“What is pie-titi?” Elena asked.
The women smiled as they exchanged glances. Frederica explained, “Paititi is the name of a magical place. In our culture, it is a mythological Incan eutopia. You see, our talent was so revered that it was widely believed women of our beauty, talent, and depth must be descendant from the ancient Incan royal blood lines.”
“You and your grand stories,” Carmen said, wiping her face, barely able to conceal a shy smile.
“What is u-topa?” Elena interrupted.
“Eutopia is a beautiful, peaceful place,” Carmen said.
Elena sat silent for a moment, then leaned her head on Carmen’s shoulder. “I want to go there.”
“Awwww,” all three women cooed again as they nestled closer to Elena.
“Do you think my momma will be there?” Elena asked, hints of sadness in her voice.
Carmen, Frederica, and Rosaria fell silent, unsure how to answer.
Carmen spoke first. “I don’t know.”
“What happened to you? Why are you here now instead of topia?” Elena pressed.
Carmen’s shoulders shrank visibly, Frederica’s and Rosaria’s eyes became downcast. A shroud of sadness came over the room and the beautiful visage they had conjured faded as if their magic had abandoned them.
As the leader, Carmen felt the need to explain. “One night after our final performance of the festival, we were invited to a private dinner being held by a very important but very bad man. We refused him. He got angry and followed us. On the way home, we were stopped and forced to get into a different car with people we didn’t know.”
Elena gasped, then whispered, “That’s like what happened to me.”
Chapter Thirteen
After the phone call, ABCs knew what he had to do, but he decided to check on his Prizes first. He had taken little pride in kidnapping the Paititi Three, but they embarrassed him and the Demon Scorpion would not be humiliated. Not in public. Not without consequences. Over the years, he had made them pay.
Someone always has to pay.
But in a sense, he believed that they—especially Carmen—understood what he was. He’d hinted at it by sharing a few tender moments from his childhood in an effort to garner some small measure of real affection. So that they might understand that he was not just The Alphabet King but also a man.
Such a high-profile crime as kidnapping celebrities, without approval of the leader of the Scorpion Cartel as well as the other major cartels in Mexico, would usually be punished with death. Such impudence and independent action had the unwanted backlash of drawing undesired attention to the cartels. But Armando knew they feared him. It hadn’t taken much for them to understand the power behind the legend of the Demon Scorpion. He’d only had to slice a few people apart in a red-eyed rage, and then the mere sight of him and his tattoo commanded respect and then acquiescence. He became too savage, even for their tastes. Armando had been well aware of this and used it to his advantage in striking his deals. He hadn’t been unreasonable in his business dealings and all cartels had profited from his dominance along his section of the border.
He had agreed to take over the failing transport route through Northern Coahuila and the tunnel system along the border and transform the entire operation into the main artery for trafficking in and out of Mexico. In Texas, he would create a hub all cartels could benefit from, and the Scorpion Cartel would have a piece of the profits from each one. The leader of his cartel had scoffed at the idea of working with rivals, even doubted Armando could strike the deals with them. But after a visit from the Demon Scorpion, one by one, they came on board.
Once Armando had vanished with his Prizes, he remembered watching the news coverage. It had been such a high-profile disappearance, he imagined it must have given him legendary status. Once he established his foothold in America, he had crowned himself The Alphabet King.
Moving with purpose down the hall, a tic in his thoughts caused him to cringe. The notion of seeing the little girl reminded him that the mother had escaped him, beaten him, embarrassed him. His anger seethed. He would not be humiliated. Not in the presence of others. Not without consequences. He had the little blonde girl, but he wanted the mother too. He cared less about her potential value and more that her freedom might diminish the fear of his absolute power. In time, he told himself. In time, you will have all you can imagine and more.
He shoved open the door to find all three women with the little girl. “What is going on here.” ABCs demanded.
Frederica and Rosaria moved from the floor to the bed and huddled around Elena in a protective group. No one responded. Only the sounds of nervous breathing could be heard.
“Answer me.”
“Nothing,” Carmen said. “Just taking care of the girl like you said.”
“I didn’t ask the other two to do anything.”
“We wanted to help,” Rosaria said.
“You wanted to help?” ABCs mocked. “You will do as you are told,” he said and raised his arm, pointing his finger at the door. “Get back to your room.”
Rosaria and Frederica didn’t move. In the few minutes they had spent with Elena, something shifted in them too. They sensed it in Carmen too, the way she spoke of their previous life. Calling up those images of the past, whisking them back to a happier time. A time when they were confident, headstrong, and unbroken. Together, they had remembered what it felt like when they were taken. How terrified they were. Before today, they had barely spoken about it. Now, here, together in those memories, Carmen, Rosaria, and Frederica had reached their limit. They couldn’t leave this helpless child. Enough was enough. They found strength in solidarity. They needed to protect little Elena.
“No,” Frederica said. “We stay.”
ABCs took a step forward and pointed his finger to the floor. “You dare defy me.”
The women huddled closer for a moment. Carmen released her protective grip from Elena and slid forward on the bed, putting Frederica, Rosaria, and Elena behind her. She looked up at ABCs in defiance. “I used to fear you,” Carmen said. “But taking a little girl to do your bidding, now I know you are truly pathetic.”
ABCs’ mouth dropped open for just a moment. He hadn’t expected such bold rebelliousness. He’d had these women cowering under his control for years. He stepped forward again and cocked his hand, preparing to backslap Carmen. But she didn’t cower. Instead, she sat taller as if daring him. The look in her eyes resolute. “I have taken all your abuse. You cannot hurt me any longer.” ABCs looked down at the cowering women behind her as they hovered over the little girl. Then, he slowly lowered his hand.
“This is why I took you. I love your spirit,” he said.
“You love nothing,” Carmen spat.
“Maybe. But I will enjoy breaking you—again.” ABCs turned and strode from the room.
Anger seethed through him as The Alphabet King kicked at the door at the end of the women’s hallway. The guard unlocked and opened it. ABCs pushed through impatiently and marched past his guards toward the door to the other hallway, swung the lock, and flung the door open a little too forcefully. As he proceeded through, the door bounced back from the stoppers and hit him in the side. He cursed and pushed through, not noticing the well-concealed snicker from his guard.
𓂓
Dewey sat on the side of the bed, elbows on knees, the heel of his right foot bouncing uncontrollably. What I wouldn’t give for a cigarette right now. He looked around the room as if someone might be hiding behind a secret panel waiting for him to make a mistake. He got up and peeked out the window of the door. He saw only a bare wall and another door off to the right. It seemed like forever since he heard anything in the hall.
