"Rosie we have to go." Sean says as I kneel on the ground. Where is my brother? I am crying hysterically, but Melvin tells me he has a theory on where they might be.
"Let's go." Maggie says as we board the bus. Everyone is looking at us like we are crazy.
"Anyone saw them? Please tell us." Maggie says as she sits down.
"They bought chips." A women says to Maggie in a heavy accent. "And then they went outside. That's all I know."
"The Human traffickers Rosie." Melvin says as the driver starts the bus and we speed off. I turn my back to face him. "That truck we saw pull off. That's how they traffic people across the borders." He continues. Chris and Alice have been kidnapped.
"Let's go stop that bus then!" I say standing but Sean pulls me back down.
"What do we do?" Sean asks Melvin. He is just as desperate as all of us.
"I think that for now just get to our destination in Mexico and then we will look for them. We will call Simmons." Melvin says.
"Should we call him now?" Maggie suggests.
"No service in the dessert." Melvin says holding up his phone.
After a few minutes, we get to the border and we show our passports to the boarder police and all that and the we proceed. I wonder if Chris and Alice are okay. If they are hurt.
"I'm thinking the same things." Sean says holding my hand. "Remember that Chris and Alice are two strong, independent people."
"I just can't...All these fucking problems. One after another. It's like life doesn't want me to find mom..." I say laying my head on Sean's.
"I don't care what life says. We will find your mom." Melvin says from the back, and now we will find Alice and Chris.
"Melvin, you can't track their phones?" Sean asks.
"Unfortunately, I have no signal right now and their phones are off. However, once we get to this city, I will work on it. Ill ask Simmons to also do it, since he has that higher technology."
45 minutes later- Ascension Chihuahua, Mexico
We hop off the bus and get our luggage. We also carry Chris's and Alice's luggage because something tells me we will find them. I have been calming down, however, I am scared and I don't know what will happen.A million things are going through my mind and I don't know what to do anymore, however, with the Sean, Maggie and Melvin by my side, I don't feel alone and I can honestly say they have been helping me.
We walk in silence to the outside the bus station.Once there, I grab my phone, and I, with my hand shaking, look for Simmons number. Sean takes the phone once he sees I can't stop shaking. For the first time in my life, I feel scared.
Simmons picks up and Sean puts him on speaker. We all group around the phone.
"Hello? Rosie." Simmons says and I explain to him what has happened. Well barely because I say it so fast. The crew takes care of providing details I missed on. "Guys guys...stay calm. I will call my team immediately. You guys go find a hotel to stay in. It's not safe to be out this late"
"We can't stay calm Simmons." Melvin says anxiously. "I am trying to track their phones, but that's not working...We don't know what to do."
"Nothing...Listen, you guys need to promise me to stay put. I know ya'll never listen to me but this time, do it for Alice and Chris." Simmons says. "I will make sure to do what I can to find them. But right now, I don't need no one else kidnapped."
"I can't just stay here and let them torture my family." Sean says.
"What if they kidnapped them and sent them to another city or something." Maggie adds.
"okay, okay. We don't know what really happened, however, I will send a team. Tomorrow morning I will call you guys and you better be waking up in a hotel." Simmons says and after some fuzzing around, we agree. "You guys need money?"
"No. We all are good on money. Plus, I have the passwords to Chris's bank accounts so I'll just pull money from there." I say my voice trembling.
"Very well." Simmons says and then he gives a speech on staying positive and all that. "Rosie, It's all good. We will find them." I don't know what to believe anymore, but I do trust Simmons and I know he will do what he can to find my brother.Before he hangs up, Melvin tells him the names Dang gave us today of Ralph's leaders down here in Mexico. When we are done, we hang up and we proceed to find a place.
"I don't know how we will sleep tonight honestly." Melvin says putting his large book bag on his back and rolling Alice's suitcase.
"Sleep? That won't happen tonight." I say as we all walk down the lonely streets of Ascension. Its a very quiet town, yet very dark and cold. Once in a blue we saw cars but that's it. However as we approach what looks to be the center of the town, well its a park; there is music and colors and many people.
"Hola." A young teen says to us as we stroll across this festival. We look all dreary and not in the mood, but this teen follows us. He is very handsome and Maggie gives me that 'He cute' look. I giver her small smile and shake my head.
"Hola, mi llamo Melvin." Melvin says and we giggle . We all have no energy or emotions right now.
"Mucho gusto Melvin. You guys are from the other side. Its obvious." The teen says and we are surprised; he just spoke English fluently with a mild accent. "I take English classes over here."
"Good because with our Spanish, we weren't going anywhere." Maggie says and Felix just can't keep his eyes off her.
"Learning is never hard." He says to Maggie and she smiles and turns to look away. I know she is blushing right now.
"My name is Felix." The guy says and we introduce ourselves. We also tell him we need a hotel to stay with.
"You guys aren't expecting no five star hotel right? Because here in Ascension, you won't find one." Felix says and we shake our heads. He notices our expressions.
"Is everything okay?" He asks and we nod because we don't want to really explain what has happened. At least not right now.
"As long as my room has a bed and a restaurant near by..."Melvin says after Felix talks about some motels in town. All the music playing and all these people happy make me want to just lock my self in a room and never come out. Just when things start to go right, something always goes wrong. Why is life like this? Is it just my bad luck?
"Come along. I will take you to my mom's friends mini motel." Felix says as we stroll across the park. People look at us like we are unknown species. I feel highly uncomfortable.
"What's up with the festival?" Maggie asks Felix. He turns around and winks.
"Today is a full moon, and every full moon we celebrate. It's a town tradition." He says as he leads us three story motel right across from the park.
"How many rooms?" Felix asks as we walk inside the motel.
"Maggie and I will share a room if you don't mind." I say to Sean he nods.
"Totally fine babe." He says.
"Really though?" Melvin says squinting his eyes at me.
"What?" I say squinting my eyes back. Then I realize he wanted a room with Maggie, but no. They are not together or anything and I want to spend some time with Maggie.
"Si quieren puede pagar mañana. Se ven cansados (If they want, they can pay tomorrow. They look tired) " Says the receptionist. He is an old men, and he looks very kind.
"What he say?" Sean asks me and I translate what the man said. He knows I know fluent Spanish.
"This is Ramón." Felix says pointing to the old guy." He usually doesn't work here, but Nina is in el D.F."
"D.F?" Maggie asks in confusion.
"Its the federal district of Mexico. Some people call it Mexico City." Felix says and Maggie nods smiling. These two and the eye contact and the smiles...
I I kneel down to open my suitcase. I find my wallet and take out $2,000 in cash. I count all the hundreds real fast and the I walk up to Ramón. He looks at me surprised along with Felix. I don't have time for this, can he just take the money?
"Señorita Rosie, what is all this money for?" Felix asks surprised.
"We don't know how long we will stay." Melvin says, backing me up. "Take the money."
"Its way too much. This isn't right."Felix says but Maggie finds a way to convince him. The eye contact and the smiles helped.
"Please. We have money that we will never spend. Might as well help others."I say as I leave the money in front of Ramón. I then walk back to close my suitcase. Sean comes behind me.
"Well goodnight baby. Don't do no dumb shit and escape to find Chris and Alice." Sean says pulling me in for a kiss as he gathers his stuff. In some of the thoughts that are swirling through my brain, the idea of escaping tonight did come to mind. Sean definitely knows me more than I do.
"I won't." I mumble as I kiss him back.
"I love you." He says.
"I love you too." I say as he and Melvin walk up the stairs with their luggage. They asked to take ours, but hey, Maggie and I have arms and legs an we can carry this luggage up stairs too. Just because we are women, doesn't mean we are weaker.
"Okay ladies." Felix says giving me the key to the room. "Rosie. Again, Nina will get mad. This money is way to much for a simple motel."
Maggie walks up the stairs with her luggage as I respond to Felix. There are some other guest walking down the stairs, looks like its a busy motel.
"I don't care. Let, what's her name...Nina, say something." I smile slightly and then I return to sadness as I walk up the stairs to the second floor. I can't think, I can barely breathe. The only thing that comforts me is the fact that Mom might be in this town. Tomorrow will be a new day, a new day to find my brother and Alice.