Chapter 38. Fools Rush in (Where Angels Fear to Tread)
“If my experience has taught me anything, it’s that life doesn’t always have a happy end.”
– Glenn’s Chronicles
Adelais fell off the table, the entire Hacienda rocked by a violent explosion. The bandito guards piled out of the room to check on the situation. Bandaged up, Adelais was able to pull himself up against the wall. Upon getting back on his feet, he was met by Jake, holding at knife pointed at him.
“Ya’d kill me when I can barely move?” Adelais asked.
“You’d do the same, but it would make the time I spent taking care of you kind of a waste. Lemme go.”
Unable to do much, Adelais half-shrugged. He watched as Jake peeked out the door, waiting for his moment and taking it. Adelais sat back down on the table, catching his breath. A secondary explosion further shook the foundation, collapsing parts of the roof around the room.
“Adelais, a little help?”
Adelais, woozy and exhausted, looked over to see Kody chained to the wall. He checked his pockets and glanced around the room. No keys lying about anywhere; he checked the drawers of the table until he found a set. He tossed them to Kody and made his way to the door, looking outside.
He looked out over the center of the Hacienda in a dream-like haze. Where the fountain had once been was a giant sinkhole, revealing the entire substructure of the edifice. Worst off, it was growing with all the ruckus of banditos trying to get out with as many belongings as possible.
Adelais felt a hand on his shoulder and turned about, trying to land a blow on his unknown assailant. Kody ducked the unusually slow Adelais and tried to help him along instead. Adelais pushed him off, standing on his own two feet as he resumed leaning against the doorframe.
“Lehane…go find Lorena. Get her outta here.”
“Adelais, she’s fine. You’re the one that—”
“Ain’t no one fine with an explosion that big. If any of us deserve ta’ make it through, it’s her. Go.”
Adelais shoved Kody, watching him creep along the breezeway. Looking down over it, the Hacienda was officially a war zone. Banditos who’d held grudges were using the chaos as an excuse to exact revenge. Others were helping each other organize a safe escape, some praying, some holing themselves up with whatever whores they’d managed to find.
Nursing his wounded shoulder, Adelais staggered down the breezeway, making slow but steady progress. A third explosion ignited. Adelais paused, looking around while a strange whistling sound grew louder and louder. A large piece of debris came crashing down in front of him, throwing him back against the door of the private abode and smashing the breezeway to pieces. Adelais lay dazed on his stomach, watching as the debris set the foliage on fire.
Trying to keep his eyes in focus, Adelais spotted something familiar moving among the chaos. For a moment, it looked like Lorena running through the archway. Looking through it, Adelais saw not the young woman he claimed as his sister, but the last thing in the world he’d ever expected to encounter: the Mexican military. “I’m sorry, Sig.” Unable to control his stomach’s churning, Adelais vomited as he passed out.