Laughing Eyes: Bittersweet Familia (3) by Melissa Jane Page B

plans have changed now. I really don’t think El Leon is going to bother with the next village. At least not for a while. After last night I wouldn’t be surprised if he changes his course of action. He knows we are after him and for some reason he has marked Anna as a target.”
    “You trust her?”
    “I have no reason not to.” I couldn’t begrudge him his thoughts. I too was guilty of questioning the connection, but now I believed every word she said.
    “El Leon is an arms dealer and genocidal maniac, so what connection could he possibly have to Anna?”
    “I don’t know, brother, but from what I can gather she is just in the dark and as unsuspecting as everyone else.” I turned around to face the view. The clouds had all cleared and the day was shaping up to be a beautiful one. In the distance, two miles off to the west of the city was a lone speck on the hillside. “He has eyes everywhere. Pass me the binoculars.”
    “What is it?”
    The small speck formed a fortress moulded to the cliff face. “Take a look.”
    Aiden took the binoculars and followed my gaze.
    “A mansion. So what?”
    “What does Hector live in?” I could see it dawn on Aiden, as he looked from me back through the binoculars.
    “A mansion.” He answered flatly. Hector was Aiden’s father. Not by blood. As a child, Aiden had lost his family to a brutal home invasion. Hector adopted the orphan child before he became a number to the state. What the innocent seven year old didn’t know was that his new father was Mexico’s leading drug cartel boss. As soon as he was of age, Aiden joined the marines where we both trained as scout snipers. I had only seen the mansion from photos, but it was one of the biggest I had ever seen. It was a long shot but by putting two and two together, it was worth the investigation.
    “Remember what that man said to you?” Anna began as she walked over to us. “The one when you rescued Eduardo and Samuel.”
    Taking the binoculars from Aiden, I looked through the lens straight at the big white house perched on the cliff.
    “Our leaders both in white.” I looked to Anna who had fit the last piece of the puzzle. “Our President in the white house, El Leon in his white mansion.”
    “There could be hundreds of mansions in this place and who is to say he even resides here?” I could understand Aiden’s doubt in my theory but it was the only one we had right now.
    “I don’t know the answers, but I do feel it’s worth investigating. If we can get him where it hurts, we may just end up on the front foot.”

 
    Anna
     
    “You have no other flights available?”
    “No,” was all the indifferent hostess could say to Danny. “Only one flight in the morning, every day. Next one at 9.15am tomorrow.”
    The strain on his face was evident. It wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. His teeth bit down on his bottom lip in frustration before turning to me, his hands running affectionately up and down my arms.
    “We can go back to where Luiza and I have been staying,” I said, trying to offer a solution.
    “No.”
    “Well we don’t know anyone to stay with?”
    “Chances are he knows where you live.”
    A chill ran down my spine. The thought alone made me feel sick to the core. Had it been him watching me all that time? When I could feel eyes following my every move, the strong cologne in the breeze, had I been wrong to blame it all on paranoia?
    “There is a small hotel outside the airport.” Aiden offered.
    “We could wait for you, until you finish your business and then all fly out together.” I added.
    A small smile pulled Danny’s lips. “I can’t wait to get you out of this place, Anna Bonita.”
    “I know,” I reassured. “Can you get back here before tomorrow’s flight?”
    “I’m counting on it, but if I don’t make it back in time, don’t think the worst. We may just need extra time tracking the asshole down.” Danny looked to Aiden and something passed between them before