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My knees shake and a light sweat breaks out along my temples in the hot, dry night. I watch as men walk in and out of the door that leads to the tunnel, moving quickly and quietly.
We're hauled to a stop once we get close to the tunnel. "You will walk through there quietly. You will not cause any problems. You will not fight, and you will not run. You try funny business?" He slips a gun out of the back of his jeans, cocking it and pressing it to my temple. "I'll make sure we have to swim through your brains to get to the other side."
The hot air instantly turns cold as the metal digs into my temple. I wince and whimper. I shake as my eyes fill up with tears.
I'm not supposed to die today. I have a little boy waiting for me.
"Sí?" He digs the gun deeper into my temple, and I raise my shaky hands into the air.
"Please, please. Yes, I understand." I let loose a broken sob. "Please don't shoot me. Please."
He chuckles, pulling the gun back and slipping it back in his pocket. "Patética."
He starts walking forward, and the four men with his start pulling us forward. Dread makes my limbs heavy. It feels like I'm filled with water as I take each step, unease and horror weighing me down.
Once we reach the tunnel, the man turns and makes sure we're all there before turning around and descending down the makeshift stairs.
The man with the older girl descends down the stairs. She looks over her shoulder, the light leaving her eyes. I'm guessing for the last time.
The young girl is next. She starts crying as the guy walks over to the stairs, fear nearly locking her legs up. She can barely move and the guy that has ahold of her starts to drag her, mumbling in Spanish.
Just as he's about to descend down the stairs, I hear a whip of wind. I look behind me and hear a gurgle. Something falls. Glancing in front of me, the man that was pulling her down is now on the ground, his hand pressed to his neck with blood pooling around it.
The young girl starts screaming, screaming for her life.
Then it's complete chaos.
"Pistola! Le dispararon! Le dispararon!" Someone starts yelling behind me, and I'm shoved to the ground. Daniella falls beside me. The young girl is still screaming, and I hear some grunting from the tunnel peak his head out, snaking his hand out to grab onto the girl's ankle. He gives a rough pull, and the girl snaps onto her back, instantly knocked out. He drags her down the stairs, and I listen as the boom, boom of her body hits every stair.
Tremors rack my body as the men point their guns around. Gunshots fire, and I slam my hand over my head. I want to dig into the sand like a dog, getting far, far away from this place.
"Let's go!" The man starts pulling Daniella, and I whip forward and grab onto her wrist.
"No." I plead, trying to pull her towards me with all the strength I have. She looks at me in fear, alarm in her eyes as she tries to fight her way over to me. The man grabs onto her ankle, and we end up in some sick tug-of-war where some man tries to pull her towards a sex trafficking ring, and I try to pull her to safety.
I hear another buzz as something flies past me, and I realize it's a bullet. I drop down again, and my face slams into the ground. My already damaged nose protests in pain and I can feel blood start to drip down my face.
I hear another gun fire, this shot closer to me than the others. The man holding onto Daniella flies back, his back falling onto the stairs. He lets out a grunt, groaning and cursing before he gets up again, this time crawling towards Daniella. He clutches his shoulder with his hand, and the red seeping around his shirt makes me realize he's been shot.
When another bullet flies past him, he drops Daniella's ankle. "Fuck it." He puts his hands up in surrender moments before dropping down into the tunnel.
Oh my God, he's running.
I look behind me, wondering why the man who's been holding me hasn't pulled me down yet. My eyes widen when I see his eyeball blown right out of his head. His socket oozes blood, and I watch as it flows down the side of his face in slow rivers.
"Daniella." I whisper. "Daniella, we have to go. Now." I urge.
She looks around, fear keeping her in place. I snap my fingers in her face. "Let's go." I say again. I'm not leaving her behind, but we only have minutes, if that, before we're found and hauled down into that tunnel.
She nods, getting up on her knees to stand when another shot rings out. This one coming from the tunnel. She falls back onto her stomach again and starts crying.
"Daniella, come on! Please!" My eyes burn in terror. I can't leave her behind. I can't. I start pulling her, and she finally snaps out of her trance as she gets up.
Then I feel an arm wrap around my neck.
Daniella lets out a worried squeak as she looks at me with wide eyes. Ice cold drips of anxiety takes hold and I lose my breath.
Hot breath falls down my neck. "Shh, it's just me." The familiar whisper makes me snap my head around. My jaw falls open and tears spring to my eyes. "Easton. Oh my God. Thank God." I want to fall into his arms but fear still has me cautious.
