Chapter 8
Bang! Bang! Screams. Car horns. Police sirens.
"Help! HELP!"
"Where are you?! I-I can't see!"
"Help us!"
"He needs help!"
"I don't know… please, just tell me where you are! I can't find you!"
"NO, stay away! You monster!"
"You shot him! Our friend!"
"You decided to go by yourself, why didn't you let us help?!"
"I did it to protect you."
"No, you did it for yourself! You didn't want to deal with us, you show us by shooting him! She's dead because of you. Everything is your fault!"
"I know! I know it is… please, let me help. Forgive me."
"Monster. Killer. Deceiver. Manipulator. Criminal. Villain. Freak!"
Yes, yes you are. All of those. You cannot hide, you are the reason for their deaths. You caused all this, you truly are a monster.
No! No, I'm not! I would never hurt them, they're my friends.
Why do you doubt it? You have already sent them to their inevitable dooms. Why else would they leave their dreams? Their normal lives? It is because of you. You are the problem. You will get them killed, whether it's from the barrel of your gun or someone else's. You will still have blood on your hands.
I'll prove you wrong. I'll save them, even if they'll be in danger. I won't fail, no matter what.
We'll see.
I woke up to the blinding sun warming up my face. Is it morning already? I have to get to work. Chief Castline would want me to report on my progress with the Garcia family. And then I have to go to El Curso and report to him about… something. I don't remember. Actually, I'm kind of hungry.
I willed myself to sit up, but I immediately regretted it. A wave of pain flooded me, making me dizzy. I feel like I had been hit by a bus, or rather a train by how much this hurts. My chest is no better. What happened? I looked around. When did I get to the crib? Does anyone know I'm here? Probably since I just passed out on their couch.
I stood up, forcing myself to stay strong and not empty all the contents of my stomach on the floor. Not there would be that much. When was the last time I ate? I looked down at my bright red wristwatch. It was 9 in the morning. If I was still attending school or a part of the band, I would have been late. But I'm a free soul now, so it doesn't matter.
I walked over to the fridge, knowing that no one would mind me stealing their food, but I froze when I saw my reflection. Why is my head wrapped up? That was the first thought that crossed my mind. I rushed over to the bathroom to get a better look in the mirror… it definitely didn't look any better. Gauze wrapped around my head and a large cotton thing soaked with blood were stuck to the side of my head. I frowned, confused yet curious.
I gently unwrapped the gauze from my head. When I reached only the soaked cotton, I grimaced at the amount of dried blood that was clinging to my face. Someone tried to clean it, I realized. I nearly shouted every curse word I knew when I barely touched the cotton. I bit my lip, taking deep calm breaths to prepare myself, before pulling the dumb bloody thing off my head. It was excruciatingly painful, and I'm sure that I would have fainted if I didn't splash my face a few times. But finally, I reached my prize - which looked more like a punishment.
A thick straight line sliced the side of my head, leaving a small valley there. It was red, slightly bleeding, and disgusting. It even annihilated some of my hairs there (oh, and skin too!). That's going to leave a mean scar once it heals. But… how did I get this?
Almost like it was on command, memories of what happened the night before flooded my brain. The drug deal, the money, being shot, hallucinating, barging into 2J, finding out that the guys left for the police academy, passing out-
Wait, hold up. The guys did what?! (You will get them killed) Why would they do that? Do they not know how dangerous the job is? Especially my job? Oh, when I get my hands on them!
I sighed heavily. They're not here, no use in getting angry at them when they can't see it. I grabbed the first aid kit, managed to put on another clean bandage, and wipe my face of dirt quite decently, before heading out of the bathroom. I stopped short when I saw Mrs. Knight cooking in the kitchen. She turned and smiled at me.
"Good morning, sweetie. Breakfast is almost ready. Go sit down with Katie at the table," she said before facing back to the stove. I raised an eyebrow but I went to where she wanted me to go. I saw Katie there and she smiled, no smirk with obvious mischievousness, but an honest kind smile. I narrowed my eyes.
"Morning, Carlos. Sleep well?" She asked. I awkwardly sat where I usually sit. I stayed silent for a moment, I went over the dream I had in my head. It was strange yet bone-chilling. But I nodded so they wouldn't worry. Not too long later, food had arrived. I nearly jumped for joy when I was given oatmeal with banana and blueberries inside and bacon on the side. It was my favorite. My mom used to make it for me, using some super special secret ingredient that made it taste even better. She must have told Mama Knight because it tasted the same. I smiled at the memory when Gustavo spilled oatmeal all over James' shirt.
"What's so funny?" Mrs. Knight smiled amusingly. I shook my head, releasing a small chuckle from my mouth.
"Nothing important." I took a bite of my meal, nearly melting at the familiarity of the taste. I looked to my right and frowned. James would have his oatmeal plain, he said that he never liked the added fruits. It tasted bad, according to him. I looked across from me. Logan liked raspberries and apples, he preferred the sweet and bitter flavor altogether. I turned to face the empty chair next to it. Kendall had his with so many fruits on top, I thought the first time I saw it was that he was just only eating fruits. It blew my mind to see him scoop oatmeal from under it.
"Why would they go?" I asked aloud before I could stop myself. I stared off into space as I tried to think about the plan Kendall would have concocted for that mission.
"They wanted to help you," Katie answered immediately. Yeah, help. Next thing I know, they'll be in bigger trouble than they have ever been and laying dead on the floor because of some killer (Like you?). I can barely handle it out there. I sighed regretfully, knowing well that it's my fault that they're not singing but rather holding guns and exercising vigorously.
"It's not your fault," Mama Knight spoke, seeming to have read my mind. "You chose to help people, and the boys are doing the same for you. You will all get through this, but they'll need your guidance so they can do better."
"My guidance?" I scoffed. "I nearly get shot in the head and now I need to teach them how to not die? I'm not a leader. Kendall is the one that leads, Logan's the brains, and James is the muscle. What do I have? Nothing compared to them."
"You have many positive aspects." I looked at her expectantly. She hesitated (why wouldn't she?) before answering. "You are loyal. You are strong. You are smart all in your own ways. You are a leader, but you don't know it yet. They need you now and, whether you like it or not, you need them."
I sighed. She is always right. I stood up, having already finished, before putting my plate in the sink. I didn't finish my bacon, so I wrapped it up in a napkin and shoved it into my pocket. "I need to get back to work. They haven't heard from me for a while," I notified.
"Are you sure you don't need to rest more?" Katie furrowed her eyebrows worriedly. I chuckled, walking over and patting her head. She glared lightly.
"I'll be fine," I smiled. "What's the worst that could happen? I get shot again?"
No one laughed. I cleared my throat.
"Too soon, dude," Katie glared even harder.
"Sorry. But really, I'll be fine. Look, I'll call once a week so you can hear for yourself," I suggested. They both nodded. We said our goodbyes, my thanks for being patched up, and for breakfast before I left. As I walked my way toward the bus stop as I left the hotel, I remembered that I had called Chief Castline moments before I made the drug deal. So why weren't they there? It would only take 5 minutes for the police to arrive from the station to the parking lot. I felt angry, knowing that I needed to get some answers.
But first I had to get to El Curso. It took a while since my car was stolen, but after an hour I made it to the forest. Yes, the forest. That was the place where I could get to the sewers without being noticed. As usual, I walked down the path before disconnecting from it and jaggedly climbed over rocks and logs down the thick forest. This isn't just a regular forest, it was unnatural. Man-made. This "forest" ran for a few yards in each direction, some part of it was connected to a large park and pond.
Directly in the center of this place was a sewer entrance. It was hidden from a sky view but very visible when you walk up to it. The only problem about a secret base in the sewers was that many tunnels traveled around the city, which means you can get lost easily.
Luckily for me, and those who are a part of the Garcia cartel family, there are symbols that only we know could guide us in the right direction. I can promise anyone that I would have gotten lost the moment I stepped into the sewers if there weren't any signs.
Soon enough, I found my way. I entered the alone door at the end of a tunnel, which led into a box-like room. Two guards with AK-47s stood there, wearing tactical suits and masks.
"Hey, guys," I greeted them. They recognized me, nodded, before letting me pass to another door. It led down a long hallway, multiple doors connecting to separate areas of the base. At the end was the main distribution area, but I needed to go to the door next to it. I knocked a few times before I waited.
"Come in," I heard a voice from inside the room. I opened the door and walked into El Curso's office. He immediately saw me, looking shocked instantly. He stood up and rushed over like a worried parent. Why is he so concerned about me? "Ay Dios mío, mírate! Qué pasó? What happened?"
"The customer you assigned me stole my car and shot me, nearly killing me!" I shouted, clearly not happy about this. "Why didn't you tell me he was psycho?"
"Trust me. I didn't know!" El Curso held up his hands. "He was good to my previous dealer, nothing wrong ever happened."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but I don't want him to get away with it."
"I understand and I agree with you. That man is going to pay, you can count on it," El Curso promised. He walked back behind his desk and called in someone. A moment later, another guy appeared next to me. He was equipped with dark clothes and a mask while he held a briefcase. "This is Rodrigo. He'll take care of our… problem."
"Actually, Curso, I think it would be better if he gets it from the person he shot," I suggested. He smirked, liking the idea. He nodded over to Rodrigo, who handed me the case. "But, instead of bullets, do you have anything more… painful?"
"I'd like to show you my favorite ones, and I think you'll take a liking to it too," El Curso chuckled. He pulled out a box from his drawer. Inside of it were several darts. "These are NDs. They are filled with deadly poison and kill the victim slowly and painfully. I suggest you use these for a satisfying show."
I stared at the darts for a moment before accepting the items.
"Oh, Carlos?" I looked at him. "The money?"
Thankfully, the customer didn't take it back. I handed the money over, but he only kept half. I raised an eyebrow, but he just told me that it was a reward. I thanked him and left the room to seek someone else.
I ran into her in the weaponry. Thank goodness she wasn't carrying any guns or knives, or else I would have another physical problem.
"Oh my, Carlos!" Maria gasped when she saw me. She ran over and squeezed the life out of me. I hugged her back, having missed her presence. "I thought you were dead!"
"Sorry, Maria," I whispered. "I had a little problem."
Then she let go and slapped my chest. I groaned lightly at the sore spot I was kicked. "You could have called! Do you know how worried I was?!" She shouted.
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry but the guy I was dealing with stole my phone, car, and gun," I frowned apologetically. I grabbed her hands in mine, holding them up to give her a light kiss on her knuckles. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
She sighed heavily. "You are too cute to be mad at," she said seriously. I cracked a grin, which made her smile. She then looked at my bandaged head. "Looks like he missed you by a hair."
"Yeah. But he isn't going to get away with it," I growled lightly. My eyes darkened at the memory of the guy and the very unhelpful police. She frowned worriedly, placing a hand on my cheek.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? You don't look like that type of person to hurt people." Her statement made me sigh.
"I don't. But after what he did… I've never been shot before, so this doesn't apply to the way other people have hurt me before. This isn't right. I'm bringing justice, it's what I deserve," I snarled lightly. One look at her face made all my anger vanish. Maria, the tough woman that I grew to love, looked… afraid.
(I told you. I warned you, didn't I? They will fear you, no matter what. You are the monster they fear.) I blinked. All the fear was replaced by a smile, I couldn't tell if it was real or fake. Maria nodded in understanding before handing me a mask and gloves from a nearby table.
"You'll need this so you won't be recognized." I thanked her, kissed her on the cheek, before leaving Maria again.
How I found John Sculvil in apartment 246 at a very sketchy low-paid motel at the edge of town you'll never find out, because I don't even know myself. El Curso gave me the address the moment I got another car.
I sat in the car, watching the room closely. I felt anger build up inside me as I knew that the guy who nearly killed me was inside that room. I waited for him to leave his room, having a large sniper filled with tranquilizer darts loaded inside. I didn't want to use the poisoned ones, because my intention was for the police to arrest him when he was unconscious. My mask was on, the only thing visible about me was the scar on my head. It took off the bandage a while ago, knowing that it was going to get in the way. It stung but I moved past it.
After hours of waiting, there was movement. I positioned myself quickly and looked through the scope, aiming for the first thing that walks out of that door.
John, the victim, walked out not too long later. He looked suspicious as ever. He held a flask with one hand and adjusted his pants with the other. He seemed to have looked into the room for reassurance of some kind before finally closing the door.
That's when I made my move. I aimed and fired, sending a silent quick dart to John's arm. He reacted, shouting out in pain as his other hand flew up to secure the hurt arm. But his body became wobbly until he collapsed on the floor. I packed away the sniper quickly and exited the car, rushing over to see my progress.
He looked like he was in peace, except that when he wakes back up, he's going to be in a lot of pain. The police would be there the moment someone spots him. Since I shot him with a 24-hour tranquilizer, I knew that someone was going to notice his body before then. I nodded a bit, proud to have worked my way around from killing him (you still shot him).
But before I left, I swore I heard something from inside the apartment. I frowned before pulling up my mask so it covered my face again. I opened the door after I grabbed the key from the corpse and stared inside. John has been living here for a while, based on the littered clothes and rotting food left around the room.
I heard a small bang coming from the closet, making me jump. I stalked over, not seeing another choice. I pulled out my pistol, turning off the safety, as I placed my gloved hand on the handle. I swung the door open the next second and pointed my weapon…
At a dog. It stared at me expectantly, watching my movements with a close eye (it only had one eye), and growled softly. I put my gun away, I even held my hands up passively to show that I was no harm.
"Hi there," I said, getting on my knees so I didn't scare it. The Doberman stopped growling but stayed where it was. "I'm not going to hurt ya. Why are you in the closet? Did that mean man lock you up?"
The Doberman only muffled a bark, so I took it as a 'yes'. I nodded in understanding. "Listen, I took care of that guy. You can be free. How's that sound?"
The dog looked at me before slowly sniffing my hand then my pocket. I raised my eyebrows as its small stubby tail wagged. Then I remembered I still had bacon in my pocket from breakfast. I pulled it out and unwrapped it before giving it to the dog. It devoured it instantly, its tail wagging even crazier. I chuckled, patting its head lightly.
"Looks like you were hungry." I stood up. "Sorry, I have to go before the police get here. You might want to leave if you ever want freedom."
I began my walk outside, stepping over the corpse. But then I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around, raising my eyebrows to see the same Doberman following me.
"Sorry, dog. I don't have any more food on me," I apologized. The dog only walked past me and to my car, getting on its hind legs to place his paws on the passenger's door. It turned to me, barking once. I smiled a little. "You want to come with me?"
It whined this time. I laughed before nodding and opening the passenger's door. The dog hopped inside and sat obediently on the seat. After I closed the door and got in through the driver's side, I took one last peek at John's body. It was for the best, no one really got hurt and he'll be off to jail real soon. I tossed a poisoned dart out the window while I drove, so it would seem that I used the bullet. I took off my mask all the while, letting the dog see my face.
"I guess it's time to head home, right… girl?" I checked, patting the dog's head. It stuck its head out the window, enjoying the breeze. "I guess I have to get some supplies for you now. At least the house wouldn't be so empty."
She barked, turning to me slightly before settling herself on the seat. I smiled, finally feeling calm after all that had happened.
TBC...