Sangre por Sangre

Camila's mother, Olivia, was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee when Camila walked in with red and puffy eyes from crying all night. Olivia put her cup down and got up to hug her daughter, who had clearly been through a tough time.

"What happened, my dear?" asked Olivia, her voice filled with concern.

Camila sat down at the table, took a deep breath, and began to recount the events of the previous night. She told her mother about Ana's threats, the blackmail, and the fact that she had been blacklisted from any government job in Spain.

Olivia listened to her daughter's story with growing anger. She knew that Ana was a powerful and dangerous person, but she never thought she would stoop so low as to blackmail her own daughter.

"That woman is a monster," Olivia said, her voice trembling with anger. "I cannot believe she would do this to you."

Camila nodded in agreement, grateful for her mother's support. Olivia poured her daughter a cup of coffee and sat back down at the table.

"We will figure this out together," Olivia said, determination in her voice. "We will not let that woman destroy your future."

Camila smiled weakly, feeling a glimmer of hope return. She knew that with her mother's support, she could face anything. Together, they would find a way to overcome this setback and move forward.

Camila took a deep breath and continued speaking, "Mama, Ana told me something last night that I can't believe. She said that you were involved in smuggling on the Costa Galicia when you were the president of the provincial government."

Olivia looked visibly shocked and taken aback. "I can't believe she would say that to you, Camila," Olivia replied, trying to cover up her surprise.

Camila's eyes widen. "So, it's true? You are involved in smuggling?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Olivia looked down, feeling a deep sense of shame. "Yes, Camila. It's true," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Camila's face turned red with anger. "How could you do that, Mama? You were in a position of power, and you used it to break the law," Camila said, her voice raised.

"I know, Camila. I thought I could get away with it," Olivia responded, her voice shaking with emotion.

Camila took a deep breath and calmed down. "What are we going to do about Ana and the black book?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Olivia looked up at Camila, a steely determination in her eyes. "We're going to fight back," she said, a sense of purpose in her voice.

Camila nodded, feeling a sense of relief that her mother was taking action. "What's the plan?" she asked, eager to hear what Olivia had in mind.

Olivia took a sip of coffee, thinking carefully before speaking.

Olivia took a deep breath and told Camila to go call her friend Daniela to come to the house, but to leave her alone for a couple of minutes as she needed to make a call. Camila looked at her mother with a mix of concern and confusion but did as she was told and quickly dialed Daniela's number.

As Camila stepped out of the kitchen, Olivia picked up her phone and dialed a number. The line rang a few times before a man answered.

"Olivia, why are you calling me, is everything okay?" Andoni Mendoza asked, his voice laced with concern.

"No, everything is not okay. Camila knows about our smuggling activities," Olivia said in a hushed voice.

"What? How did that happen?" Andoni asked, sounding alarmed.

"Ana told her. She's using the information to blackmail Camila," Olivia replied, her voice shaking with anger.

Andoni sighed heavily, "I knew this day would come. Look, Olivia, I'm sorry. I never thought it would affect your daughter. What can I do to help?"

Olivia took a deep breath and asked Andoni the question she had been dreading. "Andoni, I need to know if you still have any embedded contacts in Ana's organization."

Andoni didn't hesitate. "Of course, Olivia. I have the best, and I have information on every movement Ana makes. Why do you ask?"

"Andoni, I need to know a time and place when Ana is alone," Olivia said urgently. "I have to confront her about this."

Andoni was quiet for a moment before speaking. "I know just who to get information from," he said. "Give me a day or so, and I will call with that information."

Olivia sighed in relief. "Thank you, Andoni. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Don't worry about it," Andoni replied. "We're in this together, remember?"

Olivia hung up the phone and leaned against the kitchen counter, feeling a mix of fear and determination. She couldn't let Ana get away with threatening her daughter's future like that. Olivia whispered, “Ana, por qué me pusiste entre la espada y la pared.”

As soon as Andoni hung up with Olivia he called his contact within Ana’s organization, Ignacio.

Camila returned to Olivia with Daniela. Olivia put her arm around Daniela's shoulders and walked away from Camila. Olivia whispered to Daniela "I need you to go to our friends in Gijón and get a cohete, a pistol. I need you to do this today. Don't worry, I will tell Alejandro you are helping me today. Now go, oh, and make sure it is a 7.65, it is important”.

Daniela looked at Olivia with a mix of confusion and concern. "What's going on?" she asked.

Olivia looked back at her with a steely determination in her eyes. "I'll explain everything later," she said, "but right now, I need you to do this for me. It's important."

Daniela hesitated for a moment, but then nodded her head. "Okay," she said, "I'll do it."

Olivia squeezed her shoulder in gratitude.

Daniela departed. Olivia turned to Camila, her expression serious. "Listen to me carefully," she said. "I need you to go see your Tia in Madrid for a week or so. Pack your things and leave as soon as possible."

Camila looked at her mother, confused. "What's going on, Mama?" she asked.

Olivia hesitated for a moment before replying. "I can't tell you everything right now," she said. "But I need you to trust me. It's important that you leave Lugo for a little while."

Camila was hesitant, but she knew better than to argue with her mother when she was in this kind of mood. "Okay," she said, her voice small. "I'll go see Tia Carmen in Madrid."

Olivia nodded. "Good," she said. "I'll call you when you can return to Lugo. And in the meantime, don't tell anyone where you're going. Understood?"

Camila nodded. "Yes, Mama," she said.

Olivia gave her daughter a quick hug before turning to leave. "Be safe," she said over her shoulder. "I love you." Camila called out “what are you going to do now mama?” Olivia responded, “voy a esperar”.