Wrong Town: A Mark Landry Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

so we can talk. There are a bunch of chaperones in there so nobody will bother us,” she said over her shoulder once they had cleared the crowd.
    “What did you call that guy? Cacón?” Mark asked.
    “Yeah, why?
    “Just wondering,” he answered.
    “It means big head.”
    When they entered the lounge, Luci let go of Mark’s hand and pointed to two chairs in the corner. “Grab those, I’ll get drinks.”
    She returned with two plastic cups filled with ice cubes and red fruit punch.
    “Thank you,” said Mark politely.
    “No problem. I’m Luci. What’s your name, where are you from, and how the heck did you end up here?” she asked bluntly.
    Mark explained his relationship to Agnes Landry and was unsurprised when Luci said “ Sí, Doña Landry ! Everyone knows her.”
    Talking to Luci came easy to Mark. She was warm, confident, and sharp as a tack. And she was the most gorgeous girl who had ever paid attention to him.
    “So, back in the hallway earlier. Why did you help—”
    “Why did I help you?” she interrupted.
    “No, them. I was doing just fine. Why did you help them?” he replied with a wide confident smile that took her by surprise. He no longer seemed like some random gringo in distress. He was confident but not arrogant, and for Luci his quiet confidence was a welcome change from the boys she was used to interacting with. It showed that he had nothing to prove. Her eyes widened for a split second, her body language loosened up, and she subconsciously leaned in just a little bit closer.
    “Let’s just say I know what it’s like to be the only different person in the room,” she said with a softness and vulnerability he had not yet witnessed. “I don’t expect you to notice, but I’m the only colombiana here tonight, and my family is one of the few Colombian families in a city full of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans.”
    Mark switched to Spanish.
    “ I figured something like that. I noticed almost immediately. You carry yourself a bit different. Not better or worse—just different. And when I saw the way those guys parted for you, I knew that somebody different, somebody special, was coming through the crowd .”
    Luci’s eyes and mouth popped open, but she made no sound until she had covered her face with her hands and bowed her head. Then she let loose with a laugh so loud it turned the heads of everyone in the room. She smiled warmly with half-closed eyes. “How long were you going to wait before you let me know you speak Spanish? Until I said something stupid in front of you? Or about you? You’re full of surprises!”
    They sat together and talked the rest of the night, exchanged phone numbers, and never once noticed the empty punch bowl or dwindling crowd. When Luci’s friend tapped her on the shoulder to say that it was time to go, they stood up and she kissed Mark on the cheek. He watched as she reluctantly walked away. Agnes had watched the exchange from her chaperone’s perch and put her hand on Mark’s shoulder as she approached from behind.
    “Let’s go home, Romeo.”

Eight
    “You are supposed to be changing a flat tire. Why are you smiling?” asked the tall, bearded instructor. “Do Americans smile when they change tires? No. They grimace and complain about each and every little inconvenience that life throws at them. If you are to blend in, you must do the same.”
    The warriors listened and continued changing the tire with appropriately pissed-off American looks on their faces while waiting for the targets. When the car approached and slowed to a halt to offer assistance, both men simulated attacking the driver and family with pistols and knives.
    “Very good, the bloodier the better! Replace the Mercedes-Benz hood ornament with the father’s head in front of the children if you can! Enjoy it! Drink it in and give all praise to God!” he preached to his eager pupils.
    Amir joined the chorus of war cries and felt his adrenaline rush as he imagined himself hacking