A Long Road to Fortune/Issue 28

This is the fourth issue in Volume 5 of A Long Road to Fortune. It is titled My Desire.

Issue 28
Over a week has passed ever since Mendonza's rallying speech put everyone to work. The zocalo was completely transformed. It was now secure and surrounded by walls covering each street away. The marketplace itself had been pretty much reduced to a storage house though some people, like Mendoza, opted to continue living within the marketplace itself. There were about 15 vacant lots and houses around the zocalo, so splitting homes wasn't such a burden. Everyone could settle in nicely. In fact, it was starting to look like the old Tecpan again. People socialized all around it, Max and the others kids hung out and played, all while duties continued.

There was a section of the park reserved for expansion duty where Paloma was currently finishing up nailing a wooden wall together. As she worked, the Barrera family passed by and called out to her.

“Morning Paloma!” Leslie and Paco called out to her, while waving. Paloma smiled at them and simply waved back.

“Morning!” she responded. She'd gotten along with almost everybody in the community. Gustavo was still weary of her though, and the visible hatred Jaime held for her wasn't to go anyway anytime soon. If it hadn't been for her and her blood lust, that herd wouldn't have come and Aguila would still be among them. Jaime walked past her, holding his rifle tightly. He was on his way to guard duty and did not even bother to return Paloma's glance. She couldn't blame him for reaction though.

Over in the distance, Valdez and Ashton were catching up. They'd been spending more time apart as of late due to Ashton's amorous relationship with Liza. Valdez wasn't too bothered by it though, he knew this was a long time coming for both of them and he could fill the void somewhat by hanging out with Francisco and Jesus. Still, nothing beat catching up with his bro.

“So Ashton, does bros over hos mean anything to you?” Valdez asked jokingly, knowing Ashton would likely take it seriously and amuse him with his response.

“Come on man, don't patronize me.” Ashton replied, letting out a light chuckle. He was off today and Valdez could tell but he really didn't want to get bummed out.

“Have you met that new beauty Paloma? Or are your eyes still peeled a twiggy ol' Liza?” Valdez asked jokingly.

“Very funny Valdez. I haven't yet though but she seems nice enough.” Ashton replied.

“I'll tell you one thing though, Valdez is gonna hit that. I mean would you look at that? I mean wouldn't you tap that?” Valdez replied. Ashton simply chuckled.

“Not interested. But good luck with that Valdez. She's like double your age.” Ashton said to him, patting him on the back.

“Man I'm all about that age gap. It just makes things that much hotter for Valdez.” he replied. While this chat was amusing to both, Valdez could tell Ashton still had something in his mind bothering him, so he sighed.

“So, are you going to tell me what's bugging you or what?” Valdez asked. Ashton kept his eyes fixed upon the ground, because it had to do with Mr. Chet. Mr. Chet and his words to Ashton. The marktplace needed him, he was as strong as he was, and that he was proud of him. Why someone would put that much faith into him was just some bemusing.

“I'm still wondering about Mr. Chet. What he meant when he said those words to me.” Ashton said to him. Valdez simply smiled and rolled his eyes in amusement.

“Ashton, can't you just take a compliment or something? Don't question the man's words, just embrace them...embrace them because they're all you've got to remember him by. He's gone forever you know. Even if he finds his daughter, he ain't gonna come back, so don't dishonor him by trying to take the meaning away his words.” Valdez responded. Ashton was sure of one thing though, Mr. Chet embarked on a quest, on a mission. To make him proud, Ashton needed one as well, and there's one thing he's been wanting to do ever since he woke up. Mimi's, Paloma's and Jesus' rescues have just been demanding him to do it.

“I should probably tell you something. It's what I think he meant. If there's one thing he would have wanted me to do, it is to follow my gut. What I think is right, and there's one thing I've wanted to do ever since I woke up.” Ashton replied. Valdez knew what he was talking about. He'd heard him propose it the first he arrived at the marketplace, before Mendoza rudely shut him down. Even though Ashton's gut had saved him from execution, he was still weary of this...but he had to show his support. He hoped Ashton wouldn't get himself killed.

“Alright man. I'm not going to stop you from doing that. You need to let me help you though. I can't come with you, but I can get you a little something.” Valdez responded.

“Thanks Valdez. You don't know how much this means to me.” Ashton responded back.

“But yeah, you better come back alive and have people with you. If not, I'll be disappointed as fuck.” Valdez went on to finish. The duo was soon approached by Liza and Mimi, who had been talking as well but unlike the lazy boys, walked around while doing so.

“Hey handsome. Hey Valdez.” Liza said to them. Ashton looked up and hid his look of uncertainty from Liza, knowing she would worry if she were to see it.

“Are you sure you didn't mean 'hey handsome, hey Ashton'”? Valdez asked jokingly. Liza rolled her eyes with a smile.

“Don't get full of yourself Valdez, you know she doesn't have sights for you.” Mimi said.

“Can't blame me for trying.” Valdez responded, shrugging. Ashton simply gave him an amused nudged.

“Come on Valdez, Gustavo is waiting for us! We're leaving on that supply run now!” Mimi said to him. Valdez sighed lazily and got up.

“Fine. Catch you later lovebirds!” Valdez said to them. Soon after, he walked off with Mimi, leaving a vacant spot near Ashton. Liza took it and joined him.

“I'm still worried about her you know?” Liza said to him. Mimi hadn't even gone close to a jar of painkillers in one week after the scare she gave Ashton in the bathroom.

“Me too. But at least these supply runs have taken her mind off of it.” he replied. Liza only looked even more worried.

“But for how long I wonder...gosh she's such a child and a loose canon.” Liza remarked, annoyed.

“Kinda like me right?” Ashton joked, giving Liza a silly grin. Liza only smiled and playfully shoved his face away.

“You are the word's most tragic child, you know that right?” Liza said jokingly.

“I'm sure I can be outranked.” he said sarcastically, much to her amusement.

“We'll keep a look out for her right? I mean, we know what's best for her. She won't get that high again.” Liza replied. Ashton smiled at her, appreciating this side of Liza.

“Of course we will. You know that.” Ashton said to her, reaching for her hand and holding it tightly.

“Also...don't think I didn't see that look on your face. The one you tried to hide? Yeah, I saw it. You were never really good at hiding your feelings.” Liza spoke to him. Ashton kept his smile, as did she.

“I didn't even know I had feelings.” Ashton said, letting out a chuckle.

“Well you do, underneath that dry exterior.” Liza replied, while poking his chest.

“So boyfriend, are you going to tell me what's got you so bugged up today? Or do I have to force it out of you?” Liza asked. Ashton just looked at her with a surprised look.

“And just how do you plan to do that?” Ashton asked. Liza only replied with a seductive look, which made Ashton blush.

“Alright alright. I'll tell you. Mr. Chet's words, I've just been trying to decipher them, that's all.” Ashton said to her.

“Decipher or demean?” Liza asked back. Ashton couldn't hide his uncertainty from Liza.

“I don't know. I guess I'll just give it time, let them sink in.” he lied to her.

“Well okay. Just as long as you don't break my heart with another stunt.” she warned him.

“Of course not.” he lied to her again.

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Outside the zocalo's walls, Mimi and Valdez walked in formation with Gustavo leading them. They weren't going relatively far so it was nothing the three of them couldn't handle.

“Come on Valdez, if you won't tell me where Ashton's keeping the meds then just give me a few pills. Nothing that will hurt me.” Mimi assured him. Valdez only laughed in response. This sudden outburst caused Gustavo to turn back.

“Keep it the fuck down. We don't wanna call attention to ourselves.” Gustavo ordered. Once he spoke, Valdez and Mimi froze and nodded back to him.

“Good.” Gustavo said. He was a cold ma yet these kids were starting to grow on him.

“God damn it...” he silently muttered to himself.

“Just one then?” Mimi whispered to him.

“Sorry Mimi. No can do.” Valdez replied simply. With that Mimi simply pouted and crossed her arms in defeat.

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Back at the zocalo, Mendoza had rallied everyone around the center. Everyone was here, save for Paloma and the guards. Mendoza only smiled as he saw the look on each face, happy to be alive and b here. Well, Mario wasn't smiling, but he's Mario so that was to be expected.

“Well, I can say with honesty that I am simply thrilled to see ourselves expand out of the marketplace and into our deal zocalo. We're really taking Tecpan back one step at a time. I want to especially thank Pepe for organizing this large expansion operation and to Aguila for his sacrifice, which left us with more protection we'll surely need if anyone tries to take away what we have. I think about him and his sacrifice everyday. Him, Manuel, Juarez, and everyone else we've lost along the way. It's not easy to say this but we're now prepared for anything. We're expanding, we've rescued 3 more people ever since last week, and we're sure to keep making progress and fully take Tecpan back one day. This Tecpan will be ours, nobody will be able to haunt it and nobody will control it but ourselves!” Mendoza went on to say.

Everybody cheered along with Mendoza and continued back to their activities. Francisco in particular, darted back home.

As Jesus returned to managing supplies, he took this chance to chat with Paloma.

“Hi Pal. What's up?” Jesus asked her. Paloma had obviously been working hard since dawn, as her green tank top had been drenched with sweat as had her black yoga pants. When she turned to meet Jesus, she instinctively wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“Oh not much. Just pulling my weight. How's living alone treating you?” Paloma asked him. Jesus had decided to live by himself instead of sharing a home with Paloma, something she didn't mind but surprised him nonetheless.

“It's pretty good actually. I just need a guitar. I really want to play.” he replied. Jesus said this with twitching fingers. The sensation of a guitar pick only felt distant.

“I'm surprised you didn't want to room with me to be honest. Am I that unpleasant to be around of?” Paloma asked sarcastically. Jesus just shook his head.

“No, its just that- its about time I started living on my own and taking care of myself, by myself. It has nothing to do with you Pal.” Jesus replied. Paloma only smiled, amused.

“Well I'm glad you feel that way. Still, if you need anything, remember- I'm just a few houses over.” Paloma said to him. Jesus nodded in response.

“Alright Pal. I'll catch you later!” Jesus said to her as he walked away.

“Bye!” Paloma waved to him. She soon returned to creating more walls. Unbeknownst to her, Jaime had perfect aim of her from his location atop a small building. Jaime could only aim at her through his rifle's scope and dream about pulling that trigger.

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It was nighttime already, and Francisco had spent the day relaxing in his new house. It was quite roomy and had two floors. Nothing to complain about at all. Plus it had electricity something other houses could only dream of having at this point in time. He'd been enjoying his day off, the fruits of his labor as far as he could tell. He made his way to his fridge, which was empty. Devoid of contents except for a six-pack of beer Francisco had been saving for the last few days. He grabbed a cold one and opened it, taking a small sip of it's contents. After that, he let out an “ah” of relief. He'd been sitting there all day, just him. This house came with a large couch which Francisco was currently enjoying with his beer. Just sitting there, lingering his thoughts. Admittedly, they were on Yuri and her breakdown last week. Some demons she held inside, he thought. It was then that he heard a knock on his front door. Who the hell would come and visit him at this late hour he thought. He reluctantly got up from his spot to answer the door.

Speak of the devil. He'd opened the door to reveal a gloomy womanly figure. It was Yuri, and she didn't look too happy.

“Can we talk?” Yuri said to him. Frank simply rubbed his eye and held the door open for her.

“Yeah- sure. Come in.”

As soon as Yuri stepped inside, Frank shut the door behind her.

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Back at Ashton's it was a peaceful and serene night. Mimi and Valdez had turned in early after a long supply run. Ash and Liza were kind enough to offer them his parent's comfortable bed for them to sleep like babies. This meant that Ashton and Liza had gone back to Ashton's room, sharing his smaller bed. Liza couldn't be happier though. She had to admit, she'd been wanting to spend a night on this bed for quite some time. Both looked at the glow in the dark constellation pattern on Ashton's roof. It was childish, but both enjoyed it.

“I forgot you were a space trooper Ashton. You and your stars...” she teased him. Ashton's room had a childlike charm about it. Lava lamp, posters, and of course the constellation display in his roof.

“My dad used to read astronomy to me when I was little,when he and my mom actually spent more than a day here with me. Did I tell you he actually put these up for me while I watched? I still remember it very well.” he said to her.

“Lingering on the past I see? Still lingering on Mr. Chet's words too?” Liza asked him.

“Yeah. But there's another thing on my mind.” he raised himself to look at her, and gently got closer to him.

“I never told you this...but I love you with such passion. Now that I have you, I never want to let you go...”

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Yuri and Frank sat in his living room, talking intently. Yuri was doing most of it, and Francisco was mostly there for support. She had been just letting everything out, it was clear to him that she was lonely and scared, needed a shoulder to cry on.

“All this time I've been lying to myself, thinking I could handle this world by myself. My parents told I couldn't and I didn't want to believe them...but here I am now. Crying, all because I'm scared and I don't know what to do.” Yuri kept telling him. Francisco took another sip of his beer.

“Why are you only telling me this now?” he asked intently. Yuri looked down.

“Because I thought I didn't need to. I kept telling myself, 'I'm Yuridia Baltazar, a strong independent woman. The world crumbles before my knees' when I'd just been bottling everything up inside. Now it's all come out and I needed to comply.” she said. Francisco couldn't help but look at her with pity. He really didn't know much about Yuri, he was realizing that now. She was defenseless.

“Yuri, is there something else bothering you?” he asked her. Yuri nodded while wiping a tear away.

“There was this one night a few months ago, the bar- I was waiting for a friend. I had only been there about five minutes. I figured hey- she'll come around shortly. I won't be alone here for long. But she did, she took too long and these men- men from a gang. They just approached me and made these advances at me. They wouldn't take no for an answer. I was just so terrified that moment...I knew they were thinking about. I could see it in their faces. But luckily they didn't because some drunken men got into a fight with them...” As Yuri said that last part, she looked at Francisco peculiarly. He was doing the same thing. It didn't take long for them to come to that conclusion.

They wasted no time. Yuri was on top of him, kissing him passionately. Francisco knew this was wrong yet he couldn't stop himself. He wanted this, he wanted it badly.

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Ashton and Liza were doing the same. Removing clothing, kissing madly, they were going to do it. No going back now.

As were now Yuri and Francisco, who was currently carrying her all the way up the bedroom, still kissing her.

Both couples were just filled with such incredible passion, as it was a long time coming for both.

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It had to be about 5 AM now. Then sun wouldn't come up for another hour, yet there he was, wide awake. Ashton, with Liza wrapped around him as a blanket concealed them both. They'd done it for the first time, yet Ashton couldn't feel more guilty about this. He only did it for a reason, because after today he didn't know if he was going to be alive to see her again. He arose from the bed and he freed himself from Liza's snuggle once more. He wasted no time getting dressed and soon after, began to write a note.

Francisco found himself in a similar predicament, with Yuri soundly resting her head atop his chest. He knew he had committed a large mistake, taking advantage of an emotionally vulnerable Yuri. He could only sigh and regret his actions.

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Soon enough, the sun came shinning through Liza's window, hitting her in the face and forcing her up from the deep slumber. She slept great, having Ashton by her side...yet she didn't. While covering her nudity with the blanket, Liza observed the room. He was gone. Nothing to feel worried about though...

That is until her eyes spotted somethig unusual, a note. It was placed underneath the lava lamp and it did so demand Liza's attention. Liza got up, leaving the blanket on the bed. She made her way over and retrieved the note.

Her eyes widened and watered upon the sight.