Aliens, page 14
“I want a bonus,” he said. “Think of it as a signing reward. Enough to cover the outstanding mortgage on my tía’s house.”
“Done.”
“Paid by midnight tonight.”
“Damn!” Ross slapped the tabletop. “You were born to work for us.”
Ramón found himself beaming. “Benjamin… Ben, I’m really excited about this opportunity, but it’s not the only thing I need to accomplish. I intend to complete my MBA, as well. It’s not something I’m willing to leave unfinished. That will take time. I’ll do what I can when I can.”
“Ha!” Benjamin responded. “You won’t need an MBA, doing this. Save your time and money. Stick with us, kid, and you’ll get out of that dorm room. You’ll have an apartment in a building owned by Weyland-Yutani.”
That could present a problem.
“It can’t be in the same place as Julia—”
“No, don’t worry,” Benjamin said. “You can still have both of them, in different places.” Ramón opened his mouth to speak, but Benjamin raised a hand. “Don’t,” he said. “I’ve been there myself a few times.” He gave Ramón a cheeky wink, drank the rest of the water, and stood, picking up the valise and pulling out a tablet. “This is an overview of the program—study it. Stay here as long as you want, and help yourself to the food. You know the way out.”
Ramón watched Benjamin leave. This would mean strange working conditions and stranger hours, but he didn’t think that would be difficult. He’d always done things his own way.
He lifted his eyes back to the monitor.
La Reina.
The Queen.
The Xenomorph was moving now, rolling its head back and forth as another egg emerged. Largest fucking huevos he had ever seen in his life. It looked grotesque, with a large tongue hanging to its chest. Stumps where there should have been hands and feet and a tail with an abrupt, ragged end. Whatever had happened to this thing, it must have been pure agony. There was something in its stillness that made him go cold inside. It seemed impossible that a creature like this had evolved just to hang there as a docile surrogate.
No, he needed to know every last detail of its existence. This was a thing that should inspire fear—though he felt none, considering how far away it was. God willing, he would never encounter one in the flesh.
Hunger made his stomach rumble, so he poked through the fresh fruit and sandwiches. Fresh ingredients, the sort that were in increasingly short supply, especially to the general public. Yet piled high, here in this secret room.
Just for him.
“A bonus… my first and not my last. Good going, Ramón.” He smiled before beginning to read a file detailing the first encounter with the Xenomorph.
* * *
The door opened again, startling Ramón, who was engrossed in reading. He looked at his phone to see an hour had already passed.
“Ask and ye shall receive,” Benjamin said cheerily. “Just in time, before anyone arrives. Here’s a whiteboard and a few pens. Had to look through the storage log, and this was the only one. It was kept as some sort of prop—don’t ask me. Right. I’ll leave this here and see you when we’re done for the day.”
Ramón liked whiteboards for the same reason he liked notepads—the kind with paper. There was a type of wizardry when an idea went from the mind to the hand to the page. The same person could type the same sentence on a tablet, but handwriting was unique. It was a stamp. He loved that concept.
With black marker in hand, he returned to his research.
* * *
The whiteboard was full by the time Benjamin came back early in the evening, carrying two lowball glasses filled with whiskey.
“How was the first day?”
“Good,” Ramón answered, taking one of the drinks, “but I don’t know how I’m going to manage my schoolwork, too. There’s so much information here, so many applications to assess, and a political minefield to navigate. Do the right things and we’re rich. Do the wrong things, and we’re sunk. I haven’t even begun to scrape the surface of the weapons program.”
“Don’t worry so much,” Benjamin said, waving the glass in the air, careful not to spill any of the contents. “You think everyone at those fancy schools gets there by merit alone? You’re smarter than all of ’em combined.”
Ramón nodded, unconvinced. “Well, I need to go,” he said. “I’m meeting Julia for a little birthday celebration. She took the train down to meet me here, and I don’t want to disappoint her.”
“Oh, yeah,” Benjamin said, beginning to slur his words a bit. “Tell her I said happy birthday. By the way, one day you’ll have to introduce me to that sister of yours.” Ramón shot him a quizzical look. “I stumbled upon her when I was researching you. Marines—impressive and a little sexy, if I may say.”
As if, Ramón thought as he threw his belongings into his backpack and zipped it closed, not wanting to respond. No way would Leticia ever go near him. She could be a brat, but she was a damned smart brat, and he loved her. She was out of Benjamin’s league. What a parasite.
The thought caused him to stop fiddling with his backpack and flick his eyes to the screen that showed the Xenomorph. Parasites. He’d read they were developing some nasty shit.
Water Systems.
Silent Coercion.
Isolated Displays of Force.
Ramón had always been careful in life, with so many of his desires under control. This project would allow him to indulge in all those tendencies. Even if it meant destroying someone else without conscience. His imagination was a jet pack with that thought, but it would have to wait until he was mentally refreshed.
With his new access to records, he also planned on scanning the files for information on his mother. Roseanna had told them her last message concerned a mission to a Weyland-Yutani colony. She had died there. There had to be more details, and if he couldn’t find them he would ask Julia to pull some strings.
He downed the last of his drink.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
* * *
Julia stood at the bar looking the picture of poised perfection, as she always did. Her heels were high enough to warrant a car service to and from the restaurant. Ramón knew he was hopelessly in love with her, despite his misgivings.
“Hi, gorgeous,” she said. “The table is ready.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips.
“Show me the way, guapa.”
He loved the way he felt when she was close. They walked through the half-empty restaurant to a back corner table. A bottle in an ice bucket and two full glasses of champagne waited for them.
“I reserved this table so we could have privacy,” she said. After they had both slid into their seats, she removed a box from her handbag and pushed it toward him.
“What’s this?” he said. “It’s your birthday, and you’re giving me a gift?”
“I don’t need anything,” she replied, “and I wanted to celebrate your new position with the company. I’m so excited you’ve accepted.”
“Thank you.” He wasn’t surprised that she already knew. “Benjamin wastes no time.”
“Benjamin can’t,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “He’s been a cat with nine lives over the years, and he doesn’t have many left.” He wondered what that meant, but decided not to press it.
Ramón untied the gold ribbon and opened the box.
“A Rolex?” He tried to hold his smile, but he couldn’t hold back the slight anger welling up inside. “This is too much!”
“You have to look the part,” she said. “It’s nothing. We’re the same, and we want the same things.”
“Thank you.” Being careful to hold back his emotions, he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “It’s very generous. I’m afraid I didn’t bring your gift with me, though. Didn’t want to carry it on the train.”
She waved him off. “You can pay for dinner. I’m starving. You must be, too, after your day. I want to hear all about it over a steak smothered in béarnaise sauce.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He picked up his champagne. “Where do I even start?”
“Start with her.” Julia put down her glass. “I’m told she goes by La Reina. That’s ‘the queen,’ isn’t it?”
Ramón could feel himself tremble with the thought of the Xenomorph. La Reina. Usually he didn’t drink, or kept it to a bare minimum, but tonight he would. He lifted the glass and took a fast gulp.
“What I’m thinking, I can’t share it with just anyone,” he said, his mind racing again. “You’re the only one I can trust with what I really think.”
Julia licked her lips and took another sip before sliding a hand up his thigh the way he liked.
“And what’s that, my love?” she whispered as she stroked him through the fabric.
“I think La Reina is checkmate.”
Julia’s red lips curled into a smile.
“My thoughts exactly,” she said, “but we have to get it right.”
* * *
When he arrived back at his dorm the following day, the cold metal of the new watch on his wrist sent shivers down his entire body. Is this how their relationship would be? With Julia always one-upping him? He had wanted to buy that for himself. But goddamn, she beat him to it.
He thought about how he loved her touch, the way her mind followed his thought processes without judgment—or asking for anything in return. Fuck the Rolex. He would buy a boat.
His desire for her fought with his ambitions and ego.
It wasn’t that way with Mary Anne. She had zero desire to challenge anything—including herself. She was entirely satisfied with the status quo, and he liked that most of the time. It helped him shut off his overworked brain.
The brain Julia set on fire, nonstop, along with his body. Her ambition rivaled his, which both excited and frightened him. He had to remind himself that it was all about the Vasquez empire, not Yutani. Julia would be a Yutani until the day she died, that bonfire on the beach with hot embers flying every which direction. It was mesmerizing because it touched something primal.
Mary Anne was the glowing tea lights on a long sleek bar with jazz playing in the background. Soothing and safe.
She was out that night with her mother Laurel and sister Henrietta, choosing bridesmaids dresses for Henrietta’s upcoming wedding. Mary Anne never asked him where he was, where he had been, just if he was “coming home.” He could never tell Mary Anne the truth about this new job. With both of her parents on boards for various charities, the simple fact that it was Weyland-Yutani would probably send them into apoplectic fits.
The less she knew, the better, and truth to tell, he didn’t want to tell her about it. She would remain his oasis. Eating meals with small talk and gossip would enable him to rest from himself.
In a few days’ time he would be going back home to see Roseanna… and Leticia. That, too, might be turned to his advantage. When the time was right he might need a connection to the Marines, and to military intel. Ironically, Leticia’s decision might turn out for the best.
Stack the deck before you need your cards.
14
Ramón arrived looking pale, as if he hadn’t seen the sun in months but had packed on a few pounds of muscle. Leticia grabbed his arm.
“I have some competition?” she said. “Looking buff, mi hermano. You never seemed the least bit interested in fitness. What changed your mind—or maybe I should ask, who changed your mind?”
“No way,” he protested, pulling free. “You’ll get no competition from me. I’m not the combat type. Let’s just say I’m stuck most of the time with research and studying, and my dormitory has a gym on site. It’s given me an outlet. Helps me think.” He stepped back. “But enough about me, how’s it going with special ops. How does it work, anyhow? What’s your plan for getting in?”
Leticia was taken aback by his questioning. It had been so long since he expressed any interest in her hopes for the military, and when he did, it wasn’t positive. Then she shrugged it off. Maybe he had changed.
“At this point, the only plan is to make it through,” she admitted. “It’s tough going. I suppose if I get into the Raiders, though, I’ll be going on whatever missions they send me to. So I guess that’s the plan—I won’t stop until I get there.”
Ramón nodded. “You’ll get there—I’m sure of it,” he said. “We haven’t always been as close as we could have been, but we aren’t kids anymore. Who knows what the future holds for us, and what opportunities might come and go.”
That piqued Leticia’s curiosity even more. All this talk of the future, and she hadn’t even set foot on the training ground. Whatever Ramón was talking about, she couldn’t tell what was going on in that complicated brain of his. Better to let it go… for now.
“Thanks, bro,” she said. “I appreciate the vote of confidence. It’s all so far off. If I do get into the Raiders, though, it’ll all be hush-hush. I wouldn’t be able to tell you about it, anyway.”
“No, of course,” he said. “Being away from home has made me appreciate our family a little more. I’m just trying to be a better brother. We’re familia. You never know what’s going to happen—that’s the way it’s always been with us. If I can ever help… just say the word.”
“We’ll cross that bridge if we ever come to it. And thanks.”
“Right, let’s go find Roseanna.” Ramón looked around. “I have a surprise for her.”
“Really? What is it?”
“This place.” Ramón gave her a sly smile that bordered on sinister, stretching his arms wide. “Who says generational wealth can’t be ours?”
Generational what?
Before she could say a word, he dashed through the house. She knew something was up. Ramón had his hands into some cookie jar… just like in high school. There was no way a college student could be making serious money doing something legit. She just hoped whatever he had up his sleeve wouldn’t come back to bite him.
Or any of them.
She heard a cry in the living room. Roseanna. Leticia took a deep breath and was determined to be happy. If it was good news, their tía might retire early, if she wanted to, or take a big trip without having to rely on Robert. She’d given them so much over the years, and never asked for anything in return.
Leticia found them in the living room.
“Did Ramón tell you what he did?” Roseanna said, excitement and pride in her voice. “He said the advance he got for a big freelance job covered the rest of the mortgage. The house will be paid off, and you two will always have this place to come home to.”
“That’s the best news,” Leticia said, putting a big smile on her face. “You deserve it, and Ramón deserves everything he gets for all his hard work.”
“You’re next, Leticia.” Roseanna took one of Leticia’s hands in her own. “I promise. Your hard work will make your dreams come true.” Then her smile went wide again. “Why don’t we go celebrate?”
* * *
A couple of days passed, and on the last morning Leticia found Ramón in the kitchen. He had made a spread of fresh breakfast tacos from The Donut Shop, and fresh orange juice to go with them.
“I wanted to do something nice for you guys,” he said, “because I don’t know when we will all be together again. I always liked it when Robert did this.”
“Thank you, mijo,” Roseanna said, and she gave Ramón a tight hug. “He has always wanted to get to know you better, but didn’t want to push.”
“Well, I appreciated it, even if I didn’t say anything.”
They dug into the tacos, making small talk and unwilling to admit that the visit was going to come to an end. After breakfast, however, Ramón rose and said that he had to jet off for classes and work.
“I guess this is it, then, brother,” Leticia said. “Thank you for taking time from your break to come see us.” She gave him a meaningful look. “Can you be careful? Watch your back.”
“Trust me,” he answered. “I’m fine—and you’re only a message away. Call me anytime you want. I really want to know how it goes in the Marines. And if you need money, with this side gig…”
“Or if I need an essay written?”
Ramón gave her a smile and chuckled. “Yes, something like that. Take care of yourself, and don’t take any shit—not that you do, anyway.”
“Wait, you can’t go yet,” Roseanna said. “One last photo for my altar!” Both Leticia and Ramón rolled their eyes.
“Go on, tía.” Ramón beamed in his Harvard sweatshirt, and Leticia moved her body a little so the tattoo of their mother would be in the photo. Roseanna tapped her phone, then again, and a third time. “Right,” Ramón said. “I’d better get to the airport—there’s a lot to do before classes start again.”
“And next time I want you to bring that girl you are seeing,” Roseanna said. “I need to meet her, or maybe welcome her into our little family. Our home and land that I now own!”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Ramón had a strange expression, Leticia thought, but he nodded. “You’ll like her. She’s very down to earth, wants a family of her own, our own, but doesn’t need me to take care of her. Her name is Mary Anne. She comes from a great family, too.”
“As long as she makes you happy and you feel at home with her,” Roseanna said. “Really at peace.”
Ramón paused before answering. “Of course. She is a very nice woman.” A car horn made them all turn toward the open screen door. “That’s me. Love you both.”
“Hey, don’t forget, el riesgo siempre vive,” Leticia said, giving him a warm smile.
He nodded. “And good luck with you. If it doesn’t work out the way you want, you’ll find another way, Leticia, or another way will find you.” He grabbed the real-leather duffel bag with his initials monogrammed on the side, and walked out the door.
15
The drive to the Marine Corps recruit depot was long, all the way to South Carolina. The original Parris Island facility had long since been swallowed by the rising ocean, and it was now situated just outside of Fairfax.
“Done.”
“Paid by midnight tonight.”
“Damn!” Ross slapped the tabletop. “You were born to work for us.”
Ramón found himself beaming. “Benjamin… Ben, I’m really excited about this opportunity, but it’s not the only thing I need to accomplish. I intend to complete my MBA, as well. It’s not something I’m willing to leave unfinished. That will take time. I’ll do what I can when I can.”
“Ha!” Benjamin responded. “You won’t need an MBA, doing this. Save your time and money. Stick with us, kid, and you’ll get out of that dorm room. You’ll have an apartment in a building owned by Weyland-Yutani.”
That could present a problem.
“It can’t be in the same place as Julia—”
“No, don’t worry,” Benjamin said. “You can still have both of them, in different places.” Ramón opened his mouth to speak, but Benjamin raised a hand. “Don’t,” he said. “I’ve been there myself a few times.” He gave Ramón a cheeky wink, drank the rest of the water, and stood, picking up the valise and pulling out a tablet. “This is an overview of the program—study it. Stay here as long as you want, and help yourself to the food. You know the way out.”
Ramón watched Benjamin leave. This would mean strange working conditions and stranger hours, but he didn’t think that would be difficult. He’d always done things his own way.
He lifted his eyes back to the monitor.
La Reina.
The Queen.
The Xenomorph was moving now, rolling its head back and forth as another egg emerged. Largest fucking huevos he had ever seen in his life. It looked grotesque, with a large tongue hanging to its chest. Stumps where there should have been hands and feet and a tail with an abrupt, ragged end. Whatever had happened to this thing, it must have been pure agony. There was something in its stillness that made him go cold inside. It seemed impossible that a creature like this had evolved just to hang there as a docile surrogate.
No, he needed to know every last detail of its existence. This was a thing that should inspire fear—though he felt none, considering how far away it was. God willing, he would never encounter one in the flesh.
Hunger made his stomach rumble, so he poked through the fresh fruit and sandwiches. Fresh ingredients, the sort that were in increasingly short supply, especially to the general public. Yet piled high, here in this secret room.
Just for him.
“A bonus… my first and not my last. Good going, Ramón.” He smiled before beginning to read a file detailing the first encounter with the Xenomorph.
* * *
The door opened again, startling Ramón, who was engrossed in reading. He looked at his phone to see an hour had already passed.
“Ask and ye shall receive,” Benjamin said cheerily. “Just in time, before anyone arrives. Here’s a whiteboard and a few pens. Had to look through the storage log, and this was the only one. It was kept as some sort of prop—don’t ask me. Right. I’ll leave this here and see you when we’re done for the day.”
Ramón liked whiteboards for the same reason he liked notepads—the kind with paper. There was a type of wizardry when an idea went from the mind to the hand to the page. The same person could type the same sentence on a tablet, but handwriting was unique. It was a stamp. He loved that concept.
With black marker in hand, he returned to his research.
* * *
The whiteboard was full by the time Benjamin came back early in the evening, carrying two lowball glasses filled with whiskey.
“How was the first day?”
“Good,” Ramón answered, taking one of the drinks, “but I don’t know how I’m going to manage my schoolwork, too. There’s so much information here, so many applications to assess, and a political minefield to navigate. Do the right things and we’re rich. Do the wrong things, and we’re sunk. I haven’t even begun to scrape the surface of the weapons program.”
“Don’t worry so much,” Benjamin said, waving the glass in the air, careful not to spill any of the contents. “You think everyone at those fancy schools gets there by merit alone? You’re smarter than all of ’em combined.”
Ramón nodded, unconvinced. “Well, I need to go,” he said. “I’m meeting Julia for a little birthday celebration. She took the train down to meet me here, and I don’t want to disappoint her.”
“Oh, yeah,” Benjamin said, beginning to slur his words a bit. “Tell her I said happy birthday. By the way, one day you’ll have to introduce me to that sister of yours.” Ramón shot him a quizzical look. “I stumbled upon her when I was researching you. Marines—impressive and a little sexy, if I may say.”
As if, Ramón thought as he threw his belongings into his backpack and zipped it closed, not wanting to respond. No way would Leticia ever go near him. She could be a brat, but she was a damned smart brat, and he loved her. She was out of Benjamin’s league. What a parasite.
The thought caused him to stop fiddling with his backpack and flick his eyes to the screen that showed the Xenomorph. Parasites. He’d read they were developing some nasty shit.
Water Systems.
Silent Coercion.
Isolated Displays of Force.
Ramón had always been careful in life, with so many of his desires under control. This project would allow him to indulge in all those tendencies. Even if it meant destroying someone else without conscience. His imagination was a jet pack with that thought, but it would have to wait until he was mentally refreshed.
With his new access to records, he also planned on scanning the files for information on his mother. Roseanna had told them her last message concerned a mission to a Weyland-Yutani colony. She had died there. There had to be more details, and if he couldn’t find them he would ask Julia to pull some strings.
He downed the last of his drink.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
* * *
Julia stood at the bar looking the picture of poised perfection, as she always did. Her heels were high enough to warrant a car service to and from the restaurant. Ramón knew he was hopelessly in love with her, despite his misgivings.
“Hi, gorgeous,” she said. “The table is ready.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips.
“Show me the way, guapa.”
He loved the way he felt when she was close. They walked through the half-empty restaurant to a back corner table. A bottle in an ice bucket and two full glasses of champagne waited for them.
“I reserved this table so we could have privacy,” she said. After they had both slid into their seats, she removed a box from her handbag and pushed it toward him.
“What’s this?” he said. “It’s your birthday, and you’re giving me a gift?”
“I don’t need anything,” she replied, “and I wanted to celebrate your new position with the company. I’m so excited you’ve accepted.”
“Thank you.” He wasn’t surprised that she already knew. “Benjamin wastes no time.”
“Benjamin can’t,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “He’s been a cat with nine lives over the years, and he doesn’t have many left.” He wondered what that meant, but decided not to press it.
Ramón untied the gold ribbon and opened the box.
“A Rolex?” He tried to hold his smile, but he couldn’t hold back the slight anger welling up inside. “This is too much!”
“You have to look the part,” she said. “It’s nothing. We’re the same, and we want the same things.”
“Thank you.” Being careful to hold back his emotions, he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “It’s very generous. I’m afraid I didn’t bring your gift with me, though. Didn’t want to carry it on the train.”
She waved him off. “You can pay for dinner. I’m starving. You must be, too, after your day. I want to hear all about it over a steak smothered in béarnaise sauce.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He picked up his champagne. “Where do I even start?”
“Start with her.” Julia put down her glass. “I’m told she goes by La Reina. That’s ‘the queen,’ isn’t it?”
Ramón could feel himself tremble with the thought of the Xenomorph. La Reina. Usually he didn’t drink, or kept it to a bare minimum, but tonight he would. He lifted the glass and took a fast gulp.
“What I’m thinking, I can’t share it with just anyone,” he said, his mind racing again. “You’re the only one I can trust with what I really think.”
Julia licked her lips and took another sip before sliding a hand up his thigh the way he liked.
“And what’s that, my love?” she whispered as she stroked him through the fabric.
“I think La Reina is checkmate.”
Julia’s red lips curled into a smile.
“My thoughts exactly,” she said, “but we have to get it right.”
* * *
When he arrived back at his dorm the following day, the cold metal of the new watch on his wrist sent shivers down his entire body. Is this how their relationship would be? With Julia always one-upping him? He had wanted to buy that for himself. But goddamn, she beat him to it.
He thought about how he loved her touch, the way her mind followed his thought processes without judgment—or asking for anything in return. Fuck the Rolex. He would buy a boat.
His desire for her fought with his ambitions and ego.
It wasn’t that way with Mary Anne. She had zero desire to challenge anything—including herself. She was entirely satisfied with the status quo, and he liked that most of the time. It helped him shut off his overworked brain.
The brain Julia set on fire, nonstop, along with his body. Her ambition rivaled his, which both excited and frightened him. He had to remind himself that it was all about the Vasquez empire, not Yutani. Julia would be a Yutani until the day she died, that bonfire on the beach with hot embers flying every which direction. It was mesmerizing because it touched something primal.
Mary Anne was the glowing tea lights on a long sleek bar with jazz playing in the background. Soothing and safe.
She was out that night with her mother Laurel and sister Henrietta, choosing bridesmaids dresses for Henrietta’s upcoming wedding. Mary Anne never asked him where he was, where he had been, just if he was “coming home.” He could never tell Mary Anne the truth about this new job. With both of her parents on boards for various charities, the simple fact that it was Weyland-Yutani would probably send them into apoplectic fits.
The less she knew, the better, and truth to tell, he didn’t want to tell her about it. She would remain his oasis. Eating meals with small talk and gossip would enable him to rest from himself.
In a few days’ time he would be going back home to see Roseanna… and Leticia. That, too, might be turned to his advantage. When the time was right he might need a connection to the Marines, and to military intel. Ironically, Leticia’s decision might turn out for the best.
Stack the deck before you need your cards.
14
Ramón arrived looking pale, as if he hadn’t seen the sun in months but had packed on a few pounds of muscle. Leticia grabbed his arm.
“I have some competition?” she said. “Looking buff, mi hermano. You never seemed the least bit interested in fitness. What changed your mind—or maybe I should ask, who changed your mind?”
“No way,” he protested, pulling free. “You’ll get no competition from me. I’m not the combat type. Let’s just say I’m stuck most of the time with research and studying, and my dormitory has a gym on site. It’s given me an outlet. Helps me think.” He stepped back. “But enough about me, how’s it going with special ops. How does it work, anyhow? What’s your plan for getting in?”
Leticia was taken aback by his questioning. It had been so long since he expressed any interest in her hopes for the military, and when he did, it wasn’t positive. Then she shrugged it off. Maybe he had changed.
“At this point, the only plan is to make it through,” she admitted. “It’s tough going. I suppose if I get into the Raiders, though, I’ll be going on whatever missions they send me to. So I guess that’s the plan—I won’t stop until I get there.”
Ramón nodded. “You’ll get there—I’m sure of it,” he said. “We haven’t always been as close as we could have been, but we aren’t kids anymore. Who knows what the future holds for us, and what opportunities might come and go.”
That piqued Leticia’s curiosity even more. All this talk of the future, and she hadn’t even set foot on the training ground. Whatever Ramón was talking about, she couldn’t tell what was going on in that complicated brain of his. Better to let it go… for now.
“Thanks, bro,” she said. “I appreciate the vote of confidence. It’s all so far off. If I do get into the Raiders, though, it’ll all be hush-hush. I wouldn’t be able to tell you about it, anyway.”
“No, of course,” he said. “Being away from home has made me appreciate our family a little more. I’m just trying to be a better brother. We’re familia. You never know what’s going to happen—that’s the way it’s always been with us. If I can ever help… just say the word.”
“We’ll cross that bridge if we ever come to it. And thanks.”
“Right, let’s go find Roseanna.” Ramón looked around. “I have a surprise for her.”
“Really? What is it?”
“This place.” Ramón gave her a sly smile that bordered on sinister, stretching his arms wide. “Who says generational wealth can’t be ours?”
Generational what?
Before she could say a word, he dashed through the house. She knew something was up. Ramón had his hands into some cookie jar… just like in high school. There was no way a college student could be making serious money doing something legit. She just hoped whatever he had up his sleeve wouldn’t come back to bite him.
Or any of them.
She heard a cry in the living room. Roseanna. Leticia took a deep breath and was determined to be happy. If it was good news, their tía might retire early, if she wanted to, or take a big trip without having to rely on Robert. She’d given them so much over the years, and never asked for anything in return.
Leticia found them in the living room.
“Did Ramón tell you what he did?” Roseanna said, excitement and pride in her voice. “He said the advance he got for a big freelance job covered the rest of the mortgage. The house will be paid off, and you two will always have this place to come home to.”
“That’s the best news,” Leticia said, putting a big smile on her face. “You deserve it, and Ramón deserves everything he gets for all his hard work.”
“You’re next, Leticia.” Roseanna took one of Leticia’s hands in her own. “I promise. Your hard work will make your dreams come true.” Then her smile went wide again. “Why don’t we go celebrate?”
* * *
A couple of days passed, and on the last morning Leticia found Ramón in the kitchen. He had made a spread of fresh breakfast tacos from The Donut Shop, and fresh orange juice to go with them.
“I wanted to do something nice for you guys,” he said, “because I don’t know when we will all be together again. I always liked it when Robert did this.”
“Thank you, mijo,” Roseanna said, and she gave Ramón a tight hug. “He has always wanted to get to know you better, but didn’t want to push.”
“Well, I appreciated it, even if I didn’t say anything.”
They dug into the tacos, making small talk and unwilling to admit that the visit was going to come to an end. After breakfast, however, Ramón rose and said that he had to jet off for classes and work.
“I guess this is it, then, brother,” Leticia said. “Thank you for taking time from your break to come see us.” She gave him a meaningful look. “Can you be careful? Watch your back.”
“Trust me,” he answered. “I’m fine—and you’re only a message away. Call me anytime you want. I really want to know how it goes in the Marines. And if you need money, with this side gig…”
“Or if I need an essay written?”
Ramón gave her a smile and chuckled. “Yes, something like that. Take care of yourself, and don’t take any shit—not that you do, anyway.”
“Wait, you can’t go yet,” Roseanna said. “One last photo for my altar!” Both Leticia and Ramón rolled their eyes.
“Go on, tía.” Ramón beamed in his Harvard sweatshirt, and Leticia moved her body a little so the tattoo of their mother would be in the photo. Roseanna tapped her phone, then again, and a third time. “Right,” Ramón said. “I’d better get to the airport—there’s a lot to do before classes start again.”
“And next time I want you to bring that girl you are seeing,” Roseanna said. “I need to meet her, or maybe welcome her into our little family. Our home and land that I now own!”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Ramón had a strange expression, Leticia thought, but he nodded. “You’ll like her. She’s very down to earth, wants a family of her own, our own, but doesn’t need me to take care of her. Her name is Mary Anne. She comes from a great family, too.”
“As long as she makes you happy and you feel at home with her,” Roseanna said. “Really at peace.”
Ramón paused before answering. “Of course. She is a very nice woman.” A car horn made them all turn toward the open screen door. “That’s me. Love you both.”
“Hey, don’t forget, el riesgo siempre vive,” Leticia said, giving him a warm smile.
He nodded. “And good luck with you. If it doesn’t work out the way you want, you’ll find another way, Leticia, or another way will find you.” He grabbed the real-leather duffel bag with his initials monogrammed on the side, and walked out the door.
15
The drive to the Marine Corps recruit depot was long, all the way to South Carolina. The original Parris Island facility had long since been swallowed by the rising ocean, and it was now situated just outside of Fairfax.
