La Mexicana

by Navi' Robins

  With his hands trembling, Ahmed attempted to lift up his drink, but it almost slipped out of his hands so he placed it back down on the table. Looking around, he noticed all the men carried the familiar red and green bandannas of the Escorpiones cartel and it was at that moment he regretted not going home.

  “Señor Basara, como estas?” (Mister Basara, how are you?) one of the men said, smiling at Ahmed. The man was soaked from head to toe from the raging storm outside, and the water dripped all over the table as he leaned forward and whispered, “You know who we are and why we’re here, so don’t make a scene and make us kill everyone in this place and make you watch.”

  Shrugging, Ahmed responded, “I don’t give a fuck, their Horchata is shit anyway so…if it makes you feel good, do it.”

  The dripping man laughed loudly in Ahmed’s face, filling his nostrils with the strong smell of cigarettes and cheap alcohol. Ahmed’s facial muscles immediately tensed up as he turned away from the man’s bellowing mouth in disgust.

  “You have a lot of heart, little man. But I know people and I know you actually do give a fuck. So, let’s stop playing games and get up from that fucking table and follow me outside.”

  Ahmed turned and looked out the window and pointed to the aquatic wind monster that was raging on outside and swallowed hard before responding, “You want to go out in that? You must be either crazy or paid very well. Either way, I’m not going outside in that madness.”

  “What’s wrong, Mister Big Shot? Afraid of a lit―”

  Suddenly, a pitched whistle came through the window and a split second later, the back of the nameless man’s head exploded in bone and brain matter that splattered all over the wall and tables behind him. Ahmed leaned back in his chair as he watched the man’s eyes roll in his head and blood pour out of a hole in the middle of his forehead. Before his body fell across the table, the restaurant was being torn to pieces by an unrelenting assault of gunfire. Ahmed screamed and ducked down under the table, and began crawling towards the bar in the front of the restaurant. Bodies began to fall around him as the sound of gunfire and thunder filled the air in perfect sync with each other.

  Terrified beyond his darkest nightmares, Ahmed continued screaming and drooling at the mouth as he crawled on the floor until his head collided with the front end of the bar. Moving around behind the bar, his hands and knees instantly became soaked in blood and when he lifted his head, he noticed the bartender’s lifeless body lying on the floor behind the bar. A sickening amount of blood poured out of a massive hole in the bartender’s chest. The shock in the bartender’s lifeless eyes sent a blood-curdling chill up Ahmed’s spine, as he tried to move past the body without looking at it.

  “RPG!”

  The three-letter word exploded throughout the bar right before Ahmed heard a loud boom as a massive force lifted him off the floor and tossed his body forward, crashing through a door that was thirty feet in front of him. Ahmed could feel hot shards of metal burn into the flesh on his back and he moaned in pain as he tried to lift his body from atop the bathroom sink. Too weak and feeling an indescribable amount of pain, Ahmed collapsed, the weight causing his body and the sink to crumble to the floor. Collapsed by the explosion, the large hole in the roof gave the storm free reign inside the burning building, pouring gallons of water per second all around Ahmed.

  Lying face down and losing consciousness, Ahmed thought the howling winds around him was calling out his name, but soon he recognized a familiar voice…Hector. Too weak to speak, Ahmed moaned loudly, hoping he could be heard over the storm that had now intensified in its violent bombardment of the Mexican slum around him. Hector moved through the rubble, flanked by six armed men, listening for any movement. Then a quiet moan came from the far left of the damaged restaurant and Hector signaled for his men to flank the area where the sound came from. Stepping over a damaged wall, Hector moved inside what used to be the owner’s private restroom and looked down at Ahmed, lying in a puddle of water and blood. Shaking his head, Hector signaled for the largest man among them to lift Ahmed up.

  “Llevalo a la Hummer y al compuesto de una vez!” (“Get him to the Hummer and back to the compound at once!”)

  “De inmediato, Rey Hector!” (Right away, King Hector) Angel responded, before throwing the Syrian over his shoulder and started maneuvering through the devastation.

  “No tan rapido, Señor Ayala!” (Not so fast, Mr. Ayala) a voice commanded over a loudspeaker.

  “Tenemos todo rodeado tira tus armas en el suelo, suelta al Señor Basara y sube tus manos al aire!”(We have you surrounded, so lay your weapons on the ground, put Mr. Basara down and put your hands in the air!)

  Hector and the other five men immediately got down on one knee and began frantically aiming their weapons in every direction. The man carrying Ahmed froze in place and right before he was about to take cover, Hector ordered him to remain standing.

  “Ellos lo quieren vivo, mientras lo lleves cargado no te van a disparar,” (They want that one alive, so as long as you carry him they won’t shoot at you,) Hector said, while he continued to look through his weapon’s heat seeking scope for the men that surrounded them. The cooler air from the storm made it easy for him and his other men, who were secretly positioned behind Donald Hamlin, his agents, and the Federales, to locate all visible targets. And with one finger in the air, Hector yelled, “Enciendelos!” (Light them up!)

  Gunfire immediately erupted behind Donald and his men and in a few seconds, eight of the Federales that accompanied them was dead.

  “Shit! Behind you! Detras de ti!” Donald yelled, and everyone turned around to face the men moving into their positions while firing short, yet accurate bursts of gunfire. Hector’s men attacked and moved with the precision of Navy Seals and the aim of Marine snipers, firing and ducking behind trees and then switching positions with one another. Donald became puzzled as he watched their method of attack. A tactic too advanced for drug cartel henchman and almost impossible to counter. He was certain they didn’t learn it from their highly-trained leader, Hector Ayala, which made things much more complicated.

  What the fuck is going on here?

  A bullet whistled so close past his head, he could feel the heat of its burning metal tip. The near- death experience sprung Donald out of his thoughts and he took cover behind a tree and began returning fire. “Motherfucker!” Nice move, Hector, but I got a few moves up my sleeves too. Placing his hand towards his ear, Donald activated his communications device and said, “Okay, move in now!”

  Seconds later, Hector and the six men were being attacked from the hilltop behind them. Bullets flew past them in rapid succession and Hector and his men immediately fled deeper inside the damaged restaurant, looking for cover.

  “Ha Haaaaa! Motherfucker!” Donald yelled, as he watched Hector and his men cower inside the structure. “Okay, move down the hill while laying suppressing fire. We will flank Hector’s men behind us and get control of this battle.”

  “Yes sir,” the man on the other end responded.

  Looking at his agents as they returned fire, Donald decided it was time to call in the Escorpiones cartel for reinforcements. He wanted this mission concluded, and although it might be premature, he felt he should jump on the opportunity while he had Hector pinned down. So, placing his hand to his communications device again, he activated it and said, “Okay, move in from the west.”

  Overhearing Donald’s order alarmed Special Agent Towers, and he quickly moved over to Donald’s location.

  “Sir, do you think it’s a good idea to bring the Escorpiones in this early? They are unreliable and not very organized. This restaurant, although on the outskirts of Chalco, is still in the middle of a heavily populated area and there will be civilian casualties.”

  Rolling his eyes while refusing to look in Towers’ direction, Donald responded, “I know what I’m doing, Agent. We got that animal pinned down and he has nowhere else to go. We’ve played our trump card by having the Federales h
ere. Now he knows his dethroning is backed by his government as well…so it’s time to retire that bastard now!”

  “But there are civilians down there. Women, children

  “Agent, return to your post before your position is flanked by the enemy. You knew the possible collateral damage of this mission when you accepted it. Now tuck in your skirt and return to your post!”

  Agent Towers inhaled deeply and nodded his head, and turned to go in the opposite direction. As he began to take cover, a perfectly aimed bullet found his right temple, sending his lifeless body down the steep slope. Donald watched his body slide down the hill with the mud and rainwater that was now pouring down the hill like a waterfall. Once his body reached the bottom of the hill, a smile grew on Donald’s face as he regretted that he didn’t get shoot Towers himself.

  One less cut, more money for the rest of us.

  Donald immediately signaled for his agents to move towards the left flank to try and move around Hector’s men, who were still using sniper and guerilla warfare tactics to pick them off. The downpour and heavy winds made it difficult for Donald and his men to move swiftly, and they constantly fought against the mud and water to keep from falling down the steep slopes of the hill. Donald kept pushing his agents to move faster, because each passing second could mean more of his men being killed.

  “Move! Faster!”

  Down in the destroyed restaurant, ducking inside a small room that was once used for small private parties, Hector and his men were trapped as the skies above tormented them with hard water pellets that stung as they hit bare skin. Hector looked up as the violent thunderstorm split the sky, attempting to match the carnage going on beneath it. Listening to the gun battle raging and Mother Nature’s thunderous protest above his head, Hector attempted to gain the mental fortitude to come to a decision he didn’t want to make. But after receiving word from his men that about sixty Escorpiones soldiers were incoming, as well as being surrounded on all sides, there was only one way out of this. Closing his eyes as he let the rain pour over his face, Hector opened his mouth and let

  the water flow down his throat. The rain was cold and the taste was pure and sweet, a combination he hadn’t experienced in so long, it seemed like a fairy tale.

  Suddenly, revenge didn’t seem worth all of this; and what’s to come. Hector’s earpiece was now erupting with the sound of his men being attacked by Donald and his highly-trained agents from their left flank. They were outmaneuvered and there was only one last order to give. Exhaling so forcefully his lips vibrated, Hector placed his hand over his earpiece and said, “Apunta ambas colinas.” (Target both hills.)

  Turning to his men who were kneeling around him with solemn looks on their faces, Hector inhaled and said, “Una vez que comience, tenemos que salir de este valle rápidamente y quiero decir de forma rápida.” (Once it starts, we have to move out of this valley quickly and I do mean quickly.)

  Looking at his watch, Hector raised his right hand and began to count down with his fingers.

  Four…

  Three…

  Two…

  One…

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Pompei

  The terrifying sound of incoming heavy artillery filled the air for a split second, right before the hillsides were engulfed in the flames and the skull-shattering boom of the artillery hitting their marks. Despite being flooded, the flames of the artillery strike moved through two hillsides, consuming everything in its path, while the impact sent tons of rock and mud flying hundreds of feet in the air. As the flames of chaos raged everywhere, Hector and his six companions, with an unconscious Ahmed in tow, were running towards the eastern border of the valley as fast as the deep mud and water would allow. Looking towards the top of the six-hundred-foot hillside on his right, Hector noticed the trees from the top of the hill began to lean forward, and the ground around them appeared to be breaking away into massive chunks of mud and rocks. His heart immediately skipped a beat when he looked to his left, and noticed the exact thing was happening atop the other hill. His body immediately felt the extreme pressure of stress as he realized the vast amount of people cowering away in their homes, were unaware of the carnage that was about to unfold. In his zealous need to win the battle, Hector did not account that the two hillsides wouldn’t be able to hold it together in their current condition. Men still loyal to his late uncle bombarded the hillsides with the artillery strikes he’d ordered.

  Taking another look, he could see the hillsides peeling away, sending tons of mud, stone and trees towards the valley.

  “Deslizamiento de tierra!” (Landslide!) Hector yelled to the top of his lungs while frantically pushing them forward. As they rushed towards the unaffected hillside in front of them, one of the men noticed that Hector had stopped and began banging on people’s doors. Warning them of the impending disaster, but no one responded or looked out of their windows. It was at that moment Hector felt more regret than he’d ever felt in his entire life. He’d created such a violent and fearsome reputation that no one wanted to come outside to face him or his men. Standing outside a home with his shoulders slouched and staring at the mud under his boots, Hector seemed possessed by regret and one of his men ran back to snap him out of it.

  “Rey, tenemos que irnos ahora. No hay nada más que podamos hacer por estas personas!” (King, we have to go now. There’s nothing more we can do for these people!)

  Looking up at his soldier, Hector’s eyes were drenched in his regret and it took the soldier by surprise. But the soldier knew they needed to leave and leaving without Hector wasn’t an option. So he began tugging on his shoulder until Hector reluctantly complied, and the two men hurried off towards the eastern hillside.

  As the artillery struck the hillside, Donald Hamlin was gleefully pulling his seven-inch blade out of the abdomen of one of Hector’s men. Hearing the sharp pitch of the falling metal containing hell’s fire from the sky, caused Donald to look up and then yell for everyone to take cover. The entire hill shook violently like a powerful earthquake and then the fire and heat followed immediately. Running down the steep slope of the hill while trying to avoid being struck by boulders weighing over a ton, Donald and his men were frantically trying to outrun the sliding hell that was stalking them like a hungry predator. The landslide roared as its downward momentum tore century-old trees to pieces like toothpicks, its menacing blackness swallowing the landscape. Donald looked behind him and caught a terrifying glimpse of the landslide speeding down towards him, the branches of the uprooted trees appearing like long green tentacles, reaching out to impale him in its deadly embrace. Running faster than he’d run in recent years, he could hear the harrowing screams of terror from the inhabitants of the valley as they watched death rumble down towards them like a black tsunami.

  As he stumbled down the hill, he could hear his death gaining on him, his old bones and muscles unable to outrun the menace that pursued him. Looking ahead, he could see the other younger agents faring better than he was and it appeared they might be able to get to the bottom of the hill before the landslide did. But even if they did make it, there was a strong possibility all of them would be trapped by the landslide coming down from the northern hillside of the valley.

  God damn that Hector!

  Suddenly, Donald lost his footing and started tumbling down the hill. His forward momentum, weight and the slippery slope of the hill gave him more speed than when he was on his feet and after numerous cuts and bruises, Donald rolled onto the level ground of the valley. Without making sure he wasn’t seriously injured, Donald jumped to his feet and began sprinting towards the closest way out of the valley and out of the path of the landslides. The only road leading out of the valley was overrun with screaming and panicking people, as the landslide moved closer to consuming everything in its path in the valley. Donald frantically looked around for his other agents and after a few seconds, he spotted them further up the road, well beyond the massive crowds and out of danger. Sucking his teeth in d
isgust, Donald looked around to see if there was another way out of the valley and then he saw it, a sewage tunnel running towards the east side of the valley. It traveled under the road and out the other side of the crowds. Noticing the other side of the sewage drain opened up to the slopes of the western hillside, he knew that was his only way to safety. Looking around to make sure no one else was watching him, Donald backed away slyly and within a few seconds was wading waist deep in human waste as he splashed and cursed, trying to get through the tunnel before it was filled with tons of mud and debris.

  On the road above the sewage tunnel, a sudden blood-chilling scream travelled through the crowd. Everyone on the road turned around to watch the very moment that both landslides crashed into the valley and created a wave of earth and debris thirty feet high. The landslides broke away homes like paper, as it poured over everything and everyone that remained trapped in the valley. Donald also heard the woman’s scream and the opening of the sewer tunnel darkened when he slowly turned around. The tunnel quickly began to fill up with mud and the bodies of those unfortunate enough to be trapped in the valley. Donald yelled as he noticed some people were still alive, trapped in the mud and reaching out to him, as the mud rapidly moved closer to him. Donald frantically ran through, unfazed by the raw sewage that was splashing all over his face and in his mouth. The metal walls of the sewer tunnel protested as the mud and debris filled it beyond capacity. Looking ahead, Donald could see the light diminishing just like on the other end, letting him know that soon mud and debris would be pouring in from both ends.

  Screaming in a high-pitched voice, Donald reached the other end right before tons of mud and debris began pouring down into the ditch where the sewer tunnel opened up. Clawing at the sides of the ditch, Donald frantically climbed out and once he was on solid ground, ran up the road until he collapsed on the ground. Breathing heavily, he lifted up his head and looked on in horror as he watched the landslide continue to swallow up everything in the valley. The valley, once a vibrant and densely populated area now looked like a black and brown sea of mud, debris, and bodies that moved like liquid death. It tried to move further out of the valley, but the surrounding elevations contained it, causing it to rock and crash along the side of the hills like waves on the shore during a violent hurricane.