Sanchez lived in the huge house near the center of town. It was hideously over priced, all high walls and elaborate gates, but well manned. There were cameras, guards and dogs. El parked the car across the road and scoped the place out.
"We could crash the car through the gate" she suggested. El nodded.
"Let's get this over with" Sands drawled from the back. "The longer we stay, the more chance of them finding out we're here". El evidently agreed, because he spun the car around, facing the gate and accelerated right for it.
"Oh fuck!" Rana yelled, bracing herself; they tore through the gate, cartel scrambling to get out of the way. She fumbled around her feet, picking up the discarded holsters and guns she had left there on the trip here. She had only just fastened the last buckle when El slammed on the brakes and leapt out of the car, she shrugged off her seatbelt and followed him, Sands already ahead. They rushed down the gravel path, heading for the low garden wall. Rana reached it first and vaulted over it.
On the other side three cartel looked at her in surprise. "Hi" she said smiling and shot them. "Clear!" she called over her shoulder, then El was over the wall, and Sands. Four more cartel came around the corner of the house releasing a string of bullets on the three intruders. Sands and El dove behind some bushes and Rana got behind the only tree. From her position she could see Sands crouch on his feet and take aim, "around 25 degrees left" she whispered at him, he readjusted his aim and fired. He got one, then El popped up from the other side of the garden and killed the rest. Rana ran for the house.
They entered via a side door. "I'll take second" she said quietly, both nodded. "Search out Sanchez, shoot him if you can". Sands shook his head. "I'm looking for a certain doctor" he said, "You search out Sanchez".
They separated. Rana made for the second floor, El would scour the bottom and Sands was going to wander around looking for a doctor of some kind.
She crept up the stairs gun ready. It was eerily quiet. She moved down the hall, hearing gunshots from downstairs. She moved to the first door, slowly pulled the handle then flung the door open. It was an empty room. Bed made and lace curtains billowing. The same for the next three rooms, in the fifth room there were signs of life. The sheets were ruffled and clothes were draped over the back of a chair, placed in front of a vanity table.
She made it to Sanchez's room, it was huge and expensive. But the man was no where to be seen. This worried her. She made her way back down. She moved swiftly down a corridor, her backed pressed to the wall. There was someone approaching the corner ahead. He came around too fast and Rana had her gun against his head before recognizing El and lowering it. He had a cut above his right eye, but it wasn't so bad. He looked momentarily shocked and put his hands up and only lowering them when she lowered her gun. They smiled at each other and froze at the click of a gun, both raised their hands. Then Rana looked past El to see Sands grinning ridiculously at them. She sighed. And lowered her arms, El following suit at the look of relief in her eyes.
"Get your man?" she asked him.
"Oh yes" he crooned smiling in a sinister way. She smiled herself.
"What about Sanchez?" El asked.
"No, not upstairs" she said. El shook his head at her questioning look.
"Have you tried Torture Tower?" Sands asked in amusement. El and Rana looked at him. "Four stories high, all metal right over there" he said pointing back the way he had come. "Seems Sanchez rather likes inflicting pain" Sands commented.
"Tell me about it" Rana mumbled.
"A man after my own heart" Sands added, seemingly not hearing her. El moved past Sands in a hurry. All three made for the tower, Rana began to feel great apprehension as they approached, but the desire for revenge was too strong to resist and she followed Sands and El up the many flights of stairs, searching every room as they went. Finally they made it to the top, but Sanchez was not there. El kicked the aluminum wall in frustration. Where was the shiny suited man?
"Let's just blow it already" Sands growled. El turned a questioning eye to Sands.
"It's Gina's specialty" he smirked. Rana growled in annoyance. El looked at her, and she felt her cheeks go slightly red.
"You have explosives?" he asked.
"Yes", he cocked an eyebrow.
"Then set them, give us ten minutes to get out of here" he said. She nodded then took the belt from around her waist and set up the sticks of TNT she had, before getting out the timer and setting it to ten minutes.
"Okay, lets go" she said, getting to her feet.
All three moved down the Hall, El was ahead and Sands behind. The Mariachi disappeared around a corner up ahead. Rana quickened her pace, trying to keep him insight in case he needed her help. She had made it to the corner and was peeking around when she felt a strong sense of dread. She spun, gun up. It was Sanchez. His usually perfect hair awry and a snarl of pure venomous hatred plastered on his face.
"Sands, look out!" she cried, but too late. Sands spun half around when the cartel lord slammed him against the wall. Smashing his face with the butt of his gun. Sands grunted as he was kneed, then disarmed. Rana aimed and fired. To be met with a dry click. She shot three more times before throwing away her guns in disgust. "El!" she screamed rushing forwards as Sanchez threw Sands ahead of him in one of the vaulted rooms. As he disappeared inside he smiled grimly and raised his gun. She skidded slightly as she dodged sideways. His shot missed but she had been effectively stopped in her tracks and he slammed the door shut, just as she slammed into it. Unable to stop in time. El had rounded the corner. He found her beating uselessly at the door and kicking it so hard she was denting the metal.
"He took Sands" she yelled redoubling her efforts on the door. El's face hardened.
"We cannot wait, we have less than five minutes before this place blows. It will take us seven if we run" he said grasping her hand and pulling her to the exit.
"No!" she said slipping from his gasp and going back to the door, it was handless. It had merely a keyhole.
"We have to leave" El shouted, grabbing her arm firmly and pulling her down the hall in a hurry. She struggled but after three steps she too was running.
"Sanchez" she coughed, raising her head, the man
turned to look at her. She was finding it hard to stay conscious, her
eyes kept closing and it was hard to open them again, but the anger was
not dulled by weariness; her eyes were almost black. He merely looked
down at her in disgust.
"I'll be back, this isn't the end of me". Her eyes were aching. He sneered at her.
"I'm afraid you will not be coming back Miss Gina, you will die here and we will hang your corpse from the tree outside".
She
bared her teeth, blood coating them and no doubt giving them an eerie
glow. It leaked out of her mouth, running down the side of her chin.
"Oh no, I'll escape and I will come back. I promise". Sanchez regarded
her then spat on the floor before turing to recieve a message that a
rather rushed looking man came to deliver. With that he swept out of
the room, Rana glaring at his retreating back.
They pelted down five flights of stairs in fewer than three minutes. They flew out the door, leaping the corpses they had created earlier. Hitting the dirt path and still their mad dash didn't end. Less than a hundred meters down the road Rana spun, sliding in the dirt. It was at that second the building exploded. Sending such a shockwave that she was thrown back almost a full two meters from it. She rolled back onto her feet and continued down the path to the car. El went ahead.
.................El.................
El stopped at the sound of her knees hitting the ground. She was kneeling in the dust, her back heaving her face hidden in her chest. He was about to go and help her, to see why she was breathing so erratically, when she suddenly flung her head up to look at him. There were tears streaming down her face, running orange mud rivulets down her once untainted skin.
"Dear god he's gone. He's gone and I swore I wouldn't care but I do, I did. I loved him" she shouted in hopeless despair.
"Not again, not again NEVER AGAIN!" she screamed close to hysterics, El rushed over to her.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed throwing her arms out erratically. El stopped. If it had been his Carolina he would have held her, and let her rock with her grief. But Rana merely buried her face in her hands and remained motionless. She was like this for thirteen seconds, and then she rose.
"Let's go" she said flatly and made her way to the car. El looked at her uncertainly, but went to the driver door.
It was as if the outbreak had never happened. She opened the passenger door and froze when she found her seat taken. There, in all his blood spattered glory, sat Sands. She let out a gasp as Sands turned a smiling face to her.
"I get the front seat I'm oldest" he smiled smugly as if sensing just how surprised she was. El smiled, he couldn't help it. He didn't like Sands, he doubted he ever would, but it was one less soul to pray forgiveness for, and one less distraught person to comfort.
Sands was still smiling surely when he was slapped clean across the face. His head snapped to the side with a crack and his smile dispersed.
"What the fuck was that for?" he asked angrily.
"Goddamn you" she said only half angry. El looked across the car roof at her as her face paled and she stumbled backwards. He ran around to find her sprawled out in the dirt. El was surprised to find Sands got out of the car too. He was next to her when El got there.
"What is wrong with her this time?" he asked the mariachi. El looked her over, other than looking sick she seemed okay. Nothing immediately life threatening.
"She looks okay" he said hesitantly.
"I hate you" she mumbled at Sands, who grinned in the most annoying fashion possible.
"Get in the car" he said jovially, stood and walked shakily to his seat. El noticed that he was hurt somewhere, but knew better than to make an issue of it just yet.
All three piled in, for once without the threat of being chased...
The rusted old double seated ute sped down the Mexican highway. A cloud of desert dust trailing it. The three dirty, soot smeared, shot up passengers sat in silence.
Then suddenly from the back the female occupant burst out laughing. Both men were momentarily shocked, but the laughter was infectious and their faces widened in grins and soon they too were laughing. Then she leant forwards and switched on the radio.
This was your mistake with the master plan
With all the drugs you take, you can hardly stand
After all is said and done
Are you still having fun?
Well, you know when you've been defeated
You don't care and you thank no one
Feeling low you will always need it
Are you're having fun...
Are you still having fun?
You don't know what it is you've done
Just to show that you're having fun
You don't know what it is you've done
Just to show that...
I can set you straight if you let me stay
I hope I'm not too late
No you won't regret it
I can show you the way
And make you happy today
Yes, you know when you've been defeated
You don't care and you thank no one
Feeling low you will always need it
Well, you know when you're being cheated
Yes, you know when you've been defeated
Feeling low you will always need it
Now you're having fun...
And are you still having fun?
Are you still having fun?
Are you still having..
The end.
Thanks to all.