"Isabel," Tricia whispered, noticing her cousin staring hard into the darkness ahead. "What is it?" She tugged at Isabel's arm, worried they might be spotted by the people they were tailing.
"Tricia, my mind's telling me they're not the ones we should be following," Isabel murmured, already shifting to stand.
"What are you talking about? Who else could be here besides us women?" Tricia frowned, shaking her head.
"I just have a different gut feeling."
"Sometimes, gut feelings can be wrong too."
Still, Tricia kept her eyes on the three shadowy figures ahead. She'd seen them digging in the dirt earlier, and quietly pulled Isabel back.
"When luck's on your side," she muttered under her breath.
She followed Isabel's gaze and noticed the deep frown etched on one of the figures. Their hurried movements, the constant glances over their shoulder — they were clearly in a rush. Their face stayed hidden under a hood, with only the narrow beam of a flashlight slicing through the dark.
"Is that the intuition you're talking about, Isabel?" she asked.
Isabel didn't answer, too focused on what the three were searching for.
"My brother told me they were looking for evidence," she finally said.
"Then let's follow — maybe they know where the evidence from before is hidden."
"Exactly. That's why we're here."
Soon, one of them pulled a plastic bag from the ground — inside was a brown envelope. Even from here, Tricia recognized it. There was no mistaking one of the long-sought pieces of evidence.
The figure quickly reburied the spot, scanned the surroundings, and moved on. When they were far enough, Tricia and Isabel followed to see the next stop.
They took care not to alert Thalia's group. Again, the three stopped to dig.
"Isabel, how many pieces of evidence did your brother say there are?" Tricia whispered.
"Three. So they must be here to get them all."
"You know Chesca also knows where they're hidden — lucky we caught them today," Tricia said.
Another piece of evidence emerged from the soil. They just had to intercept it to finally get what they wanted.
They quickened their pace — but suddenly, the figures vanished. Tricia froze, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks.
Damn it, she thought.
Then — movement. Three shadows reappeared. They followed again, stopping when they spotted Thalia holding something in her hand.
"Come on, let's surprise them. Shortcut," Isabel said.
Tricia nodded, and they raced through the same shortcut they'd used yesterday. But when they arrived, the place was empty. They crouched low to wait. Soon, footsteps approached.
The three faces they'd been hunting appeared — surprise flickering in their eyes. Isabel smiled faintly. Tricia stayed silent, gaze locked on the envelope Thalia still clutched.
"Where have you been?" Isabel asked.
Thalia instinctively hid what she was holding, hesitation crossing her face.
"Is that what you call important, Thalia?" Isabel pressed, standing now.
"Don't you trust me? I'm hurt, you know," Tricia cut in dryly, ending her cousin's theatrics.
Thalia forced a smile. "Isabel, you're our guest — I can't trouble you. Besides, your hands will get dirty if you help."
"Oh, I don't mind dirty hands if it means helping you," Isabel replied.
"No, it's fine. I need this — I have to deliver it to the one who asked me," Thalia said, stepping away.
Tricia caught Isabel's eye, silently urging her to stop. Instead, Isabel snapped her fingers. Armed men emerged from the shadows, surrounding the trio.
Ericka's eyes widened. "What is this, Isabel?"
Isabel smiled thinly. "Thank you for the friendship."
"So you planned this all along?" Chesca asked.
"Yes, Ruth… or rather, Chesca Fuego," Isabel corrected.
"How do you know who I really am?" Chesca demanded.
"We've known for a long time. Your dad will be thrilled to see you soon," Tricia said.
The three tried to bolt, but the men were faster. A cloth soaked in sleeping drug was pressed over their faces.
"Sleep well. You've still got a journey ahead," Isabel said, taking the bag with the envelope and a small box containing a USB.
"We're very lucky today," Tricia murmured.
Something slipped from Thalia's pocket — a folded paper. Tricia bent to pick it up and unfolded it.
"A map?" she whispered.
"Isabel," she called, handing it over.
Isabel studied it, then smiled. "We can use this, Tricia."
"Call your brother," Tricia urged.
Isabel dialed. "We've completed our task — and I have a gift for you," she said into the phone before hanging up.