The heavy silence after Ramos's phone call was overwhelming. It was the kind of quiet that feels loud, the kind that happens after something terrible and final has occurred. His question "Where are your friends?" hung in the dusty, cramped air of the cannery. Each word felt like a hammer strike, sealing their fate.
Evelyn was the first to speak, her voice a thin, terrified whisper. "My aunt," she said, her eyes wide with fear. "She lives by herself. He'll find her first. He'll… he'll use her to get to me." The thought was unbearable.
Then Silva's face lost all color. "My mom," he gasped, his voice choked. He scrambled for his phone, his hands trembling so violently he could barely hold it. "I have to call her. I have to warn her to leave, now!"
