Lucía

Friday night around 11 pm. The moon shines bright over endless fields. Gale. Roman lies inert on the floor after being beaten by four men.

-You should have played the game and shut the fuck up -one of them said.

-If you start digging, you’ll only get yourself buried -said another.

They throw him into a pit, bury him and leave in a pick-up truck.

1 am. Lucía is in the living room. She can’t sleep. She’s been calling Roman all night but it goes straight to voicemail. He’s never skipped a night. Calling the police crosses her mind, but something inside tells her to wait.

She goes over their last conversation, over and over again.

-I’ll be back a little later tomorrow. I have to get some extra material and tools from the yard for a project we’re starting next week -Roman said.

-OK mi amor -she replied- will you be on time for dinner or should I start without you?

-Start without me baby. I rather do this tomorrow, so we can have the whole weekend for us. We’ll do whatever you want.

-OK. She gives him that lovely smile he loves so much. He kisses her and they go to bed.

He woke up at 4 am, like he always does, got ready for work, kissed her, and left.

Something’s happening. She opens the computer, and checks the bank account they have in common. $0.00. The money was withdrawn two weeks ago. Her heart stops.

A noise outside. She runs to the kitchen, grabs a knife and waits in the dark. She is trembling. Roman enters through the back door. Lucía is about to stick the knife to him, when he falls to the ground. She turns on the light.

-Roman! – she screams. He’s covered in dirt and blood. -Stay with me, I’m calling an ambulance!

-No! -he blurts, grabbing her hand.

-What? -Lucía is shocked, angry, confused, all at the same time.

-Listen to me. You have to leave right now.

-What is going on Roman? -Now she’s pissed.

-I discovered something at the yard -he can barely speak-. It’s the people from the waterboard. I wanted to get you out of it, I wanted to protect you. Listen to me, I took all of our money and put it in a safe place. It’s all for you, but you have to leave. They already know we’re together. They’re coming for you.

-I’m the one who started this. I’m the one who started digging… You need a doctor; I’m taking you to Rachel’s.

-Lucía, as soon as they see I’m not where they left me, they will come here. Look at me, they will do the same to you, and I’ll die if I can’t protect you. You have to leave, but you have to take something with you. It’s a little black book. It’s inside your roller skates. Get it and run.

Lucía rushes to the closet, takes the roller skates from the box. The small black leather book is inside. She looks around the room, takes a little luggage bag and puts some clothes for him and her in it. She goes to the safe box, grabs a large envelope, the computer and she calls her friend.

-Rachel! Thank God!

-Are you OK?

-No... Listen, I need a favor. I need you to trust me and ask no questions. Can we trade cars? I’ll leave mine in your garage. Hide it for a few months, and then do whatever you want with it. I call you tomorrow and tell you where you can pick up yours. I’ll be away for a while.

-You’re scaring me.

-Please Rachel. You’re the only one I trust.

-OK.

-I’ll be there in 15 minutes.

-Now leave, leave and don’t look back -Roman says.

-WE’RE LEAVING TOGETHER.

In the garage. She helps Roman get in the back of her white RAV4.

-You are braver than anyone I’ve met -Roman whispers.

Rachel’s house. Around 2 am. She sees Roman and she understands. His face is swollen, bleeding and he can barely move.

-This is about the waterboard isn’t it? -asks Rachel, a strong-willed doctor and Lucía’s best friend.

-Yes… I think Roman might have some broken ribs, I’m not sure -Lucía is containing her tears.

Rachel checks on him. He’s making a colossal effort not to scream. -Take this -she gives him a morphine pill.

-I’ll go with you and come back on Sunday. They won’t be looking for two girls and a dog on a road trip, in a soccer mom SUV- said Rachel.

-Thank you -Lucía whispers and smiles. She helps Roman lay in the back of Rachel’s car.

-Where are we headed to? -Asks Rachel.

-I know someone in Phoenix. No one will connect us.

-The sooner we leave the city, the better. Take care of him Bacon -says Rachel. Bacon jumps into the car. The garage door closes.

They start driving. Rachel’s at the wheel.

Lucía and Roman’s house. 5 am. Two men break into the house. They are frantically looking for something and throwing everything down.

One of them at the phone: -They’re not here. Well if they did, they did it in a rush because everything looks like they’re coming back for dinner. Got it. I’ll put them to work-. He makes another phone call -We’re looking for a white RAV4. I just sent you their picture and the license plate-. They leave.

Black soccer mom SUV on the road.

-How are you feeling mi amor? -Lucía asks Roman.

The morphine is kicking in and he’s almost asleep. He just assents with his head. Bacon is sleeping next to him.

Lucía starts dialing.

-Hi Angela! How are you, how are things? -faking enthusiasm- Hey, remember I told you Roman and I wanted to go to the Great Canyon but for one reason or another, we never did? Well, we’re finally visiting this weekend. Can we stay in your basement room tonight?

-Oh my God, finally! Yes, of course! I’ll have it ready.

-Thank you so much.

- Can’t wait to see you prima!

Lucía takes the black book from her purse and starts going through it.

8 am. -We’re not in California anymore. I’ll hop to the back and check on him- Rachel says to Lucía.

-Thank you.

-I don’t think your ribs are fractured, so that’s good news, but if you definitely don’t want to go to a hospital, you’ll have to stay in bed for a few weeks. Seriously.

-I will. Thank you, Rachel. I need to talk to Lucy.

Lucía jumps to the back. Roman’s head lies in her lap. She caresses his hair lovingly.

-I’m so sorry mi amor -he is in pain, physically and emotionally. He feels he let her down- I was supposed to take care of you. They started to cover their tracks more aggressively when you hired that LA attorney. But I only discovered that two weeks ago. I went to the yard to pick up some stuff but when I got there the gate was closed. I thought it had been a miscommunication detail, so I walked to the gate to talk to the guard, but I found him lying face down, with his head on the desk. He was dead. I immediately turned back, but I heard someone coming, so I hid. That’s when I heard them saying they had to stop the case at all costs. They left and broke into the office and took copies of everything I found useful. Who would’ve known they keep all their dirty files in the yard. The next day, I took all the money from our account, drove up north, and put the money and the files in a safe place. The address is in the book, and information about the board that it’s not in the files. I wanted to take you out of here as soon as possible, but then last night they waited for me after my shift and took me to a field outside of the city. They found out about us. I had to come back to you.

-Roman..

-You built that case on your own. Give the documents to Frank. Start a new life. All that money is for you.

-Stop it. Stop talking like that. Yes, they are more powerful than we imagined, everyone told me to drop the case and I didn’t listen. I was fed up with their abuse. But this is not going to end like this. We’ll start a new life, but together.

He touches her face softly.

We’re here – Rachel said.

I have to talk to Angela- Lucia prays she can convince her to help them.

She knocks on Angela’s door.

-Lucy! -Angela hugs Lucia warmly- Y Roman? where did you leave him? -she jokes.

-Can we get inside?

-Sure… -Says Angela, but that didn’t sit well on her.

-Angela, I need to tell you something. I know you have a family and it is your duty to protect them, so I understand if you refuse my request. There is someone who is trying to hurt me and already hurt Roman. We need a place to stay for a few weeks, and you’re the only one I have. No one knows we’re related.

Angela is in shock -Who are they? Why do they want to hurt you? If they hurt him already, what makes you think you’re safe here? What about my family?

Lucía knows this is her only chance. She has to be very careful with her words. -They are some very powerful people that have been stealing the region’s water and using federal land and infrastructure for their own private purposes while the whole region suffers a severe drought. I started gathering with some neighbors and I hired another lawyer. They wanted to shut me up so yesterday they beat up Roman and left him on a pit. They don’t know where we are and they won’t come here I promise. There’s no way to connect us. We just need a place to stay for a couple of weeks. I’ll pay you rent and I’ll help you with anything you need in the house.

-Oh my God, Lucy.

Lucía looks at her in silence.

-Esta bien.

-Thank you, Angela.

They bring Roman inside the house through the garage, and lay him on the bed.

-Thank you both so much. You just saved our lives. -Lucía says to Rachel and Angela.

-I’ll make something to eat. -Says Angela and she goes upstairs.

-I’ll take a little vacation. I don’t know anything, I didn’t see anything.

Lucía smiles at her -You are the best friend ever.

Rachel leaves.

Lucía calls the lawyer: -Frank, it’s Lucía. It’s a long story, but there’s something you need to see. We cannot meet in LA. They must be looking for you at this point. Let’s keep it low and I send you the address in a couple of weeks.

Four weeks later. Lucia takes the road and drives up north. She parks outside a garage door at a storage in Provo, Utah. Frank is there. They get inside and she gives him three boxes with files. Frank reads some of them and looks at her. They both know they have the key they were looking for to win the case. He puts the boxes in his car.

-I’ll take a nice little trip and read those (pointing at the boxes). Says Frank. I always wanted to see the land of Wile E. Coyote.

Lucía smiles. They toast their beer and look at the horizon. They hug and Frank leaves. She comes back inside and opens the desk’s drawer. Two bags of money in there. She opens them. That’s easily more than twenty grand in one on the bags. Way more money than she thought. Her heart starts pounding. Pause. She takes a deep breath, puts the bags in her trunk and starts driving back to Phoenix.