The girl just studied the antique cell phone in her hand as if was some kind of an alien artifact. “What is this?”
“It’s a cell phone. You can call and text on it.” Nero turned back in his seat and glanced over at Tanya and shrugged. “What more do you need on a phone?”
“Games and movies,” Bailey said from the backseat.
“And don’t forget Facebook.” Tanya chuckled. “Need your social media.”
“Social media." Nero smirked. “Look, Blanca, you can call your brother on it.”
“You sure?” Blanca said in Spanish as she careful flipped the phone open. It took her a few minutes to remember Salazar’s number before she began punching it in.
“Don’t tell me you have one of those fancy cell phones, Tanya?” Nero asked the brunette as she drove the fancy SUV.
“Oh yes. It had all the bells and whistles.” She gave Nero a big smile. “We had to get rid of them before we crossed the border.”
“Don’t tell me you’re an American fugitive, Tanya?”
“I’m not.” She winked. “I’ll tell you all about it some time. Maybe we’ll even get you one of those modern cell phones.”
“We’ll see.”
“What do you think of this car, Bailey?” Tanya asked. “Pretty nice.”
“Comfortable as hell but I sure do miss the Impala,” she said sadly. “Had that car since I was eighteen; I helped my dad rebuild it.”
“I’m sorry, Bailey,” Tanya said, glancing in the rear view mirror.
“Maybe it’s for the better. I had some good memories tied up in it but there were also a lot of bad memories too.” Bailey leaned back in the cushy leather seats. “After this whole trip, I think it’s time for a change. Why don’t you find us something good on the radio, Nero?”
“Your phone doesn’t work.” Blanca closed the lid and tossed the phone back to Nero. “I need to get to the compound.”
“No can do,” Nero said. “That place is crawling with flesh eating monsters, or demons, or whatever.”
“We're not heading back there, sweetie.” Tanya nodded.
“My brother…” Blanca dropped her head.
“We have company.” Nero had reached over to turn on the radio and had gotten a glimpse of headlights in the rearview camera. Another SUV was gaining on them from behind.
“Someone else leaving the compound?” Bailey turned to look out the back window. The crack of a handgun and the thump of a round smashing into the rear of the Range Rover answered her question.
“Shit.” Nero checked his handgun and saw he only had a few rounds left. “Bailey, could you please reach in my pack and grab me out a couple of magazines?”
“Crap!” Tanya cursed as a bullet smashed into her side view mirror. “That’s too damn close!”
Bailey quickly rooted around in Nero’s backpack. He had a lot of gear inside and, to her surprise, two boxed collector Barbie’s. Shaking her head, she found the magazines for Nero’s handgun and wasted no time in handing them to the big man.
“What’s with the Barbie’s?” Bailey asked.
“For my daughters,” Nero said, slamming a loaded magazine into his pistol and then quickly pressed down the passenger window control.
“That’s sweet of you,” Tanya said.
“The only thing my pop gave me was a chew toy. Mister Steak-bone.” Bailey shook her head. “I hope your daughters appreciate you.”
“They don’t. What teenager does?” Nero leaned out the window and fired on the approaching vehicle. The other SUV swerved then returned fire. The back window of the Range Rover exploded. Both girls in the back screamed and Tanya momentarily lost control of the Range Rover, sending it into a slide on the gravel. The SUV slipped off the road and slammed into a drainage ditch. The GMC Yukon pulled in several feet behind the wrecked Range Rover.
“Get down!” Nero told the women as he shoved open the passenger's door and rolled out into the ditch holding his M-16 at the ready. The headlights of the other vehicle illuminated the crashed Range Rover. Two men climbed out of the SUV carrying AR-15’s.
“You fucking sluts thought you could get away!” Domingo shouted as he leveled the automatic rifle at the Range Rover and fired. The other cartel man did the same. Bullets ventilated the expensive SUV as the women hugged the floor of the vehicle. Nero was able to get a bead on the man on the passenger side of the Yukon and fired. Rounds caught the thug in the chest and he was thrown backwards like he’d been shoved down by a giant hand. As Nero climbed out of the ditch, he slipped and fell face forward slamming his head hard into the Range Rovers door. The ex-soldier crumpled back into the ditch unconscious. Domingo noticed his partner had stopped firing and he glanced over at where he should have been.
“Paco!” he shouted. “Paco!”
Domingo angrily shook his head. Pain shot through the cartel man’s left shoulder where one of those demons inside the compound had bitten him. Earlier, the cartel lieutenant stumbled into the parking lot looking for the American women. He’d gotten a glimpse of Tanya driving off in the white Range Rover right before the demons had found him.
Paco had saved Domingo from being totally devoured by a group of the hungry demons that had overrun that damned parking lot. In return for saving him, Domingo had talked the low level cartel thug into coming with him to capture the American women. He also promised Paco a piece of whatever was left of them when he was done having his fun. The bite wound throbbed like hell and it was making Domingo feel a little light-headed. Whatever the junkie had that bit him was now infecting him.
“Come out, ladies! I just want to have some fun!” Domingo chuckled and fired off more rounds into the vehicle. The cartel man had no idea Nero was with them; if he did, he wouldn’t have been so careless. “Come on ladies! I won’t hurt you! I promise.”
Bailey pushed the shivering teenage girl down closer to the floor. Glass and pieces of sheet metal covered the interior and the women. “Quiet, Blanca,” she whispered.
“Bailey, stay down,” Tanya said as she slowly started to open the driver's door.
“Come on, ladies! Come out. I promise I won’t hurt any of you.”
“I’ll come out!” Tanya said, wondering where the hell Nero was. “Just don’t shoot.”
“Don't worry. I want you… alive,” Domingo said lewdly, his vision was starting to blur and he swore he could see two Tanya’s now. “Twins?” The thug smirked as he waved the rifle back and forth.
As Tanya stepped out of the Range Rover, she noticed Domingo was having a hard time focusing. The rifle was slowly dropping lower and lower as he would glance over at Tanya then back over at her immediate left. Realizing this was her chance, Tanya pulled the .38 from out of her waistband and fired two shots into Domingo's chest.
“Ah, fuck,” Domingo grumbled as he fell back against the SUV then dropped down to the gravel road on his ass. The automatic rifle dropped from his hands.
“Asshole!” Tanya said, wiping the cold sweat from her face. She turned back to the vehicle and pulled open the bullet-riddled passenger door. Both women stared up at her with big eyes. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” She extended her hand to Blanca; the girl took it and Tanya helped her out. Bailey opened the passenger side door and climbed out.
“You are a badass, Tanya.”
“Bailey, I just didn’t want to die at the hands of that asshole.” She looked around. “Where’s Nero?”
“I’m over here.” The tall man stumbled over to the three women. He rubbed his head where he’d struck the car door. “I knocked myself out,” he said, embarrassed.
“You okay, Nero?” Bailey grabbed his arm and helped him steady himself.
“Yeah. Good shooting, Tanya.”
“Couldn’t think of a more deserving person.” Tanya turned and looked at the Range Rover that had several hundred holes in it. “Think the warranty will cover bullet holes?”
“In Mexico?” Bailey walked over to the bad guys rig. “Probably.”
&nbs
p; “Whores!” Domingo shouted from the driver's side of the big Yukon SUV. He coughed and wheezed. “Whores…”
“Domingo.” Nero stepped around the front of the vehicle and glanced down at the dying cartel thug. “I thought you would be dead by now.”
“You…” Domingo wiped some blood from his lips and slowly shook his head. "Solidado. Salazar's pet. Ha. I guess you,”—he coughed again, spitting up blackish blood—“I guess you are loving this…”
“Loving this? No. Enjoying it? Yes.”
Blanca, hearing the drug lieutenant’s name, ran over to where he lay.
“Domingo?”
“Ah Blanca…” He smiled and tried to raise a bloody hand to her.
“I thought you loved me!” she said angrily. “I thought you wanted me. I’m having your baby! Now you’re trying to chase these women down to rape them? You pig!” Blanca spit on him and slapped him in the face.
“Blanca… you bitch… you are just another whore!” He chuckled and black blood ran from his mouth. “I never gave a shit about you. The baby will probably be a fucking whore like you!” He coughed.
Blanca shook her head and grabbed up the AR-15 at her feet. She aimed the rifle at Domingo’s chest.
“No, Blanca! I did not mean—” The young girl pulled the trigger, emptying the magazine into the thug's chest. With a surprised look on his face, Domingo fell over on his side.
“Puto!” Blanca tossed the rifle to the ground.
“Shit girl.” Bailey smirked. “I'll remember not to piss you off.”
“We’ve wasted enough time, ladies.” Nero glanced over at the wrecked Range Rover. “Looks like we are swapping out rides. Let me grab my gear out of the Rover and we’ll get going.” He turned to look at Blanca. “You still need to call your brother?”
“No.” She wiped some tears from her eyes. “I am good.”
Nero just nodded and hurried over to the Range Rover. He grabbed his big pack out of the passenger seat and returned to the cartel SUV. He pulled open the passenger side door and threw his gear into the middle seat. He noticed in the rear cargo area there was a big canvas tarp covering something. He walked over to the back of the Yukon and opened one of the rear doors. He lifted up some of the tarp and saw several big crates. Curious, Nero proceeded to open one of the larger containers.
“What is that?” Tanya asked as she and Bailey walked over to where the Nero was busy nosing around.
“Looks like…” He removed the lid and reached inside. “A box of AK-47’s.” He held up one of the Russian rifles.
“Nice.” Tanya smiled.
“Five more inside,” Nero said, handing one to Tanya then another to Bailey. “Looks like we have several thousand rounds of ammo too.” He tapped another crate with the back of his hand. “Seems our buddy, Domingo, was skimming from Bob the Butcher.”
“Can’t trust a cartel member, who can you trust?” said Tanya, slamming one of the magazines Nero had given her into the Russian rifle.
“Guy was a total dick,” Baylie said, taking a loaded magazine from the former soldier. “I don’t know what that kid saw in him.”
“Sometimes you make bad choices.” Tanya rolled the rifle around in her hands. “No more.”
“You ever fire on of these, Bailey?” Nero asked. The younger woman shook her head no. “Well, let me give you a crash course.” He then proceeded to quickly show her how to work the rifle. “Got it?”
“Yes, thanks.”
There was a scream from the front of the SUV and the sound of a car door slamming. All three of them made a sprint for the front of the vehicle.
Bailey was the first to reach the driver's side of the SUV. Domingo, or what had once been Domingo, was pounding on the driver’s side window. Blanca had been able to jump inside the Yukon when the thug had suddenly reanimated. With a fist wet with black blood, Domingo hungrily slapped the window. Bailey quickly raised the rifle and squeezed the trigger. The AK-47 stitched the undead cartel man from the waist up to the head. The rounds exploded Domingo’s skull into a mush of brain matter and bones. The dead man tumbled a few feet then just lay there unmoving.
“Oh shit,” Bailey said, dropping the rifle to her side.
“You all right, Bailey?” Tanya asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.
“Yes.” She glanced up at Nero. “Did you see that?”
“Yes,” Nero said as he walked over to Domingo’s still corpse. He gave the twice dead cartel man a hard kick in the side then looked back at the two women. “You did the right thing, Bailey.”
“Uh huh.” She looked down at the rifle in her hands. “I don’t think they’re demons, Nero.”
Nero slowly nodded then bent down and grabbed Domingo by the shoulders. He now knew that he had to find his daughters. Whatever evil was happening, no one was safe. The former Narco soldier dragged the cartel man’s bullet-riddled body over to the edge of the drainage ditch. Using a booted foot, he pushed the horrible corpse over the side and into the slimy water. Trying to get the stink of Domingo off him, Nero quickly rubbed his hands together and looked up at the three young women. “So, Mazatlan?”
THEY MUST BE REALLY SHITFACED
CAMACHO’S COMPOUND
When Salazar’s grenade launcher ran dry he knew he wouldn’t be able to reload it before the gringos were upon him. The cartel boss dropped the useless weapon to the ground and turned to run. Bullets started to smash into the building next to him as the soldiers resumed firing on his position. Cursing, Salazar sprinted for the cover of another building. He knew it was too late to finish off the Americans and that his only choice was to make a break for it. The new cartel boss figured he could escape the compound and come back in the morning once the gringo’s had left. He’d tried for some payback but now he only wanted to live to fight another day. He would rain hell and payback on the Americans by increased drug exports and border violence.
Salazar knew there was an escape tunnel nearby and he could seek some refuge in that. Bob kept his personal Hummer parked and ready to go in a covered garage nearby. It was tempting to take it but he thought the big gaudy vehicle would only draw attention to the fact that he was running away like a bitch. However, many men he had left in the compound would think him a coward and that would be bad. Worse yet would be if Gloria ever got wind of his cowardice; she’d… well; it would also be very bad for him. Salazar also knew that his survival was the main thing. The cartel boss was a coward, he was fine with it; he just didn’t want anyone else to know. Tunnel safe room it was; at least he’d be safe from the soldiers and that damned muzak of Black's that still blared through the P.A. system. Salazar hoped that Black was dead. If the American was still alive, maybe when this was all over he could hire someone to kill the millionaire asshole. Kill him real slow.
Camacho had a safe room in the main escape tunnel. The little kingpin had it made for scenarios similar to this one—whatever the hell this one was. The room had a secured door, weapons, and food. He’d hang down there until he felt everything was under control again. He didn’t know why the other cartel men were fighting. He assumed it was just a drunken skirmish among several of his hired guns. Whatever it was he’d fix it later, right now he just wanted to be safe. Breathing hard, Salazar started to slow his run. The tunnel wasn’t too far away now; he knew he would make it.
The cartel man quickly changed his mind as he heard the crack of a rifle behind him. The round crashed into the back of his left thigh and pushed him down onto his stomach. Salazar slid a few feet then rolled onto his side grabbing his destroyed leg. The thug had never felt such a terrible pain in his life.
“Fuck!” Salazar growled as he rolled back and forth in agony. He opened his tear soaked eyes and stared down at his bloody, ruined left leg. He sobbed and flopped over onto his belly with a groan. Pain burned straight through what was left of his wounded thigh. Crying, Salazar began slowly crawling toward the entrance to the tunnel. As much pain as he was in, he wasn’t about to let the fucking gring
o’s win out. He pulled himself along the cobblestone ground inch by excruciating inch. Blood freely flowed down the cobblestones from the big hole in his upper leg. The cloying smell of death abruptly filled the thick late night air. Salazar wrinkled his nose at the offensive odor and wondered if it was real or was he in shock from being wounded. Seconds later, the drug boss had his answer; a group of obviously drunk cartel men and women appeared from one of the alleyways behind the outer buildings. The mob of people staggered away from the drug boss, it was apparent they all were more than tipsy by the way they moved and didn’t noticed the wounded cartel captain sprawled and bleeding out on the expensive ground.
“Bastards better notice me!” Salazar groaned loudly. Painfully he raised his arm and waved it at the backs of the group. “Hey! Help!”
The mob of people slowly and clumsily turned towards the direction of Salazar’s yells.
Man they must be really shitfaced, the cartel boss thought to himself. One of the women fell over and tripped the man that was behind her. Both of them ended up in a tangle of arms and legs. Salazar shook his head and spat up some blood.
“Wonderful,” he said with a groan. “All the people here and I get a bunch of drunken idiots!”
Salazar suddenly felt the mob’s black dead eyes upon him. The crowd’s jaws hungrily snapped open and closed almost as one. Salazar quickly began to realize that maybe he was in more trouble than before. The faster members of the group pushed the slower ones out of the way as they approached the fallen drug boss.
“It is I… Salazar. I am the new boss!” he shouted.
None of the mob appeared to be impressed by his declaration and continued their hungry march in the wounded man’s direction. The smell became worse and the moans became louder. Salazar swallowed and tried not to pass out from the pain and blood loss.
“You fools; I am the new boss!” He spit up some more blood and tried to catch his breath. “I am in charge!”
Salazar noticed too late that real demons had invaded his compound. The new drug boss had waited many years to be in charge and now… now it was all over before it really started. Shortest reign ever. The mob quickly overwhelmed him as he screamed and tried to push them away. Hands tore at him and jaws snapped at his flesh.
Operation Zulu: Dos Page 33