the waiting game

"It's been two days, Teyo!" Elena yelled into her phone, pacing her living room floor. "I did what you asked, alright? Give him back to me."
"You need to relax, hermana. We're not done with you yet."

He was using that calm tone of his, like he was mocking her for freaking out and standing there near tears. Elena was terrified, and to hear that the gang wasn't finished with her yet? Did they want to traffic more drugs through her shop? What if it was something worse next?

"He needs his mother!" she frantically retaliated, her voice cracking beneath the stress.
Teyo sighed on the other side of the line, "Mateo has his uncle and father with him. He's fuckin' fine, ya hear?"
"Please...please, just give him back. I'll do whatever you need me to, I promise."
There was a short pause, and for a moment, El hoped she had somehow had gotten through to him. When he replied, her heart sank further and she felt dizzy. "Can't do that. I'll be in touch."
"No! Waitwaitwait, Tey-" He had hung up on her.

Elena stood there in complete shock, feeling her tears beginning to drip down her cheeks as her hands began to shake. The cell phone dropped from her grasp to clatter to the carpet below her and she couldn't seem to slow down the rapid heartbeat inside of her chest.

What was she going to do if they needed something she couldn't morally do? Her own brother was using her, trying to keep the gang's hands as clean as possible and out of the spotlight. He had warned her not to get anyone else involved, and yet she was coming so close to going straight to the police and praying it would not be a mistake.

[ Scotty Williams ]