Laughing Eyes: Bittersweet Familia (3) (5 page)

Danny

She was by far the most courageous woman I had ever met. Yet even now her tanned skin had visibly paled, her eyes glazing over.

“What is it?” I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders dismissively and at the same time, wrapped an arm around her stomach.

“Are you going to be ill?” The sight before us was gruesome. Not even I had imagined ever seeing something like this in my experience. We had followed the trail of blood down a hall and up a few steps into a back room. It seemed like our victim had an endless blood supply.

Pinned to the wall by a large axe brutally smashed through the chest, was a man who had experienced a horrific end. His cheeks had been engraved with some form of initial, and both eyes had been ripped from their sockets, flies burying themselves in the empty holes. My own stomach heaved as my senses were assaulted. I had seen some fucked-up shit being a sniper, but this was up there with the worst. Blood dripped down his body and onto a bright yellow flower that appeared to have been strategically placed beneath his feet. Despite the horrifying sight before us, Anna hadn’t taken her eyes off the flower since we walked in.

“Do you recognize it?” Her strange behaviour was piquing my curiosity. When she didn’t respond, I shook her shoulder gently.

“Anna?”

Jolted from her thoughts her troubled eyes looked blankly into mine. “What?” She said in barely a whisper.

“Do you recognize the flower? You haven’t stopped looking at it.”

“I don’t know what it is, I’m sorry.”

“Anna, I think I should walk you back to the front. I knew it was a bad idea, you being here.”

“Ok,” she agreed, meekly.

I hadn’t been in the girl’s acquaintance long, but what I did know was that Anna was head-strong and determined. The gruesome discovery was enough to make anyone sick, but it was as if she was blind to the dead man hanging off the wall. There was definitely something going on in that pretty head of hers. Something fucked enough that she couldn’t reveal. The symbology of the flower was not lost on her, I just needed to find out what it all meant.

***

“What the fuck!”

Aiden stood to my left, Alec to the right. My partner scratched his head, a look of mortification on his face. “Just who the fuck are we dealing with?”

“These are the scenes we have come across in all three sites,” Alec began, seemingly desensitised to the whole thing. “But, this is different. It’s like he is trying to send us a message. Like it’s all of sudden become personal.”

“Do you know anything about the flower?” Aiden asked. I had reported back to him as soon as I walked Anna to the front.

Alec shook his head slowly as if racking his brain. “Not a thing. I don’t even know what it’s called.”

“What do you know of El Leon?” I was hoping he would have something to offer us.

“Nobody knows anything about him. The survivors only recall seeing a man amongst the many with ghost eyes. He may call himself the lion, but to his victims he is the walking devil. Soulless. The army he controls sweeps through the villages, seeking men to work in his weapons factories. If they refuse, he brutally slays them and their families.”

“Why does he target the outskirt villages?”

“In the 90’s, the Americans came in and started war with the people. Many of those who were pushed to the outskirts were of specific indigenous descent. They were making it within society. They were educated, worked and paid taxes. Then suddenly they were left without any work, income, shelter, or basic necessities for life. In short, they were forcibly removed from functioning society and for twenty years they have tried to create their own communities. El Leon is using their misfortune to help build his own business, whatever that may be.”

I knew everything he said to be truth. These people were targeted due to a genetic line back to a tribe that had existed for centuries. Twenty years ago, they were average civilians, working and functioning within the common world. Only the difference of the shape of their nose or tone of their skin setting them apart from others. Now they were outcasts. Everything they had tried so hard to build was demolished in a matter of weeks. It was hard to stomach that the government would allow it to happen. But they did. Big men in their offices with selfish agendas. That’s all it came down to. “How many more villages are here like this?”

Alec considered my question for a moment. “These were a cluster, so it was only natural they were all targeted. The others are further out. A good day’s drive between.”

“Do you think they will be hit?” Aiden asked, his mind racing.

Alec looked between us with some hope. “Not if you can do something about it.”

“What does this say?” I held a bullet shell out to Alec who carefully took it from my hand. We hadn’t noticed them in the last site only because the ground was so turned over from the rain. This time however, we found many in the outer perimeter. “Do you recognise the engraving?”

“Yes, it’s Spanish.” Alec squinted at the tiny writing through his glasses. “It says, ‘To Live In Victory’. They look expensive.”

“That’s because they are. They are custom made, courtesy of El Leon. He forces these people to work making his weapons and ammo just so that the same guns and bullets they make can be used to kill their neighbors.”

Anna

“Anna, what’s wrong?”

I had been cleaning the wounds of a woman Alec had found huddled in an outdoor toilet when Luiza joined me.

“Nothing,” I said quietly concentrating on the deep gash I knew would get severely infected without surgery. I could see bone and torn muscle.

“What happened in that house with Danny? You have been acting strange ever since he walked you out.”

“Pass me the antiseptic.” I ignored her questioning, knowing if I explained my paranoia to her she would make a big deal out of something that was possibly nothing.

“Don’t ignore me, Anna.” Luiza’s voice was growing panicked. I needed to be mindful that she was hyper-sensitive and that a full blown panic attack was lurking around the corner.

Placing the bloodied wash cloth in a bowl of now dirty cloudy water, I stared into her beautiful worried eyes and lied, “Luiza, I would tell you if I were worried. My mind is elsewhere because of everything that is happening. Now pass me the thread and needle so I can finish this wound.”

She did as I asked in amicable silence. Seemingly content with my brief explanation, she ran a hand tenderly across my cheek before walking to the water pump. Sighing heavily as I sewed the wound together, guilt niggled at my thoughts. Could I tell her that this was the second time I had seen this particular flower? I hadn’t let it bother me the first time. But now things had changed. That very same flower had been left at the end on my bed only a week ago and now it had suddenly appeared underneath a body axed to a wall. A shiver ran through me. Was it just a coincidence or was I being sent a warning?

Danny

That night we headed back to camp where the aid workers had set up base. It was the tiniest of places set back toward the coastline. Three small shacks dotted the perimeter while a makeshift shower and toilet sat further away near the trees. A communal kitchen was set up in the middle, which consisted of a large table and a portable grill top; only a roof, no walls.

“Well…” Aiden began, checking out our surroundings. “This is… underwhelming!”

“How long have they all been staying here?”

“Going on their third month, apparently.” There was amazement in his voice that people could handle living like this for so long. It really wasn’t much different to the gypsy communities… just without the slaughter.

We both stood in silence, only the random cluck of chickens rummaging through the grass breaking our thoughts.

“They surely are committed to the cause.”

Anna made her way over, her long dark hair now hanging loose, swaying as she walked. In the soft glow of the setting sun, she looked every bit the exotic beauty.

“So, the guys have offered their cabin,” she began nervously. “They will bunk up together. You’re in the end one and dinner will be in about an hour.”

“That’s very generous, thank you.” I saw a blush creep to her cheeks before she turned to leave. “Good god, there is a fucking god! Did you see, hey? Did you see that sparkle in her eyes?”

I couldn’t help but laugh as a disbelieving Aiden shook his head.

“She’s into you, that much is obvious.”

***

That night we sat around the table, a row of candles in the centre. We each had a small amount of red meat and some fresh vegetables on our plates. Since being in camp, the locals in the area, exempt from El Leon’s control, donated produce to the group in order to keep them going. Their presence in an otherwise traumatized country was well appreciated.

The conversation was staggered, the troupe tired from their day’s work. Eduardo and Samuel had still not returned and the stress of their whereabouts was clearly on everyone’s mind.

“So, where are you looking at?” Alec broke the silence through a mouthful of food.

“We want to check over the hills first and rule that area out completely if we can.” I said, watching as all eyes fell on me. “Ultimately, we want to find and destroy the factory. You know, hit him where it hurts, kind of deal.”

There were a few nods from around the table, people more happy to listen than talk. Anna watched, a look of high hope radiating from her dark eyes.

“So who sent you and why are there only two of you?” Alec seemed to be the spokesperson of the group.

“We are marines, but have been privately contracted to do this.”

“As for why there are only two of us,” Aiden interjected, “our government has already received its warning. We are not permitted to be here, therefore we need to remain undetected. Large numbers would make that exceedingly difficult.”

“Sounds like a death mission to me,” a small voice at the end of the table spoke for the first time since dinner. He was only a young man, early twenties, weedy looking with a concerned face.

“Yeah well, I guess in a way it is. As long as none of us get hurt.”

***

After dinner I remained behind to help Anna clean. As she scraped the scraps off the plates, I submerged them in the bucket of soapy water.

“It means a lot to everyone that you and Aiden are here. Makes them feel safer, like we can sleep at night.”

I glanced her way and saw her eyes twinkling in the candlelight.

“There will be times when we may not make it back to camp. It shouldn’t be cause for concern. Just that we have been caught up somewhere too far to make it back.”

“I understand. Doesn’t mean we won’t worry about you.” Her voice was sweet and full of sincerely. I smiled in gratitude, the blush from earlier returning to her cheeks. “Sometimes we don’t get home until close to midnight ourselves.”

I wanted so much to explain how I truly felt about the situation. That it was ridiculous she was here in the first place.

“It’s hard on your friend!” I started the topic on a light note.

Anna paused for a moment, one hand holding a plate the other a tea towel, her gaze directed towards the cabin she shared with Luiza.

“It’s hard on everyone here,” she began, resuming her drying, “she’s just got a gentle heart; one softer than the rest of us.” Stacking the last plate, her mood changed in an instant as she turned to me. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

I watched as she hurried off ahead, before drying my hands and following her lead. Darkness engulfed us, but the glow of the moonlight lit a tiny path through the camp. In front, Anna’s beautiful mane flowed in the breeze, her face meeting mine every minute to check if I was still on her tail.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” her singsong voice making me smile.

We arrived at the shore, some ten minutes from camp. The waves were crashing a distance out, the soothing sound and salty air unwinding some pent up tension.

“We have to go down there,” Anna said, pointing down past the rocks to the sand.

“Anything you say, ma’am.”

A huge megawatt smile pulled her lips, shiny white teeth reflecting the moon. Fuck she was beautiful!

While navigating the huge boulders, Anna took my hand to help her slide down the tricky ones. Once at the bottom, she looked to me with ill-disguised excitement. “Now we wait.”

Still holding my hand we took our seat on the closest boulder. With the full moon above and reflecting off the ocean, it truly was the most picturesque scene.

Anna sat with her head tilted back, eyes closed, her hair falling over her shoulders. I guess this was the place she frequented to forget about the horrors of war.

Moments later, she focused her attention back on the sand, her hand gripping my arm with joy. “Look, there they are!” She said pointing.

And there they were.

Hundreds of tiny little hermit crabs scurried across the sand in a tight pack. Even in the darkness, their shells shining in the moonlight, it looked like the ground was moving.

“There are so many!” I said, amazed at the beauty of it. Between the sounds of the waves crashing, you could hear the clicking of their legs as they moved in sync.

“I know. Isn’t it crazy!” She exclaimed. “They moved like this all night, going back and forth, just like the ocean really. They even dodge the water, curving around the reach of the waves.”

We sat mesmerized as these little creatures who had their own nightly battles to fight, made their way from one end of the shore to the other, sometimes stopping, sometimes losing a few.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Anna met my gaze, her eyes softening.

“It’s my pleasure. I can see you are a good man, Danny. You are exactly what we all need.”