Vistaria Has Fallen (The Vistaria Affair/Vistaria Has Fallen #1)(59)

Joshua nodded. “It would seem so. We’ll get nothing but propaganda from them.” He listened for a moment. “They’ve coordinated their announcement with the rebel action. She is claiming a grand victory for the rebels in Pascuallita. They’ve taken over the town and will march towards the capital, drawing true Vistarians to their ranks as they go.” He grimaced and changed channels. “It reminds me far too much of the Communist crap I had to listen to in Vietnam.”

Calli sat on the arm of the sofa and rubbed Minnie’s shoulder. Minnie was still, big tears rolling down her cheeks. She made no move to wipe them away. “They’ve taken Pascuallita.”

Joshua looked at his daughter, his eyes narrowing. “It’s bullshit, honey. Pure bullshit. The TV station doesn’t have any more idea what’s happening up there than the government station and the government station isn’t saying the army took a beating.”

He listened for a while to the government channel and his face grew grave. He shut the TV off with a snap and threw the remote onto the coffee table. “Ah, truth is always in short supply in wartime.” He got to his feet. “We can’t do anything tonight. Tomorrow, we have to figure a way to leave the country. We’ll steal a boat, if we have to. It’s only a few hours to Acapulco from here.” He ruffled his hair again. “Get some sleep,” he advised.

When his bedroom door shut, Minnie reached for the remote and turned the TV back on. Calli sat beside her and stared at the television, wishing she could understand Spanish better.

For most of the night they stayed on the sofa. Minnie picked up as much of the Spanish as she could while Calli tried hard to distinguish words. Names. After much repetition, the events took shape in her mind.

The attack on the silver mine had been a ruse, a way to scare the Americans and force the government’s strongest ally to take cover. It had also drawn army personnel to the south of the main island, away from Pascuallita, the location of the first main assault.

The strike, when it came, was rushed. The announcers and the experts they interviewed speculated that the rebels had not anticipated the riots in the city. Instead, they had taken advantage of the government’s distraction. Their attack had been, so far, merciless and strong. The army had scurried to meet the challenge, moving through the mountains with less speed and agility than the rebels who had trained and lived there for months.

“They are taking a beating,” Minnie whispered.

Calli fell into a light doze in the small hours of the morning. She could no longer concentrate on the endless run of Spanish, when her heart was so heavy and she was so afraid of what the day ahead might bring. She jerked awake when a hand patted her shoulder. She sat up from her sprawl across the arm of the sofa and blinked up at Joshua. Through the window behind him she saw the lightening sky. The day approached.

“Where’s Minnie?” he said.

She looked around. The sofa was empty.

“Her bed hasn’t been slept in,” Joshua added.

A chilled clamped Calli’s chest. She hurried into Minnie’s bedroom and looked for the pack of essentials Minnie had prepared. It was gone.

“What are you looking for?” Joshua asked, from the door.

“Her pack has gone. So have her hiking boots.” A flat black Vistarian hat sat on the bed. Minnie had brought it back from Pascuallita.

“Pascuallita,” Calli said and turned to Joshua. “I think she’s gone to Pascuallita.”

He opened his mouth in shock. Then, “The car!” He whirled away.

Calli followed him out the front door of the apartment, where he stood looking at the empty spread of cement where the little car normally sat.

“Why?” he asked, at last.

“Duardo’s there.”

“Yes, yes. Why now? Why not last night when the rebellion started? Why not yesterday? What made her do it now?”

Calli went back to the television and sat down. “Something must have happened,” she said as Joshua sat next to her.

She didn’t try to translate. She was too tired to manage it. The last time she had looked at the clock before she had fallen asleep it had been three-thirty in the morning. Now the clock said four-forty. She had dozed for less than an hour. Whatever had pushed Minnie out the door would still be fresh news.

“Oh, hell,” Joshua said. “Pascuallita has fallen.”

“So fast?”

“The rebels have been planning a long time. Pascuallita was not prepared. The town and the base weren’t braced for it.” He grimaced. “Now the rebels have a stronghold they can operate from. That was their plan from the beginning.” He dropped his head into his hands like a man broken. “Minnie is driving straight into their headquarters.”

Calli stood.

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know. I have to stop her somehow. Head her off.”

“How?” Joshua said. The tiniest thread of hope colored his voice.

She hesitated, knowing she couldn’t tell Joshua the idea that had struck her.

“You can’t go to Nicolás Escobedo,” Joshua said. “I hope you’re not thinking of it.”

“He knows Duardo’s family. He knows the area. No one else I know has that advantage.”

“You’re an American. Worse. You’re that American woman, Calli. They’ll tear you to pieces out there.” Yet the hope flared stronger in his voice. He wanted her to convince him she could do this.