Without saying a word, I march past the only two people in this entire world who I truly care about and leave them to cry alone.
“We’re going to paint the streets red with their blood.” The anger and confusion I felt from my confrontation with Cat has hardly dwindled.
How long has it been since I left her back in the bunker? A sharp pain of guilt cuts through my chest at the thought of them being all alone, but I’m able to push through that with the fury of my rage. The next time I see my family, it will be because I’ve found us a way out of here—and that starts now.
“You don’t think we should rest a little longer before we start another battle?” Jesus asks. Despite being a country boy, the young man has fit naturally into his new role as a revolutionary general. He leads city folk like a thirsty man drinks water, with a desperate zeal.
“This won’t be a battle,” I assure him, still fighting back my guilt. “It will be a massacre. By the time their back up arrives, we’ll be long gone.”
Jesus seems hesitant, but I’m not. This might be my only chance to get Oscar and Cat out of the city before everything devolves into complete chaos. Right now, there are still pockets of peace; highways that haven’t been destroyed, escape hatches that haven’t been covered in rubble, but at this pace, none of that is going to last long. It’s up to me to make a decisive move and open up a sliver for us to escape through. Whether or not I’ll return before this whole revolution is sorted out is something I still haven’t decided on. My family comes first, and as long as they’re in danger, I’ll fight for them—but once they’re safe?
Right now, there’s no point in thinking about it. I’ll cross that bridge when I have to.
“Do you understand?” I ask my commander.
While he may be hesitant about the plan, he never hesitates to follow my orders. “Yes, sir,” he nods. “I’ll brief the crew.”
“Good.”
And with that, I’m left alone with my thoughts again. I so badly want to race back underground and grab Cat in my arms; I want to feed Oscar and lift him up in the air and hear his innocent laugh, but I know that doing that would be too dangerous. The only time I can relax is when I’m around them, and I can’t relax, not yet.
I’m about to blow a hole in this city, and all the rats that guard the roads out of here will have to scurry to help their fallen comrades—that’s when we’ll escape.
... That’s when you’ll leave everyone behind. These people trusted you; they looked up to you...
Cat’s words are like fishing hooks in my brain. I try to toss them aside with a violent shake of my head, but it’s no use. She has a way of getting under my skin.
Is the guilt that I’m feeling only from fighting with her in front of Oscar? Is it just for being the reason why my son cried, or is it also because Cat was right?
I’m not leading a cartel anymore. These people I’ve recruited to do my selfish bidding aren’t doing it for greed or cruelty or just to get their kicks. They truly believe in the cause.
Do I?
I believe in taking down Dante and everyone who’s helped him... but that’s only because of what’s been done to me.
It’s also the same reason why every last single person is fighting beside me. I’m not the only one who’s lost something, I’m not the only one who’s been tortured and stolen from. Everyone is fighting for selfish reasons. It’s why the rich and the elite aren’t taking to the streets, because nothing has been taken from them, not yet.
I’m no different than anyone else. I’m just more powerful, more experienced, more driven. I started a revolution for a girl, and now I’m willing to run away from it all for our child.
There’s nothing to feel guilty about.
But these people can’t just run away...
I shake my head again. It’s too late to second guess myself. The massacre has been set in motion. Dante’s men are about to be sent to hell, and if anyone from the army is with them, then they’ll be held just as accountable as their brethren.
I pop a Glock behind my belt and step out into the growing light of a windy dawn. The weather has been polite over the past few days—at least, it has been compared to the chaos at the wedding—but I have a feeling that it’s about to change again. I’m about to set this city on fire, and nature is going to fan those flames until everything is burned to the ground. Only then will we be able to rebuild.
20
Angel
On the roof, the wind is nearly strong enough to knock a grown man off of his feet. A little further down the nearest fire escape, though, and everything is so still that you could hear a pin drop.
That’s why I’ve commanded for all of my men to go radio silent. No one’s to move or speak or even fucking breathe. Right now, this is the quietest place in all of Cali, but in a few minutes, it’s going to be by far the loudest.
Through Juan’s sources, I’ve learned that a significant portion of Dante’s army is going to be passing through this perfect ambush spot. The tight midtown enclave is surrounded by tall skyscrapers on all sides. At either end of the block are big burly buildings that stand like barriers. We’ve emptied the buildings and blocked off all the alleyways and filtered the marching foot soldiers in this direction. Usually, a smart general would never let their men be led into a situation like this, but I’ve gotten word that Dante is at the helm of these poor souls. Apparently, he had a falling out with their old general; so, he killed the man and took over his troops. Now, he’s leading them into a slaughter.
With any luck, Dante will be among his men, but I’m not counting on it. The last thing I expect of my little brother is for him to be down in the trenches with the soldiers he’s ordering around. That’s the main difference between us—or at least, it is for now. If this goes well, then I’ll be out of here with Cat and Oscar before the dust can settle.