A Fast Departure
Chapter 16
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Amanda was thoroughly baffled.
She was so sure the storekeeper standing before her was Luis Garza. When she glanced over at Lee, he was looking at her with confused disappointment.
Think, she internalized, Something is not right. She brought up in her mind the picture of Garza from her packet. She recalled his facial features and then peered over at the shopkeeper. She was not mistaken. The man standing in front of her was this man in the ID picture! Then she imagined herself turning the picture she held in hand over to memorize the name, location, and occupation of the person. Luis Menendez Garza. The name...the location...the occupation...the name….
Her head shot up.
The name.
"You are Luis Menendez Garza," she stated, emphasizing the correction of the middle name. She had originally stated, "Mendino."
He look surprised, "Si, I am that man."
Amanda let out her breath as she heard Lee's relieved sigh as well.
Garza continued, "but I do not understand how you know my name."
Amanda leaned in, "Señor Garza, I don't mean to alarm you, but you must leave. Quickly."
He looked in disbelief at her, "Que? What is this nonsense you say?"
"You do not know us, but we want to keep you safe," Amanda stated with certainty, "Your life is in danger."
Surprisingly Garza did not look scared. He looked defiant.
"I cannot and will not leave! "Garza stated, as he held his head up high. Then he pushed the purchased bag her way, "Have good day!"
Amanda looked helplessly at Lee.
Lee turned towards Garza and tried to warn him in the dramatic way possible, "Miguel Esteban is dead."
Garza's face showed irritation, "I do not understand your words and do not want to know! Your business is done with me! Leave or I will get police after you!"
Amanda pleaded, "We will leave but you need to listen first! Not only was Mr. Esteban killed, but Paco Ramirez has been jailed as well!"
Garza's eyes became large, "Paco? You know Paco?" he looked panicky, as his eyes covertly looked left then right.
Then turning his head towards the back room, he called out to his young son, "Pedro! ¡Aquí afuera! ¡Rápido!"
From behind the beaded doorway, the young boy appeared again, humbly bowing his head to wait for instructions. Garza gave the boy some orders in Spanish while pointing at Lee and Amanda.
While the boy stayed at the counter, Garza gestured to Lee and Amanda, "Come inside! We talk!" He then quickly ushered them through the beaded doorway into his backroom.
It was a tiny room with basically a table, two chairs and a dingy rug on the floor.
"Be quick with your words! Who are you two? Tell me now!" Garza demanded to know, his face showing impatience.
"Relax, Señor Garza," Lee told him, "We are from the Agency."
"The Agency?" He looked suspiciously at them, "I am not saying I know of this place, but how do I know you two from Agency? Maybe you two come here to kill me instead!"
"Then we would not have warned you about being in danger, would we?" Lee reasoned as he voluntarily opened his hands to show they were emptied, "and as you can see, I have no weapon on me."
Amanda held out her hands as well, "I don't have a weapon on me, either...wellll...unless you count the sandals I've just purchased. I suppose I could attack someone with them, but I would never use such a lovely, authentico pair to hit anyone. I promise!"
Garza hid his smile at Amanda's reference to his selling point, "Bueno, perhaps you are right. A person is much foolish to ruin such a perfect pair of sandals, Señorita! " he teasingly agreed.
And then with the tension broken, he became serious again.
"So why is my life in such danger?" Garza wanted to know.
Amanda quickly explained, "We have reason to believe some people are trying to get rid of informants working in conjunction with the U.S. In Bajo Salto, our informant, Miguel Esteban, had been murdered. Later in Tamasina, another one of our informants, Paco Ramos, had been arrested. Because of what happened to those two informants, we fear you are in danger, as well. That is why you must leave."
Garza took the news well as he knowingly nodded, "I know this day will come." He then lowered his voice, "And it is good Agency has come to warn me! I will tell you what I know and then I will leave here forever with my Pedro. About these informants you speak of...I do not know about this Esteban you say, but Paco Ramirez, yes I know. So very sad he is jailed!"
"It is sad, indeed," Lee stated, "and we want to prevent further harm of our informants."
"So there are more informants than me you seek?" Garza asked, "How many more are in danger?"
"Two," Amanda answered, "We plan to drive next to the town of Mayortia to see a barber."
A look of recognition broke out on Garza's face, "Ahhhh, you plan to see Jorge Muñoz!"
Amanda looked relieved that Garza had mentioned the right name. Lee looked encouraged as well.
"yes, that IS his name," Amanda verified, "I just hope it won't take us as long to convince him of who we are and how we are trying to save him."
Garza thought of a plan, "No worries. I will help make easy for you. Jorge knows me well. I have passed certain informacion to him many times through shipment of shoes. He trust me, so I give you words to say to him so he will trust you too. " he looked covertly around before whispering, "when you see him, say these words to him, Do not search the shoes for soles. He will then know you are good people."
"'Do not search the shoes for soles,'" Lee repeated, "a rather odd phrase."
"It is old Mexican saying. It means, do not look for trouble," Garza explained, "Jorge will understand code and will trust you."
"Thank you for your help, Señor Garza," Lee gratefully stated, "And now you must think of your son and yourself. You must leave town as quickly as possible!"
"Yes," agreed Amanda, "Is there anything we can do to help you? Perhaps help you pack?"
Garza smiled, "Kind Señorita, there is no need! As I have said before, Pedro and I prepared for this long time. We will be gone by this evening!"
Amanda looked surprised, "You can leave that quickly?"
"Yes! An old friend I know, he live in Tunosa; he expect us someday and that day will be today! No one here know of him; we will be safe."
Lee nodded, "I am glad you have it all planned out, Señor Garza. However, before you leave, we need a favor from you."
"Ask what you will," Garza told you, "for the Agency has been good to me and little Pedro!"
"Is there any way," Lee began, "you can help us with transportation? We've decided to abandon our car just out of town, in case someone is following us."
"A vehicle you say? Hmmmm...Let me think..." Garza paused, and then an idea came, "I know! Yes, I know! You have money?"
Lee took out a wad of pesos and put some of it on the counter.
"That is good," Garza nodded, "my friend is pottery-maker next door, and I know for fact he wish to sell old truck!"
Then Lee put a larger wad next to it, "...and this is for your family and your trouble..."
Garza smiled and gave his thanks as he took both wads.
"Thank you, Señor! And yes, I will go now to buy truck!" he excitedly exclaimed, "and when I go, will you help Pedro close shop? I come back very soon!"
With money in hand, Garza vanished while Lee and Amanda helped the boy pack whatever necessities Garza and he needed for their escape. They didn't have many possessions so it didn't take long. Pedro worked quietly and steadily, as if he were practicing a drill.
Afterward, when they were done, Pedro dashed over to a woven basket and removed the cover. Digging into the basket, he withdrew two homemade sweet breads and wordlessly presented it to Lee and Amanda, obviously as a way of thanks.
"Gracias, Pedro," Amanda said, obviously touched by the gesture.
Pedro proudly smiled, humbly bowed his head and then quickly rushed off again.
In less than half an hour later that Garza had returned with an old key in his hand.
"It is done," he finalized, handing the keys of the truck over to Lee and Amanda.
#
The truck was parked in the back of the shop. Lee and Amanda walked over to the red truck. It looked worn and the tires were thin, but Garza assured them the engine worked fine.
"You must hurry now," Garza warned them, as they got in the truck, "My neighbor next door tells me he hear talk of police looking for two Americans in town," then he gestured, "drive through this alley here with headlights off. Do not turn on lights until you reach the curve in highway. My neighbors will say they see no one, for they want no trouble. Keep your straw hat and head shawl on," he then handed Amanda her purchase through the opened passenger window, " and when you wear my fine sandals, walk like villager, not Americans!"
Amanda's forehead crinkled, "What do you mean?"
"Walk slow," he advised, "not in rush. Small steps. Look no one in eyes. That is the way of village people."
"We will do that! Thank you for advice and for the shoes!" Amanda stated gratefully, "I'm sorry you had to lose this lovely shop of yours too."
"I have left deed to friend. He expect this and will be happy," Garza explained.
"My goodness, you have thought of everything," Amanda noted.
Garza shrugged, "there is another old Mexican saying, 'I worry not that my feet have no shoes, for I have wings to fly!"
Amanda smiled, "That is so wise!. Please be safe. Mr. Garza."
He smiled back, "Vaya con dios, Señorita."
Lee had started the engine.
"Goodbye!" Amanda waved, just as the back of the shop door opened.
It was Pedro running out, to bid them goodbye. Amanda told Lee to not drive away yet. As Pedro came up to the car, Amanda had dug into her purse and produced a small baseball and bat keychain that her boys had given to her for her birthday. Taking the trinket off the keys, she held out the keychain to Pedro through the opened passenger side window.
"Para ti, Pedro, " she stated, as she placed it in the palm of his hand, "to thank you for your warm hospitality."
Pedro didn't understand the words, but he understood the gesture. He reverently looked down at the item. When he looked up again, his entire face was beaming like a kid at Christmastime.
"Goot-bye...fri-end!" Pedro stated in halted English, as sweet tears welled up in Amanda's eyes.
And then they drove off.
It was a memorable visit. Inside the cab of the truck, Lee and Amanda rode in silence for a time, deep in their own thoughts.
Lee's thoughts were on the mission. He was glad that Garza and his son would soon be safe. And more importantly, Amanda was safe.
He never realized how important Amanda had become to him until he experienced not having her near him. And it wasn't only because she was kind, clever and brave. It was also how he felt when he was around her. She made him feel as if he had some place to call home; she was his center that kept his world sane.
Being around Amanda King was like...wearing sweatpants while warming himself next to a fireplace on a cold, chilly night, he internalized, a smile playing on his lips.
"What's so funny?" Amanda asked, breaking into his thoughts from the passenger side of the truck.
Lee glanced her way before watching the road again, "sweatpants," he responded, obviously enjoying his opaque answer.
She pensively watched his strong, handsome profile, wondering what that could mean.
Lee was such an enigma. Amanda never knew what to expect from him. She only knew that he brought excitement and joy to her ordinary suburban life. Lee was like a bowling ball as it determinedly made its way down the alley towards the pin deck. Suddenly, BOOM! a strike is made and the pins would go flying all over the place, without rhyme or reason as to where they would eventually land. Such a mess, yet the results were a success. And she was there to witness the glorious spectacle. At that image, Amanda snickered.
"What's so funny?" Lee asked, repeating the same question she had previously asked.
"Bowling," she responded back with a satisfied smirk as she stared out the front window.
They exchanged knowing glances, both realizing there were times they didn't always have to clearly communicate with one another. One person just had to be there to listen and support the other person. Then they would switch places. That's why their partnership worked.
And with that silent understanding, Lee shifted gears while Amanda comfortably sat back. He drove them back to the hotel to gather their things and then covertly they headed out to their next destination and identification.
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