Marco

Meoqui- Mexico

15:00 PM

Sunday 3 August 2009

Savannah's legs are burning. Her calves hurt, and her back felt like it was going to break. Her skin is hot, burned by the sun. Her nerves are sharp. Listening to Marco and his heavy breathing, they walked through the desert. All of a sudden, it happened. As if Leonel and Savanah were waiting for it they both jumped towards Marco when he fell down. He lost a lot of blood, more than they thought. Stupid Savannah, why didn't you check him, she thinks. "Give me your jacket" she orders. Leonel looks at her. Slowly he removes his jacket. His eyes open wide and burn with fury when she starts to rip it. "It is broken already, chill" she says, and lifts her shoulders innocently. Leonel grabs her hand when she starts to unbutton Marco his vest. "Do you want to save your brother or not" she asks. For a moment Leonel looked like thunder struck. Then he slowly removes his hand. Savannah swallows, "Marco" she whispers, and tries to remove his jacket. Leonel lifts his brother his broad chest. "Marco" asks Savannah again and checks for his pulse. She sighs. He has a pulse, weak, but he has one. His white vest is covered with a big bloody stain. She unbuttons his shirt. Marco his eyes flung open. He grabs her hand. "It is okay" she whispers. "I'm going to help you," she says softly, and looks into his eyes. Marco breathes deeply and drops his hand again. He closes his eyes to block the bright sunlight. Savannah carefully creates a bandage with the two expensive vests and ties this around his shoulder. It will stop the bleeding for a while, the bullet went right through it. Leonel helps Marco sit up. "He needs to rest", she says. Leonel nods in understanding. Savannah swallows. Sometimes she doubts that he understands her. He barely speaks. Marco grunts. Savannah supports him right before he falls down again. He looks at her and swallows. He breathes deep through his nose and stands up again. Proud bastard thinks Savannah. One of the guns from his shoulder holster felt on the floor. Savannah picks it up. Leonel takes hold of his gun right away. Marco just looked at her. Waiting, interested in what she is going to do. Savannah swallows. She could end it all. Right now, right here. She could end them also. It would make the world a better place. She swallows and hands the weapon back to Marco. It almost looks like he smiles. Does he think it is funny or something? Savannah sighs deeply. She had a chance to end it. Why didn't she? Maybe this wasn't how her story was supposed to end. After all, they had the task of killing her. And they didn't. They saved her. They could finish the task by leaving her in that car. Why didn't they? Why did she save them? Could she even let him bleed to death right here? No, probably not.

The sun starts to hang low when a lovely farm house appears on the road. Its yellow walls and black roof tiles look so inviting now. Opposite the house is a dark wooden stable. Four donkeys and five horses cool off in the shade under the awning. Marco spits on the floor and beckons to Leonel. They exchange a few words in Spanish after which Leonel walks towards the house. Marco grabs Savannah's arm. He drags her against him. "Marco what are you doing" she protests. Marco places his hands on Savannah's ears. "What?" she asks but stops protesting when two gunshots are heard. A female scream is heard, followed by two more gunshots. Marco removes his hands. Why did he do that? Marco turns her face towards him. "Look at me" he orders. Savannah nods and looks into his eyes. "Are.. are you... gonna kill me now" she asks. Trembling as the words leave. A surprised look appears on Marco's face. His eyes widen and his mouth falls open slightly. He just doesn't know what to say. This young girl before him had made him feel so many things. Things he didn't even know he could feel. That he'd never felt before. And she was so brave. She knew they had to kill her. And why haven't he done this? This would create so many problems at home. She had been through so much, and was so scared and she didn't show it. She had saved his brother. And him... And yet she knows that he should actually kill her. She is waiting for it.. He sighs deeply. He licks his lips and shakes his head. "We need a good nights rest before we go back." "Back" Savannah asks. "We need to go back" he says shortly. "You need to heal" she snaps at him. Marco looked amused at her. Brave and daring. No one talked to him like that. He killed for less. Why can't he kill this girl? It was the very first time he had trouble with something he knew had to be done. It all changed when she whispered his name. Afraid to die... She almost died and at that moment something changed in him.

"We need to go home" he just said. "No we don't. I'm pretty sure that asshole Tuco told you to drag me out here, kill me and dump me. And we both know he won't give up. After all. I don't even get why he waited this long? Was it this fun, tormenting me? Tell me did you have fun?" Marco doesn't answer. He looks at her. Surprised, in thought and impressed. Savannah bites her lip for a moment. Probably no one has ever spoken to him like that. No one dared speak to him like that. But it didn't matter anymore for her. He had been given the task by Tuco. So what difference did it make?! "Marco, I know I've done things wrong. But just because I happened to see something I wasn't allowed to see I don't deserve to be played like that. If you have to kill me, heck if you want to kill me then do it now! Then do it now or never! I'm tired of waiting for something to happen Waiting for you guys to finally decide what you've been up to all along. You think I don't know?! I know how this works! Come on , just do it. Let it be over. We both know Tuco won't be happy..."Savannah's sentence is interrupted by Marco who grabs her jaw and pulls it towards him. He presses his lips to hers and kisses her deeply. Savannah's eyes jumped wide. She hadn't expected this! She slowly closes her eyes. She doesn't know why, but she enjoys his lips on hers. She wants more. She doesn't want him to remove his lips from hers...

Marco slowly lets go of her face and removes his lips from her. He looks into her eyes. "Am I talking too much?" She asks softly. Marco laughs amusingly. "That too," he replies softly. Savannah swallows. "Sorry" she says with a smile. Marco shakes his head. "You are something" he sighs. His smile fades when he looks at Leonel approaching. Leonel nods. Marco carefully pushes Savannah towards the house. A blood stain decorates the terracotta tile floor. Inside it is nice and cool. Growling, Marco drops onto the red seat. Savannah opens the cupboards, desperately searching for something that is always present on the farm. Leonel looks at her. "Aloe Vera" she asks and points out. Sighing, Leonel walks outside. That girl got too bossy for him. "Aha" Savannah says with relief when she sees a lot of bandages in the closet. She enthusiastically takes the bandage rolls and looks at Leonel who walks towards her with a leaf of aloe Vera. "Marco" asks "Savannah. Marco, almost asleep, growls absently. "Marco, you have to take your shirt off" Savannah says. Marco growls and removes his blouse with the help of Leonel. "This can sting" Savannah says softly and tears the leaf in half She drips the aloe Vera on his wound. Marco doesn't make a sound. Leonel hands her a needle and thread. "You got to be joking me" she says. Leonel sighs. Savannah groans. "Fine" she says and takes the needle. The last thing she wanted to do was stitch a man's flesh. "Hey Leonel?" Leonel stops. If you find Turmeric and Ginger maybe you can bake something for your brother with those two? It's going to help tremendously with the pain." Leonel nods. How did she know these things?! "I can do it myself" says Marco. Savannah scoffs. "On your back? Fine, but let me take my camera cause that's gonna be gold" she jokes. Marco sighs and drops himself again. He closes his eyes. "I'm sorry Marco" she says. Marco looks at her from the corner of his eye. "Why?" "It's my fault they shot at you and also that you were there in the first place." "No it wasn't" Marco says sternly. "And because this is going to hurt." "I'm used of worse" he says calmly. "Not me," Savannah says hopelessly and tries to sew up his wound as neatly and painlessly as possible. Relieved, she breathes when his wound is completely closed on both sides. Carefully she fastened the aloe Vera-soaked bandage over his shoulder. Just in time too, because Leonel had put three plates of pork, vegetables and potatoes on the table. Surprised that he also thought of her, she takes a seat at the table. The two brothers before her eat in silence. Each with their own thoughts. But it was certain... Savannah's thoughts were the most complicated.

Savannah swallows a piece of meat. Leonel used the herbs she asked. Good boy, she thinks proudly. She watches Marco unobtrusively as they eat in silence. She was so sure before when Marco had walked right through that door. She was sure that she knew exactly who he was. He was a killer. A monster, a murderous type of being. And now, now he is more than she could ever imagine. In his arms. She feels safe and sound. He is turning her world upside down. Maybe all the hell they've been through had a purpose? When he kissed her earlier, when he held her when she was about to die..She always thought those feelings were stories and not meant for her. But now.. Her heart pounds ever since he kissed her. She had no idea that he would be something that she could need... But does she really need him? So much doubt.. It is terrifying, but now she is pretty certain that it might be worth it. She could die in his eyes. She could just keep looking into them. Forever and always. For the rest of her life. Snap out of it Savannah, he is a killer, she thinks. And still. She doesn't believe that anymore. He is more than that... Her heart and her head are fighting a war. A war that she can't win yet...