The Truth Berries

XLVIII

       The aged security guard of the motel was stunned by the two police cars which suddenly entered and parked haphazardly in the middle of their parking lot. In no time, the silence of the whole place was invaded with the deafening sound of their siren and the whole lot was rhythmically illuminated by red and blue lights. Soon, four men got out of their car and looked around the place. The superior-looking of them four walked towards him and shoved his badge and ID under his nose.

       “Police! We are looking for a black Range Rover with a man and a woman inside. We got eyewitnesses telling us they went in here.  Where are they?” he roared at him.

       The guard was taken by surprise and he was about to point him to the direction of their room when somebody shoved his arm down again.

       “Good evening, gentlemen! Welcome to our humble abode in the middle of nowhere. What seems to be the problem here?”

      Alex was annoyed by the intrusion. The guard was about to tell him where to find his subjects but the short mustached man took the show from him without prior notice.

       “And who the hell are you?”

       “Oh, I am the manager of this place.” Benny said with a sneer.

       “So, you are the manager, huh?”

       “That is right, Sir.”

       “Well, Manager, we are looking for someone who we believe is currently seeking refuge in your humble abode. So if you would kindly help us and do your duty to your country, we would appreciate it.”

       “Of course! We are all law-abiding citizens here. Am I right Guard Nick?”

       The old guard was tongue-tied. But Benny did not wait for him to answer back.

       “Under normal circumstances, we do not easily give out customer’s names and their respective room numbers to anybody at all. You know, that’s part of the services that they have paid. But since this is no ordinary situation, we will gladly help you. We don’t want our reputation to be dragged along in this mess. Do you have any pictures of the man you are talking about, Sir? And the copy of your arrest warrant, if you may.”

       Alex shouted for someone to get the copy of the warrant in his car. Then he took out his phone and showed Benny a picture of him and Miguel holding a full glass of bubbly beer. They were still both in their uniforms when the picture was taken and they could be both seen with a big grin on their faces. Benny studied the picture with a poker face.

       “You’re his partner, Sir?”

       “Was.”

       “I see. What, you had a falling apart?”

       “Did he come here or not?” Alex asked him irritably.

       “I believe we have a customer who really looked a lot like him. He came in a few hours ago with a beautiful woman with him.”

       “And?”

       “They’re in room twenty-seven.”

       Alex yelled for his men. He signaled them to follow him and the motel’s manager to the room he mentioned a while ago. All four men drew their arms and Benny stepped aside to let them pass. Then, he grabbed Alex by the wrist and asked him.

       “Is he a dangerous man?”

       “He killed his own wife. So I would say he is indeed dangerous.”

       Benny started biting his nails as Alex’s men were closing in to the room. One man stood at the right side of the closed door while another stood at the left. Then, the third man tried the knob but he discovered it was locked. Alex ordered the third man to tear the whole door down and the man nodded in confirmation. It was then that Benny excused himself from the whole operation. Alex saw him scooting away so he asked him where he was going.

       “I think I need to inform my boss about this. I don’t wanna be blamed for all the mess you are going to cause this place.”

       “What are you worrying about? The government will pay for all the damages incurred during official police operations.”

       “Yeah and when would that be? Where does that leave me, Sir? Look at me! Who would give me another decent job if I lose the one I have right now? I’m informing my employer, whether you approve or not.”

       Alex was exasperated. But he knew he could not prevent him from doing what he wanted. So he just watched as he made his way to his own office and closed the door behind. What he did not know was that he was not planning on calling his employer, but a different man instead. Benny took the telephone and dialed a number. A few moments after, a separate telephone rang inside Room 12. Miguel and Helen were almost done tidying up the whole room when the call went in. He took the call because she was rooted suddenly on her feet.

       “Sir, there are men out here looking for you. I have tried to buy you some time but it won’t be long before they open every door in this place. So I suggest you start walking away from here.”

       “Thanks, Benny. But how can we get out of here without them noticing?”

       “I lured them to a different room. But they were already about to destroy the door when I left them so they won’t be long until they find out what I’ve done. Go out of your room now. But do not go through the motel’s front gate. I suggest you go by the back. Jump over the low concrete fence and just follow the trail to the grove of trees ahead. You’ll find a red Toyota Fortuner there. Doors aren’t locked and the keys are on the dashboard. Take it, for a while. Just get your asses outta here now.”

       “Thanks again, Benny. I won’t forget this.”

       “Don’t thank me yet for you are still here. Besides, I might still need to fabricate some stories about you threatening me inside my own motel. And you stole my car too. So . . .“

       “Still, thank you. I owe you one, Benny.”

       “No, Sergeant. We are even now.”

       Miguel put the telephone down after that. Then, Helen took his arm and helped him walked out of the room. She silently opened the door of their room, took a peek outside and when she saw that they were still inside the main building, she called Miguel out. With both of their heads bowed in the darkness, Miguel and Helen tip-toed their way to the back of their room. The concrete wall was approximately five feet high and it had no extra security feature above it, unlike the fences that he used to know. Miguel stooped low and he interlaced all the fingers of his two hands. Then he beckoned her to put her feet on his hands so that he could lift him as high as he could towards the top of the fence. But Helen gave him a face.

       “Why?”, he asked.

       “Uh because I’m in a dress?” she answered him sarcastically.

       “So?”

       “Hey Mister! Whatever happened a while ago does not mean you can see the rest of me already. I am not like one of those women who you interrogated some years ago. So no, I am not taking the first climb.”

       He laughed shortly after realizing what she was trying to say.

       “Come on now! I promise I won’t look.”

      “Bah! Not good enough for me. I’m still not going up first. Who knows about that promise when no one is watching you anymore?”

       He never knew why but he found their current awkward situation very amusing. She was so indignant on not going up the fence first. And if they continued arguing about it, he knew that sooner or later, Alex’s men would get to them eventually. So he took the initiative to break their stalemate.  He jumped high and grabbed the top of the fence with both hands. Then, with all his strength, he lifted himself painfully up until he was perched at the top of it. Miguel felt like his sutures had slightly opened apart but he ignored it. He reached out his hand for her.

       “Okay, princess. Now give me your hand so that I can pull you up. And please, hurry up.”

       She curtly gave him her hand and he pulled her up as he promised. But when they were both already at the top, disaster struck unexpectedly. She lost her footing and got out of her balance. She tried to regain it by holding abruptly to him but it only made the matter worse. Miguel stiffened his body just to steady her but her weight was too much for him and so they came falling at the bottom of the other side of the wall. He landed with a soft thud first and then she fell on him. Miguel let out a silent cry of pain as she quickly hauled herself up.

       “Are you okay?”, she asked in a whisper.

       “I think you successfully broke my nuts this time.”

       “I’m sorry.”

       “It’s fine. Just help me get up.”

       Helen helped him stand up and brushed the dried leaves of the grass on his back. When they were done, they turned around at the same time to survey the surroundings. The place was exactly how Benny described it. It was an off-the-beaten path with only a small foot trail threading it. At the end of the trail was a grove of trees and somewhere hidden in that grove was a car that Benny promised to lend them. He just prayed that it was really there. They started to make their way through the knee-high perennial grasses which grew through-out the place, and Helen’s skirt was filled with clinging wild grass’ flower heads in just a matter of seconds. She complained once of using a flashlight so that they could find their way easier, but he waived the idea off. He told him that Alex’s men might see the light and it would tip them of their location.

       So they went on with just the limited amount of light provided by a young waxing moon. It took them ten minutes of careful steps in the darkness before they reached the start of the grove. Miguel saw a small hut under one of the trees and near it was the car that Benny promised them. He told her to hurry and they reached the car in a minute. He tried the door, and it was not locked as he told him. He immediately went inside and searched the dashboard for the keys. When he has found it, he started the car without turning its lights on.

       “I’m just wondering about what Benny said to you a while ago. Something about you getting even now.”

       “What about it?”

       “What did you do for him?”

        “That was a long time ago. A man tried to mug him in his own office before and the man was three times bigger than him. I happened to be interrogating one of my subjects in one of his rooms. And then I heard him cry for help. So I helped him right then.”

       “So . . . did it end well?”

       “What, Benny’s rescue? Yeah, it ended well.”

       “I was asking about your interrogation”, she teased him.

       “Here we go again.”

       After he had checked everything and she had gotten inside the car, Miguel drove the car out of its hiding place and aimed straight for the road.

       “So where are we going now, Sergeant?”

       Miguel answered her with just a single word.

       Home.