by Brock Booher
Julio’s hair throbbed at the roots, and he still struggled to breathe from Sergio’s sucker punch to the stomach. The knife blade was cold against his skin, but so far, his diversion had worked better than he expected. He only hoped Angelica would know when to make her move without getting caught.
It didn’t take long before Julio heard the soft click of the back door lock, followed by methodical footsteps that could only be Isak’s. The room grew silent as his footsteps echoed off the tile floor. Sergio sat up and several of los mALditos straightened up like soldiers snapping to attention. Turco moved closer, and Julio felt Sergio tighten his grip as Isak strolled around and took a position in front of them. Isak wore a suit coat and his face was smug. He glanced around the room and folded his arms. “How can I help you?” asked Isak. His voice was calm and almost courteous.
“We heard you give money to less fortunate children,” answered Sergio. “Due to circumstances beyond our control, my brothers and I are less fortunate. We are needy, and I’m sure you won’t mind helping us.” He pressed the blade harder against Julio’s throat.
“Hmmm,” mused Isak. “Well, we are not accustomed to helping everyone who just shows up uninvited. We require a physical examination and a medical history check, and you must be chipped. I could schedule you and your brothers for an exam with our lovely Doctor Kozyar,” said Isak with a shrug.
Sergio whistled. “The redhead? I wouldn’t mind playing doctor with her.” The other gang members laughed. “Unfortunately, we don’t have time for that today.”
“Then sadly I must inform you that there isn’t much I can do for you. According to our charter with the United Nations, we aren’t allowed to give money without following the established protocols.”
Sergio nodded at Esqueleto.
Esqueleto yanked the nearest computer, held it over his head for a moment, and smashed it against the floor. The girl he had chased into the bathroom screamed and started to sob.
Isak sighed. “I see. If I don’t give you what you want, you will break my computers.” Isak shook his head. “You are so persuasive.” He unfolded his arms and pointed at Sergio. “Look, before you break any more computers or threaten anyone else, how much money do you want?”
“Oh, let’s see . . . how about ten thousand soles?” said Sergio.
Isak reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a large silver cross on a thick silver chain, like the one he had given Comandante Ugarteche. “How about a thousand euros? The Peruvian sol has become so worthless. Don’t you think?” He tossed the cross at his feet. “That cross has a free chip with one thousand euros on it.” Isak crossed his arms.
Julio could feel Sergio loosen his grip as he leaned forward in his chair to look at the silver cross. “I think we could settle for that amount,” said Sergio. He nodded his head at the cross. “Turco, pick it up and see if it has a chip inside.”
Turco pocketed his knife, lumbered over to Isak, and eagerly bent over to pick up the cross. As if choreographed to match Turco’s timing, Isak unfolded his arms and drew a gun from under his coat. In a split second the gun was at Turco’s head. Los mALditos froze as they heard the unmistakable click of the hammer moving into the firing position.
“Shall I kill one of your brothers, or can we trade a life for a life?” asked Isak. “Release Julio and I will let your brother live.” His face had steeled over, and the sparkle in his eyes had become a penetrating primeval stare.
Julio could feel Sergio’s hands start to tremble. Through the knife blade he could feel the tension in Sergio’s muscles. “If I release him, how do I know you will let us go?” asked Sergio. His voice had become tight and tinny.
“As a show of good faith, I will allow all of your other brothers to leave,” said Isak. “I won’t even charge you for the computer.”
Julio felt Sergio twist in his seat to look at the other members of the gang. “What about Turco?” asked Sergio.
“If I let him go, what do I have to bargain with?”
For a moment the standoff hung in the balance. Then Sergio barked, “Váyanse!” Los mALditos scrambled through the front door and into the street.
Isak continued to command the situation. “Children,” he ordered in a calm voice, “everyone go to the kitchen with Carmen. Everything will be fine. Go on.” Carmen ushered everyone else into the kitchen and closed the door.
Turco hadn’t moved a muscle since he heard the click of the hammer, and his muscles began to spasm. A bead of sweat ran down his nose and dripped onto the floor. His body started to shake. “Let him go, Sergio!” he pleaded.
“Yes, let him go, Sergio, and don’t bother him anymore,” said Isak. “Otherwise, I will put a bullet into this poor slob’s head and a few rounds into you before you even know what happened.”
Sergio pulled Julio closer and sat up in his chair. “I let him go when you lower the gun,” said Sergio, trying to sound commanding, but his voice was shaky.
Without taking his eyes off Sergio, Isak gently returned the hammer of the gun to the ready position and lowered the gun to his side. Turco let out a whimper and inched his way into the erect position as if trying to move away from a cornered snake without agitating it into action.
Sergio dropped the blade from Julio’s throat and released the grip on his hair, but instead of moving slowly like Turco, Sergio shoved Julio aside and jumped to his feet. Before Sergio could stand all the way up, four shots echoed through the study area.
Julio crumpled to the floor and rolled over onto his stomach. He covered his head with his hands as the shots rang out. When he dared to look up, he saw Isak standing motionless with the gun still held in the firing position with both hands. The foreigner’s eyes smoldered and the muscles on his face were tight. He still pointed the gun at Turco. The smell of burned gunpowder lingered in the air and Julio’s ears were ringing.
Turco lay on his back with his face turned toward Julio. A serene look of shock had replaced the usual scowl. He looked as if he had been afraid, but the muscles in his face no longer responded to the emotional signals. His open eyes were motionless and lifeless, but his body twitched. Blood had begun to soak the front of his shirt.
Sergio had fallen back into the chair. His arms hung limp at his sides, and he still clutched his knife. Blood splattered the back of the chair. His legs were tangled together as if they had crumpled suddenly, and they twitched as if trying to untangle themselves and take flight.
Julio shivered. A wave of guilt washed over him as he stared at the two lifeless bodies. I should have never involved them.
Isak swept the room with his weapon looking for any other attackers, then secured and holstered it under his jacket. He exhaled forcefully and took a deep breath. He looked down. “Julio, are you okay?” His penetrating blue eyes seemed to pulse with energy. His typical smug smile broke across his face as he extended his hand.
Julio grabbed Isak’s large hand and stood on wobbly legs. His ears still rang, and he felt a chill. He shook his head like he was trying to wake up from a bad dream. He stared at the two dead bodies and tried to focus. His stomach churned, and he rushed to the bathroom and threw up several times. When he was done emptying his stomach, he splashed cold water on his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He remembered Angelica and checked his phone. He had three texts.
I’m in.
I planted the mole.
Were those gunshots?
He responded, I’ll call you later. I’m okay.
He tucked the phone into his pocket and shuffled back into the study area like a zombie. Doctor Kozyar was attending to the two bodies, and Carmen was ushering everyone else from the building. Isak was on the phone. I need to get out of here. Julio started for the door.
“Julio, wait,” commanded Isak. “I need you to help with the police report. Take a seat at a table.”
Julio obeyed and sat at a lunch table, staring at the wall.
Carmen brought him a glass of water. “This should help
settle your stomach,” she said as he patted him on the back. “I’m glad you’re not hurt.” She put a hand on his shoulder and hovered over him like a mother hen.
Isak finished his phone call and walked over. “Were these the same gang scumbags that shaved your eyebrow?”
Julio nodded.
“I think they will leave you alone now.” He turned to Doctor Kozyar and spoke to her in a foreign language. She left Sergio’s body and started over toward Julio. Carmen patted Julio on the shoulder and stood beside him.
“Let’s have Doctor Kozyar check you out,” said Isak as he nodded at Doctor Kozyar. Carmen stepped back and stood wringing her hands.
“Remove jacket,” ordered Doctor Kozyar. Her eyes were blank and her face devoid of any emotion. Julio slipped off his jacket, and she began to exam him.
“I see you’re an Alianza fan,” commented Isak. “They play respectable soccer.”
Julio nodded.
Isak slipped off his jacket and revealed his shoulder holster with the black gun. He hung his jacket on the back of the chair opposite of Julio and sat down. “The police are on their way. I need you to tell them that these two thugs forced their way in at knifepoint. I need you to explain to the officer that they have been harassing you,” he said as Doctor Kozyar slipped her cold hand under his shirt and listened with her stethoscope. “Show them your eyebrow. You need to tell the police that they attacked me.” Isak leaned forward and stared at Julio with his penetrating stare. “They threatened you, and they attacked me with knives. Got it?”
Julio nodded.
“Nothing wrong,” said Doctor Kozyar as she slipped her stethoscope into her lab coat pocket and eyed the two dead bodies.
Isak smiled at Julio. “Good. Thank you, Doctor. You may continue your work.” Doctor Kozyar hurried to her office.
Isak glanced over at the bodies of Turco and Sergio, and then leaned back and shook his head. “You should have let me pay them a visit after they shaved your eyebrow. Their kind only understands one thing.” He patted the gun in his holster. “Superior firepower.”
Isak stood and put back on his jacket. Doctor Kozyar emerged from her office pushing a small cart with medical equipment and began preparing the bodies. Isak strolled over and retrieved the silver cross. He held it up by the chain and then tucked into his coat pocket. He collected the four brass shells and pocketed them as well. He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and looked down at his handiwork for a moment. He shook his head and shrugged.
“Carmen, can you bring me a broom?” Carmen nodded and retrieved a broom and dustpan from the kitchen. Isak began cleaning up the broken computer. Carmen put a hand on Julio’s shoulder and stood beside him.
Julio heard the unmistakable sound of Isabela’s heels against the tile floor. The fashion model secretary strutted through the door. A policeman in a black uniform followed closely behind her. He only looked up when she stopped to direct him to Isak. The policeman smiled at Isabela before continuing over to the bodies of Sergio and Turco. Isabela glanced over at the scene and checked her nails. “The police are here,” she announced. Carmen slipped into the kitchen.
Comandante Ugarteche strolled in through the front door wearing a lightweight jacket with his hands in his pockets and a badge clipped to his waist. He stared at Isabela, but not like the uniformed policeman. It was a confident, hungry stare of someone accustomed to getting what he wanted. He smiled at her, and she looked down. He stopped beside her and whispered something. Isabela laughed softly and turned for the door. The comandante watched her leave, his hands still tucked into his pockets.
“Comandante Ugarteche, so nice of you to stop by,” said Isak from across the room.
The comandante turned to face Isak, but in the turn his eyes caught Julio at the table. The detective did a double take before he continued over to speak with Isak.
Julio eyed the door. I should go. I could slip out while they’re talking, but I don’t have my skateboard. He wondered what the comandante would tell Isak. Instead of leaving, he drank the glass of water and decided he had no other choice but to wait and see.
The uniformed policeman began taking pictures of the bodies. Isak and the comandante stood next to the computer Esqueleto had smashed and spoke quietly. Doctor Kozyar emerged from her office with two black bags and tossed them on the floor next to the lifeless bodies. Isak put a hand on the comandante’s shoulder and pulled him close. With his free hand, Isak pulled the silver cross from his pocket and with one smooth motion deposited it into the comandante’s jacket pocket. Julio felt trapped and helpless like he did the night he was arrested.
Isak and Comandante Ugarteche strolled past Turco’s body and approached Julio. “This is the young man they held hostage at knife point,” said Isak. “His name is Julio.”
Comandante Ugarteche stuck out his hand and smiled at Julio like he was welcoming him to church. “Nice to meet you, Julio.”
Julio forced a smile and shook the comandante’s hand.
“These two gang members have been harassing Julio for a while now,” said Isak as he pointed at Sergio and Turco’s bodies. He reached out and tilted Julio’s head back with his large hand. “See what they did to his eyebrow?” he asked, turning Julio’s head to show the comandante the shaved eyebrow. The comandante nodded and listened with his hands still in pockets.
The uniformed policeman and Doctor Kozyar opened the first black body bag and began sliding Turco in feet first.
Isak glanced over and continued. “Today they held him at knife point and forced their way into the building using the chip in Julio’s hand. Then the leader of the group, the one in the chair, held a knife to his throat and demanded money from Caritas.” Isak shrugged. “I negotiated with them. They broke one of our computers.” He pulled back his jacket and exposed the shoulder holster with the black weapon. “Using my powers of persuasion, I convinced them to release Julio and leave, but as soon as they released Julio the leader lunged at me with the knife.” Isak shook his head and threw up his hands. “I was left with no choice. I had to defend myself.”
Comandante Ugarteche chuckled. “You talk like an accused man. As far as I’m concerned, two pandilleros are dead, and the world is a better place.”
“Of course the security footage will validate my testimony,” said Isak.
“I don’t think the security footage will be necessary.” The Comandante stared at Julio. “But I would like to corroborate the events through another witness. Is that what happened, Julio?”
Julio glanced over. Turco’s body bag was zipped up tight. Doctor Kozyar was stuffing Sergio’s body into the other black bag headfirst. Julio looked back at the comandante and nodded.
“Ah, very well then. I’ll have the officer put it all in his report.” The comandante extended his hand to Julio again. “A pleasure to meet you, Julio. I don’t think the gang will be bothering you anymore, but be careful.” He smiled at Julio. “La Victoria is a dangerous neighborhood, and I am a fan of La U.”
Julio couldn’t force another smile, but shook his hand and said nothing.
Carmen emerged from the kitchen with a mop and a bucket of bleach water. The antiseptic smell wafted across the room as she drew close to the bodies and began to mop the floor.
Isak walked over and interceded. “This is my mess, Carmen. I will take care of it.” He took the mop from her and dropped it into the bucket. “Why don’t you go home for the day?” He took her by the arm and escorted her back to the kitchen.
“Of course, señor,” answered Carmen. She looked over at the body bags and shook her head. “It’s such a waste.” She crossed herself and slipped into the kitchen.
“That’s why our program must go on,” responded Isak. “We are making a difference in the lives of forgotten children before they get involved in gangs.”
Carmen exited the kitchen and closed the door. “I know, señor, but it still breaks my heart. They were so young.” She glanced over at the two bodies. “Who will prov
ide them a proper funeral? Do they even have a family?”
Isak shrugged and shook his head. “That is a matter for the authorities.” He took her by the arm and gently ushered her to the front door. “Hasta mañana, señora,” he said as she left. Then he turned to Julio.
“Thank you, Julio. You are also free to go,” he said.
Julio could hear the suggestion in Isak’s voice. He stood and slipped on his jacket. Sergio and Turco lay side by side in black body bags in the middle of the room with tubes connecting to the medical machine. Doctor Kozyar stood over them like a farmer selling produce at the marketplace. The smell of bleach lingered in the air. He left the water glass on the table and slipped out the front door.
Light rain was still falling when he crossed the street to look for his skateboard, but it was gone. He pulled his hood over his head and started walking, not even noticing or caring about the rain. He had walked for several blocks before he realized he wasn’t sure where he was going. He looked around and saw that he was a few blocks from Angelica’s apartment. He pulled out his phone and called her.
Angelica answered after the first ring. “Where have you been? Are you okay?” she screamed over the phone.
“I’m fine,” he answered without emotion.
“What happened? I heard gunshots.”
“Look, I’ll explain everything. Can you meet me at the plaza?”
“Of course, sure. Well, at least I can. Martín seems to be very preoccupied. Apparently the mole is working as advertised and he is trying to capture as much data as possible before it gets discovered.”
“Great. Meet me at the plaza.” Julio hung up without waiting for a reply.
The smell of roasting chickens hung in the moist night air as Julio passed Roky’s and crossed the street looking for Angelica. His stomach was empty, but he had no appetite. The plaza was deserted because of the rain, and he could see her standing alone in front of the statue of Manco Cápac. She had a skateboard under her arm—his skateboard.
“You grabbed my skateboard,” said Julio with a big smile as he walked up.