Ch 4 – Ripples

They stopped in a small town to buy clean clothes for Guero and Teresa as his were soaked with blood, while hers had bloody spots from when she had been helping him escape. Then they got food and called the pilot.

By the time they had landed in Phoenix and had to deal with the customs official at the private airport, Guero was feverish and pale as death. Teresa called Tonto to make sure the doctor would meet them at the house.


The doctor could only give Guero antibiotics and instructed that he be fed well and kept hydrated. Then he left as Teresa ordered Charger and Tonto to assist him in getting settled in a guest room on the second level. She walked around giving brisk instructions without hiding her worry, a fact that made both James and Pote pull back and keep quiet.

Pote couldn't take the unknown as patiently as James and on the next evening as they had sat down to eat, he asked Teresa directly: "How are we responding to Pecas for what he did?"

Teresa shrugged: "I don't know yet. I have to get my thoughts together as I know we have to respond, but I don't want to make a hasty move."

"I agree …We need to first find out who else from la Comision is on his side!" James said as he brought his beer to his mouth to drink and stopped in midair.

Tonto, Charger and Ivan all turned to follow his eyes to see Guero slowly limping on his way to the table. Teresa saw him almost at the same time and got up to bring an empty chair while noting that he should not have got out of the bed.

"I'm okay, babe! I made it to here, I will survive," he drawled and sat heavily down.

Teresa ignored him and looked at James, then said: "On the road…I was thinking exactly the same…that we need to approach Taza…as I trust him the most…to find out if any of the others were involved in my kidnapping because…", she seemed hesitant with her thoughts and as her eyes held James's, he simply finished her sentence: "…because we need to attack them at the same time…all the ones who support Pecas go down together!"

"That's right! I will set up a meeting with Taza for tomorrow." Teresa was taking out a plate for Guero, but her eyes were on James as they seemed to read off each other's minds.

"I can help, babe!" Guero's sudden intervention seemed to have startled Teresa, while Pote's eyes kept going from one to the other, to the third, in a serious squint.

"I know Salazar from way back…he was a buddy of mine…and he owes me!" Guero added.

"I suggest we first find out his allegiance, then approach him, Jefa!" Charger put in. "Salazar and Pecas had a long talk outside …the night they came to tell you la Comision welcomes your business."

"Yes, I saw them too." Ivan, who was usually very quiet, added. "They even asked me about the security systems…under the pretext of safety for the product…just the two of them!"

James pushed his chair back and got up. Then he looked at Guero and said: "Good to know you have a line on Salazar, but we will tread lightly and check them out with Taza first!". Then he put his plate in the dishwasher and walked out.


Everyone tiptoed around the house and the Winery for the next two days as Teresa and James proceeded with their plan in extreme vigilance because of the expectation that Pecas would attack. Everyone's nerves were strung to the maximum, even Teresa told Kelly Anne to pick up her stuff and come back to the house where it was 'safer'.

Guero's constant comments that an attack could be avoided by attacking first had reached the point where Tonto point blank told him to buzz off and not meddle in the orders of La Jefa.

"So, that you know…La Jefa is still my woman!" Guero responded, to which Tonto snarled: "I worked for Camila for years, Cabron! I have no problem having a woman for a boss. You, on the other hand, can't stomach it, hey!"

Kelly Anne had been in the dining room and when Tonto had walked out, she had followed him without taking a second look at Guero.

"I would need you to help me with the food orders for tonight's private event that we got booked in the Winery!" She had asked of Tonto.

"What's with this man la Jefa brought?" The sicario had asked her when they had loaded all the food in the trunk. "Everyone thought James was her # 2…and her man…if you know what I mean!"

"I can't say if they're still an item…last year she told me she got in this Life because of him, and she didn't sound happy…As far as James and her…they have never been an item as far as I know, but he was her closest ally when she worked for Camila…she never admits it but she pays attention when he speaks!" Kelly Anne felt fragile after the winery and had been trying to concentrate on her own issues, so she wasn't sure how close James and Teresa were.

Tonto nodded: "Yeah…I know…I was there in Camila's warehouse…He took her under his wing and when that pinche Batman kidnapped her, James got very antsy for a man who don't care…you got my meaning?", he shook his head and lit a smoke. "I can't see how this Guero will be of use in the biz. I hope James kicks him out…sooner rather than later!"


Guero felt much better but kept asking Teresa to bring him things from the kitchen or just plain serve him while he was sprawled on the couch watching baseball. When she would silently get up and do it, she would sometimes miss the weird looks anyone else present would give her.

"When I had a deep cut on my thigh healing, the doctor said to move as much as possible to ensure the muscles don't get lazy and heal not right, Cabron!" Little T was seated at the table going over some numbers when Teresa was asked to fetch Guero a cup of tea.

"Yeah, man! It should be good for you to come try some pool with us!" Charger laughed at the joke from the pool room to the side, where he and Ivan were playing.

Guero seemed to consider it, when James walked in and headed straight to the fridge, took a cold beer out, opened it and drank while both Teresa and Little T looked at him waiting.

"Pecas has disappeared!" James finally said. "No one has seen him. Neither Taza, nor Salazar. And Sherriff Mayo seems to be back on duty, limping heavily!" and at that he cast a quick look at Guero.

"How so?" Teresa mumbled.

"Pecas is laying low…that's doesn't mean he won't attack!" James noted.

The visit to Taza's casino had made it clear that Salazar and Bedoya were Pecas's puppets and the moment this was shared Guero had stopped pushing his Salazar alliance scenario. However, he must have seen an opportunity as he jumped in: "Now is the time to attack, so that we deal with him once and for all. Salazar will talk to me on a different level than with you, James. Why don't we consider preventative maintenance?"

James wrinkled his nose: "For now we have negotiated peace with the rest of La Comision. I wanna see if Mayo would keep quiet or muddle the water and then…we can consider if we need a strategy change." He looked at Teresa and she nodded in agreement.

Little T got up to join the men at the pool table and as Charger handed her the pool cue, she mumbled: "I'm unclear who's who here anymore. Are you? It's quite annoying…if not dangerous!"

Charger looked at her and exhaled deeply: "I try not to engage too much…but I asked Pote last night and according to him, it's Teresa and that's all there is to it!"


Guero took another two days and after some suspicious vehicles were spotted in the vicinity of the Winery, took charge, and contacted Salazar with a proposition to strengthen the 'bonds' by smoking Pecas out and removing him. He even claimed to have been sent by Teresa herself to see if Salazar was agreeable.

When Taza called to ask Teresa how come she was making moves behind his back, she felt incredulous. Pote didn't say much because the triangle that was at play was too intense for his liking, and he wasn't sure if it related to the business only or extended to their personal lives as well. He kept silent in front of Teresa but told James later that he wanted to openly shoot Guero. James dragged his hand over his tired face and said: "I kinda share your sentiments, man! Just not so openly!'


Teresa got herself a cold beer from the fridge and then noticed that Guero sitting on the farthest couch staring at her. She walked over to him and sat beside him. After a brief moment she said: "I get you're trying to be useful, but…you can't make decisions that are …ahh…mine to make."

"I'm trying to help you babe! Not to just be useful!" he said looking at her without comprehension. "You got this grand set up going on here in Arizona…and I know of ways to make things flow very smoothly…like I said my man Salazar…", but he couldn't finish as she put her hand on his arm to make him stop: "I like the size of the operation as is. I will expand it slowly and not with Salazar. He was one of Pecas's supporters. I don't trust him, and James doesn't either!"

"James! Yeah…he sure knows everything!" Guero commented and looked away.

Teresa kept silent. As she pulled her hand away, Guero grabbed it and held onto it. "You just come upstairs to see how the wounds are…but you seem to not wanna stay." He was expecting her to say something and as she didn't, he went on: "So, this pendejo James...You two seem to work so well together…like you read each other's minds…You love him?"

Teresa jumped at the question, but she didn't exactly know what she felt for James; however she knew she was not in love with Guero. So, instead of addressing the part about not staying with him in his room, which really related to sharing his bed, she opted for a simple "I don't know!"

"But you care about him?" Guero's voice was angry, but there was an effort to subdue it.

Teresa was tired of having to tiptoe and to deflect ideas and blows: "I don't want… to discuss this with you!" She thought she sounded harsh, so she added: "It's easy to care for the people who take care of you...es muy facil quierer a las personas que se preocupan por ti!"

"Which I didn't do?" Guero's remark was spiteful.

She shook her head. She hated to owe explanations: "You did in the beginning...then you didn't...If you had, I wouldn't have been...ahh... assaulted and chased for my life!" she mumbled. It was the hurtful truth, but she couldn't spare him because he showed no intentions of sparing her being put in the middle.

"Entonces, James te trata como una reina...mucho mejor que yo le hacia" (So, he treats you like a queen…way better than I did).

Guero was so far away from the truth that it hurt her to even think about it !

"No se trata de eso...el me he siempre protegido, arriesgandose, aydandome, suportandome,...cosas que tu has nunca hecho...tu me salvaste de la calle, me daste una casa...pero escondiste de mi la verdad sobre tu trabajo y su riesgos...y yo page muy caro...y cuando regresaste no te importaba que queria yo...solo lo que querias tu...la diferencia entre James y tu es que el le importa lo que quiero yo, que opino yo... ! " (It's not about that…he has always protected me, risking himself, helping me, supporting me…things you never did…you saved me from the street and gave me a house…but then you hid from me the truth about your job and its risks and I paid dearly…and when you came back, you only cared about what you wanted…the difference between you and James is that he cares about what I want! )

Guero was silent for a long minute and she gently squeezed his arm and went on: "You know me as the girl who only cared about clothes, parties and food...I'm not this person any more...You're at fault for me changing, and now you wouldn't want someone like me …because we will butt heads all the time…And taking me to bed, won't be the cure for our little fights!"

She wasn't sure she would have to make him leave…not yet…but she had to give him a glimpse of her mind in order to give him the chance to act like a grown man.

Then she stood up from the couch and headed to her office on the second level.