Chapter 16

Carter and Sands turned towards the spoken voice. Carmen Barillo stood there, starring down at the four corpses, which lay at her feet.

In a flash, Sands was at her front, pointing a gun at her neck.

"Who the fuck are you?" she demanded.

"Oh? You don't remember me? Why, Carmen, I'm hurt," Sands quipped. He lifted his sunglasses to reveal the two hollow voids.

Carmen gasped. "You're him. Sands." She sneered.

"Good girl, now, seeing as I've got a gun pointed to you, I suggest you do as I say." Sands drawled, desperately trying not to give in to the animal in him and shoot her right away.

"I don't think so." She replied, pulling out a gun of her own and placing it on her temple. "What we have here is known as a Mexican stand-off. Two people point guns at each other, both want to shoot, but neither want to die. So they stand there, advancing to nothing."

"Not nothing." Carter instilled, holding a gun to Carmen's head.

Carmen sighed, defeated and dropped her gun. She lifted her hands in the air

"She's downstairs, in a crawlspace." She sighed, closinh her eyes in shame.

"Not good enough." Sands argued. "You're coming with us. Just lead the way."

The three of them descended into the chilly basment, Carter and Sands both pointing their guns towards Carmen.

"Through there. Just follow the hallway to the metal door." Carmen replied, shivering from the cold and damp air.

"Well thank you very much for the help, Miss Barillo, I do believe I will shoot you now." Sands replied, pointing his gun in the general direction in which Carmen stood.

Carmen opened her mouth to scream but only gasped at the intense pain that ripped through her stomach. She fell to the floor, a pool of blood quickly spreading from the wound in her stomach.

Carter and Sands entered the long hallway. The closer they approached the door, the colder it seemed to get.

"Gods, Agent Sands, it's like a freezer in here, no way in hell could Maggie survive this for days!" Carter said, rubbing his palms together.

"Shut up! You don't know how strong Maggie can be when she wants." Sands yelled, unsure as to whether he was trying to convince Carter or himself.

They finally reached the door. Carter tried to open the door but couldn't.

"We need a key or somethin'." He argued, turning towards Sands, who grew more and more impatient.

"Fuck keys." He whispered taking out his gun and shooting straight for the lock.

"How did y-" Carter started. Sands pushed past him and opened the door. the cold air attacked his lungs, giving him difficulty to breath.

"Maggie?" he cried out in the ever-lasting darkness.

"Over here, Sands." Carter called out from the far left corner of the dingy room.

Sands rushed over and kneeled near her body, cradling her.

"How's she look?" he asked Carter.

"Not very good." To Sands' shock, Carter had actually retreated to another corner of the scope.

"Maggie… C'mon Mags, wakie-wakie." He gently rubbed her cheek. "C'mon Maggie, you gotta wake up, please baby, wake up!" he buried his head in the crook of her neck, reciting the same word, please, over and over again.

"Shel?" Maggie whispered. Her voice was coarse from the lack of food and water over the past few days, but to Sands it was the best sound in the world.

"Yeah, baby. It's me. I found you." Sands choked out. He silently thanked whoever for not having tear glands. No point in making an ass out of himself in front of Carter.

"Where's Barillo?"

"She's dead, baby. I killed her."

"Damn." Maggie chuckled. "I wanted the honors of doing that."

Sands laughed quietly then felt her hand upon his face. He nuzzled it and kissed her palm.

"Are you hurt?" he questioned. Already knowing she would be, but hoping it was nothing to serious.

"Just my ribs, I think a couple are broken." She replied. Sands thought for a moment, then got on his knees. He picked her up and carried her to the door. "Come on baby, let's go home."


Author's note:

Kudos for anyone who caught that hint about another Johnny Depp movie.