Living Without
Part Twenty-Six
"Look what the garbage man forgot to pick up," Gustavo spoke out the window of the car.
"Gustavo Santos," Escobar said with mock delight. "What are you doing here in Springfield? It's been a while since we last saw! How are you?"
"Spare me the pleasantries," Gustavo snipped. "What are you doing here?"
"I've always liked the way you get straight to the point."
"Yes, well, I'm a straight shooter. Too bad I can't say the same for your friends," Gustavo remarked.
"What are you talking about?" Escobar asked.
"Tío, I'll handle this. I will," Danny silenced his uncle before he could speak. "Dietz, get in the car," he ordered. "Get in the car," he repeated, stressing each uttered syllable when the man remained in place.
Dietz came up to him to speak for only he to hear. "The Boss gave me direct orders to..."
"This doesn't concern you OR her," Danny told him.
"I was told to keep an eye on things," Dietz whispered harshly.
"Get in the car," Danny spoke through clenched teeth.
"I have orders," Dietz remained adamant.
"Sam," Gustavo called, getting both Danny and Dietz's attentions. "Get in the car," he said and Dietz gave Danny a nasty look before turning to obey the elder man.
"You can take them home," Escobar hit atop the vehicle and spoke through the open back window to the driver. "Danny will be riding with me."
"Don't you move," Gustavo told the driver, his eyes fixated on Escobar. "We won't be going anywhere until Daniel is in the car."
"Tu sorbino is a big boy, Gusto," Escobar remarked. "He'll be fine with me. He's marrying my daughter in a week! What do you think I'm going to do to him? Danny is like a son to me! I'd never do anything to hurt him," he spoke as he turned to look at his daughter's suitor with a cocky grin. "Why don't you let me worry about him while you go home to your sister-in-law? She can take care of that arm for you."
Gustavo watched Escobar for a long time before his attention moved on to someone more significant.
"Daniel," he called and his nephew stepped up to the window and lowered himself to meet his level. "I don't want to leave you with this man. Not after what happened last night. He is capable of..."
"I know what he's capable of, Tío," Danny cut in. "I know."
"You mustn't trust him," Gustavo went on. "Daniel," he held his nephew by the wrist as he was standing to leave. "Daniel!"
Danny tapped on top of the vehicle and ordered the driver to continue without him.
"Go, go, go! Get my children out of here," he told him. "And make sure he doesn't do anything but rest," he said to his uncle's men and he then looked at Gustavo. "I'll be fine."
Gustavo's eyes drifted back to Escobar, who promptly gave him an eager salute as the car rolled away. As soon as they were out of sight, Escobar proceeded to direct Danny towards his own vehicle that was parked about a mile down.
"So how was your brief trip? I wasn't expecting you home so soon," Escobar spoke.
"What, did I interrupt your planning of my funeral?"
"Will you ever see me as someone who is only looking out for your best interests?"
"You threatened my kids' lives," Danny bitterly spat. "Tell me how you figured that into looking out for my best interests."
"Please, step inside," Escobar said as they approached his ride, one of the escorts having promptly opened the door.
"After you," Danny said and once Escobar had entered, he followed and the door closed behind him.
Danny slid back in his seat and his eyes crossed from one side of the vehicle to the other, a smile of disbelief on his face at the others that were also present.
"Well, if it isn't the Brady Bunch," he remarked as he straightened his clothes.
"Good morning to you, Daniel."
"Alberto," Danny turned to him. "Long time, no see. How's life? The last I heard of you, you were shot in the head and left for dead."
"What can I say? I'm resilient."
"I'm sure you are," Danny smiled. "Ally baby," he turned to his fiancée. "What's shaking?"
"What's shaking??" Alejandra asked, appalled by his manner of greeting. She was ready to give him a proper tongue lashing, but her unspoken words die when her father firmly squeezed on her knee.
"My daughter isn't to be spoken to," Escobar informed his guest.
"Not to be spoken to? Then why the hell's she here?" Danny asked. "Doesn't she have daisies to pick off her grandmother's grave or something?"
"You are here for me, Danny," Escobar snapped his fingers to get his attention. "And only me. Mi niña is not to be addressed or even looked at," he said as Danny continued to stare directly at his soon to be wife.
"Are you deaf or are you purposely trying to make my father angry?" Alberto asked of his defiance.
"Haven't you ever heard the expression speak only when spoken to?" Danny asked him. "You should try practicing that!"
"Daniel..."
"Why is he even here?" Danny asked Escobar. "Why are any of you here?"
"Let's go," Alberto said to the driver and the vehicle was set in motion.
"I got your message, Danny," Escobar spoke as he picked up a glass and filled it with ice. "And I see you may have gotten mine," he said, referring to Danny's arm. "I didn't think you'd take it that way."
"What way would you have preferred? The chest?" Danny asked.
"What are you talking about, papá?" Alejandra asked and she was once again silenced.
"He has men following me around. Did you know that?" Danny asked her.
"You are to speak to only me, Santos!" Escobar hollered. "Only me!" he added and Danny became dead silent. "I don't appreciate your disregard of my authority," he said after a moment. "If my daughter wasn't so hung up on you, you'd be pushing daisies yourself."
"You don't need to threaten me, Escobar. I am very aware of what you can do to me," Danny spoke calmly. "I got your message the first time you sent it. There was no reason for the second one! My children could've been killed!! My uncle nearly got sliced to death! I won't even mention his wife..."
"Or your wife," Escobar cut in. "She is who this is all about, isn't she? This rant is all about Michelle. You knew the consequences and you defied me regardless!" he angrily bellowed, continuing before Danny could interject. "DON'T act like you didn't know this would happen!"
"Who's acting? If YOU had an iota of trust in my word, everything would've went as planned! And when it was all said and done, you would've been the first to know all about it," Danny hissed. "Instead, the instant your puppies spot Michelle, they open fire on my uncle's freaking house!"
"They were just following orders," Escobar said as Alejandra filled his glass with scotch.
"Orders that YOU gave them! What's the matter with you?? Don't you have an ounce of patience?!" Danny snapped and all in the car looked at him as if he were mad. "I can't really say that I'm surprised the police didn't show up. I'm sure you somehow persuaded them that they had better things to do."
"You're pushing it, Santos!" Alberto told him as he roughly shoved Danny back against the seat.
"Don't fucking touch me!" Danny fought him off. "Don't touch me! I'm talking to your father! NOT you!"
"I don't like the tone you're using with him!"
"And I don't like your attitude!"
"And I don't like yours," Escobar said to Danny, instantly quelling their argument. "If you're not careful, that mouth of yours will get you into serious trouble, Daniel. Serious trouble."
Danny silently stared out the window as they finally made their way onto the highway. He wanted nothing more than to break that punk Alberto's nose, but the man wasn't even worth the dirt stuck to the bottom of his shoes. He was nothing more than his father's second voice, his cosigner. An instigator. He couldn't keep his ass out of trouble even if there wasn't any.
"What was the plan?" Escobar's voice broke through the silence.
"What?" Danny was drawn away from his thoughts.
"He asked you-"
"I heard him," Danny cut Alberto off. "What plan?"
"You said that all would've went as planned had some uninvited guests not visited Gustavo's estate. What was the plan?" Escobar asked again while sipping of his beverage.
"The plan," Danny's heart raced. "Yeah, well, Michelle was in Miami. I had her kidnapped a couple days ago and sent there."
"You knew she was here before the report about her being a suspect in your cousin's murder?" Escobar asked.
"I knew. And her disappearance was all my doing," Danny answered. "When you asked me about her, I lied but for good reason."
"Good reason?" Escobar was in doubt.
"You would've overreacted just as you had last night," Danny told him. "And everything would've been ruined."
"Your family would've been dead," Escobar simply remarked, sipping once more from his glass.
"Michelle was under the belief that my uncle was trying to help her," Danny continued, ignoring his last comment. "That he brought her there to save her from me."
"Save her from you??" Alberto asked incredulously.
"I was going to kill her."
"Was??" Alberto questioned. "How did your uncle know about any of this?"
"I told him. What do you think??" Danny looked at him with daggered eyes before turning back to Escobar. "He advised that I not do it in Springfield. Too many eyes watching the family," he went on. "So Tío suggested that we do it on his turf."
"You want me to believe that Gusto suggested this?" Escobar asked. "That this so-called family emergency was to eliminate your wife?? No...I don't believe you."
"Then I don't know what to say other than I'm telling you the truth."
"Where is she now?" Alberto asked.
"Juan Carlos took care of her," Danny replied.
"Alvarez?" Escobar asked to be certain.
"Alvarez."
Escobar gulped down the rest of his drink in one swoop and wiped his mouth dry before setting his eyes on Danny. "Michelle is gone?" he asked.
"Dead."
"I find that hard to believe," Escobar told him. "You wouldn't order a hit on your own wife..."
"Ex-wife," Danny corrected. "She left our children and myself for her own selfish reasons. She killed my cousin..."
"Just a few days ago, you were saying that you were leaving that to the police to deal with."
"Diego was my blood."
"So was Mick."
"Yeah, well, things change. I change. Michelle was a problem, so I did what I had to do. I had her dealt with."
"Come on, Daniel. Stop joking. Where is she?" Escobar asked.
"I've already told you. She's been taken care of," Danny replied in all seriousness.
"I need proof," Escobar said after a long pause, handing Alejandra his empty glass.
"Proof?" Danny was taken aback. "What kind of proof?"
"The kind that shows a very dead Michelle kind of proof," Escobar replied. "I want it tonight."
"Okay," Danny said, his mind spinning. "Okay. Consider it done."
"Good," Escobar sat back in his seat. "If what you're saying is indeed the truth, you have just made me one very happy man. But until I get evidence of Ms. Bauer's untimely demise, I'll save my celebration until later."
"When do you want it?"
"Bring it by my place tonight at 8," Escobar was saying as he pulled a Cuban cigar from his coat pocket. "We can sit and have dinner. Bring your family. Everyone! Even Warren!" he told him. "I'm sure they'll all want to be a part of this. But God help you should you be lying to me, Santos."
"You'll get your proof," Danny assured him.
"And you'll get to live," Escobar pointed at him with his cigar before lighting it up and puffing on the thick stick.
**
Meanwhile...
Michelle sat quiet the entire ride to her new destination, staring out at the trees, buildings, and other things that whizzed by as they drove. None registered in her mind for she was preoccupied with thoughts of her children and of they having to return to that home she so dreaded; back to Carmen and to that woman they believed was their mother. She couldn't bare any of it, but what choice did she have? She willingly had to either let them go or get them all killed.
Michelle wiped away the few tears that had escaped from her eyes and softly exhaled, her thoughts having now drifted to the narrative Danny had been telling their little ones. If he was being completely honest in that story, then her departure hurt him more than she knew. It hurt him just as much as it did her. And to think they had wasted all that time believing in concocted stories that ultimately ruined everything they had loved and ever wanted for themselves and their children.
"Michelle," Juan called for the umpteenth time since he had parked the car, snapping Michelle out of her ruminations, and she turned to him to see that he was offering her his hand.
Juan helped her out of the car and Michelle stepped away from the door just as he was slamming it shut. She looked about her, the cool ocean breeze sending her blond locks whipping about her face. She turned to every direction, surveying the land stretched out in front of her. As she was rotating back to her starting point, she stopped to stare at a structure in the distance.
"Shall we continue?" Juan lightly touched her shoulder and Michelle gave him a brief glance before silently agreeing to go on.
The lighthouse. It felt as if it had been lifetimes since she was last there.
Juan motioned for her to continue inside and once they were both in, he hurried ahead of her, checking every nook and cranny to be sure they were the only two there.
With a few quick leaps, he dashed up the staircase, into the bedroom and up to the beacon in search for anything out of the ordinary. Having found nothing, he made his way back down from the building's apex just as Michelle was entering the room. He watched as she silently strolled further in, and he noticed that she was distant; her mind still as preoccupied as it had been since they snuck their way out of the airport.
Michelle strolled through the stuffy room, her fingers trailing across the dusty furniture as she did so. Cobwebs had taken residence in the 'watcher of the sea' and the place was in need of some considerable cleaning.
"Looks like we've got a major job on our hands," Juan spoke as he climbed down from the rest of the steps and dodged some webs he was about to run into.
Michelle still walked about, oblivious to anything he was saying or doing. Her eyes searched the room over, stopping to stare as if expecting its walls to speak back to her. If they could, the pasty walls would have so much to say.
The things those walls had witnessed. All they had seen and heard. All her private conversations they had sat in on. The battles she had to fight. The struggles she had to overcome. A love she couldn't deny. These walls knew them all. The good, bad, and ugly.
"Michelle," Juan came up to touch her arm and Michelle shrieked in terror, frantically jumping away from him. "It's okay! It's okay! It's just me!" he told her as she continued to loudly scream. "It's me," he added once she had calmed down.
She stared at him for the longest moment and then blinked as she ran a shakey hand through her golden mane. She moved away from him and went to take a seat on a chair after giving it a good dusting.
"You're safe here," Juan squatted in front of her, trying to convince her that she truly was.
Michelle had her hands tucked between her thighs as she stared off to the side. Her eyes quickly filled with tears and she stood from her seat to again move. Juan stood from his position and watched as Michelle went up to the door, grabbed the knob, and tried to turn it to leave, but she couldn't. Her forehead made contact with the wood of the door, and the sound of her sniffing echoed in the quiet room.
"I don't like this," her voice cracked, these being the first words she had uttered since they abandoned the Santos jet. "I don't like this at all. I can't live like this..." she said as she ground her head into the door. "I want my babies..." she sobbed. "I want my family back."
"You'll see the children soon."
"How soon?? When will soon be?" Michelle asked, turning around to look at Juan. "In a week? A year? When they have my grandchildren??"
"Michelle, try to stay calm, alright?"
"I don't wanna stay calm!" she cried. "I am tired of abiding by everyone else's rules but my own! If I had listened to myself, I wouldn't be in this mess."
"You would've been in one much worse," Juan said. "Now if you want to walk out that door, that's your prerogative, but you won't last five minutes," he told her. "You want your kids to be safe? You want to see them again? Then you have no choice but to do whatever is asked of you, and that includes laying low until we can figure out what's going on and then return you to your family. Until then, I suggest you be patient. If not, this whole thing will be blown out of the water and a lot more people than we both realize will be hurt."
"I don't want that," Michelle quietly said as she stepped down from the foyer and wiped her face dry.
"Neither do I. That's why it's important that you work with me," he said to her. "I know it's going to be hard, but nothing with you and Danny has ever been easy. I can attest to that."
"You can attest to just about everything when it comes to Danny," Michelle remarked.
"Yeah, I guess I can," Juan quietly said and then paused before speaking up again. "Look, um, I'm going to get your things from the car and when I get back, we can try to fix this place up. I think I saw a few brooms and mops down by the entrance."
"I can get those."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure," Michelle replied. "There are a few cleaning agents around here too, so...just go! Go. I think I can manage finding them on my own."
"Okay," Juan nodded his head. "I'll be back before you know it," he said and then he exited the room.
Michelle let out a long sigh when the door closed behind him, her eyes taking another good look at the place she was going to be calling home for God knew how long.
"You're right about one thing, Juan. This is definitely gonna be hard."
**
Later that morning: Casa Santos
"They should be here by now! It's been hours since mis nietos returned. What's taking Danny so long?" Carmen asked while pacing from one end of the room to the other.
"Maybe they got caught in traffic," Gustavo offered.
"That is very possible," María agreed.
"What kind of traffic could there be on a Saturday morning??" Carmen asked. "I specifically asked Dietz not to let Danny out of his sight-!" she was saying when her attention was caught by the opening of the door. The three looked to the room's entrance to see a woman walking in.
"Elisabeth," Carmen smiled, approaching her guest as she made her way down the steps. "¿Cómo está?" she asked after they had kissed each others cheeks.
"Muy bien, gracias."
"¿Y tu papá?"
"He is very well," Elisabeth answered. "doña María," she went over to where the elder woman sat in her wheelchair. "Buenos días," she greeted.
"Buenos días, niña," María replied as they too shared kisses, and the same was done with Gustavo. "What brings you by so early?" María asked. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine with me. It's the Señor that I came for," Elisabeth replied. "Danny asked me to check his stitches and make sure he was okay."
"As you can see, I am doing just fine," Gustavo spoke.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to take a look and judge for myself."
"Danny called you?" Carmen asked.
"Sí, Sra. Not too long ago," Elisabeth replied while helping Gustavo up.
"Did he say what was taking him so long? Where he was?"
"No, I was only told to tend to his uncle," she said.
"Thank you for coming," María patted her hand and looked up at her with a grateful smile.
"Sí, gracias," Carmen added. "Did you happen to see Pilar on your way in?"
"She was sitting by the door with the children," Elisabeth said and Carmen nodded, allowing her to leave the room with Gustavo.
"Tus nietos are very worried about their father," María spoke once she was alone with Carmen. "I can't believe they are still keeping watch by that door after an hour."
"They must be scared out of their minds," Carmen began her pacing again. "Your son should have told me exactly what went down," she spat. "He was there! Why does he choose to be vague on the details?? My son's life was jeopardized!"
"So was the life of my son!" María hurled back at her. "¡Y la vida mi nieto y sus niños! You need to just shut up, sit down, and be patient! Gusto knows that Daniel's life was compromised. Everyone who was there had something to lose. When Daniel returns, he will tell us all we need to know about the incident."
"That I will."
"Danny!" Carmen cried out when he came strolling into the room with Danielle, he being closely followed by Pilar - who was with his son, Alejandra, and the rest of Ramírez coalition.
"¡Mi Dios!" Carmen exclaimed. "What happened to you? Look at your face," she tried to touch him but he moved from her hand. "My baby..."
"Danny, are you alright?" Pilar asked him. "You look a wreck! What happened in Miami? Who did this to you?"
"What took you so long to get back here? I was worried sick!" Carmen told him.
"Ladies, your questions will all be answered," Escobar spoke up. "Give the boy a chance to breathe."
"What do you know about this, Esco?" Carmen stopped to ask him.
"Nothing that you won't find out soon enough," he replied before following the others further into the room.
"Take them out of here," Danny directed Alejandra and Pilar of his children. "I'm fine. Really, I am," he said to his sister who was hesitant to leave. "Just make sure they get something to eat and a nice long bath. My princess is starting to smell like garbage."
"No, I'm not," Danielle countered as he kissed her forehead, and she and her brother were whisked out of the room.
As soon as they were gone, Danny approached the table, took up a glass, and poured himself a drink. Carmen went to join him just as he was taking a sip of the liquor.
"What happened in Miami, Danny?" she asked him after a moment.
"I made all your dreams come true, Mamá. That's what happened," he responded. "A long time problem of ours has finally been taken care of."
"The emergency?"
"Umm hmm," Danny nodded as he poured himself another drink. "Actually it had nothing to do with the company. It was about Michelle," he admitted and Carmen instantly turned red. "Don't worry. She's dead," he delivered frigidly as he set his glass on the table and walked away.
