts. Sports bra and underwear. Athletic shoes and thick socks. Yes, thick to keep the mosquitos away from my ankles. I knew the Catemaco area very well.

We then headed to the private air strip and left New Orleans. Amazingly, we landed an hour and a half later in a remote area. The speed of it all amazed me. We had a snack and a drink on the flight then we were there! Jets were amazing but terribly expensive. From elsewhere, it took a day trip in a car across Mexico to Mexico City to get on a plane there and then hours to fly to New Orleans.

Rain informed us that it was simple math as a straight shot geographically. Henry just replied that it was simple loads of money that made everything possible. They both laughed.

I saw how they enjoyed the competitive jokes and it was entirely how their friendship thrived. Since we avoided customs and the hotel, they spoke about their utter relief at not having to wear pink and smack their lips at each other. They hailed the praises of Alberto Mancini for saving them from the rainbow act as they called it.

I listened to them talk instead of hearing my own thoughts. I would go pazzo with the list of worries. Like…Me, a serial killer? After a bit, even their entertaining ways failed to keep the obvious worry of this new fact away. I might have to hide indefinitely because of this circumstance now. Could I ever return to Italy? I would have to live under the radar as they called it. Then I suddenly realized those old witches had the last laugh after all. They were evil, mean and literally cold-blooded killers, so I believed they were in hell where they belonged. But they left revenge behind. I shivered as I could still hear those horrible, ugly cackles in my mind from time to time.

I could not care about this though. I would go through it all over again if it meant I could save my family. I felt so nervous yet excited that I would see them again…At least I hoped so. I kept sending prayers up, that I would be reunited with them finally.

The jet pilot told Henry that he would be a call away. He knew the area well and had a place to hide the plane. Then he would fly back around to this strip when Henry called.

Our guide surprised us by showing up in a Jeep and motioning for us to get in. This guide was a woman, which was a further shock. She told us her name was Vega. As in she said, “I am Vega.” Then that was the extent of her speaking skills and greeting. Long jet-black hair in a ponytail under an Army cap. A dark green T-shirt and khaki shorts. Hiking boots and long tan legs. I knew her name translated in English to swooping eagle. I thought it to be a clever name then I found out how well it fit her. She barely waited for us to toss our bags in and get seated, then she took off like a bat out of hell, as Rain had muttered to us.

Dust flew and we all hung on to whatever we could. The scenery flew by. I’d never been to this side of Catemaco. Not that I saw much of it now either. In the past, there had never been a reason or an opportunity to do so as this was called the badlands for a reason. It was reported to be a wild place where thieves and criminals hid out. Locals always said to avoid it or else lose everything you carried on your person and you might lose yourself too.

I noted that the woman guide had a gun at her right hip and a big machete knife sheathed on her left. This made me feel a bit better. Unless she used either weapon on us. But she must have noted the guns Henry and Rain now openly carried. Somehow though, I knew Alberto would not have someone hired who was untrustworthy enough to attack the clients.