12-31-2014, 11:09 AM
Jacinda said she was okay despite the gash on her scalp. It really wasn't bad, but would need stitches. Ricky nodded and as Jacinda went to speak with El Diablo, Ricky went to check out the gem he had seen glittering before. He looked at the corpse, a Nuevo Leon tattoo stood on his back, and Ricky gasped. No...it couldn't be.
He recognized the pendent necklace that Eduardo always wore and hesitantly, Ricky turned the body over with his foot. The face was barely distinguishable, but the Atharim tattoo on his left forearm was still there. The facts all pointed to what he didn't want to accept: the unreturned phone calls, the lack of a call when going to face quetzes, and his sudden disappearance. Eduardo had betrayed him.
Ricky pulled the pendant, breaking the chain. He would replace it. Ricky pocketed the pendant and spoke softly to the corpse. "In remembrance of the man you used to be."
Ricky stood and followed Jacinda out before going back to El Diablo. "Keys."
The man reached for his pocket and pulled them out Ricky took them and left without another word. Getting into the car, he drove silently and quickly back to his home and bar. He stopped the car and sighed, turning to Jacinda.
"I'm gonna take a shower and then go for a drive. I need some time alone to think. Tell Miguel that your drinks are on the house tonight."
She looked at him flatly for a moment, as if in thought, then nodded. "Alright. Thanks."
She exited the car and went into the bar. Ricky went upstairs and showered before heading into his bedroom to find Mercedes reading a book. It was a book on Aztec mythology and she was reading about Quetzalcoatl - how strange.
"How is she?"
he asked.
Mercedes looked up. "She hasn't stirred since you left. Poor thing must be so tired."
Ricky nodded. "Can you stay a bit longer - I need to take care of something."
Mercedes nodded. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon."
Ricky left and went to the other room. He put on all black and went to his personal equipment to pull out the camera jammer. He checked his pistols and reloaded them before heading downstairs into his car. He checked the time and swore. Diaz would have been there and gone by now. He'd have to deal with the sick bastard later.
Ricky had another reason to return to the brothel though. He had to find out what he could about Marta. The keys he had taken from El Diablo gave him easy access to the building through an employee entrance. Using the camera jammer, he was able to sneak through undetected. These corridors seemed to be seldom used at night - all the workers were kept busy. He found a room that appeared through the window to be an office - just what he was looking for. He entered, jamming the only camera in the room. He approached it and using one of his knives cut the wire to it. He would need more privacy, but doing so gave him little time.
Ricky quickly went to the file cabinets. Finding one that read "Sales Records" Ricky opened it. Names of girls were on the folders and Ricky wanted to hit something but he focused. He searched - not knowing Marta's last name didn't help but he found one labled "Gonzales, Marta." Ricky took the folder and sure enough a photograph of the little girl was in there. He took the folder and left the room and building as stealthily as he had entered.
He entered his vehicle and drove away, finding a secluded spot a few miles from the brothel - and safely out of Nuevo Leon territory. He pulled out the file and switched on the light in his SUV and began to read. Marta was sold by a man named Roberto Gonzales. Under the section labeled "Family Status" Ricky found a single word - deceased. Upon further reading, Ricky found out that she had one living relative - an uncle named Roberto - the one who had sold her.
It was too much and Ricky started to cry in the SUV. How could someone do that - to their own niece. The anger mixed with sadness. He wasn't sure how long he cried, but when he finished he was outside - leaning on the SUV. He looked up and spoke into the night. "Gustavo Perez - I'm coming for you."
His war against the drug cartels had begun.
He drove home in deep thought and silence and found Mercedes in the same spot. Marta was still fast asleep. Ricky signaled for her to come with him and Mercedes stood and they headed to the kitchen. They sat down at the table.
"Her family is dead."
Ricky said, not knowing another way to bring it up.
Mercedes gasped. "What now?"
Ricky would have answered if it had not been for the little girl entering the kitchen herself. She looked at Ricky and then at Mercedes and then at Ricky again. "Mommy and Rafael - they are..." She didn't finish as she started to cry. Mercedes went and hugged her, telling her it would be okay. Ricky could see her cringe in fear and he saddened. He got her a glass of water. Marta took it and sat down on the floor, sniffling.
"Where...what...where will I go now?"
"You can stay here."
The words were out of Ricky's mouth without a thought. Mercedes' eyes widened in surprise.
Marta looked between both of them again. Mercedes nodded at Ricky - she didn't look like she understood his decision, but accepted it. "Ricky is a good man, Marta. You will be safe here."
Marta looked at Ricky and he could see the fear in her eyes. She turned towards Mercedes again and Mercedes gave her an encouraging smile. Marta turned back and nodded. "O...okay..."
Mercedes kneeling by the girl spoke softly. "You've had a long day - you should get some sleep okay."
Marta yawned and nodded and Mercedes accompanied her back to the room. Ricky followed and watched as the girl fell asleep again. It made him smile to see her so peaceful.
Mercedes and Ricky headed back to the kitchen. "You sure about this Ricky. There are other options - the orphanage..."
"She'd just end up back there...if they even let her live. I'm sure about this - it seems right."
Mercedes frowned. "It's not going to be easy Ricky. She's scared, confused, untrusting, and probably addicted to heroin. This will be hard. You've committed now and I know you can't take that back. I'll help if I can."
Ricky nodded. "I know it won't be easy, and I know I'll have to make a lot of changes. Tonight was a big eye opener. I know more than I ever could have wanted to know. I can help this girl. I want to help this girl."
Ricky smiled. "She's really special."
Mercedes did smile at that. "You're a good man Ricky. This is one of the most selfless things I've ever seen. I'll stay the night. I think it will be good to have a female around when she wakes tomorrow. I need to get some sleep though."
Ricky nodded. "Thanks - it means a lot."
As Mercedes left, Ricky got himself a glass of water. He was a father now. In one minute and one decision, his whole life had changed. It would be difficult, but he would endure it for Marta.
Continued in To Raise A Child
Edited by Enrique, Dec 31 2014, 11:26 AM.
He recognized the pendent necklace that Eduardo always wore and hesitantly, Ricky turned the body over with his foot. The face was barely distinguishable, but the Atharim tattoo on his left forearm was still there. The facts all pointed to what he didn't want to accept: the unreturned phone calls, the lack of a call when going to face quetzes, and his sudden disappearance. Eduardo had betrayed him.
Ricky pulled the pendant, breaking the chain. He would replace it. Ricky pocketed the pendant and spoke softly to the corpse. "In remembrance of the man you used to be."
Ricky stood and followed Jacinda out before going back to El Diablo. "Keys."
The man reached for his pocket and pulled them out Ricky took them and left without another word. Getting into the car, he drove silently and quickly back to his home and bar. He stopped the car and sighed, turning to Jacinda.
"I'm gonna take a shower and then go for a drive. I need some time alone to think. Tell Miguel that your drinks are on the house tonight."
She looked at him flatly for a moment, as if in thought, then nodded. "Alright. Thanks."
She exited the car and went into the bar. Ricky went upstairs and showered before heading into his bedroom to find Mercedes reading a book. It was a book on Aztec mythology and she was reading about Quetzalcoatl - how strange.
"How is she?"
he asked.
Mercedes looked up. "She hasn't stirred since you left. Poor thing must be so tired."
Ricky nodded. "Can you stay a bit longer - I need to take care of something."
Mercedes nodded. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon."
Ricky left and went to the other room. He put on all black and went to his personal equipment to pull out the camera jammer. He checked his pistols and reloaded them before heading downstairs into his car. He checked the time and swore. Diaz would have been there and gone by now. He'd have to deal with the sick bastard later.
Ricky had another reason to return to the brothel though. He had to find out what he could about Marta. The keys he had taken from El Diablo gave him easy access to the building through an employee entrance. Using the camera jammer, he was able to sneak through undetected. These corridors seemed to be seldom used at night - all the workers were kept busy. He found a room that appeared through the window to be an office - just what he was looking for. He entered, jamming the only camera in the room. He approached it and using one of his knives cut the wire to it. He would need more privacy, but doing so gave him little time.
Ricky quickly went to the file cabinets. Finding one that read "Sales Records" Ricky opened it. Names of girls were on the folders and Ricky wanted to hit something but he focused. He searched - not knowing Marta's last name didn't help but he found one labled "Gonzales, Marta." Ricky took the folder and sure enough a photograph of the little girl was in there. He took the folder and left the room and building as stealthily as he had entered.
He entered his vehicle and drove away, finding a secluded spot a few miles from the brothel - and safely out of Nuevo Leon territory. He pulled out the file and switched on the light in his SUV and began to read. Marta was sold by a man named Roberto Gonzales. Under the section labeled "Family Status" Ricky found a single word - deceased. Upon further reading, Ricky found out that she had one living relative - an uncle named Roberto - the one who had sold her.
It was too much and Ricky started to cry in the SUV. How could someone do that - to their own niece. The anger mixed with sadness. He wasn't sure how long he cried, but when he finished he was outside - leaning on the SUV. He looked up and spoke into the night. "Gustavo Perez - I'm coming for you."
His war against the drug cartels had begun.
He drove home in deep thought and silence and found Mercedes in the same spot. Marta was still fast asleep. Ricky signaled for her to come with him and Mercedes stood and they headed to the kitchen. They sat down at the table.
"Her family is dead."
Ricky said, not knowing another way to bring it up.
Mercedes gasped. "What now?"
Ricky would have answered if it had not been for the little girl entering the kitchen herself. She looked at Ricky and then at Mercedes and then at Ricky again. "Mommy and Rafael - they are..." She didn't finish as she started to cry. Mercedes went and hugged her, telling her it would be okay. Ricky could see her cringe in fear and he saddened. He got her a glass of water. Marta took it and sat down on the floor, sniffling.
"Where...what...where will I go now?"
"You can stay here."
The words were out of Ricky's mouth without a thought. Mercedes' eyes widened in surprise.
Marta looked between both of them again. Mercedes nodded at Ricky - she didn't look like she understood his decision, but accepted it. "Ricky is a good man, Marta. You will be safe here."
Marta looked at Ricky and he could see the fear in her eyes. She turned towards Mercedes again and Mercedes gave her an encouraging smile. Marta turned back and nodded. "O...okay..."
Mercedes kneeling by the girl spoke softly. "You've had a long day - you should get some sleep okay."
Marta yawned and nodded and Mercedes accompanied her back to the room. Ricky followed and watched as the girl fell asleep again. It made him smile to see her so peaceful.
Mercedes and Ricky headed back to the kitchen. "You sure about this Ricky. There are other options - the orphanage..."
"She'd just end up back there...if they even let her live. I'm sure about this - it seems right."
Mercedes frowned. "It's not going to be easy Ricky. She's scared, confused, untrusting, and probably addicted to heroin. This will be hard. You've committed now and I know you can't take that back. I'll help if I can."
Ricky nodded. "I know it won't be easy, and I know I'll have to make a lot of changes. Tonight was a big eye opener. I know more than I ever could have wanted to know. I can help this girl. I want to help this girl."
Ricky smiled. "She's really special."
Mercedes did smile at that. "You're a good man Ricky. This is one of the most selfless things I've ever seen. I'll stay the night. I think it will be good to have a female around when she wakes tomorrow. I need to get some sleep though."
Ricky nodded. "Thanks - it means a lot."
As Mercedes left, Ricky got himself a glass of water. He was a father now. In one minute and one decision, his whole life had changed. It would be difficult, but he would endure it for Marta.
Continued in To Raise A Child
Edited by Enrique, Dec 31 2014, 11:26 AM.