Beware The Fury

by C. I. Lopez

  She reciprocated in kind, with a wry one-sided smile and a raised eyebrow. “Mr. President.”

  Sanchez entered the room from the balcony where he’d waited, and also acknowledged her presence, as she did his.

  “Please, everyone, sit down,” the President said as he sat behind his sizeable pretentious desk with a flag of his country flanking him at each side. “I have read your plan, Yasmin. May I call you Yasmin?”

  “Please,” Yasmin responded. “I’d prefer it.”

  “Yasmin,” the President continued. “I appreciate your intentions to continue doing your husband’s work, and your understanding of the importance of keeping my position as President, but you’re a woman. The rival gangs will take advantage of you and take over Tomas’ territory. Surely, you don’t have the stomach for your husband’s harsh ways of handling his enemies.”

  “Mr. President,” Yasmin responded. “You haven’t read this morning’s papers, have you?”

  “Actually, no, Yasmin. I spent my morning reading your proposal and pondering its feasibility.”

  “I can see you have the papers in front of you, Mr. President. If you open them, you will see that I understand the scope of the business at hand. I have proposed an extra incentive. It will ensure your re-election as well as the betterment of the people in the projects.” Yasmin paused. “You will read that Colonel Villalobos is seeking retirement soon. He is presently in the Intensive Care Unit at our local hospital after having suffered a cardiac arrest. I hope you can find the right man to replace him. From what I heard, he was bitten a couple of days ago by a juvenile fed-de-lance with almost no venom in its sack, but enough to affect his heart. A shame, isn’t it, Mr. President?”

  The President gasped in surprise, while Sanchez stood up, grabbing an untouched newspaper lying on the President’s desk. Sanchez flipped pages as he followed the front-page article about Villalobos through the sheets of the paper.

  “No, Yasmin, I didn’t know,” the President said. “How did you hear about it?”

  “It must have happened shortly after his visit to my house. He should have been more careful walking in the jungle at night. Vipers are not uncommon in our country, as you might know, Mr. President, I try to keep up with important news.”

  Sanchez finished reading the article, nodded his head at the President, and smiled at Yasmin, who sat unfazed, looking at the President.

  “Indeed, good news, Yasmin,” President Vargas said, without reading the article in the paper. “Villalobos was a friend of the Americans, eager to allow them into our country and place their own dictator in command. I can see that you understand the importance of our mutual cooperation, including your part under Mr. Sanchez’s organization.”

  Yasmin smiled but said nothing.

  Vargas said, “What is good for the economy of this country and that of several of our neighbors depends in large part on the drug trafficking and the other businesses you run. I see that you also understand the need to keep me in power and to keep the Americans from sending in their dogs and installing their own dictator.”

  Yasmin nodded.

  Vargas talked frankly. “As you might know, not too long ago, our country was ridden with gang wars which placed our innocent citizens in constant fear of death. Mr. Sanchez, together with your departed husband, Tomas Chacon, put an end to that reckless killing by ruling the drug trafficking, including the sales of weapons to embattled countries, and managing our casinos, with an iron hand, bringing peace and prosperity to our citizens and ourselves. With the drug dealing and the other businesses confined to certain areas, under the strict control of your departed husband, with the assistance of my protection.”

  “I’m confident we will continue to benefit from that protection, Mr. President.”

  “Yes, of course, but for you to conduct your business unopposed by the police, there is a price to be paid, you understand. It will provide you with the freedom you need. With Colonel Villalobos retired, we can accomplish that goal unaffected by his constant intervention, keeping our country safe and independent.” He paused and shook his head. “The man was a boy scout who refused to see things our way. His early retirement will open the way to peace and prosperity, keeping our country independent of foreign intervention. Good news indeed, Yasmin.” The President smiled.

  “Mr. President,” Yasmin said in an earnest voice, her green eyes intensifying in color as she spoke. “If you have any doubts about my ability to match and possibly surpass my husband’s power, I dare you to find his body. Winner takes all, and if I was able to defeat my husband, I can assure you I can deal with any enemy. At this very moment, you will find four decapitated bodies in your morgue and one head without a body. This should prove to you that I intend to continue my husband’s work. I have already added a new district to our operation, and I have installed new rules that will benefit the country, and most importantly, your re-election.”

  The President turned to Sanchez, who nodded slowly.

  Yasmin said, “Our coffers are overflowing. The decapitated bodies in your morgue belong to members of a neighboring gang, not one of Mr. Sanchez, whose territory we protect as ours. They also thought as you did; underestimating my dedication to the organization and my lack of fear for using violence. As I said, your proof is in the morgue.”

  “I believe we have an agreement,” the President said. This time he stood up to shake her hand.

  Sanchez agreed and also shook her hand, winking one meaningful wicked eye in her direction. “I hope to see you in Colombia soon, young lady. We have excellent accommodations.”

  Without responding, Yasmin left the building much as she had entered.

  After she was gone, the President looked at Sanchez, who had come to smooth things over if it had been necessary.

  Sanchez said, “There are rumors that the girl may be disturbed, but there is no doubt of her dedication to our cause as well as her ability to deal with violence.”

  “However,” the President said, “if the girl continues to be disturbed, it will carry over into her work, which is something quite unacceptable. You may assuage her, but hardly to the extent, she can. It’s the difference between thinking and feeling. Consider how much more difficult it is to change an emotion than thought. Even if she changes her mind, she can be assuaged to change it back again and cause a minimum of disruption in our organization. But if she’s soothed and stroked, she will end up purring and content like the cat who now sleeps peacefully on my chair.”

  The President patted Sanchez on the back in a manly conspiracy. “Goodbye, my friend.”

  “Goodbye, Mr. President,” Sanchez said but stopped halfway to the door. He looked back at the President. “Remember, Yasmin is a beautiful young woman, but Beware the Fury.”

  *

  “Boss Lady,” Belky said excitedly on Yasmin’s return to the house. “You must phone this man, urgently.” She handed over a piece of paper with a number scrawled across it.

  “Thank you,” Yasmin said. “Would you bring me coffee, please, Belky?”

  “Yes, Boss Lady—”

  “Oh, and Belky, please stop with the Boss Lady thing.” She gave the closest expression she could to a smile.

  “Yes, of course, Bos … Yasmin.” Belky’s girlish giggles echoed as she walked along the hall.

  Yasmin lifted the phone and dialed the number, trying to remember if she ought to know the district code. There was something about it, but she let the thought fade and pressed the speakerphone as she waited for a response.

  “Don Carlos Piti.” The name and the voice were unmistakable, even if the man sounded tired.

  “It’s Yasmin, Don Carlos … is there a problem with my visit to the memorial services tomorrow … I must attend … I was too ill for a while, but these were the three most important—”

  “Please, please, my dear … slow down and let me speak.” He sounded almost cheerful in comparison to when he answered the call. “It is nonetheless a tragedy, but we did not los
e all three of our beloved ones.”

  “But I was there … I saw—”

  “Federico has remained in a coma since arriving in hospital, and the wonders of science keep his body alive.”

  “I’m on my way, Don Carlos.” Yasmin dropped the phone as the maid entered the room with her coffee on a silver tray.

  “Your—”

  “You drink it, Belky.” Yasmin ran into the hallway, ignoring the intercom system and screamed, “Chilo—get my car ready!” She turned to see a startled Belky still standing with the silver tray and the coffee. “He’s alive, Belky. My Federico is alive.”

  “I thought you saw him dying, Boss … Yasmin.”

  “He’s in a coma and on life support, but he’s alive.”

  In an unprecedented act, the maid quickly placed the tray on a table and embraced her boss. “I’m so happy for you, Yasmin. You must go to him. You are more powerful than machines.”

  *

  Yasmin arrived at the hospital. She was taken to the private room and warned not to expect too much from her visit. The consultant kept her for a frustrating ten-minute conversation in an office, explaining the depth of Federico’s sleep.

  “Why can’t I go straight to his room, Doctor?”

  “In cases like this, we have a strict routine of checks, and you have arrived while they are underway. You can see the patient very soon.”

  “Is Federico aware of his visitors?”

  “I’m afraid Federico is completely dependent on the machines attached to him … Miss Sam—”

  “Yasmin, please, Doctor.”

  “Very well, Yasmin. I will be very honest. The young man should be dead, and most people who’ve been shot in a lung and had an artery severed near the heart would have been lost early. Whoever applied pressure soon after the bullets entered his body saved his life, or he would have died at the scene.”

  “You said that the paramedics brought him round twice.”

  “They did so in the ambulance, which was a miracle because we only have two vehicles so well-equipped in our small fleet. Federico was resuscitated again by our team here on his arrival and I was witness to the fight to save him. Your friend has come back from the dead more than once.”

  A light tap on the door captured their attention, and a pretty nurse nodded to the consultant.

  “Thank you, Maria,” the man said.

  Maria smiled at Yasmin before closing the door.

  The specialist led Yasmin along a corridor to a private room. “Please, don’t be alarmed at what you see, Yasmin. As I said, the machines are keeping Federico alive. You can stay for as long as you wish, but don’t touch anything. It is all monitored.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.” Yasmin entered slowly when the man pushed the door open. She stared at her true love as the door quietly clicked closed behind her. “Federico, I’ve come back for you.” Although tears rolled down her cheeks, her lips curled into a weak and rare smile as she stepped forward to the bedside.

  To one side of the bed, a stand with two transparent bags draped from it was supplying fluids, and the long thin tubes reached down and were attached to the sleeping casualty. Behind the stand was a bedside cabinet that had a large selection of cards from well-wishers.

  On the right side of the bed were four monitors, set like the quadrants of a square screen so that readings could be assessed rapidly. A variety of colored lines traced their monotonous but necessary journey from left to right. Digital figures registered, up and down, but with only a little variance in the values. Bleeps and whirrs were the predominant sounds. Still, omnipresent was the rise and fall of a contraption that was breathing for Federico.

  Yasmin was careful not to touch anything as she leaned over and gently kissed her man’s forehead. “I love you, Federico.” She was so pleased to see that he had a chance it buoyed her hopes, and she smiled at him. “You’re not getting out of it this time … we’re getting married.”

  For an hour, Yasmin sat on a chair beside the bed, holding Federico’s hand. At first, she had been quiet and was relieved that he didn’t die from his injuries. Then as recent history played back in her mind, she related all that had happened since Tomas arrived at the house.

  It was two hours after Yasmin’s visit started that the door opened quietly and Maria, the nurse entered.

  “I’ve brought you coffee, and you really should get something to eat too.”

  “Thank you.” Yasmin accepted the drink and sipped. “Have you been attending to Federico for long, Maria?”

  “I’ve been a part of his support team since he came in. We work shifts but tend to the same patients every day.” She lifted a clipboard and made notes on it as she checked the monitors. “May I ask, are you, Yasmin, the girl who was abducted?”

  “Yes, I am, but before I was taken, I was betrothed to Federico.” She turned briefly to smile at her boyfriend. “I suppose you’ve read about me in the newspapers.”

  “I have, but your story has meant much more to me. I was at the Patron Saint’s festival three years ago … the same one as you.”

  “Really? I should know you.”

  “We are the same age, but I had only recently moved to the village and had no wish for a boyfriend. I wanted to study to be a nurse.”

  “You are very pretty, so I’m surprised that nobody has enticed you into marriage.”

  “I have put off boys for a while because at our festival I was pestered by a boy called Toni Alfonso. After the main activities, he harassed other girls our age while we were all so happy and everybody was celebrating.”

  Yasmin’s smile faded. “What happened?”

  “One of the older boys pulled him aside and told him to stay away from us, and he left the festival, probably a bit angry that he didn’t get his way with a young girl. I found out later that he was a bad influence.”

  “Is this … Toni person still around?”

  “No, he’s not around, and I think it’s safe to say that his character is undergoing a change. He’s in a place where he’ll have time to reflect and repent.”

  Yasmin was intrigued. “What has happened? How does somebody like that change his character?”

  “It’s simple, really, he got caught.” Maria said. “A teenage girl was raped a few months ago but the attacker could not be found. The brave girl reported the matter and went to the hospital for tests. A month later Toni Afonso attempted to rape a teenage girl, but this one had two brothers, and they arrived on the scene.” The nurse smiled. “Toni was in a room like this for about two weeks before he could move his own arms and legs.”

  “Are you telling me that the severe beating has changed him?”

  “No. While he was in here having tests it was found that his DNA matched him to two unsolved rapes. When he left hospital, he was arrested and charged for his crimes. He was given a ten-year long sentence and sent to La Joya prison. The prison governor has two teenage daughters and has a very low opinion of men who attack girls. From what I heard, Toni Alfonso was placed into the general population of the institution, where he is now an attractive young man among some very big and desperate men.”

  Yasmin’s lips parted silently as the information sunk in.

  Maria hung up her clipboard, smiled at Yasmin and left.

  Yasmin felt elated that eventually, her rapist would learn firsthand how brutal it was to be subjected to a sexual assault. She turned to look at her man again. “There is such a thing as karma, my love, and you will learn about it because we will be married.” She squeezed his hand.

  Ten minutes after Maria left the room, the door opened, and a family friend stood there. “Yasmin, my dear.”

  “Don Carlos.” Yasmin stood and embraced the man when they met halfway across the room.

  The pair talked for a short while, discussing what they’d been told about Federico’s condition and his chances of survival and a full recovery. They both knew it was doubtful, but likewise, they both hoped for divine intervention.

  Don C
arlos stood to go. “There will be a memorial service with a proper burial for your sister Eva and for Santos in a couple of days, and we would like to invite you to attend.”

  “Why, of course, I’ll be there, but I thought that was done while I was too ill to attend. I appreciate that a mass of remembrance can be done now that I am here.” Yasmin stood, shaking her head. “We must honor their memory.”

  Don Carlos held her by the shoulders. “I had a mysterious call this morning, perhaps an hour after I spoke to you. The person on the other end said that they would deliver our loved ones prepared for burial.”

  Yasmin squinted. “What? I don’t understand, Don Carlos.”

  “The man who called said that there would be two caskets delivered and the bodies would be prepared. I told him it was a cruel hoax to say such a thing, but he assured me that there would be proof of the identities.”

  Yasmin nodded and tried to think about how such a thing could be possible. Prince, she thought to herself, of course.

  Don Carlos kissed her softly on the forehead. “Meanwhile, be strong for your beloved.”

  *

  Yasmin took the advice she was given on her first visit. She stayed at the hospital for a few hours and then left to book herself into a hotel. Apart from going to eat or to catch up on sleep, she spent every waking hour at Federico’s bedside.

  On the third day of her visit, Yasmin was visited at the hospital by Detective Mendoza. He explained that two beautiful pine caskets were delivered to the local funeral parlor by four anonymous men.

  “What proof do we have that the bodies inside are those of my loved ones, Detective?”

  “On one casket, a small brass plate bears the name ‘Lieutenant Santos Sosa’. On the other is a brass plate which says ‘Eva Sosa Samudio and her dead fetus’.” He paused. “In a small package handed to the man who turned up to open the funeral parlor, there were these two rings.” He held up a tiny clear evidence bag that contained the unmistakable wedding rings, clearly inscribed ‘Forever’ inside each.

  Yasmin burst into tears. “Thank you, Detective. Was there more we could do … to be sure?”