Chapter 5

As soon as I reached the bodega, I knew I would be safe. In the meantime, this would be where I'd stay for the next few days until my father fetched me up from this crazy situation. I couldn't think of any way to get out of this situation but run and hide. It's infuriating that I have to deal with people who want me dead. The thing is, I can give them what they want—I can surrender, but I won't also give them that kind of satisfaction. They have to work hard for it because I ain't playing around.

The bodega is more secure than the security house we had at the capitol. I stayed there since my father got elected. We left our own house when we started getting threats from our family. My mom was scared. She knew for a fact she wouldn't be able to handle this situation. My father was so hard-headed that he wanted to please the people rather than keep his own family safe. So much hate.

I switched the lights on and slammed my ass on the couch. I let out a heavy breath as I felt my body tire down. A lot has happened today and I couldn't even think clearly now. I rested for a while even though my head was running to a lot of things that I should be doing. I left everything back at the security house. I've only got my phone.

After a while, I checked the bedroom and there was a pile of clothes inside the closet. I thought they'd be dusty and all, but they were clean and still intact. I picked some clothes to wear then I headed to the bathroom where I had to suffer a cold shower. This is the worst thing in the bodega. It seemed like my father didn't put much of an effort into this place. It looked like an old cabin from the outside, but it had so much space inside. There's a basement in this room, but I wouldn't go down alone.

I love my life to enter the basement without any weapons on me.

I went to the bathroom and had a quick shower. I can only last five minutes in the cold shower. At least, I was able to freshen myself up, but the next thing I knew, I heard a few knocks on the door. The last time it happened, Primo showed up and was about to hold me hostage, but luckily I was about to escape him. He wasn't as slick as he said he was. I was able to get away from it twice so I still think the third time was a charm.

I didn't have any guns or knives with me, but there was a metal golf club that I could use. My father used to love playing golf back then. He wasn't able to do his hobbies again when he got elected and seemingly everyone has been invading his privacy. A lot had criticized my father—our family. Some loved us, and more of them hated us that's why it wasn't hard not to notice it.

As I got a hold of the golf club, I slowly walked towards the door and listened closely to whoever it could be. I only knew a handful of people who could it be.

It could be:

My father.

My mother.

And Roberto, one of the secret services my father had trusted his whole life.

I took a deep breath because I knew this could be the end of me or something I could prove to everyone that I can handle my own shit. I'm already fed up with people keeping me a target. I don't want to leave my beloved country, but if I have no other choice, I've only had one country in mind where I could be safe—a country where I could hide my identity. 

"Catalina? ¿Álvaro? ¿Carmen? ¿Quién está dentro de la casa? Vi las luces encendidas. Este es Diego. No soy un enemigo. Podrías adivinarlo por mi voz," he announced, stating who he was. (Catalina? Alvaro? Carmen? Who's inside the house? I saw the lights on. This is Diego. I'm not an enemy. You could guess it to my voice.)

I admit that I felt a little relief when he announced he was. I forgot, aside from the people I had in mind, Diego, the caretaker of this bodega knew this place so well. I put the golf club down, but I didn't set it aside as I knew someone could probably be out there aside from Diego. I knew how this world works. I couldn't just feel sitting pretty when I knew my life would always be in great danger—Primo, that man, didn't need to tell me that right to my face.

"¿Estás sola?" I questioned him. (Are you alone?)

"Sí, estoy solo. ¿Eres tú Catalina? Vi las luces encendidas, así que quiero comprobar si eres tú," he asked. (Yes, I am alone. Is that you Catalina? I saw the lights turned on so I want to check in if it's you.)

"Sí, ella es Catalina. Te abriré la puerta, ¿vale?" I instructed. (Yes, this is Catalina. I'll be opening the door for you, okay?)

"Sí, Catalina. Voy a estar esperando," he responded. I knew I could trust Diego. He had sworn his life to my father so I think he's the least person I should be afraid to. (Yes, Catalina. I'll be waiting.)

Diego is a fifty-year-old man who was looking after the bodega. It was one of the places my father had brought us when the first attack on our house happened. We stayed in this place for a few nights and only left when the news about what happened to our family was brought up to national news. I could say that our family wasn't only popular in the city, but the country. We've been followed by a series of attacks and ambushments so who wouldn't know the Orozco's? I don't think no one in this country didn't care about our family. We've got money, power, and fame—and they all wanted that from us.

Good thing, I'm an Orozco and we never backed down.

I grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it clicking it unlocked. I swallowed as I widely opened the door and Diego showed up with a pleasant smile on his face. Before anything could happen, I quickly pulled his hand to get inside the house and locked the door once again. He looked around the house and found a few messes I had since the moment I arrived.

"Me disculpé por el desastre que hice, pero necesitaba un lugar donde quedarme por ahora," I explained. I'm sure I don't have to explain it to him, but for him to understand what was going on, I have to tell him about it. (I apologized for the mess I made, but I needed a place to stay for now.)

"Está bien. Está bien. No tienes que disculparte. Esta es tu casa de todos modos. Sólo me sorprendió encontrar a alguien más en la cabaña. Normalmente, tu padre me llamaría para que pudiera limpiarlo antes de que llegaran todos. ¿Está tu padre aquí contigo?" he asked as his eyes wandered around. (It's okay. It's okay. You don't have to apologize. This is your home anyway. I was only surprised to find someone else in the cabin. Normally, your father would call me so I could clean it before all of you arrived. Is your father here with you?)

I shook my head. "No, my father's not around. 

"No, mi padre no está por aquí. Ni siquiera sé dónde está ahora. No contestaba ninguna de mis llamadas y mensajes," I told him and it was the truth. I don't think Diego could betray me when he was also getting paid a sum of money from my father. He's old and could be with his family right now, but still chooses to look after our bodega. (No, my father's not around. I don't even know where he is at right now. He wasn't answering any of my calls and messages.)

"Ah, ¿entonces no has visto las noticias, Catalina?" he wondered asking me. (Oh, so you haven't seen the news, Catalina?)

My brows curled upon uttering that question on my face. 

"¿Qué novedades, Diego? No he oído ninguna noticia. ¿Sabías lo que le pasó a mi padre?" I started to sound concerned as when this kind of situation came into discussion, I would get uneasy for the rest of the day. (What news, Diego? I haven't heard any news. Did you know what happened to my father?)

He let out a deep breath. "Álvaro iba a un evento comunitario cuando su auto fue emboscado. Afortunadamente, su personal de seguridad está en la cima de su juego y pudieron escapar de ellos. Tu padre podría estar muerto a partir de ese momento, Catalina." I was out of words as he was telling me all abou it. "Lo sabía, sólo había oído hablar de ello, pero la gente que iba tras tu padre formaba parte de una especie de grupo mafioso. Estaban intentando matar a tu padre para devolverle el poder a quien crean que lo merece. ¿Es por eso que estás aquí? ¿Te estás escondiendo?" I raised my head to look at his face with so much shocked and confusion in my face. (Alvaro was going to a community event when his car was ambushed. Fortunately, his security personnel is on top of their game and they were able to escape from them. Your father could be dead from that moment, Catalina. I knew, I only heard of it, but the people who were going after your father were in a sort of a mafia group. They were trying to kill your father to give back the power to whoever they think deserves it. Is that why you're here? Are you hiding?)

I slowly nodded at Diego to confirm the question he asked me. "Sí, me estaba escondiendo y huyendo de las personas que intentaban hacerme algo malo." (Yes, I was hiding and running away from people who were trying to do something bad to me.)

I couldn't think straight and then Primo, the man who was trying to save and protect me, could be right about it all along. But I'm still not sure who he is. I don't want to trust him. I couldn't trust him—not at this time.

"¿Qué estás pensando Catalina? ¿Cuánto tiempo piensas quedarte en la bodega?" Diego asked, but I'm still out of words. "Lo que podría sugerirte es que te quedes al menos tres días aquí. No puedes quedarte aquí más tiempo. Sé que este lugar es seguro, pero es muy obvio en algún momento. He estado viviendo toda mi vida aquí, sabía lo que hay ahí fuera." (What are you thinking, Catalina? How long do you plan on staying in the bodega? What I could suggest is that you should stay at least three days here. You can't stay here longer than that. I know this place is safe, but it's very obvious at some point. I've been living my whole life here, I knew what's out there.)

I nodded. That's the only thing I could respond to his question.

"Alguien estaba intentando salvarme de las personas que intentaban llegar hasta mí," I told Diego. I'm not sure if he knew something about this man, but I shouldn't lose anything for telling him about it. (Someone was trying to save me from the people who were trying to get to me.)

His brow arched. "Mmm. ¿Sabes quién es? ¿Confías en esta persona?" (Hm. Do you know who is it? Do you trust this person?)

"No. En absoluto. Simplemente apareció y me dijo que mi vida corría gran peligro. No me dijo nada sobre la emboscada de mi padre. Sólo quería que me pusiera a salvo, pero me escapé de él. Me escapé y esa fue la razón por la que entré en la bodega," I explained to Diego which I knew he would believe in. (No. Not at all. He just showed up and told me that my life was in great danger. He didn't tell me anything about my father getting ambushed. He just wanted me to get to safety, but I escaped him. I got away and that was the reason I got in the bodega.)

"Muy bien, eso tiene mucho sentido ahora. Por ahora, no confíes en nadie más sin el consejo de tu padre. No puedo quedarme aquí contigo, pero sabes dónde encontrarme, ¿vale?" Diego assured me, and that's the only thing I could hold onto for now. (Alright, that makes so much sense now. For now, don't trust anyone else without your father's advice. I can't stay here with you, but you know where to find me, alright?)

"Gracias Diego. Realmente aprecio que cuides de mí y de mi familiar," I said to him. (Thank you, Diego. I really appreciate you looking after me and my family.)

He smiled, nodding his head. "No hay problema. Cuídate, Catalina. Estar a salvo." (No worries. Take care, Catalina. Be safe.)

When he safely left the bodega, I heaved out a sigh as I was left alone. Honestly, this is the last place I want to be at, but I have no choice. I have to think of a plan. I need to get away by not going to the US—that's also the last place I wanted to be at. I just hope my father's okay right now and that at the end of this dilemma, we will all be happy and alive.