Chapter 32
"No! Absolutely not!"
Jeff sighed and leaned his head back as if he were looking at the ceiling. "This isn't the time for you to be so fucking stubborn Lynn," he snapped through clenched teeth.
She threw her hands up in the air as a sign of defeat. "At this point what difference does it make where I am. He's gonna come after me no matter what. It doesn't matter if I'm here or Arizona!" she yelled irritated.
"I can't have you here. I can't do what I have to do knowing you're in danger. I can't protect you," he tried desperately to get her to understand his anguish.
She shook her head in defiance. "I 'want' to stay and help," she said ignoring his plea. "Please Jeff."
"You're getting in that car with Maria whether you like it or not," he ordered trying to keep calm.
"So I'm the one that has to suffer?" her voice almost broke from the oncoming tears.
"No more than me," he almost sounded bitter.
She shook her head trying to hold the tears back but failed. She covered her face with her hands and clamped her mouth shut hoping he wouldn't hear her distress. A whimpered escaped her mouth as he put his arms around her and held her firmly.
"Don't be afraid for me," he whispered into her hair. "I'm gonna come home."
"Please don't do this," she cried quietly over his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "All this time I tried not to get close to you...I didn't want to loose someone else..."
"We don't have a choice baby..." he whispered. "...If we don't make a stand now he'll hunt us for the rest of our lives."
"It's not fair," she kissed his shoulder.
He kissed her in return, "Nothing's fair..."
Across the room Mariachi rummaged through the weapons he and Sands brought together. Once in a while he would glance up at Sands and Lynn. They reminded him of he and Carolina in some ways. Lynn had Carolina's fire and Jeff...was nothing like him, but together...they were what they used to be.
He picked up a gun and checked it's chamber and looked up to see Maria watching Lynn and Jeff. He narrowed his eyes at her and stared until Lynn and Jeff broke apart and Jeff made his way towards them.
"Let's move," he suggested as he started to pack their weapons.
"What's the plan?" Maria asked coming to stand next to Jeff as Lynn walked over to them.
"You will go to the rendezvous point, wait twenty-four hours and if neither of us has come...get as far away as possible," Mariachi explained as he loaded his guitar with weapons.
"What if you get delayed?" Maria insisted not sure that twenty-four hours was long enough.
"Don't wait," Mariachi ordered quietly. "Assume we're dead or worse."
Lynn closed her to keep the tears from falling as the vision of Jeff being tortured entered her mind. "This is insane," she voiced turning her back to the group.
"It's our only way," Mariachi reminded her.
They finished loading everything and prepared to head their separate ways.
"You be careful Jeff," Maria kissed him on the cheek and hugged him. "I'll make sure she's safe."
He nodded and returned the hug. "You take care of yourself too." He pulled away and kissed her hand then turned around to face Lynn.
"I'm not saying goodbye," she took a deep breath.
"No goodbyes," he agreed and pulled her into a hug. "Be careful."
"You too," she pulled away and leaned her forehead against his. "Come back okay, or Mija's gonna have your ass."
He smiled and rubbed his nose against hers. "I love you," he whispered then kissed her tenderly.
"I love you too," she pulled back and kissed him on the forehead.
"Sands...let's do this," Mariachi said from their truck.
"You better go," she said releasing his hands and stepping back. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do in her life. She felt like the further she got away the less chance there was she would ever seen him again.
"Good luck to you both," Maria waved as they got into the truck and drove away. She and Lynn both watched until they couldn't be seen anymore and she turned her attention to Lynn. "He'll come back...he always does."
Lynn said nothing...just stared at the horizon he left into.