“I am going with you. I will not let the chance to see Ellie go by. What if …” What if it’s my last chance to see her again?, I finished in my head.
Gus waited a few beats, chewing on his lip, his bushy mustache moving in and out. Finally he said, “I couldn’t stop you even if I tried. I don’t think anything will ever stop you.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said. He helped pull me out of the car and I let out a small yelp of pain as my shoulder got caught on the seatbelt.
“Easy now,” he warned.
“Got any of those painkillers?”
He brought out a packet from his pocket and shook it. “Oxymorphone. You can’t drink on it. That’s what Carlotta told me. Of course it doesn’t say that on the label because not many dogs drink.”
“Just give me the drugs,” I grunted.
He thrust them in my hands and I chewed two, grimacing through the bitterness.
“Also, you’re only supposed to take one,” he added.
I glared at him. “Unless you’re the guy who got shot, shut up.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself. But if you collapse in the middle of Veracruz because of an opiate high, you’re on your own.”
I had a feeling he meant it.
It took no time at all for the high to kick in and the pain to go away. We had a long walk ahead of us into the city though, having parked in a small suburb close by. I felt like I was bouncing on air instead of dirty streets, the garbage blowing in the light breeze looking beautiful. Everything was beautiful, from the perfume of hot asphalt and night-blooming flowers to the ornate streetlamps that lit up the colonial-style buildings as we got closer to the city. Really fucking pretty.
It was about that time that the euphoric effects of the drug started to wear off and the dirt and grit of the city became a reality. The pain was gone but the picture became real. We were here. We were going to a drug lord’s nightclub to find my woman and bring her home.
We got a few curious glances from people as we walked through the city but not enough to arouse suspicion. Gus looked like your average grumpy fat man in his ridiculous Hawaiian shirt, a different print than the other, pink and orange. He must have had a closet full of them. I had my black cargo shorts and a long-sleeved plaid shirt that Gus must have pulled from deep inside my bag when they cut off my old shirt to operate. I still had my arm in a sling, but at least it was black. I looked like a hipster that broke his arm at a Vampire Weekend concert or some shit like that.
The Zoo was at the Zócalo, a square on Independencia Street near the harbor. It was pretty, black and white tiles in the middle, lined with busy cafés, palm trees and beautifully arched buildings that glowed white and yellow in a slew of lights. A stoic cathedral looked over the whole scene. People were dancing, music was playing. It was Friday night in Veracruz and we were two of the few tourists not looking for a good time.
“How’s your arm?” Gus asked.
“I’m no longer high but I’m not in any pain.”
We were approaching The Zoo, a small building at one end of the square. The line-up outside looked ridiculously long. I hadn’t been to many clubs in my life time, but back in LA I knew a line-up like that meant at least an hour wait. There was a chance we would miss her.
“What are your thoughts?” I asked, looking around as we walked together. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary but then again, I didn’t know who else I was looking for aside from Ellie. I didn’t know what Travis looked like, though I sure as hell remembered Javier.
I choked back a rush of anger. A busy square in Mexico wasn’t the place to lose it. I needed to keep my head clear and sharp. I could daydream about a million ways to torture Javier Bernal after I saw Ellie.
“Going into the club might not be a good idea,” Gus said. “I don’t know what their plan is but us strolling in there might put Ellie in jeopardy. It would probably be almost midnight before we got inside anyway.”
I nodded at a café nearby. “How about we sit there and have a few beers, just two guys kicking back. Keep our eyes open.”
Considering how packed and popular the area was, we had to wait ten minutes before one of the outdoor tables finally cleared, but when it did, it was worth it. The table was right along the edge, giving us a great view of the club’s line-up. We were far enough away that we would blur into the café crowd if anyone was looking at us, but close enough that I could spot Ellie or Javier if I had to.
As much as I wanted us to look like two guys kicking back, tourists having a nice night out in Veracruz, I was a nervous, anxious wreck. I couldn’t even drink because of the drugs so I had copious cups of strong coffee which really didn’t help. I sat there, my leg bouncing up and down, trying to converse with Gus, unable to tear my eyes away from the building.
I hadn’t seen her but every woman who reminded me of her made me jump out of my seat until Gus had to tell me to stop being such a heat score.