Chapter three

As darkness gradually gives way to light, quiet, and still. The air is crisp and cool, with a hint of dew on the grass. The sky begins to transition from a deep, velvety black to shades of indigo and violet, and eventually, a soft, golden glow appears on the horizon as the sun prepares to rise. Birdsong may be the only sound, adding a touch of nature's music to the peaceful atmosphere. offering a fresh start to the day Maria is in the kitchen trying to bake fresh bread for her brother. He loves fresh bagels and bread she bakes in the kitchen Her brother gets up to the aroma coming from the kitchen he walks straight to the kitchen with so much excitement he says "Good morning Hermana" he says she replies "Good morning Papi hope you slept well I came back late and you were fast asleep" "I don't want you working for uncle Rania am scared" as he talks his mood changes Maria replies I need to protect you as the eldest remember she rubs his head. Eat your meal and grab some orange juice from the fridge. Her phone rings she responds "I will see you in Five minutes" She kisses her brother on the forehead As she leaves the house she drives out of the driveway and heads to the field Getting there she meets Rania and some of his men there is an urgent delivery I need you to make this morning my guys can't cross the broader there seems to he high patrol today. She is given a car key to a blue truck. She informs him she needs to go home to pick up her passport and change her clothes since there is strict patrol at the border he agrees. She heads back home and asks her brother Mickel to get into the truck and park a few of his things. He gets into the truck and sits in front of the truck. They get to the border where she meets the same army officer she met the first time she passed the border he recognizes her and waves at her brother he clears them. She is relieved and calls Carlos the DEA agent telling him she came for a delivery and asking if the plan is still on track because she senses some danger and she needs her brother to be safe. He informs her they can only give him witness protection for them both with a new identity. She agrees to it; he sends her an address and she tells her brother the plan and asks him to go with Carlos while she makes the delivery. She gets to the location and meets Carlos; she tells him she needs to make the delivery so Rania will not smell a rat. She hugs her brother and leaves him with Carlos She drives to the delivery point and identifies herself from Rania She drives into the industry and sits in the car A gun is pointed at her head and she asks to come out She is arrested by the DEA team. They ask her some questions which she answers, the location of Rania is asked and she gives it to them.

The team plans an attack on Rania's compound; they use the truck Maria made delivery with as a Decor to raid the compound. They successfully arrest Rania and his men. The team is happy as this has been a

Case of nine years. The case is taken to court. Maria spends a year in jail for probation while Rania gets twenty-five years in jail with no patrol. On the day of her release, she is picked by Carlos and her brother Mickel. Carlos rents an apartment for Maria and her brother for a year till she can get on her feet. She tried to get a job but because of her criminal record, it was hard. Carlos had to help her succeed in working in a supermarket as a cashier. She works there for six months and gets fired because the shop has been robbed for the past four months straight. The owner felt she had a hand in the robbery. After a while, Maria located one of her cousins who left Mexico at the age of Eighteen years she was sold for prostitution. Her cousin Neska worked in Hawthorne for fifteen years. She was now old and very unhealthy. She was glad to see Maria after a very long time. They talked for hours and Maria told her experience with Rania and how she ended up In the city. She told her she didn't have enough money to send Mickel to school but a DEA agent was assisting. Neska promised to help pull some

Strings to help Mickel and properly get her something to manage. Maria spends the night at her place. That night with Mickel she had a two-bedroom apartment which was bigger than the one Maria and Mickel are staying in. Mickel sleeps in Neska's son's room; he died years ago in a car accident. They spent the whole night talking about what she went through and couldn't mention In front of Mickel. Neska met Mrs.

Matilda Hawthorne was in the hospital when her son had the accident; he was in a coma for a month before he died after the mishap. Rachel was nine years old when was diagnosed with kidney failure Mrs Hawthorne had approached Neska to donate her son's organ which she didn't agree at first until the doctor convinced her to which she did and signed a confidential information form. She was rewarded heavily and had worked with the Hawthrone for a long time since the incident. The next day Neska woke up prepared breakfast early, and left the house to work She left a note by the dining table saying "Feel at home it's been a while since I felt the presence of people in my home Love Neska" She helped herself to a glass of fresh Apple juice in the fridge there was a back corridor which had the view of the street from the second floor. She could see people from the view she stood there with a glass of juice sipping and smiling at the view she was wearing a red bathing robe Neska had given her the night before. Neska went to the Hawthrone house and told Mrs. Matilda about her cousins. She agreed to sponsor Mickel as she runs an organization for children who are less privileged or with disabilities. She also agreed for Maria to work in the house as a cleaner and a gardener; the last gardener was old and sustained injury from scheming the gardens.