Chapter Thirteen
Dawn opened her eyes and wondered if she dreamed all that happened last evening. Juanita was cleaning in the room going about without noticing that she was awake. “Good morning,” she said sitting up in the bed.
“Good morning, Ma'am. I take it you slept well.”
“I learned how to deal with it,” Dawn said as she got out of bed. “Is my bath ready?”
“Yes.”
“I guess I'll go sit on the patio today. It looks like a beautiful day,” she said walking over to the window and looking out.
“Didn't you see the note?,” Juanita asked out of frustration. “So, you did write that note, Juanita. Why?”
“Dawn..” it was the first time since they met that she used her first name. “You need to get out of here. Leave.”
“He won't let me leave and I'm tired of the beatings. I'm just going to give him what he wants. It'll be easier that way,” Dawn told her. The thought of him raping her, punching her slapping her, threatening her, and demeaning her was something she could no longer take. She tried to be strong and fight, but that wasn't her. Not anymore. Being stubborn didn't get her anywhere. If she just laid there, it would anger him as well. The only thing was to pretend to enjoy it, want it. Let him believe that she's falling for him. He was breaking her and he knew it. Dawn hated him and wanted him to suffer and die for all that he'd done to her. Chris' death and her captivity. She would never see her parents again. Tears rolled down her cheeks realizing that she would die when he got tired of her.
“Come and sit down. I need to tell you all about Michael's wife,” Juanita told her.
They sat on the bed and Juanita felt a lump forming in her throat thinking of the woman she called mother. “Maria Rodriguez was a beautiful, elegant, lovely woman. She was sweet and kind, but she loved her people and cared deeply for their well being. She didn't what kind of man Michael was when she married him and he mistreated her and my father was her servant. They were both young and Michael would go on his trips for days at a time. Eventually, my father and Maria fell in love. She became pregnant with me and she convinced Michael that I was his baby.
My father wanted them to get away, but she wouldn't leave. Michael turned her into a prisoner,” Juanita explained.
“Why did she stay?,” Dawn asked.
“He didn't allow her to go anywhere during her pregnancy or do anything,” she said. “He killed her and didn't bat an eye over her death. He didn't even cry and he claimed that he loved her so. Dawn, Michael is poison and he will kill you if you cross him or if the mood hits him. Please, you need to get away from him.”
“This is all too much for me,” Dawn said. “I can't deal with this. I wish Chris was here!”
“Dawn, he's not coming. No one is! You've got to get out of this place yourself!” Tears fell from Juanita's eyes. She thought that her father was right. Maybe she shouldn't have said a word. If Dawn wouldn't leave, then she would have to leave. She knew that Michael would find out. He always did and she had no one in her corner. She hated all of them and wanted them all dead. None of them lifted a finger to help her mother when they found out what she was going through. The doctor visits, the abuse. “She was my mother and I never had the chance to be held by her. I never heard her warm words or the advice on the way my life should go. No! She was found beaten and raped in this very room and it doesn't mean anything to him,” Juanita told her. Juanita stood up and wiped her eyes. “I don't want to see the same thing happen to you!” She shook her head and rushed out of the room leaving Dawn by herself in silence.
Dawn walked over to the closet and grabbed her robe, then went into the bathroom. The door opened and Michael walked in looking around. He heard the sound of water splashing from the bathroom. Dawn was sitting in the bubbled filled tub relaxing. Michael stared at her for a moment thinking of how he wanted her to be just like Maria. She was all he desired in a woman and he loved her in his special way so much. He knew that the men in his cartel found her just as beautiful and wanted her for themselves. He killed her because he didn't want anyone else to her, but someone did.
“Michael, what are you doing here?,” Dawn surprisingly asked. “I'm looking for Juanita. Have you seen her?”
“She was here. If she left, I don't know where she went to,” Dawn told him. “Thank you, my love. I'll see you at breakfast,” he said leaving the bathroom.
Dawn leaned back in the tub replaying what Juanita told her. It did upset her and feeling sick that Michael actually didn't love her. She was nothing, but a replacement for a woman that he abused and killed. He was jealous and thought that she was his property. Now she was his property and he could do anything to her and get away with it. She didn't understand what he wanted from her. Children? Bragging rights? A trophy?
Dawn left the bathroom and took her clothes to get dressed. It was time for her to make a decision and either way she had to free herself from Michael. This time there was no playing, not letting things happen, but making a choice and staying with it no matter what. After getting dressed, she went downstairs and out onto the patio. Standing at the rail, she looked down seeing two young women sleeping on the ground. They were dirty and half clothed, shivering from the cool breeze. “Michael was having trouble with them,” Tony told her. “He had them chained to the house until they either die or do what they are suppose to do.”
“What are they suppose to do?,” Dawn curiously asked. “To keep the men happy,” he said.
Dawn, at that moment thought about climbing over the rail and jump to her death. She sighed at the thought of her just breaking her legs. She desperately wanted to be with Chris. Nothing else mattered anymore. Not Allen, not her parents. She would never see them again anyway. “Tony, kill me please.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know what's going on. What's going to happen to me and I can't live like that, so please.”
“I understand what you are going through, but Michael would kill me if anything happened to you,” Tony told her. “Besides, this is a lot bigger than you or Michael. There is someone else whom you should be afraid of.” Tony held her by her shoulders and smiled. He wanted to protect her and keep her safe. He knew what Michael was doing to her. The same thing he did to Maria, but secretly he was in love with her and knew that she was having an affair, but never told Michael about it. He believed that she deserved some form of happiness, but Michael would kill him if he helped Dawn and he didn't want to be made an example of. “I came to ask you if you seen your maid.”
“Not since this morning. She made my bath and then she was gone,” she told him.
“Okay, thank you,” he said turning away. “I would help you if I could.”
“Is Dawn down here?,” Michael asked as he came down the steps. “She's on the patio,” Tony answered.
“Good. I want you to find Juanita and bring her to me when you do.”
“Yes, Michael,” Tony said walking away.
“It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?,” Michael asked her.
Dawn was startled and turned around showing her tear soaked eyes. She was angry, scared, and violated. Her nightmare had grown worse and she had to escape it. “I want to go home, Michael. This is not my home.”
“You being here with me, and here is where you'll stay. You need to accept that,” he told her
“I don't want to be made a prisoner like Maria!,” she said.
Michael's anger rose with the memories of that night. The night he killed her. “You don't know anything about her!”
“I know you killed her! You kept her a prisoner, then you murdered her!”
“Shut up!,” Michael shouted. “You will marry me, and you will stay here!”
“No!,” Dawn shouted back. She was amused by the amount of courage she was feeling. It wasn't much, but she was tired of being told what to do. “I won't shut up! You neglected her, she went to someone else. I've been neglected in my life. I won't be neglected by you!”
“You will marry me!”
“No! I won't! Michael, you can't make me. You can beat me all you want. I'm not scared of death anymore. I know that if I die, I'll be with the man who truly has my heart. My love!”
Michael struck her across the face and she stumbled backwards. He quickly grabbed her before she fell over the rail. He held her close and said, “I love you, Dawn.”
“No!,” she said pushing him away. “You should have let me fall.” Dawn ran back inside and up the steps to her room. Tears flowed from her eyes and her emotions were in turmoil. She walked for the bed, but nearly collapsed and used the chair to hold herself up. She felt hopeless and needed something positive to hold onto. Dawn made her way to the bed and sat down holding herself only to keep from screaming and she couldn't handle it. “Chris, I need you. I need you so. desperately. Please come and get me. Please.” Dawn laid down and cried herself to sleep.
#
Sounds of snapping twigs and heavy breathing could be heard by the men that Margurite sent out to scout the area. They moved quietly, but quickly towards the sound, ready to kill if it was one of Michael's men. The breathing became louder and as they approached and there was a scream, a woman's scream. She was grabbed and surrounded by all six men. “Who are you?
Why are you out here by yourself?”
“I had to get away. He was going to kill me,” Juanita said.
“Who?”
“Michael Rodriguez.”
“What?”
“I was his maid and now he wants me dead,” she said. “Why?”
“I told her why Michael wanted her. Why he took her. He's planning to marry her in Cora tomorrow. They are leaving out in the morning,” Juanita explained.
“Then we have to get you to her.”
Marguerite was looking over the stash of weapons when the men returned. There seemed to be excitement throughout the amp as the men escorted the young woman towards Marguerite. Juanita was nervous and didn't understand what was going on. She didn't expect anyone to be out in the woods, except the men that Michael sent to find her. She followed them to a woman with long dark hair, her blouse wasn't clean, but just dusty, a pair of green pants and sandals.
“Margurite, we found her in the woods. She said that she was running from Michael,” one of the men said.
Marguerite turned to the young woman and smiled before saying, “Go and make sure she wasn't followed.” She walked over to her and asked, “Are you alright?”
“Yes. Just a little scared. No one escapes Michael Rodriguez.”
“Is the woman there?,” Marguerite asked.
“Yes. Michael's been abusing and rapping her, but she's okay,” Juanita told her. “We will attack him at his house tomorrow so...”
“No,” Juanita interrupted. “You can't!”
“Why not?”
“He won't be there. He's going to Cora in the morning to marry Dawn. He's leaving out and he's not coming this way,” Juanita explained.
“Are you sure?, Marguerite alarmingly asked.
“Yes. I'm sure.”
“Okay,” she said trying to think. The only course of action was to head to Cora as soon as possible. Marguerite found a group of men and told them to gather everyone. It only took a few minutes before everyone had surrounded her, even Chris. “We need to pack everything up and get back on the road. Michael will be heading in the morning to Cora by another route,” she told them.
“Are you sure? How do you know?,” a voice in the crowd asked.
“Yes,” Marguerite assured them. “If we pack up and leave now, we'll make it. His maid escaped, so she knows.” Marguerite pointed to Juanita who was standing there in her torn and ripped maid uniform. The men looked at her for a moment, then got busy loading the trucks. Chris stood there staring at her, filled with questions, some he need answered, others he didn't want to know anything about.
“Excuse me. I'm Chris.”
Immediately Juanita hugged him, holding him tightly. “She loves you so much. She's only holding on because of you,” Juanita told him.
“Is she okay? She's not hurt, is she?,” Chris asked.
“With all that she's been through, she's all right, but she thinks you're dead.”
“I was shot in front of her, so she would believe that,” Chris said.
“Chris, come on, if you wanna get there before dawn,” Marguerite said.
“She just wants to go home. That's all she wants,” Juanita said before climbing on one of the trucks.
Chris smiled, relieved that Dawn was still alive. He ran over to Marguerite and hoisted himself onto the truck as it took off down the dirt road. Marguerite sat next to him and held his arm. She sat next to him and held his arm. She sighed getting his attention, but didn't know exactly what Dawn meant to him. She didn't know how to tell him. She didn't know how to ask him.
“What is it?,” Chris asked. “You want to tell me something?”
“We should reach Cora in a couple of hours.” A laughed escaped her as she shook her head. “We would have attacked an empty house. Some leader I am.”
“Marguerite, no. You are a great leader. These men would follow you anywhere and do anything for you,” he told her.
“Would you?,” she asked, wondering what his answer would be.
He looked at her hopeful expression, then at the men who were watching. “Yes, Marguerite, I would.”
She laughed along with the other men, then smiled at Chris. He was a special man and she hoped that when everything was over he would stay. Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
A few hours later, they stopped just outside of Cora and the men unloaded their weapons and equipment, then set up their tents. They had three or four hours before the action would begin. Right now they were tired and everything was quickly done and the men were bedded down in an about an hour after arriving. Chris remained in the truck. He stared up at the night sky while thinking about going home to Philadelphia. He knew that he was already fired from his job and that he could possibly be facing a prison sentence.
“You should be sleeping. You need to be awake tomorrow,” Marguerite said laughing. “I was just thinking to myself,” he said.
“About Dawn?”
“No,” he said shaking his head. “I was thinking about what my people will do to me when I get back.”
Marguerite climbed in the truck and sat beside him. “Well, you don't have to go back.” He looked at her, surprised that she said that. “Where would I go?”
“You could stay here with me,” she said softly.
Chris raised an eyebrow while wondering what she really wanted. Still, the thought had passed his mind on occasion. Marguerite took his hand holding it gently as she smiled. “I've been by myself too log and since you've been around, I have developed certain feelings.”
“Marguerite, you are a beautiful woman,” he said brushing back the hair from her face.
Out of an impulse, she kissed him. Chris held her tightly as their tongues reached out and intertwined together. Suddenly, Dawn's image popped into his mind and he quickly let her go. “I”m sorry, Marguerite. That shouldn't have happened,” he apologized.
“It's Dawn, isn't it?,” she asked feeling rejected. Silence.
“Tell me, Chris. When you take her back home, who will she go to?” He sighed saying, “Back to her husband.”
“You would push me away for a woman you can't have? That's a smart thing,” she said getting out of the truck and headed for her tent.
Chris knew that she was right. Dawn would go back to her husband and he probably wouldn't see her again. “Marguerite, wait!,” he shouted as he got out of the truck and followed her. She stopped, but didn't turn around. She waited for him to reach her, but didn't want to hear anymore excuses. “You're right, but right now I don't know what I want. I won't know until this is over.”
“What does that mean?,” she asked, looking over her shoulder.
“It means that if I have to stay here. I would want to be with you,” he explained.
Marguerite smiled and turned around to him. “Chris, I know you love her, but I'm falling in love with you. I've been waiting for someone special and I finally found you. So you must understand that I want to be with you,” she told him.
He smiled. “That's good to know.”
“Well, we better get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day and we're gonna have to make a new plan,” she told him.
Chris looked at her taking in her long dark hair and olive complexion. Her face was dirty, but her eyes were a perfect soft brown. Marguerite's body was slender, but shapely. Her breasts were full. She stood about his height and her touch made his skin tingle. He grabbed her and and pulled her close. “Marguerite, you are beautiful.” He kissed her, then swept her up into his arms and carried into the tent. They passionately kissed while trying to undress each other. Feeling Chris' hands exploring her breasts, she moaned out, letting the feeling of love flow through her. Marguerite turned him onto his back and gently, softly and lovingly kissed his body. She moved down to his stomach and he groaned out feeling a tingling all through his body. Suddenly, his back arched as she took him into her mouth and felt the pleasure she gave him. After a couple of minutes, she held him tightly and nibbled on his inner thighs trying to leave passion marks in her wake. Chris moaned out louder as she made me feel good. His head tossed from side to side as he gasped for air. Chris thought that she would never stop as Marguerite held onto him tightly, continuing what he liked. What he needed. His body was becoming weak and he was losing control. “Ahhh, I can't...” After tasting a little bit of him, she finally moved away, watching his body in splendor as it writhed. She slowly moved back up kissing his his body lightly, barely touching his skin. He continued to moan, trying to regain control. Chris held her by the waist and moved her up over his head, and immediately worked on her breasts, moving from one to the other. Marguerite softly moaned, feeling his wet tongue ran across her aching nipples. He quickly rolled her onto her back and kissed her deeply and passionately. Working his way down to her feet. Passion and love flowed through her as his lips explored her body. “Oh, Chris,” she gasped. She could hear his hungry moans while she ran her hands over his head. It had been a long time since she'd been with a man and it felt good being with Chris. The feeling was building up as her moans became louder. Her body moved in a snake like fashion, pushing her to her peak. “I...
Want... Oooo!” Her body began to tremble and Chris tasted her fully before letting go. They held each other tightly as Chris gently entered her, pushing himself slowly until he was all in. “Oh, Chris.” His body moved slowly causing her to hold him even more tight. “Make love to me, ahhh.” The passion shot through them, sending them into perfect bliss. Suddenly, his body movements quickened and Marguerite began to pant. She didn't want to let him go. She wanted him to stay there with her, loving her. Her body became weak under his control, responding to his every movement and every touch. She couldn't hold back anything from him. “Oooo, Chris.
Oooo!,” she cried out as he held her tight. His hard thrusts sending ecstasy all through her. “Ohhh, Marguerite!,” he moaned as he felt himself reaching his climax and giving her all that she wanted as she did the same. The feeling was unique and uncontrollable as they continued moving, trying to extract all the pleasure they were enjoying. Finally collapsing, Marguerite moved into his arms and she fell asleep. Chris held her tightly, thinking of how life would be if he stayed in Columbia. Life with a woman and her son. He wondered if he was cut out for that life. The life of a town's man. He finally drifted of to sleep thinking about his life,