Falling Too Fast (9 page)

“Yo,” Brandon Salinas announced to the group. He put an arm around Christian and pulled him over to the music. “This is the guy I was telling you about. El Charro Negro.”

Alexis looked around at the rest of the group. Her eyes stopped on a girl with red highlights, violet contacts, and a mean scowl.

“Karina! What are you doing here?”

Her bandmate was wearing a tiered gold-colored tube dress that looked out of place in the middle of the countryside. Karina looked up and her frown melted. “Hey — Alexis! I guess I'm babysitting tonight.” She gestured at Brandon, who was falling all over Christian. Behind them, Alexis noticed his brother, Travis, talking to a bunch of mean-looking men behind the truck.

“I didn't know Brandon was the boyfriend you talked about,” Alexis said.

Karina winced. “We're not exactly dating. He calls me sometimes and we go out and party.” She shrugged. “I don't even know why I'm still here. I thought … I thought he was going to take me out on a real date, you know?” She looked down at her dress. “I'm such a fool,” she said, kicking the dirt.

“He's the fool,” Alexis said, gesturing in Brandon's direction. He had fallen to the ground and three people were trying to get him back up. “You're too good for him.”

Karina glanced sideways at her. “You're just saying that to make me feel better.”

“Oh, come on,” Alexis said. “You have a big heart and you're getting pretty good on the harp. You could have quit a long time ago, but you stuck with it and it shows. Brandon doesn't deserve you. You deserve to be with a guy who will take you out on real dates, say nice things to you, or even serenade you.”

Karina smiled. “You're right.” She looked at Brandon and sighed. “Let's ditch this group. C'mon.”

Alexis turned to look back at Christian as Karina pulled her away. He motioned for her not to worry and he'd catch up.

The girls went to the starting line to get good spots. Santiago waved from his car as he prepared. When he took off, Alexis and Karina cheered until their chests hurt. Alexis watched as Santiago's red taillights blinked out in the night. She prayed that he would not hit any potholes or small animals.

“C'mon,” Alexis said, grabbing Karina's hand. She led her through the crowd toward the finish line. As she snaked through the crowd, she kept an eye out for Christian. Where was he?

They waited nervously until the two trucks emerged around the bend at the same time. Alexis screamed.
It's too close
, she thought, biting her nails. The trucks reached the finish line at what seemed like the exact same time. The pressure from their engines picked up dirt and tossed it all around them, creating a dark cloud.

“Who won?” Alexis cried, jumping up and trying to see past a guy's cowboy hat.

“I can't see a thing,” Karina said beside her.

Alexis pulled Karina through the standing bodies to the clearing. People were shouting and hooting. But she couldn't tell who'd won. Then she saw her cousin standing by his truck talking to one of the guys. The guy handed him a roll of bills.

“He won!” Alexis cried. She leapt into Karina's arms and the two jumped up and down with excitement. Alexis waved at her cousin, but he wasn't looking her way. Santiago was paying close attention to a guy next to him and she could tell by the scowl on his face that he didn't like what he was hearing.

Santiago looked up and caught Alexis's eye. He motioned for her to come over quickly. Alexis grabbed Karina by the hand and pushed her way through the spectators.

Suddenly, the place lit up with red and blue blinking lights. Alexis heard the familiar siren of a police car and felt her blood run cold.

“Oh, my God,” Karina screamed in Alexis's ear. “It's
la chota
.”

T
he crowd was trying to flee. Bodies bumped into her, pushing her back and forth like a palm tree in a hurricane. Alexis looked for Santiago or Christian, but she didn't recognize the faces around her. Fear gripped her heart. Voices screamed as motors roared to life. Alexis froze, paralyzed by the situation. She didn't know where to go.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed hers and pulled her through the crowd. She allowed herself to be dragged to the far end of the clearing and behind a yellow Ford truck. When they were a safe distance from the mob, she looked up and into the eyes of her cousin Santiago.

“We've got to get out of here,” he said, sweating profusely.

Alexis's chest tightened with worry. “We have to find Karina and Christian. I won't leave them behind.”

“I don't think we have a choice,” Santiago said, gesturing to the wall of uniformed officers rounding people up.

“I can't leave them,” Alexis cried, tears stinging her eyes. This was a horrible mess.
I never should have come here
.

“Don't be stupid,” Santiago said, taking her by the wrist. “We have to get out of here — fast.” He pulled her to his truck. Alexis looked for her friends amid the sea of faces. She had to find them.

Santiago pushed Alexis into his truck. She understood her cousin's apprehension. They'd be in huge trouble if they got caught. But that was nothing compared to what would happen to Christian. Drag races were illegal — and Christian didn't have papers! What would they do to him? Coming here tonight was her idea. Alexis bit down so hard on her lower lip that she drew blood. Her cousin started the engine, but he didn't turn on his headlights. He had just put the truck in drive when Alexis screamed.

“There's Karina! Right over there.” Alexis pointed toward the mob.

“I ain't going back there,” he said, shaking his head.

“Just wait a second.” Alexis lowered the window and waved frantically, calling out to Karina.

She glanced toward Alexis and ran straight for the truck. Alexis threw open the door for Karina to jump in.

“Drive!” Karina screamed as she climbed into the seat.

Santiago pushed down on the pedal and the truck dashed out into the night. Alexis couldn't believe that they were leaving. She hoped Christian would be okay. She had left him talking to the Salinas brothers — surely they wouldn't let themselves get caught? Her heart swelled as her lungs constricted.

Beside her, Karina reached out for Alexis's hand and clutched it tightly. No one spoke as they drove. Alexis pressed her lips tightly together as they bounced and jerked through the wilderness in the moonless night.

She shouldn't have let Santiago race. Her gut had warned her against it. If only she'd listened to it. If only they hadn't needed the money so badly. This had seemed like such a simple way to replace the uniforms.
If only I hadn't invited Christian! If only we hadn't gotten separated!
Alexis squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push images of officers clubbing him with their batons or arresting him out of her mind.

He would get away, she told herself. He had to.

 

“Mija
, what happened to your cell phone? I tried calling you all morning,” her mother asked the next day at the family restaurant.

A shiver raced down Alexis's back. “I lost it,” she mumbled into the hot chocolate she was drinking out of a clay mug. It must have fallen out of her back pocket, she thought. What if the cops found it? She swallowed hard. Alexis had tried calling Christian several times from her home phone, but his calls went straight to voice mail. She was sick with worry, but she couldn't tell anyone about it. Her mother would hit the roof if she found out where Alexis had been.

“You better cancel that phone right away,” her grandmother Alpha called. She sat at the counter with the morning paper in her hands.
“La mafia
steals phones, you know. They do all their dirty negotiations and you get hit with the bill,” she said, turning the page.

Her mother rolled her eyes behind Abuelita's back, making Alexis smile.

“Aha!” Alpha squealed with joy. “
Mira
, look at that. They finally caught those rascals.” She slapped her thigh with pleasure.

Alexis turned. “What are you talking about?”

Her grandmother beamed. “There was a drug bust last night out near Villa, and they caught all kinds of
narcos
,” she cheered. Abuelita Alpha was obsessed with the lives of major drug dealers along the border. She talked about the infighting and who did what to whom like they were characters on television soap operas and not real-life criminals. But this news was different. Alexis had been near Villa last night.

“What happened?” Alexis asked, trying not to seem too interested.

“Aaah.” Her
abuelita
winked. She raised her magnifying glass and read, “‘US authorities uncovered a major drug-smuggling operation last night. Over twenty people were arrested at an illegal drag race, where they found over eight hundred pounds of marijuana.'
¡Híjole!
That's a lot, no?” She looked at Alexis for confirmation.

“Arrested?” Alexis got up to peer at the article over her
abuelita
's shoulder. There were pictures of trucks with the back doors wide open, revealing blocks of marijuana wrapped in plastic. She shivered.

“Scary, no?” her
abuelita
said, noting her reaction.

Alexis couldn't help but worry about Christian. She hadn't heard a word from him. He wasn't mixed up in drugs. Surely, the police wouldn't have been interested in him? Alexis knew he didn't do anything wrong. But would the authorities believe that? For as long as she could remember, the communities along the border had been riddled with violence and drug crime. People didn't like to talk about it, but it had seeped into all parts of their lives. “Let me see that,” Alexis said, reaching for the paper.

“My paper,” her
abuelita
snapped, holding the paper to her chest.

“Fine,” Alexis sighed in frustration. “Read me some more, then.”

Alpha smiled triumphantly and shook the paper out in front of her with great gusto. She raised her magnifying glass and read the rest of the article. There wasn't much more to tell. The authorities had been following a lead involving illegal drag races and drug trafficking for over two months. The roundup was considered a success and they hoped it would lead to more drug busts. Alexis sighed, feeling her heart flop. Well, at least there was no mention of Christian, she thought. That had to be a good sign. Then she thought of something.

“Abuelita, what happens to the guys who get caught? The ones mentioned in the article.”

Her
abuelita
shot her a curious glance. “Do you know any of them?” she asked in a shocked tone.

“Of course I don't,” Alexis said forcefully. She tried to smile. “I was just wondering, that's all.”

Alpha studied her, squinting as if she could read Alexis's mind. She seemed to believe her and motioned for her to come closer. “I think they take them to a detention center, where they tie them up and try to get information out of them. They lock up some and toss the others to
el otro lado
.”

Alexis jerked like she'd been slapped on the back with a ruler. “What do you mean they toss them to the other side?”

“The illegals. They deport those that don't have papers.”

Christian
, she thought, feeling her chest tighten. Alexis grabbed the back of her
abuelita
's stool for support.

“Mija
” — her
abuelita
studied her face — “are you all right? You look like you saw a ghost.”

Alexis tried to breathe deeply.
I'm sure he got away. He probably lost his phone like I did, and hasn't gotten a chance to call another way
. “I'm fine,” she said, trying to smile. “I think I just had too much hot chocolate and it gave me a head rush.”

Her
abuelita
raised her index finger in a scolding manner. “You watch out with that chocolate, especially if Trini makes it.” She leaned in and said in a hushed tone, “That stuff can make you loose. If you know what I mean.”

 

As the hours turned into a full day, Alexis couldn't ignore her anxiety. There'd been no word from Christian. She thought about going to his house. But Mrs. Luna already didn't like her and probably wouldn't give her any information if she had some. Alexis chewed at what was left of her nails. She was going to lose her mind if she didn't get some news of Christian.

The door chimed and her cousin Santiago walked into her family's restaurant with a cheerful grin on his face. He stopped in front of the register with his arms akimbo and took a deep whiff. “What's good today?”

Then Santiago wandered to the back hallway and Alexis followed him, assuming he was headed to the men's bathroom to wash his hands.

“Santiago, we have to talk,” she said, following him inside and blocking the bathroom door behind her. She startled a customer who was drying his hands. Her cheeks reddened as she moved to let the guy leave.

“Whoa, Alexis, what's gotten into you? The men's bathroom is a sacred space for men only.”

“It's Christian. I'm worried sick. His cell has been off and he hasn't returned any of my calls.”

Suddenly, the door smacked Alexis on the bottom. “Hey,” she snapped. “Occupied!”

“What are you two doing in there?” her big sister called through the door. “Let me in,” she said, pushing her way inside. She glanced from Santiago back to Alexis. “You two are acting very strange. What are you up to?”

Alexis explained what had happened the other night, the drag races and the drug bust. Fabi's face darkened when she discovered where they'd been, but when Alexis got to the part about Christian, Fabi hugged her. Alexis relaxed into the embrace, thankful for her sister's understanding.

“We need to find him,” Fabi said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Yes,” Alexis cried, feeling her hope rise. Fabi always knew how to make things happen.

“But where do we start? If the cops picked him up, there are a bunch of jails and detention centers,” Santiago said, sounding nervous.

Fabi pulled out her cell phone. “I'm going to call our cousin Bobby.” Bobby Sanchez was a police officer. “He'll know what to do.”

“Don't say nothing about me being at the races, all right?” Santiago said in a worried voice.

 

Officer Bobby Sanchez recommended that they check out the detention center in Hidalgo. Bobby didn't ask for any information, nor did Fabi volunteer any.

Santiago drove them to the detention center way out in the rural countryside. Alexis's heart sank as they approached the facility. A series of officelike gray buildings surrounded by a menacing barbed-wire fence loomed ahead of them. Alexis couldn't imagine Christian in this prison.

But Christian was there.

When Alexis, Fabi, and Santiago made it inside, they learned that the police had turned him over to some Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. They were keeping him isolated while they questioned him about the drug bust. He was not allowed any visitors at the moment, except for his attorney.

For a minute, Alexis thought her heart had actually stopped. Her sister reached for her hand, just as Alexis burst into tears. Thankfully, her sister was there to do the talking. Fabi was good at keeping a cool head in tough situations. She managed to get the name of his attorney from the staff. As they headed out of the building, Alexis recognized a woman coming through security. She had a stern expression ironed on her face and caught Alexis's eye right away.

Alexis swallowed. She tried to give Christian's mom a comforting smile.

“Have you no shame,” his mother said, walking up to Alexis. Her eyes were swollen from crying. “This is all your fault. I knew nothing good would come from his hanging with you!” she snapped. The group of people in the waiting area stopped to stare at the scene. “You bewitched my son. You put a spell on him. I know it, and now look what you've done.” Mrs. Luna crumbled, falling into the arms of two security people who had approached her from behind.

Fresh tears pricked Alexis's eyes. This was her fault. She wanted to tell Mrs. Luna how much she cared for Christian and that she never meant for this to happen. But Alexis didn't dare. Mrs. Luna was like a wounded animal, ready to snap and dig her claws into the closest person.

“Let's go,” Fabi said after a while. “There's nothing more we can do here.” Alexis nodded and followed her sister and cousin.

At the door, she glanced back. Someone had brought Mrs. Luna a cup of water and another person was helping her to a chair. Alexis's heart felt heavy. She wished that she could have talked to Christian, or even just gotten a glimpse of him.

On the drive home, Alexis was haunted by Mrs. Luna's words. They cut deeply. Not only because she blamed herself for his arrest but also because of the love spell she had used to bring him into her life. The memory of her visit to the
botánica
came back clearly. She had wanted a love story of her own — but she hadn't wanted this.