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THE CABIN
"Here we are, Gab." Ricardo shut off the car outside a secluded cabin in the mountains. Gabi looked out the window then back to Ricardo. "Why are we here, Ricardo?" Her eyes were shining with tears and her arms rested over her stomach to protect her baby. "I want to go home." "Just come inside with me," he touched her cheek softly. "Please." Gabi was scared, but she had to believe that Ricardo wasn’t going to do anything to hurt her. Slowly, she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door. Ricardo bounded out the driver’s side and ran around to help her out. He put his arm around her shoulder and directed her to the door. Gabi climbed the steps cautiously as Ricardo searched for the key. "Okay," he said as he pushed the door open. Gabi stepped inside the charming log cabin. It was small with only a few rooms, a large main room with a fireplace and a kitchen. Gabi looked around and jumped slightly when she heard Ricardo slide the lock closed. She spun around to find him standing near the door smiling at her. "Do you like it?" "It’s very nice, but I really think," she moved toward the door and Ricardo stepped in front of her quickly. "We’re not going anywhere, Gab." He reached up his hand and caressed her hair. "We’re staying here for awhile." Gabi closed her eyes as he touched her face. Her heart was pounding and she prayed to God that Antonio would find her soon. "Ricardo," she said softly. He put his finger to her lips to quiet her. "Shh," he put his arm around her waist. "Gabi, we need some time alone together. Just you and me." He pulled her close to him and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Here, you forgot this." Ricardo held Gabi at arm’s length and took her left hand in his. He deftly slid on her wedding ring and raised her knuckles to his lips. "I wouldn’t want you to lose it." Gabi’s breath caught as Ricardo gently kissed her hand. "Ricardo, I," she began tearfully. "We have plenty of time, Gabi." Ricardo pulled her back into his arms. "Plenty of time to find our way back to the love we have for each other." Gabi closed her eyes tightly. "I love you Gabi and I know you love me. I’ll make you remember how much." THE STATION Antonio burst through the station doors and proceeded to the desk. "I need to see Chief Smith," he demanded loudly. "I’m sorry, Father Antonio," Ruiz answered with surprise at his temper. "Chief Smith is…" "Now," Antonio slammed his fist on the desk. "Right…now." Ruiz stepped away from the desk and into the Chief’s office. He turned over his shoulder and motioned for Antonio to come in. Antonio walked quickly into the office and closed the door. "Chief Smith, I need to know where my brother is." The Chief had always liked Antonio and was concerned that he seemed so upset. "Is something wrong, Father Antonio?" Antonio closed his eyes for a second. "It’s just Antonio." This was the first time he had corrected anyone and the Chief didn’t get a chance to ask. "I need to know where Ricardo is…please." Chief Smith assumed it must be a matter of great importance for Antonio to be so on edge. Ricardo had sworn him to secrecy, but Antonio was family, after all. "Well, actually," the Chief chuckled. "He’s using my cabin in the mountains for a few days. He said he finally wanted to take Gabi on a honeymoon. He came back early from San Francisco with Chief Harris…I guess he missed the little woman." "Yes, I know," Antonio said somewhat shortly. "I’m sorry, but I really need to get to him. Is there a phone?" "No, it’s pretty far out there." The Chief sat back in his chair. "Well, can you tell me how to get there?" Antonio was ready to jump out of his skin if he didn’t get to Gabi soon. "Tonight? It’s a good drive away – probably two hours or so." "It doesn’t matter," Antonio shook his head. "I have to get to him right away." The Chief took out a map and gave directions to Antonio. Antonio thanked him and nearly ran out of the office. He jumped in his car and started for the cabin pushing the speed limit by nearly 20 miles per hour. "I’m coming Gabi," he said out loud as if to make her hear him. "I’m coming." THE CABIN "How’s that?" Ricardo asked as he lit the fire. Gabi huddled under a blanket on the couch. It was now dark outside and the weather had cooled significantly. "Here, let me warm you up." He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms rubbing her shoulders through the blanket. "Is that better?" "Yes," she said quietly hoping she wouldn’t start crying out loud. "Thank you." Ricardo smiled as he held her against his chest. "Do you know how much I love you, Gabi?" The question tore through her heart. She knew exactly how much he loved her and that he had no intention of letting her go to Antonio. "You mean the world to me." He nudged her to sit up with his shoulder. Gabi did and found him staring deeply into her eyes. He placed his hands gently against her face and pulled her close touching his lips tenderly against hers. His warm lips caressed hers as his hands slid down her shoulders to her arms. Gabi pulled back and looked down into her lap. Ricardo touched his finger to her chin. "It’s okay, Gabi. About Antonio." Gabi raised her eyes. "I can forgive you." He leaned over and kissed her again. "It was a mistake, Gabi…we all make them. It’s over now and we’re going to move on." He paused as he looked into her eyes. "We’re going to start over. From the beginning as husband and wife. You loved me once and I know you still do, don’t you?" Gabi didn’t know what to say. Ricardo was scaring her with his actions and words and she didn’t want to send him into a rage. "Ricardo…I." "You will, Gabi. You will love me again." He ran his thumb across her eyebrow and down her cheek. "I’ll help you." Ricardo leaned toward her and placed his mouth over hers. His arms slipped around her waist as he pulled her into him and deeper into the kiss. Antonio held the directions up close to his face. The small light on the car ceiling was making it difficult to read the map. He squinted and tried to get a better angle. "The road should be right here," he mumbled as he flipped the paper around. It slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor on the passenger’s side. "Damn," he said as he unfastened his seat belt and leaned over to get it without letting off the gas. As he sat back upright, his eyes widened and he heard himself yell as the car slammed into the fast approaching tree with a deafening crash. "Did you hear that?" Gabi pulled herself away from Ricardo when she heard the loud crash outside. "What was that?" "I don’t know," Ricardo stood up and moved to the window. Looking outside, he could see headlights of a car shining toward the cabin from the end of the road. "It looks like there’s a car." Ricardo pulled the door of the cabin open as the flames began to flicker from the underside of the hood. "Oh my God." Ricardo took off out the door as Gabi stepped onto the porch. Ricardo ran the distance of the road to the wreckage of the car. The front end was wrapped around a large tree and flames were burning from under the hood. The windshield was shattered and sprayed red from the inside. Ricardo could see a body slumped against the steering wheel. The smell of gasoline filled the air and Ricardo knew he had to get the driver out fast before the car exploded. "Ricardo," Gabi called from close behind. "Stay back, Gabi," he yelled. "Get back to the cabin, now." Gabi turned and reluctantly went back to the porch to wait for Ricardo. Crossing around the back of the car, Ricardo made his way to the driver’s door. His heart stopped as he saw Antonio’s lifeless body laid across the steering wheel, his face covered with blood. Ricardo’s adrenaline kicked into overdrive as he desperately tried to open the door. The metal frame was bent and lodged shut. "No, no," Ricardo yelled as he pushed his foot against the quarterpanel and pulled with all his might on the door. "Hold on T. Hold on." All the anger Ricardo felt for his brother disappeared as he fought to free Antonio from the car. He knew his brother’s life was in danger and his only hope for survival rested in Ricardo’s hands. As the fire began to spread, Ricardo had no choice but to extract Antonio through the open window. While he could do further damage to any injuries Antonio had sustained, time was running out before the fire would reach the gas tank and send the crushed metal into a ball of flames. Pushing himself halfway into the car, Ricardo grabbed Antonio around the waist and pulled him back off the steering wheel. Antonio’s head slumped against Ricardo’s shoulder soaking his shirt in blood. "Hold on, T," Ricardo whispered as he wriggled Antonio from under the steering column trying to free his legs. Smoke filled the inside of the car and Ricardo began to cough. With all his strength, Ricardo took Antonio’s shoulders and hoisted him up and out the window. His body slid down the side of the car onto the ground. Ricardo caught his breath quickly and hooked his arms under Antonio’s dragging him away from the burning car. Gabi stepped down off the porch as she saw Ricardo emerge with his back to her from the smoke pulling someone on the ground behind him. Just as Ricardo had gotten a safe distance from the car, there was a tremendous hissing noise followed by a loud blast and a ball of fire that lit up the night. Ricardo was knocked to the ground from the blast. Gabi ran off the porch toward Ricardo and the injured driver. Ricardo was coughing away the effects of the blast as Gabi reached him. Her eyes fell to the limp body contorted on the ground next to Ricardo. Her heart pounded in her chest and tears instantly fell from her eyes as she saw Antonio’s bloody body before her. She screamed loudly and dropped to her knees next to him. She cradled him in her arms and held him tightly against her chest. "Antonio," she sobbed as she rocked him back and forth. "No, Antonio!" Her hands caressed his head and were immediately covered with his dark red blood. "No!" she cried again as Ricardo scrambled to his feet and ran for his cellular phone. Gabi sat on the cold ground holding her true love against her trying to wake him up. "Please open your eyes, baby. Please!" She sobbed loudly as she ran her hand down his cold cheek. "Antonio please." His body was so still and slack, his weight pulled him off Gabi’s lap. She lay him down gently against the ground and leaned her head against his chest as she cried. Putting her ear to his chest, she heard his usually strong heartbeat pumping at a much slower pace. She raised her head and put her face right above his. "Don’t you leave me…do you hear me?" His head was tilted slightly to the side and Gabi caressed his face. "You will not leave me…I love you. I love you, Antonio. I love you." She dissolved into tears as Ricardo arrived back from the cabin. "The ambulance is coming, Antonio," he knelt down and leaned over his brother. "You hold on T…you hear me. I mean it." Gabi held Antonio’s hand tightly as Ricardo checked Antonio’s neck for a pulse. "I feel his pulse, Gabi. You stay with us, Antonio. Help is coming, you’re going to be fine." Gabi looked up at Ricardo and could see in his eyes that he doubted his own words.
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