12-20-2020, 12:54 PM
[The next day]
These long drives meeting with black SUV's were becoming a bad habit. This time in a stretch of no man's
land a few miles outside of Albuquerque. Her old man came through on the contacts and Delia didn't waste
any time on moving things forward.
The long, red-brown dirt road gave way to a small clearing where a blacked-out Suburban sat parked, flanked
by what looked to be five men. They were also all clad in dark colors. She slowed down and pulled off the road
with a decent amount of space between her and the others. Delia recognized the eldest man leaning against
the front of the truck. His name was Alexander Morra; a long-time friend and "associate" of her father.
She gets out of her car and approaches the men slowly. There was no such thing as a "sure thing" with Delia.
"The girl has become a woman!" Alexander said loudly, smiling.
"You sure we're far enough out?" Delia offered with sarcasm.
"How's your father?" he asked.
"Ernie's fine." she said looking the other four men over.
"Still can't call him Dad I see." he prodded.
Delia was now only a couple feet away from the older man. He'd aged significantly since she'd last seen him
but he was still Alex; the same man who always showed up at her birthday parties when she was young.
"You always travel this heavy?" she asked, her eyes squinting from the sun.
"I figured you'd want to meet the whole team."
Delia once again gave the men a quick scan, then looked back at Alex.
"Please tell me you're joking!" Delia replied.
"What do you mean?" Alex questioned.
"Six of us against Sanchez's army?"
"Five, I won't be joining you."
Delia threw her head back, quickly looking into the distance and sighing deeply.
"Did Ernie put you up to this? Thinking it would deter me?" she asked frustratedly.
"Honey, these men are all the fight you're gonna need!" he returned confidently.
Delia stared at the old man, trying to root out his truth.
"This will be a massacre." she said in protest.
Alex looked at her and smiled.
"It will, but that's the price you pay when you traffic children."
Delia had to find her footing, fast! Ex-special forces or not, these numbers weren't great. Their plan had
to be fool-proof. One gun short and there'd be five new holes in that Juarez desert. Delia didn't mind dying
for a good cause but she wouldn't go into battle unprepared.
She was all in now. Sanchez had a war coming.
These long drives meeting with black SUV's were becoming a bad habit. This time in a stretch of no man's
land a few miles outside of Albuquerque. Her old man came through on the contacts and Delia didn't waste
any time on moving things forward.
The long, red-brown dirt road gave way to a small clearing where a blacked-out Suburban sat parked, flanked
by what looked to be five men. They were also all clad in dark colors. She slowed down and pulled off the road
with a decent amount of space between her and the others. Delia recognized the eldest man leaning against
the front of the truck. His name was Alexander Morra; a long-time friend and "associate" of her father.
She gets out of her car and approaches the men slowly. There was no such thing as a "sure thing" with Delia.
"The girl has become a woman!" Alexander said loudly, smiling.
"You sure we're far enough out?" Delia offered with sarcasm.
"How's your father?" he asked.
"Ernie's fine." she said looking the other four men over.
"Still can't call him Dad I see." he prodded.
Delia was now only a couple feet away from the older man. He'd aged significantly since she'd last seen him
but he was still Alex; the same man who always showed up at her birthday parties when she was young.
"You always travel this heavy?" she asked, her eyes squinting from the sun.
"I figured you'd want to meet the whole team."
Delia once again gave the men a quick scan, then looked back at Alex.
"Please tell me you're joking!" Delia replied.
"What do you mean?" Alex questioned.
"Six of us against Sanchez's army?"
"Five, I won't be joining you."
Delia threw her head back, quickly looking into the distance and sighing deeply.
"Did Ernie put you up to this? Thinking it would deter me?" she asked frustratedly.
"Honey, these men are all the fight you're gonna need!" he returned confidently.
Delia stared at the old man, trying to root out his truth.
"This will be a massacre." she said in protest.
Alex looked at her and smiled.
"It will, but that's the price you pay when you traffic children."
Delia had to find her footing, fast! Ex-special forces or not, these numbers weren't great. Their plan had
to be fool-proof. One gun short and there'd be five new holes in that Juarez desert. Delia didn't mind dying
for a good cause but she wouldn't go into battle unprepared.
She was all in now. Sanchez had a war coming.
