“And we got you, motherfucker!” Jorge exclaimed seconds after hanging up the phone. Then, he showed me and his wife Val’s exact location.
“Well, it’s not so far away from the city, but it looks like a deserted area” I commented, shaking my head. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Val felt terrified when she found out of her surroundings.”
Even I felt a shiver down my spine, just thinking about it.
“Hey, I have a crazy idea that might work” I suddenly said.
And so I explained everything I had in mind. First, I’d go back to my house to change into safer, stealthier clothes and arm myself while they’d call the police and fill them in with the details of the events. After their call and the police arrival at the pizzeria, Val’s parents would ring my phone and give me green light for riding south, toward the location. When I reached the road in the outskirts of town, I’d tell them to depart along with the police and drive behind me. We’d be supposed to meet three kilometres away from the building and exchange intercoms to keep in touch with each other during our operation. Then, we’d continue the journey together until arriving at our destination. I’d take the main risk by getting into the building alone, though I’d be in constant communication with the others by the intercom. The main idea was to make Javier incriminate himself for domestic and gender-based violence for the time of one year, and harassment since Val's report on him before leaving Santa Fe.
“Wow, you do have such a crazy mind, Agus” commented Val’s mother in awe. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say any other than ‘I’m in’, because indeed I do sign up for this operation” Jorge agreed with the plan. “Count me in, girl.”
Knowing that they were up to my insane idea for saving Val warmed my heart and filled it in with renewed energy. Nothing, absolutely nothing, would stop me in my way to get my girl back to safety.
“Keep fighting, elskede” I said, my hands on my heart. “We’re coming for you.”
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Forty minutes had passed since her call, and things went on uneventfully, to say the least. I was still tied to the chair, my mouth covered again, while Javier kept pacing back and forth and then sitting on the floor and, again, pacing, and sitting...
“What a pity that your so-called girlfriend won’t come because she doesn’t even know what this place is” he said in a soft voice. “And what’s worse, she claims she loves you when she actually wouldn’t move a finger to save you.”
What a shame that the only thing he kept saying was that Agustina didn’t love me at all. Of course, I tried to ignore those comments, but he had a point: the chances of her getting to this spot were rather low, and it got me worried. I didn't expect her to risk her life to save mine, but still… Anyway, as I promised to her, I got to keep strong. If somehow helpful for me, she did believe in me, and that was enough for me. 'Yes, as if you loved me, sucker. She's way better than you.'
As I defied him with just a cold stare, Javier would hit me wherever he wanted, expecting me to look down to the floor. At first, I could stand it, but every minute that passed by I was getting weaker and weaker, and the fact that literally nobody else knew where I was felt like an extra weight on my shoulders.
My body had already given up, as I couldn’t get my eyes open, for example. I was defeated by hopelessness and fear. I broke the promise I had made to Agustina... Tears of anger, sadness and pain eventually started pouring down as the heaviest of rains. ‘I’m sorry, min skatt, I’ve failed you.’
And then, out of literally nowhere, I heard a loud sound, like an explosion or glass windows breaking into little pieces, scattering around the dark cold ground.
“You haven’t failed me, kærasta” she said, confidently stealing the show. And then, she glanced at Javier and added: “guess you weren’t expecting me to actually come here, were you?”
I couldn’t believe that she really came. But how the hell did she know about this place in the first place? Anyway, her presence embraced my whole being with the kind of warmth that I’d never want to let go. Right now, I needed her to hold me and bring me back to life again. God, I hadn’t seen her for a few hours but never missed her so madly.
“I’m here, Val'' Agustina said, wrapping me in her strong arms. The way we talked to each other even without saying anything at all... I wouldn’t trade it for anything. “I promise we’re getting through this, together.”
After long sixty seconds being in her arms, feeling her warmth and soft lavender scent, she pulled away and turned her look to Javier, her expression changing into one more serious, cold, emotionless.
And so she started asking some questions in a casual way, almost inviting him to talk with her as if they were friends (how strange would be that). And he spoke to her almost naturally... But I could sense he was very afraid of her, and she seemed to know it all too well. She knew what she was doing. She knew where she was hitting a nerve as she was questioning him. This woman would never cease to amaze me.
“So that’s why you took the job to leave everything behind and move to La Paz?” she asked in her unusual yet attractive serious voice.
“I... I came here because I couldn’t bear the fact of her leaving not only me, but also the city I grew up” he answered, a little nervous. “I wanted her to know that I would never give up on her, even if I have to do some crazy stuff to keep her by my side.”
“Including taking her away from the people who love her, against her will?” she pressed on him.
“She somehow has to know where she really belongs! And if that means leaving marks on her to prove that point, then it will be that way.”
While Javier was about to lose his temper, Agustina kept her cool effortlessly.
“So that’s why you used to physically, mentally and emotionally abuse of her when you were a couple, so that she could never dare to stand up to you” she insisted.
“I... How do you...?” he stopped to turn his face toward me. “How could you, bleeding bitch!”
“Do you love her?”
He quickly turned to her.
“Yes, I love her. And I don’t like the fact that she’s dating another woman. Why the fuck is that allowed? And what’s worse, this woman’s mother’s father is black, and I hate them.”
Alright, that was quite uncalled for, man. Poor Agustina. She had been dealing with so much drama right now, and Javier talked shit about she and I being in a relationship, as if it made us less human beings. But worse, he made a disrespectful, hateful comment about her family and roots. I couldn’t imagine how hurt she might feel deep inside.
“But if you love her, why would you keep insisting on taking her back instead of letting her go?” she asked, trying to hide her pain.
“Because I can take her back and I will do it as well” he severally answered. “I would never allow her to be under the influence of a black lesbian who hides her straightness because she hasn’t met the right man yet.”
'Oh, no. You didn't say any if this, son of your fucking mother.'
I could sense the way she was looking at me, knowing what I was thinking about all this racist and homophobic behaviour. She knew I madly wanted to teach him a lesson, but at the same time she knew that I wouldn’t do it in the middle of whatever she was up to.
“You know what? If she doesn’t want to be with me, I’ll make sure she’ll never be with someone else” he stated. And I was shocked.
As I was seeing him coming to me holding a gun, as venomous as never before, I tried to cover my face with my arms... Little did I know that I could actually move my arms! How the hell had they been untied? Anyway, there was no time to think as the man that had been making my life miserable for years was approaching me. What should I do now?
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