144: Rafe

Seeing Aubrey drive away behind those closed doors was the hardest thing I have ever done. My mouth went dry, my scalp itched unbearably and sweat trickled in a steady river down my spine. I felt my knees literally buckling. The military official who had kicked me now stood at attention, his eyes staring straight ahead, away from me.

A taller man, dressed in a more decorated and different uniform approached holding out the passports. "You are Rafe Stryker? This is your rock and roll band, Axis? Your bus has been demolished." He gave me one startled and penetrating gaze and nodded that my hands should be untied. I was done trying to reason with them. All the fight that had got me pinned to begin with now fled. I took the passports and handed them to Jeremy at my side.

"Where will they take my friends?" I stumbled over the words, having heard Aubrey claim relationships with each of the people in the back of that ambulance.

"St. Maria Guadalupe." He answered matter-of-factly as if we had not just been caught in a gunfight between two cartels and the military, as if we had not just been held against our will in front of a firing squad, as if I had not personally just been battered and bruised by his men. "It is about a half an hour. Two of your vans were also targeted. Your drivers were killed. One of your security men is dead. I am very sorry. What were you doing with Senor Nemesios?"

"I don't even know who that is." I spat, gritting my teeth. "We ran for cover in the ruins when someone started blowing things up and firing guns. That's all I know."

"You did not know him before?"

I shook my head. "He was a complete stranger to me."

"Why were you firing at us? Where did you get your weapon?"

"I got it off our security guy who is dead. I started firing back like our tour guide did. We were under fire, man, we didn't know, except they were trying to kill us."

"These people who are with you... where are you staying? I will have my drivers take you to the local garrison for questioning and then if your story checks out you will be released."

I told him, and looked around for Holli, Allen, anyone. A familiar face. They were there, held back, looking very scared. They didn't know what to do. I turned to Aiden.

"We are staying at the Maria Condesa." Aiden said with authority. "I am their representative. Please direct all questions to me."

I felt instant relief and asked if I could use my phone. This request was denied, and my phone was confiscated. I looked up at the giant pyramid and thought--- it might have been the scene of the greatest moment in Nephite history once, a scene of supreme love and compassion, but right now, it simply mimicked the terrible throes of its Aztec ancestors.

I could see military buses coming up the main road, and soon we were urged to get on. I said very little, thinking with a heated mind about Aubrey and Jeff, alone, hopefully at a hospital. We'd have to cancel tonight's concert. My inclination was to cancel the rest of the tour. This place was just too dangerous.

Ben was beside me. As the bus started to drive away he shook his head. His breathing had been labored, as he'd not stopped shouting for a full fifteen minutes. His eyes were both covered in reddish dirt--- I didn't know if he was seriously hurt or just spattered with sweat and blood. "Where are we going?"

"A military garrison for questioning." I told him, my brain felt fuzzy. I signaled the driver. "That guy, the one who was in charge, does he know my band is supposed to be performing tonight?"

"Sit down!"

"I am sitting down!" I yelled.

Another soldier who was sitting in the very front instantly turned and pointed his weapon at me. I was already sitting, but now I flipped him off. He lifted his gun to me in an acknowledging salute, and grinned. "I have your autograph?"

I thought about hitting him, decided against it and turned to stare out the window, seething with rage.

"Better not to make him mad. It will all work out, Rafe." Ben whispered in much calmer tones than he'd been using just five minutes ago. He was hoarse.

"You're bleeding." I told him, as blood dried on his forehead above the right eye. He'd obviously been hit by debris. He licked his fingers and wiped across it, smearing it. "It's not bad. Leave it, before you open the scab."

He did. "Is Jake dead?"

"Yes, and Tim." I said blatantly, anger clouding my judgment. "Amigo! Two of our guys are dead! Dead! What is going to happen to them? Will you freaking give me my phone so I can call and make arrangements to get home? I need to make some calls."

"All in good time, amigo." The guy grinned at me waving his gun.

The garrison wasn't that far. I should have been more scared, as rumors were that the Mexican military was run by the cartels. I should have had more natural fear, but as it stood, I was just really hurt and angry.

They took us off the bus one by one. That even pissed me off more. It was getting on for late afternoon when they came and asked me. "Look, I want to cooperate, honestly. I want to do whatever you ask, but we've all been in here for hours and we are hot and tired and thirsty. I have five hundred in cash right now. I'll give it to you no questions asked if you let us go, maybe drive us all to the hotel. How about that?"

The guy looked at us all. "You think we're the police? You think we take bribes? How much the rest of you got on you?"

Everybody dug in their pockets, and came up with about a thousand dollars--- some in Mexican currency, some in American. The guy said he'd go and ask. He came out really quickly, followed by the four guys they'd already taken in for "questioning" and the commander.

"Who offered the money?" The commander wanted to know. I raised my hand and stood up, really sick of being bullied.

"Look, we want to cooperate anyway we can, but we are being treated like criminals, and we're the victims here." I put my hands in my pockets. "Take us back to our hotel, and we'll forget this ever happened."

"But it did happen." The guy stated abruptly. "People are dead."

"Yeah, they are. Arrangements need to be made, and my phone was taken from me."

He sighed elaborately, which again pissed me off. I could barely control my temper. Finally, after much show, and looking disgusted and put out he said: "I will take the money. You will all go freely back to your hotel. But we will stay in touch. You will not leave Mexico City without permission."

He did take the money and we were back on the road. My phone was delivered to me, and I instantly called the US Embassy and explained what had happened and asked that they meet us at our hotel, since two of our vans and our main bus had been blown up.

I called Aubrey's phone and she answered immediately. "Rafe?" She whisper screamed my name and I thought she might be still detained. It had been hours. "Oh, it's good to hear your voice. Are you okay? Where are you?" She was breathless, but not crying.

"We are on our way back to the hotel finally. They took fifteen hundred dollars in bribes--- a measly fifteen hundred! Ha. How is Carlos?"

"He's in surgery." She said. "Jeff is fine, he's been re-bandaged and is out. I called the grandmother and she and two of Gomez's brothers are on their way to pick up Felicity. I called home. I think my dad is on his way too."

"I'm coming over there as soon as I get some arrangements made, okay? Please don't leave anywhere, just stay there till I get there." I told her and motioned to Ben. He started back to catch my last words.

"Rafe, are you cancelling the concert? I don't think you should. All those people depending on you to show them how to pick up the pieces. We can honor our dead by valuing the life they gave us."

I swallowed hard, tears choking me. "You're amazing, Aubrey. You're incredibly amazing." I pictured her being shoved face down in the dirt--- scrambling to get to me, and not making it. My insides were on fire with the indescribable pain of needing to know she was safe.

"Hang in there, Rafe. It's going to be okay." But her sobs were audible too.

"We're going to be okay, buddy." I said, patting Ben on the shoulder to stifle my emotional outburst.

"I know you're mad, Rafe, but maybe tone it down okay?"

I counted to ten, thinking that I didn't want to take out my frustration on Ben, he was my best friend and he was scared. My behavior--- stilted, and defiant, was probably frightening. They'd all seen me lose my temper before. I didn't hide that I had one. Even Aubrey knew that about me.

The American Embassy official was there to meet us, having heard all about the supposed attack already, he wanted to immediately meet in conference with all of us. Holli was apoplexic and insisted that we cancel the concert.

I swallowed.

"Let's vote." I said. Holli sputtered to a halt, and stared hard at the roadies, the crew, the band.

"Jeff can't vote." She said.

"We can go on stage without Jeff." I said. "We have Jeremy."

Her mouth fell open and then she literally turned around and walked to the edge of the room.

So, here I was: The Leader of the Band.

"All in favor of taking the stage tonight anyway, say aye."

One of the crew raised their hands. "It can take hours to set up, Rafe. There's not time."

"Haven't you ever seen an act start late?"

"But hours late?"

"Would it have to be hours? Or just an hour?"

"Okay, an hour."

"There. I've been to concerts that started an hour late."

The lead guy from Conger stood up. "Look-- you guys are the most affected, are you sure you're up to it?"

I thought about it, fear clogging my throat. "I think it might be like getting back on that bike. This is something bad that happened. But it's about people not music. I mean it can be about music, but the music gives people hope and joy and --- it doesn't have to be about what happened. We honor those who gave their lives to save ours, by making ours count for everyone out there who lives their life in this hell-hole war torn drug infested lawless state."

I was surprised I was out of breath, surprised I could talk at all. Frankly I was surprised at what I was saying. Because honestly the lives we'd lost today, the things we'd seen were too horrific. I didn't even think I could take the stage and sing, knowing that four of our men had lost their lives today.

Slowly hands started to rise. I swallowed, half hoping that the words had simply been the right thing, and they would vote me down.

A few hands stayed down. I nodded acceptance. Those whose hands were down were not the band. I could live with that.

"I'm playing for Tim and Jake tonight, and every night the rest of the tour."

"To Tim and Jake." Ben said raising his water bottle.

"I can't do this." Someone said. "And Lavon. And....Mack."

I felt physically sick, thinking that I had not seen Lavon or Mack. I'd forgotten, or just taken it for granted that they were someplace with the crew. Nausea threatened.

"You can't do this and that's okay." I assured. "Whatever you need, time, space, counseling. I'm sure we'll hear more about that stuff in the next couple of days. We are staying here for four or five days. You can get some rest, and think it through, process what you need to do."

"Are you finishing the tour?" Someone else called.

"I don't know. I'm finishing Mexico City. I'm not letting this slow me down, and haunt me. If I do then they win, and the lives that were lost were lost in vain. I can't let that happen."

There was a profound, uncomfortable silence. I stood there, sweating, my hair literally dripping in my eyes. I felt sick to my stomach and knew I was going to puke. I waved to them, I said something along the lines of --- get some rest—and I made it to the lobby restroom.

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