Missy's Gentle Giant (8 page)

“You damn right!  I warned you
about hurting her!  You think I’m so stupid I can’t see your just using
her by bringing up some damn promise you made and forgot?”

“You wanna’ move out in the
street?”  Ben glared as cool as you please.

“Yeah man, I told you before if you
ever hurt my sister—” Everyone but Missy and her mother followed them to the
street.

“I have a question first.” 
Ben held up his hand.

“Out with it!”  Gonzalo
glared.

“Mr. Sanchez, may I please marry
Melissa?”

“Are you crazy?”  Gonzalo
tried to find some air.

“I’m talking to your father, not
you.”  Ben glared at Gonzalo, then faced Missy’s father.  “Mr.
Sanchez?”  Slowly Ben turned to be sure be was closest to Gonzalo. 
He knew he didn’t stand a chance in hell against all ten of them, but he’d
fight while he still could.  Gonzalo was the only one he really wanted.

“Most certainly not!” 
Gonzalo’s father finally found his tongue.

“Thank you, sir!”  Still
yelling, Ben swung and hit Gonzalo as hard as he could right in the face. 
“This is your damn custom, not mine!”

Gonzalo fell stunned.

Attacked from behind by three
brothers, Ben swung like a wild man.  The brothers fought back.  When
Ben saw Ricardo coming at him, he reached out and flipped him, leaving him too
stunned to fight more.  He tried to avoid Mr. Sanchez but accidentally
landed a punch in his right eye.  The only one Ben really wanted was
Gonzalo, because he was madder than hell at him.  Never had he been so
angry at anyone.  Not even trying to flip Gonzalo out of the way like the
others, Ben punched him as hard as he could, and Gonzalo punched back with the
same wild fury to kill.  Five of the Sanchez boys jumped Ben just as
Gonzalo hit Ben’s right eye for the third time.  Not one had escaped Ben’s
bruising punches to the face, but Gonzalo had taken more.  While five
brothers held Ben down, Gonzalo walked up and kicked Ben in the groin, just as
the police drove up.

The officers waded through the
crowd demanding to know what was going on and who was at fault.  Ben
rolled in a ball unable to catch his breath.  Gonzalo and several of his
brothers sat on the ground glaring at him but not saying a word.  Somehow
Mr. Sanchez convinced the officers it was just a family squabble which had
finally been settled, and the police drove off.

But neighbors knew it wasn’t over
when they saw Ben’s eyes shoot to Gonzalo with hatred and Gonzalo glare back.

“Come on son—” Mr. Sanchez tugged
at Gonzalo.

“No Pop, I have to—”

Ben groaned, rolled over and slowly
stood.  “Just you and me next time.”  Ben limped away.  “But
it’ll keep for a while.”  He had to find out something important first.

Everyone watched as Ben staggered
right past his truck and down the block.  He could hardly see out of his
bloody eyes, and he could hardly walk the pain was so bad.  Mr. Sanchez
put his arm around Gonzalo, and they watched as Ben staggered around the corner
out of sight.

“Come on son, it’s over now.” 
Mr. Sanchez pulled Gonzalo toward the house.  Gonzalo knew better. 
Ben’s threat had been serious.  Why?  Because he figured out what Ben
was up to?  Mrs. Sanchez looked up from doctoring Marco who was hunched at
the table.  Not one of her men had escaped being hurt.  She was
thinking he must be someone special to take on all ten of them—and all for
Melissa’s love?

“Where’s Missy?”  Gonzalo
groaned and sat.

“In her room.”

“Got to see her.”

“No, you’ll leave her alone.” 
Mrs. Sanchez’s voice was so quiet it sent chills through everyone. 
“You’ve done enough damage for one night.”

“But he—”

“He told her he wanted to marry
her.  He told he didn’t care if she’d been kidnapped.”  Mrs.
Sanchez’s face reddened with fury.  She picked up an iron skillet, shook
it threateningly and threw it back on the stove.  “You out there brawling—beating
him up when he’s been—he’s been so gentle—”  Tears came to her eyes. 
“Ten of you to him, and not a one of you is brave enough to face the
truth!  And you—”  She turned to Gonzalo.  “Are you so ashamed
of what happened you couldn’t warn him?  Couldn’t face his learning the
truth?  Furiously she untied her apron, threw it down and ran
upstairs.  Ten men alternately looked each other and then down at the
floor.

“Pop, he’s using her.” 
Gonzalo shook his head.  “Charger—he’s not the kind who goes for girls
like Missy, and I know he’s just using her.”

“Has he got some reason?  Did
he hear she came into the money?”  Mr. Sanchez touched his swollen eye.

“Look Pop, I can’t explain it, but
I know he’s just using her and will hurt her in the end.”

All Ben could think of as he limped
off was how he’d somehow hurt Missy and scared her like crazy when he’d touched
her and mentioned marriage.  And Gonzalo knew why.  The bastard
hadn’t told him everything.  Why had telling her he wanted to marry her
scared the hell out of her?  For an hour he just walked no longer feeling
the bruises, not feeling anything.  One day, one day soon he was going to
get Gonzalo for not telling him, for letting him hurt Missy.  First he’d
learn the truth.  Then he’d get Gonzalo.  The last thing in the world
he’d wanted to do was hurt her.

Chapter Five

Gonzalo stopped at the motel on his
way to work the next morning but Ben wasn’t there.  He wanted to get to
the bottom of everything and make Ben understand they knew what he was up
to.  At work he was busier than hell with orders flooding in from several
companies, and they were rushed to get the trucks repaired and running. 
He stopped at the motel on his way home, but still Ben wasn’t there.  When
he got home, Ben’s truck loomed at him.  He dropped tiredly on the sofa
and told his father they needed more help to make all the runs.  Dinner
was subdued. Neither Mrs. Sanchez nor Missy would speak or even look at
anyone.  Most of the boys were ashamed to look up anyway because of their
black eyes.  Gonzalo took off to check the motel again that evening. 
Ben had checked out. 

The next day was the same, busier
than hell, and so was the third except Gonzalo was finally forced to hire two
independent truckers who owned their own trucks.  Gonzalo was totally worn
out when a DEA agent came by, showed his identification and said he’d come to
take Ben’s truck.  According to him, they suspected an illegal substance
on the truck, and it was being confiscated.  As soon as the guy left
Gonzalo started upstairs but his father stopped him.

“Your friend—he was doing something
illegal?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t sound surprised?”

“I guessed.  Ben, well he’s
the Mafioso kind—”  Gonzalo shrugged.  “I think he remembered writing
Missy and telling her a long time ago he’d marry her someday, and he was using
her since we wouldn’t let him buy into the company.  I’m sorry Pop; I
should never have trusted him.”  He raced upstairs to his room feeling
like hell for lying about Ben, but damn, Ben had let him—no all of them down
with his tricks.  Especially Missy.

Each day business became more
rushed until Gonzalo was ready to throw up his hands and scream.  He had
to hire two more independent truckers to help with runs, and he worried about
whether he could trust them or not.  All four were seedy looking
characters.  A kind of “gradual speaking term” came over the Sanchez
household, with a minimum of words between the women and men.  Talk was
necessary because Gonzalo needed Missy to come and help with paperwork. 
She quietly consented.

Gonzalo worried.  If Missy had
been withdrawn before, it was nothing compared to now.  She refused to
talk to anyone more than necessary and managed to keep her back turned so much
she hardly saw anyone talk to her.  During the day she filed forms,
checked orders, and typed.  As soon as she got home, she went to the
kitchen to help her mother, silently ate dinner, helped clean up and went to
her room.  Gonzalo hated to look at her the way she was suffering, but he
didn’t know what to do.  Several times he tried to apologize to her, even
tried to explain, but she’d turn away from him.  More and more he wanted
to get Charger.  On top of it all, no one from DEA came around to help,
and he worried what with all their renewed business someone would plant more
coke.  DEA had apparently walked out with Ben.

Eduardo started coming around after
a week.  He sported two huge black eyes and a wide grin while he told
Pedro and Luis he ran into Ben and beat the hell out of him.  Gonzalo
didn’t believe him.  Ben get beaten up by one guy?  No way.  A
gang of Sanchez brothers maybe, but by one guy, impossible.  Missy spent
more time in her room with Eduardo hanging around, and Gonzalo was seriously
thinking about taking on the bastard himself.

The first threatening call came two
weeks after the fight.  Gonzalo was harried and running behind schedule
when he yelled because no one answered the phone.  Then he saw only Missy
was in the office, and he picked it up. 

“
Better watch out for illegal
stuff in your trucks
.”  A man said and hung up.

Gonzalo called the DEA office and
was told they had people working on his case, nothing more.

Tony’s wife happened to be there
when the second call came two days later.  The guy told her she might be a
widow if Tony didn’t watch out.  She was so scared she wanted Tony to stop
working.  Again Gonzalo called DEA with no results.

Two days later Marco picked up the
third call.  “
Think you’re smart huh?  But we’ll get you where it
hurts.  Time’s on our side.  We got plenty of time.”

Gonzalo shook his head when Marco
suggested calling in the police.  Damn, DEA wouldn’t do anything, what
could the local police do?  Everyone in the family was edgy except Missy
who hadn’t been told about the calls.

Two days later Gonzalo glanced up
when the phone continued to ring and saw only Missy in the office.  He
grabbed it and raked tired fingers through his hair.

“
Too bad you’ve got a cute
little sister you can’t take on runs with you
.”  The guy laughed
sadistically.  “
Told you we’ll get
you where it really hurts
.” 
Gonzalo’s blood ran cold.  This fourth call was the last straw.  In
spite of the fact he knew Missy couldn’t hear, he turned away from her, pushed
the buttons on the phone and dialed the DEA.  When they answered he sat
down and tried to breathe.

“Look I’ve just been
threatened—it’s about my sister—you’ve got to do something.”

“We have agents working on your
case already.”

“Damn you!”  Gonzalo slammed
down the receiver and buried his face in his hands.

Several minutes later he was
reaching for the phone to call the local police when it rang.  His voice
was shaky when he answered.

“Have someone take Missy
home.  Be at the Holiday inn on 2nd in an hour.”

“Charger?”

“Find a way not to scare
anyone—maybe your mother—just do what I say.”

Gonzalo held the receiver hearing a
dial tone.  He reached out and dialed.  “Mom I’ve got to ask a
favor.  Look, something important has come up with the trucks, and I need
an excuse to get Mis—Melissa home.”

“Oh my!”

“Now don’t get excited Mom, please
just help me, I can’t think—”

“Okay, okay, I’m calming. 
Tell her I called because I suddenly came down with—oh tell her I’m sick and
need her.”

“Yeah, I’ll send her with
Juan.  Keep him there too.” Gonzalo jumped up, walked over to Missy and
put his arm on her shoulder.  “Melissa, Mom just called and said she’s
feeling sick—vomiting I think.  How about if I have Juan take you home so
you can check on her?”

Gonzalo called Juan.  “Look
man, something’s come up, and I need you to take Missy home because Mom’s not
feeling well.”

“But the—”

“Take her and check on Mom for me
will you?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Stick around there in case she
needs something.”  Gonzalo forced a smile.  “Man, if Mom’s sick our
whole operation could shut down with no meals.”

“Gotcha.”  Juan grinned and
started toward Missy.

An hour later Gonzalo wandered into
the lobby of the Holiday Inn.  A bleached blond girl advertising her wares
in a low cut blouse and tight satin pants walked up to him.  “Are you
Gonzalo Sanchez?”  She smiled.

“Yeah.”

“Come with me.”  She crooked
her finger, a move which thoroughly disgusted Gonzalo.  “A special friend
sent me out here to get you.”  Reluctantly Gonzalo followed her through
the lounge and outside toward the rooms.  He was stunned by this cheap
blond and wondered if he was being led into a trap of some kind.  When she
rounded a corner, he hesitated, but she came back with a grin.  “Don’t
worry, sweetie.”  She smiled. “Ben’s all the man I need.”  Again he
followed her and stopped when she knocked on a door.  “Ben?  I
brought the guy you wanted.”

“Yeah, sure.”  Ben opened the
door.  He was half dressed and didn’t look at Gonzalo while he stood back
and pulled the girl into his arms.  Gonzalo entered the room with shocked
surprise and stared.

“Did I do good?”  She smiled
up at Ben with love spilling from her eyes to the point it was disgusting.

“You did just fine, honey.” 
Ben nuzzled her neck.  “Tell you what; why don’t you run over to the mall
and buy some of those things we need.”  Ben reached in his pocket and
pulled out his keys.  “I’ll even let you drive my car, and if you want,
just because you’ve been so good to me this past week, you can buy something
sexy to wear for me later.  We’ll have some special fun.”  He winked
and handed her a credit card.  Gonzalo felt heat rush to his face. 
Still standing uncomfortably he watched Ben nuzzle the girl again and blow
kisses to her as she left.  The door closed silently but it might just as
well have been a grenade going off for all the tension in the air.  Both men
were filled with anger near exploding.