"Crossing the Line"

PROLOGUE:

The suburban evening quiet is broken by a female voice. “Maria, are you sure you don’t need a ride home tonight?”

“No, Mrs. Randolph, is OK. I go on bus,” replies Maria.

“Okay, Maria! You have fun in Mexico at your cousin’s wedding. We’ll see you next month.”

“OK. Thank you,” replies Maria.

Maria still feels bad that she lied to Mrs. Randolph about going to a wedding in Mexico. She has worked for the Randolphs for over a year, and she knows the Randolphs took a risk by hiring her, since she does not have a work visa. But the situation in Arizona has gotten so bad that she has decided to flee to Canada, where there is more tolerance towards migrant workers. She will call Mrs. Randolph once she gets to Canada, and let her know that she won’t be coming back. Lost in thought, she heads towards the bus stop on Campbell Avenue, a short walk from the Randolph’s house through the historic neighborhood near the University of Arizona. Just as she crosses an alley entrance, she is grabbed from behind and feels several sharp pains in her chest. She is too frightened to scream and quickly loses consciousness. A darkly dressed figure carries her to a nearby vehicle and places her limp body onto a plastic tarp that has already been spread out inside the open trunk. The figure quickly closes the trunk of the car and gets into the driver’s seat. The car engine purrs to life and after slowly rolling to the opposite end of the alley, the headlights are illuminated and the vehicle quickly blends in with the late evening traffic.

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