Bloodbath

by K. A. Merikan

  The wooden deck was rough beneath his palms, but he took extra care to move quietly as noise died down on the other side, with only the rattle of the engine filling the silence.

  Until suddenly the white wall of the cabin exploded in several places, and something bit into Seth’s arm. He stopped breathing but didn’t dare move when he realized someone must have heard him from the inside and blindly shot that way.

  Domenico’s eyes went wide, and he raised his gun, otherwise still as a statue. Down, he mouthed and inched closer to the open door.

  Seth dropped to the wood, completely ignoring the throbbing pain and the blood dripping down his arm. He’d had worse. If this was the worst that would happen to any of them today, he’d be fine with it.

  Mark’s yelp on the other side of the boat crashed into his focus. Seth shared a glance with Domenico, communicating without the need for words. Dom’s nod was enough for Seth to start backing out. If Dom were to break into the cabin and dispose of the man inside, he’d be better off without Seth to worry about in the tiny space.

  Another shot resonated over the water, followed by a thunderous splash that had Seth getting to his feet and running. The moment he saw an unfamiliar face, he shot, but the man ducked in just the right moment, punching Miguel in the throat so hard Miguel dropped to the deck clutching at his neck.

  Seth’s brain swelled in his skull, pulsing when he met the furious gaze of the man he earlier aimed at, but before he could take another shot, the bastard grabbed Mark, who’d kneeled next to Miguel with wide eyes.

  With an ugly sneer, the man pulled up Mark by the hair and yelled something in Spanish. Seth guessed it was an order to put his gun down, and he slowly scooted down, watching the man’s every move and ignoring the scream that came from inside the cabin, a few steps away.

  But with the man’s gaze darting to the cabin, Seth used the one chance for distraction and shot. Mark was thinking on his feet as well, and ducked to avoid a bullet all too close to him. Adrenaline pumped in Seth’s veins, and there was no stopping him. Mark managed to elbow the man’s hand, forcing him to drop his own firearm when Seth crashed into the man with his whole weight, pushing the bastard overboard.

  Relief flooded his veins then the man tipped over, but then Mark screamed out, blindly reaching out for help. Seth stopped breathing when the narrow forearm slipped through his sweaty grasp, and Mark too plunged into the dark waters.

  Time seemed to stand still, and the same way Seth had tried to memorize Domenico’s eyes, now he could see Mark’s in great detail, as if the fall lasted minutes, not split seconds, but when the water swallowed him and splashed into Seth’s face, panic set in.

  “Shit, Mark,” he uttered helplessly, watching the surface tremble as the boat went farther away and toward El Encanto. “Dom, stop the boat!”

  Miguel joined him at the stern, aiming a gun into the water, but with the two bodies twisting in the water like two eels, the risk of shooting Mark was too great.

  “Mark! Try to get away from him!” Seth yelled. He pushed his shoes off, on the verge of jumping in himself when a muscle-numbing scream came from the river, and blood erupted in the water as if a pipe of red ink burst open.

  Miguel hissed something in Spanish, but the engine went quiet. When at least they saw Mark’s head emerge, it was only to see him frantically swallow air. His eyes were wide, hair plastered to his face, but he followed the boat, swimming as if there were sharks chasing him.

  Seth’s heart stood still when right behind Mark an arm pushed out of the water and curled around what looked like a dark log, but moments later, a ridged tail ruffled the surface, laying bare the scale of danger. Miguel shot at the tumbling forms, and when watered-down blood exploded over the back of the huge caiman, Seth leaned out, grabbing Miguel’s forearm to safely lean out of the boat for Mark’s hand.

  “Mark! Here!” Seth kept yelling to guide the boy’s direction, depending on Miguel’s strength for their safety. He almost cried with joy when Mark’s fingers curled around his hand. The flashback to an alligator trying to eat Mark for dinner in Louisiana was so vivid Seth’s leg hurt where it had been stitched up after the bite.

  He dragged the drenched body into his arms so rapidly his own strength came as a surprise, but with Miguel pulling them both back into the boat, Seth soon lay on the deck, still hugging Mark to his chest.

  “Shit. That was close. That was so close.”

  Domenico chose this moment to emerge from the cabin, wiping blood from his upper lip. He stopped, watching the three of them sitting on the deck in a puddle of water, and eventually nodded. “Well done, crew,” he said, as if he imagined himself as a pirate captain, content after seizing a merchant vessel. He slapped Miguel on the back and slid to his knees, pulling both Seth and Mark into his arms, squeezing them tightly. “I’m so proud. You two might even surpass me one day, when I lose both my arms.”

  Seth groaned and pulled away. “You’re such a shit.”

  Domenico laughed and got back to his feet, his gaze trailing past the stern. “I thought we were still a bit too far north for black caimans. Well, a man learns something new every day.”

  Miguel followed his gaze, massaging his throat. “Global warming?”

  Domenico glanced at the two bodies lying close by, the men they got rid of at the very beginning. “You think that beast might still be hungry?”

  Mark got up on shaky legs, completely soaked but otherwise seeming fine, if a bit shocked. “I know I’m not,” he said.

  Seth looked around, taking in the blood spilling from the fresh corpses, and told himself again and again that this was normal, that this was their world, and that was that. He couldn’t allow himself to remain in Lalaland anymore. “Are we sure no one else is staying hidden somewhere on board?”

  Domenico shrugged and grabbed one of the dead men by the ankles, pulling him to the back of the vessel. “Not in the cabin. I’m pretty sure it’s safe,” he said and nodded at the front of the corpse. It took Seth several seconds to realize what Dom wanted from him.

  Seth swallowed, but forced his feet into motion and grabbed the arms of the dead guy to help Dom carry him. For some reason, he’d expected the skin to be cold and stiff, but it was still hot like a newborn kitten’s Seth had touched once, and when the man’s fingertips tickled Seth’s forearm, he half expected the corpse to grab him. But moments later, they tossed the man who had been alive minutes ago overboard like a sack of rotting meat. A feast for the caimans.

  The other dead mercenary shared his fate, and soon enough, all four of them watched the water turn stormy and change color.

  “That’s impressive,” said Domenico in the end. “Pigs don’t deal with it that quickly.”

  Seth hid his scowl by walking away toward the cabin. He told himself that Domenico was just making a joke about Hannibal, but he knew he was lying to himself. The ring on his finger was a reminder that he’d known who Domenico was from the start. Even their marriage had started in violence and the blood of a priest. A part of Seth wanted to be numb to it, yet a different part nudged at him to never forget the impact of what they’d done.

  Domenico rubbed his hands, and followed Seth, casually sliding his arm over Seth’s shoulders. “The youngest cleans the deck, and pronto,” he said with a smile, as if the murderous few minutes have him a boost of energy.

  Mark whined, as if they were debating who was to gather up dog poop from the yard. “But I was in the water!”

  Seth walked into the cabin to escape from it all for even a few seconds, but that wouldn’t be given to him. The moment he stepped in, a pair of burning eyes looked at him from above a makeshift gag. Hateful, red, the gaze gave Seth no doubt that were the man not tied to a chair, he’d have strangled Seth with his bare hands.

  There wasn’t much in the cabin, but what furniture had been there the moment they arrived was now knocked over. A tiny television set looked at Seth pitifully with its cracked screen, and there were some chocolate bars a
nd snacks scattered around the floor next to a plastic table that had one of its legs broken. Just another day in the life of Domenico Acerbi.

  “You two haven’t met yet,” Domenico said and patted a large, somewhat old-fashioned trunk covered in leather before taking a seat on it. “This one actually gave me a bit of trouble. He’s the tough one.”

  Seth watched the man for a few more seconds before glancing at Dom. “You kept him alive?”

  Domenico shrugged. “I want someone to tell me more about our friends, the Morenos. And what we have in here,” he said and patted the oversized piece of luggage.

  The man hissed but didn’t take his eyes off Domenico until Miguel entered, his tall form taking up the whole doorway. The cabin itself was gloomy as if it was evening already, because of the heavily tinted windows, and Miguel’s appearance didn’t help things.

  At first, Domenico’s words sounded to Seth as if they were his cue to leave. But at the end of the day, more violence was to come, and Seth had to keep his eyes open to it, not scurry away like he’d had so many times in the past. He leaned down without a word and pulled out the man’s gag, trying not to touch the sticky blood on the side of his face or the stiff black hair that stuck out into all directions.

  The bright pupils of Domenico’s eyes followed Seth, and he smiled, as soon as the gag was out and the mercenary’s jaws snapped as he tried to bite on Seth’s hand. “Careful. He might be rabid,” he said and casually lit a cigarette.

  The man’s lips twisted, and Domenico grinned. “Ah, you understand English then. Good.”

  “What do you even think you’re doing, huh? All of you are as good as dead!” the prisoner said with a heavy accent, his frenzied gaze trailed between all three of them, as if finding a single weakness could somehow help his case.

  Seth took half a step back and kicked the guy’s shin, taking out the anxiety that was still pulsing in his veins. “The fuck do you know?”

  “He doesn’t know us yet, but he will once I’m done with him,” Domenico said in a voice so chilling Seth felt odd about having wanted his hands all over in the morning, just hours before. Then again, even now, Domenico’s cool demeanor wasn’t a deterrent. If this side of Dom were something Seth truly despised, he’d have taken any opportunity to leave Dom many times over. Which of course he didn’t because he was a dumb, fat moth to Domenico’s flame, and he’d stick around no matter how many times he got burned.

  The prisoner spat out some bloodied saliva and grinned, shaking his head. “Who are you even working for?”

  Domenico let out a cloud of smoke, which swirled in the dim space. “We’re working for ourselves, and we’ve had an excellent track record so far.”

  The man laughed, shaking his head wildly. “You’re in way above your head! What do you think is in that box, huh? A golden machine gun? Diamonds? You will regret ever stepping foot on our boat.”

  Anger boiled over in Seth, and he planted his foot in the man’s stomach. Bile rose in his throat when he thought that the bloodshed and the risk they’d taken to hijack the vessel could have been for nothing.

  Dom shifted on top of the trunk. “What is in the trunk?” he asked softly, and nodded at Seth. A signal to keep going. To torture. First beat up, and then what? Cut off the guy’s fingers?

  The man curled up as much as he could with his hands tied to the chair, and Seth hesitated, only to get a nasty surprise kick to the shin when their prisoner decided attack was the best way of protecting himself.

  “You motherfucker!” This time, Seth had no mercy. He kicked the bastard’s stomach so hard the chair twisted, and he fell over, trapping one of his wrists between the chair and the floor. The choked scream did not soften Seth’s resolve that he was doing the right thing now. This was a man working for a cartel, caught on his way to deliver some goods to Raul Moreno. Why would he be worthy of Seth’s pity anyway?

  Domenico leaned forward, watching the man’s face twist in discomfort. “What’s in the trunk?”

  The mercenary gave a breathless laugh. “Something as common as mosquitoes,” he uttered, and it must have piqued Dom’s interest, because he stood up and approached.

  “What then? Cocaine?”

  The man grinned at them with his reddish teeth. “More than that.”

  Seth stood back at the other side of the tiny cabin and crossed his arms on his chest. This was one guessing game he wasn’t about to play with the bastard.

  Domenico sighed and slowly lowered himself. The burning end of the cigarette in his hand was bright red when it pressed against the mercenary’s cheek. The fucker gave a choked noise, clenching his teeth so hard Seth could practically hear them crack.

  “You sure you don’t want to tell me? You’re dead anyway, so what is it to you?” asked Domenico.

  “Well, it’s not explosives, so why don’t you just check yourself?” the man hissed after taking a few raspy breaths. Watching it made Seth so tense his muscles felt like made out of concrete.

  Domenico looked back at the trunk.

  “It’s sealed,” Miguel said from his spot at the door.

  “I know,” Dom muttered, still gazing at the piece of luggage that might as well hold a medium-sized fridge.

  The prisoner laughed. “Go on. Or are you scared of Raul Moreno?”

  Seth rolled his eyes. “Pathetic attempt at reverse psychology there.”

  The guy looked back at him with a frown, and Seth could bet he had no idea what that meant.

  Domenico stayed silent, then pulled out a knife and presented it to Seth, handle first. “Open the trunk.”

  Seth took the knife and approached the leather-bound box, but he licked his lips and watched the seal, giving himself a few more seconds. He wasn’t exactly afraid of it being explosives, since he doubted their prisoner would encourage them this way, but on the other hand, maybe that was exactly what it was, since the man had to understand by now that he would die soon anyway.

  But Domenico knew his job like no other man, and he must have thought of that possibility. If he insisted Seth open the trunk, it had to be fine, even if the contents turned out to be disappointing, like a batch of Raul Moreno’s favorite popcorn.

  Seth still decided to ask. “Are you sure? What if it’s a caiman?

  “Just be careful. Nice and slow,” said Dom, moving his hand to their prisoner’s neck when Seth kneeled in front of the trunk.

  The paper seal marked by some symbols and letters beckoned Seth’s attention, and it felt like he was about to slice into flesh. How would they explain the open seal upon arrival? Would they even need to? Maybe it was just a formality no one paid attention to anymore? His stomach clenched as he cut through the paper. The cracked and dusty leather suggested it wasn’t the first time the trunk had been used, and its size held no answers as to what secret it could hold.

  Slowly, he opened several metal latches, and then three leather straps that further secured the lid in place. The silence inside the cabin was absolute, and he even heard the rubbing of leather against leather. His last thought before he raised the top of the trunk, which felt oddly heavy and sturdy, as if there was metal under the thick layer of leather, was that it had to be a very specialized container if it had been so clearly used for a long time.

  Seth went speechless at the sight of the contents. The golden, almost white hair made the girl inside look like an angel trapped on this vessel filled with grime and death. Her beautiful face was so serene that for a moment Seth believed she was dead, but only then he noticed her chest moving softly under the straps that secured her in place.

  Chapter 4 - Domenico

  Domenico stumbled away from the mercenary as soon as he saw Seth’s face go rigid. He got so pale it seemed like he might faint any moment, and the loud gasp coming from the door didn’t make it any better.

  Pulling Seth away from the trunk, Domenico faced the contents head-on, presented with the most surreal of sights.

  There was a teenage girl inside. Skin was peeling
off the tip of her nose and the shoulder where her blue summer dress slipped lower, as if she’d spent too much time in the sun just yesterday. Her captors put her in a kind of chair that was specifically designed to keep someone in place with straps and a wooden contraption that kept her head in place. There was even a ball gag in her mouth, as if to ensure she couldn’t scream if she awoke before the tranquilizers wore off.

  “The fuck is this?” Seth turned around to face the mercenary, but his voice was subdued, as if he didn’t trust himself to speak at full volume.

  “Your prize!” The man cackled wildly.

  Domenico felt his heart rush, and he approached the bastard, delivering a kick to his head. The jolt was so fierce that for a moment he thought he managed to snap the bastard’s neck. But no, he was still moving.

  “Fuck. Shit,” Domenico hissed, pacing around the small space. He did not want to see this. They should have left the damn thing sealed.

  Their captive whined as if they made him walk around a pole while his guts were nailed to it, and the overreaction was making Dom’s head buzz with anger. Seth took another step back, all the way to the wall, his usually expressive face completely unreadable.

  Rivulets of hot mercury cascaded down Dom’s body, poisoning him with a rage so intense he needed to relieve the tension somehow. He punched the metal wall, making it ring so loudly it subdued the ache in his knuckles. “It should have been fucking left shut. I did not expect this!” he said, watching Seth in anger.