by Navi' Robins
“I’m sorry about that. I’m going to talk to maintenance first thing in the morning about that elevator. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Why are you here?” she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
“I’ve been off the coast at the new oil rig, but I got in earlier than usual, so I decided to come here to see you,” Brian responded in his usual high-pitched nasal tone.
“Why?” “Why what?”
“Why did you want to see me?”
“Isn’t it obvious by now? Look, I understand you have something going on in your life that makes even going out for drinks bad for you. But that still doesn’t change how I feel about you. I’m just glad I was here in time.”
“Yeah, about that. It seems very convenient, don’t you think, Señor Turner?”
Oh, we back on the Señor shit again.
“You falling down an elevator shaft to your death? Really? I don’t see how that’s convenient.”
“It could be if you sabotage it and then save me to obligate me to go on a date with you.”
“Huh? What the… Wait, you actually think I set this up? I may be awkward and odd, but I’m no mechanic or murderer.”
Rose said nothing as she stared blankly at Brian.
“Oh, I see, well…I’m sorry you feel that way, but I’m not sorry I was here to save you. You said you’re okay, so that’s all that matters now. You have a safe rest of the day, Rose. Good night.”
Brian quickly walked past her towards the stairs, leaving Rose standing there alone. Rose looked up at the ceiling, rocking her head back and forth before she turned, calling out to Brian.
“Wait! Stop. I’m sorry; it’s just there are certain things about my life that makes me suspicious of people. I shouldn’t treat you this way. You just saved my life. Thank you, Brian, thank you very much.”
Brian stopped at the top of the stairs and nodded his head. He was clearly upset and he didn’t want to be there anymore. Not wanting him to be angry with her and not wanting to be alone, she continued to speak. “Brian, wait! I think I’ll have that drink now unless you’ve changed your mind?”
Brian’s eyes widened and a massive smile grew on his face.
“I’m never too busy to have a drink with you, Rosita. I know a great place in Lomas de Chapultepec.”
Shaking her head and waving her index finger, Rose responded, “No Brian, going there would definitely make me unemployed by tomorrow morning. I know a place off the beaten path. Unless you’re too afraid to go in an area less fortunate than Lomas de Chapultepec?”
“Of course not,” he lied, while he tried to poke out his chest in a display of bravery.
“Great! So, we’ll go to Chalco then!” she excitedly responded, while rushing to his side and grabbing ahold of his arm.
Chalco? Just fucking great!
Brian was terrified of the thought of going to one of the most impoverished mega-slums in the world, but there was no way he was going to pass up one second alone with this beautiful Mexican princess. Inhaling deeply and with Rose tightly holding onto his arm, they both headed downstairs.
CHAPTER FIVE
Tequila Sunrise
In order for Brian to be alone with Rose, he had to ditch his bodyguard, who was all too eager to oblige his request to drive himself home. Once Brian was sure he was gone, he then called for Rose to join him in his 2015 Mercedes S63. Rose initially tried getting into the back seat and Brian turned around with a puzzled look as she started to get comfortable. Noticing his confusion, a girlish giggle escaped her lips as she quickly climbed out of the back, crawling between the two front seats and finally flopping down in the front passenger seat. Brian stared at her for a few seconds as she pretended there was something interesting outside, attempting to ignore his gaze. Shaking his head, he started the engine and began to drive towards the eastern border of Mexico City, known as Chalco.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER
CHALCO
The Corridos music filled the air as a cool night breeze blew through the intimate restaurant’s veranda. Brian and Rose sat at a custom-made black metal table filled with drinks and baskets of tortilla chips and salsa. They’d been talking for about two hours and despite his initial anxiety of being in such a dangerous area, Brian was relaxed and enjoying himself. Rose tried her best to keep things as impersonal as possible, but the more tequila she drank while staring into Brian’s captivating hazel eyes, the more she started to open up to him.
“Are you from Chalco?” Brian asked while dipping a tortilla chip into the bowl of Salsa Roja.
“Yes, I was born here. Lived here ‘til I was about thirteen and then things changed for my familia, and we ended up moving away to Coyoacán.”
“That’s a pretty big upgrade from Chalco.”
“Yes, it is. Such can be life here in Mexico City. One second you are living on the streets and the next, you’re living on top of the world or vice versa,” she responded, while taking another shot of tequila. “What about you, Brian?”
“I was born on the Southside of Chicago in the Southshore area. Never lived anywhere else, but the Southside. My life’s pretty much been laid out for me from birth by my father. He wanted me exactly where I am now.”
“He must be very proud.”
“I hope so; he died ten years ago from cancer.” “Oh Brian, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay; he’d been fighting cancer for so long. It was almost a relief for me to see him able to finally rest.”
“What about your mother?”
“Never met her, she didn’t have time for a child so she skipped out on me when I was born. Left me in the hospital room alone, had she not put my father on the paperwork as a contact person, I may have been placed in foster care.”
Placing her hand over her mouth, Rose’s eyes began to water as she listened to Brian explain how he was abandoned as a newborn by his mother. Noticing her reaction, Brian reached for her hand, held it tightly and said, “It’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it.”
Rose smiled while placing her other hand over his and immediately, the nerves in his back sprung to life; her warmth and touch sending vibrations of euphoria throughout his body. The two of them stared in each other’s eyes with a romantic discovery that seemed to last an eternity and then, Rose decided against her better judgment to invite Brian deeper into her life by saying, “You wanna get outta here?”
“Yes, I would love to.”
Looking to his right, Brian called over the waiter for their check and the two of them left the restaurant; anxious and curious as to how the rest of the day would play out. Due to the lack of parking in the area, Brian had to park a distance from the restaurant, so the two of them began walking hand in hand toward the colorful eastern sky that was slowly bringing on a new day. He was enjoying the stroll with Rose so much, Brian momentarily forgot where he was…until…
“Mi Reina, vamos a darlesu banana al changuito.”
(My queen, let’s give your monkey my banana.)
The voice came from behind them and Rose quickly spun around to face whoever was speaking.
When Brian turned around, his heart quickly sank to the depths of his chest as he found them being followed by five armed Mexican men, dressed in the green and red colors of the “Escorpiones” cartel. The Escorpiones cartel was the second largest drug cartel in Mexico City; the same cartel responsible for the attack on the airport the day Brian arrived. The five men quickly surrounded them with one hand on their crotches and the other holding their automatic weapons; circling like hungry vultures. Brian immediately noticed the evil intent in their eyes and he prayed that somehow he could talk his way out of this bad situation before things got worse.
“Que? Mejor dale tu banana a tu madre, pendejo!” Rose screamed back. (What? Better yet, give your mamma that banana, asshole!)
Fuuuuck me! It just got worse.
The armed man who insulted Rose immediately reached out to slap her, but Brian stepped in the way and he rece
ived every ounce of power from the man’s hand. The pain exploded across his face like scalding hot water and Brian immediately felt the flesh in his jaw give way and leak blood inside his mouth. The force of the slap caused Brian to stumble and he grabbed his face while backing away, trying to fight back the tears that were now welling in his eyes. Standing behind Brian, Rose continued to curse and provoke the armed man and he pulled back and flung a hard right hook to Brian’s side. Gripping his side but refusing to retaliate, Brian held up his other hand trying to show the man he wasn’t a threat or wanted to fight back.
“Please, I don’t want any trouble. Take my wallet. There’s over a thousand U.S. dollars in there. Take it and let us go!”
“Mayate, (nigger) I don’t want your fucking money. Once we rape your puta, (whore) we’re gonna kill you both. So why just take your money when we can have more fun?”
And without warning the man slapped Brian with the back of his hand that was covered in large gold rings. This time, the strike opened up a large cut on the outside of his jaw and a high-pitched scream escaped Brian’s mouth as he fell to one knee. Looking down at the ground and breathing heavily, Brian begged for their lives, but the only response he received was a knee to his chin. The strike caused his upper and lower set of teeth to collide with his tongue caught in the middle. A warm metallic taste exploded in his mouth as the flesh of his tongue opened up, pouring a large amount of blood into his mouth. He collapsed on his back and the man ordered two of his companions to lift Brian up and hold him up against the wall.
Once Brian was up against the wall, the man strolled over to him, grabbed him by his chin, drawing his attention to the other two men who were now wrestling Rose to the ground as she screamed Brian’s name in terror.
“I’m not gonna kill you just yet, Mayate. I’m gonna let you watch how a real man fucks a puta because you are not man enough to be with a woman as beautiful as she is. She gave us more fight than you did. I can’t understand what she sees in you.”
“Please don’t do this. I beg you. Please. Just let her go. Kill me, but let her go,” Brian begged the man. Trying one last time to plead with him before the worse was upgraded to downright insane. Shaking his head, the man looked Brian over before chuckling and turning towards the two men who now had Rose planted firmly on the ground.
I warned you.
Without warning, Brian twisted his body slightly to the right and ducked down, swinging the man holding his right arm against the wall towards the man holding his left arm. The force caused both men to collide, freeing up his arms and Brian immediately stood behind one of them, gripping the top of his head with one hand and under his chin with the other and twisted his neck violently. The man’s neck snapped like a cracker as his eyes rolled in the back of his head and his lifeless body fell to the ground. The other man’s eyes widened as he watched Brian’s left fist head straight for his throat, fracturing his larynx. The force of Brian’s blow sent him reeling backward and as his body fell to the ground; Brian reached for the handgun sticking out of the front of his army green pants. Then in one fluid motion, he cocked the gun, unlocked the safety and aimed at the two men holding Rose on the ground; firing two shots that landed directly in the middle of their foreheads.
The leader of the group watched in awe as the two men that were holding Rose down fell lifelessly to the ground. He quickly spun around while lifting his assault rifle in an attempt to fire. Before the gun was halfway up to firing height, Brian was standing directly in front of him with one hand on the nozzle of his assault rifle and pointing the handgun directly at the man’s throat. The man’s eyes widened the size of silver dollars in a final plea for mercy, but Brian didn’t hesitate and he pulled the trigger, tearing the man’s throat apart and sending his body flying backward at least five feet. Brian’s brutal assault took less than fifteen seconds and as he stood there with a blank stare in his eyes, a flabbergasted Rose looked on in amazement.
What the fuck?
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER
Brian drove his Mercedes at almost breakneck speeds through the small and debris-riddled streets of Chalco, with a host of Escorpiones vehicles in pursuit. Rose ducked down behind the front passenger seat, cringing and shaking as countless bullets raced towards the car. Brian seemed calm and indifferent as he navigated the streets of Chalco as if he’d lived here his entire life. Rose wanted to be furious but the only emotions she felt was fear and excitement, as the car violently turned and dipped as the high-speed chase continued through the early morning. Rose looked up at Brian studying his scarred and bleeding face and wondered why he endured so much before he decided to act? What was he waiting on? It was clear from the beginning that those men wanted them dead, but Brian still tried to negotiate with them. Suddenly, a terrifying acronym popped in her head.
CIA
“You seem to know where you’re going, even though you’ve never been to Chalco. Who are you?”
Rolling his eyes while looking in the rearview mirror, Brian gritted his teeth and made a sharp left turn, just before the rocket from an RPG flew past the car and exploded when it struck an old model Subaru parked on the side of the road. The explosion caused the car to shake violently, shattering all the windows in the back of the Mercedes. Rose screamed as glass flew all over the front of the car.
“I know a place, but we have to lose them.”
“Are you gonna answer my question cabron?”
“Te digo todo lo que tú quieras saber, pero primero tenemos que irnos de aquí!”
(I’ll tell you everything you wanna know, but first, we have to get out of here!)
Rose’s mouth flung open and her eyes widened as she listened to Brian speak perfectly accented and structured Spanish.
“I thought you were learning from Rosetta Stone!” she yelled back at Brian, while slamming her hand down on the leather seat.
“Rosetta es una maestra bien chingona!”
(Rosetta is a bad ass teacher)
“Mentiroso!” (Liar!) she screamed back at him at the top of her lungs.
Becoming increasingly annoyed, Brian decided it was time to lose their pursuers and shut Rose’s mouth. He stomped down on the gas pedal and the car’s monstrous V12 engine responded immediately, propelling the car forward so quickly, Rose’s body fell backward and then jolted forward. Looking from the side, Brian smiled as he watched Rose’s head bounce off the glove compartment’s door. Holding the side of her head, she grimaced in pain and glared up at Brian’s blood-boiling grin. Looking at his heads up display, Brian confirmed the Mercedes was traveling around one hundred and ten miles per hour and his pursuers were also increasing their speed, trying to keep up. Looking ahead, he saw the point of contact he was anticipating. He turned to Rose and yelled, “Get low!”
And in a split second, he hit his brakes, causing the Mercedes to jolt backward violently. His pursuers immediately hit their brakes, attempting to avert a ten-car pile-up, something that Brian was anticipating. Just when it looked like they would ram into the back of the Mercedes, Brian hit the gas again and turned the Mercedes towards the small alleyway to his right. The turn was sharp and the alley’s entrance too small for such a turn and although the back of the Mercedes crashed into the side of a sandstone wall, the speed of the vehicle pushed it forward and down the alleyway. His pursuers, unable to stop in time, were only allowed a few seconds before their vehicles collided with the street’s dead end wall. The sound of multiple cars tearing into the wall filled the alleyway as Brian’s Mercedes continued to speed down the straight road as the damaged rear of the car dragged along the paved road creating a trail of sparks behind it…
CHAPTER SIX
Safe House
TWO HOURS LATER
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION OUTSIDE OF MEXICO CITY
Brian peered through the wooden blinds, watching attentively for any signs that they were followed, as the sounds of Rose in the shower filled the small yet elegant bungalow. After half an hour, he was satisfied and turn
ed around to face a wet-haired Rose, standing in the middle of the beachside bungalow with her arms folded and a vengeful snarl on her face. Shaking his head, Brian moved around the bungalow, securing every window and doorway before he returned to the living area where Rose was still standing in the same spot…with the exact same facial expression.
“What? Brian defiantly snapped at her.
“What? Oh no, you don’t have the right to be upset with me, cabron!” she screamed back at him. “You are not who you told me you were and I don’t care what you say to cover this shit up. You have to be CIA or U.S. Secret Service.”
Looking her over, Brian shook his head and responded, “I’m neither. I’m something totally off the books. I’m someone who’s sent when a job needs to be done with zero room for failure.”
“So, you used me?”
“Used you? Rosita please, you are not my assignment. I wasn’t planning on getting involved with anyone while on my mission. And I never anticipated I would…never mind. Believe me, you are not my mission.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“The truth doesn’t need your belief. It’s still the truth no matter what.”
“Kiss my ass, Brian! That whole mister nice, nerdy guy thing was just an act. You are a cold-blooded killer!”
“Oh really? Like your countrymen back there in Chalco? Such stand-up citizens. Had I not stopped them, they would’ve still been raping you to death back there. But I’m cold blooded…yeah, that makes perfect sense.”
“Why the fuck did you wait so long to stop them? You could’ve stopped them long before it got outta hand!”
“I didn’t want to blow my cover.”
“So, your cover is more important than my life?”