CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Early the following morning, they reached the outskirts of Nanclares, a small village west of Vitoria. They came to a filling station with a garage, where a mechanic was working on a car. Jaime pulled into the garage.
“Buenas días,” the mechanic said. “What is the problem?”
“If I knew,” Jaime replied, “I would fix it myself and charge for it. This car is as useless as a mule. It sputters like an old woman and has no energy.”
“It sounds like my wife,” the mechanic grinned. “I think you may have a carburetor problem, señor.”
Jaime shrugged. “I know nothing about cars. All I know is that I have a very important appointment in Madrid tomorrow. Can you have it fixed by this afternoon?”
The mechanic said, “I have two jobs ahead of you, señor, but—” He let the rest of the sentence hang in the air.
“I will be glad to pay you double.”
The mechanic’s face brightened. “Will two o’clock be all right?”
“Wonderful. We’ll get something to eat and come back at two.”
Jaime turned to the others, who had been listening to the conversation in amazement. “We’re in luck,” Jaime said. “This man is going to fix the car for us. Let’s go eat.”
They got out of the car and followed Jaime down the street.
“Two o’clock,” the mechanic said.
“Two o’clock.”
When they were out of earshot, Felix said, “What are you doing? There’s nothing wrong with the car.”
Except that by now the police will be looking for it, Megan thought. But they’ll be looking on the road, not in a garage. It’s a clever way to get rid of it
“By two o’clock we’ll be gone, won’t we?” Megan asked.
Jaime looked at her and grinned. “I have to make a phone call. Wait here.”
Amparo took Jaime’s arm. “I’ll go with you.”
Megan and Felix watched them walk off.
Felix looked at Megan and said, “You and Jaime are getting along well, yes?”
“Yes.” She suddenly felt shy.
“He is not an easy man to know. But he is a man of great honor and great bravery. He is a very caring man. There is no one like him. Did I tell you how he saved my life, Sister?”
“No. I would like to hear.”
“A few months ago the government executed six freedom fighters. In revenge, Jaime decided to blow up the dam at Puente la Reina, south of Pamplona. The town below was headquarters for the army. We moved in at night, but someone tipped off the GOE, and Acoca’s men caught three of us. We were sentenced to die. It would have taken an army to storm our prison, but Jaime figured out a way. He set the bulls loose in Pamplona, and in the confusion got two of us away. The third one was beaten to death by Acoca’s men. Yes, Sister, Jaime Miró is very special.”
When Jaime and Amparo returned, Felix asked, “What is happening?”
“Friends are picking us up. We’ll have a ride into Vitoria.”
Half an hour later, a truck appeared. The back of it was covered by canvas.
“Welcome,” the driver said cheerfully. “Hop in.”
“Thank you, amigo.”
“It’s a pleasure to be of assistance to you, señor. It’s good that you called. The damned soldiers are swarming around like fleas. It is not safe for you and your friends to be out in the open.”
They climbed into the back of the truck, and the huge vehicle headed northeast.
“Where will you be staying?” the driver asked.
“With friends,” Jaime said.
And Megan thought: He doesn’t trust anyone. Not even someone who is helping him. But how can he? His life is in danger. And she thought of how terrible it must be for Jaime to be living under that shadow, running from the police and the army. And all because he believed in an ideal so much that he was willing to die for it. What was it he had said? The difference between a patriot and a rebel depends on who is in power at the moment
The ride was a pleasant one. The thin canvas cover offered security, and Megan realized how much fear she had felt when they were out in the open fields, knowing that they were all being hunted. And Jaime lives with that tension constantly. How strong he is.