The two nuns walked through a long tunnel about a mile long before coming to a long stair. Moving down, the three walked another half mile. Antonio thought they were moving north. Then, they went up some stairs and went through a metal door. Suddenly, the three were inside a garage, where a car was parked. A man sat in the front of the car. It resembled a military vehicle. Antonio felt confused and unsure. The entire day had been so emotional for him. "Carl will take you to a safe house. We are going another way and will meet you there. God be with you."
"And with you, Mothers." Antonio said and got into the car.
"Father, lie on the floor in the back as best you can. We are on the other side of Hunt Highway and we have to go to Queen's Creek. Do not talk."
Antonio did not realize that residents in the Chinese territories had cars. He did as he was told and the man threw a blanket over him.
In a half-hour, the car pulled up into a large plot of land in front of a small ranch house. "Go in, quickly."
Carl then got back into his car and left immediately. Antonio went into the small ranch house. There were mountains in the distance. In the large open room, the priest was immediately surrounded by ten nuns. They guided him to a room upstairs and told him to feel free to take a shower and sleep. Was he hungry? Did he need anything?
Antonio took a beautiful hot shower. The bathroom and the entire house was decorated Western style. He put on a robe laid out for him, and fell onto the bed. The priest slept from three in the afternoon until six the next morning. As he came downstairs, he realized that life was not exactly as one would expect in the Chinese Zone. Mother General came up to meet him. "I am sure you will say Mass for us later, Father, but have breakfast and we shall explain our situation. The two nuns he had seen on the hill were there as well. All sat down for a good old-fashioned American breakfast. Mother spoke quietly but quickly.
"We are the nuns who wrote to the Nuncio. We had great faith that he would send us and others a priest. We are in an area which is ignored by the Chinese simply because they are worn out and no longer care. Most of the soldiers have either left or become part of the communities. Some have even been killed by their own, as if there are warlords fighting over their own plots of land. They no longer feel connected to China here and feel abandoned by their own people. Indeed, they may be. There is a strong underground economy from Mexico and many Chinese have stopped being soldiers and are playing at business. That is how Carlos has such freedom and why we are protected, at least for now."
There is civil war as well. The locals have acquired guns and many Chinese have been killed, but the situation is unstable and unsafe on the whole. As we are cloistered, we do not get involved. I sent two of my nuns to the Mountain simply to find you and bring you back. We knew you would come."
Antonio drank some of the hot coffee. Even the mugs had Arizona themes on them. The house seemed to be someone's play house, all Western decor and painted in the colors of the desert. It was homey, but he did not feel safe. Was this really a safe house?
"Do you know what happened at the windmill? Do you know about Daniel Morales?"
Mother General spoke with some sadness. "There was a Father Daniel Morales. Someone found out that he had contacted the Nuncio for a priest to come join him. He worked more north of here. Sadly, when the Chinese discovered him, they killed him. But, they had also found out that a priest was coming, and were at the windmill to take you away or kill you."
"The fire, the little bomb?" Antonio asked. "That was done by our local underground possee. Carlos told us it was planned to kill the Chinese soldiers. Daniel Morales died three weeks ago, but we pray for him."
"I am glad he was not part of a trap," Antonio said softly. He wondered if this set-up could change day-by-day. He would say many Masses for this brave priest.
"Do you feel safe here, Mother?" Mother General smiled. "We are as safe as God wants us to be. But, we are living in the middle of a civil war. That is the truth."
Lousiana seemed like a far away resort compared to the complications here He had another question."How is it that Carl has a car and gasoline? Is he friendly with the army?"
"No, but he is a businessman with many contacts and his money has set up some ex-soldiers, deserters really, who have gone over to the Mexican side-a sort of opposite immigration, if you will. He is hiring many of there men and they are grateful. His car and gas are from Mexico and much of our food and necessities. We owe so much to him. And, now you are here."
Antonio knew this was perhaps the most dangerous situation he had ever encountered. But, the nuns needed him, and he had just crossed into an area which, many, many years ago had been the home of the American Guzmans. This was his territory.
to be continued....