by Matt Rogers
‘Not money. I’ve seen some of the things he’s done, and it wouldn’t be solely money driving him. I’ve seen him murder people based on a whim, just because he felt like they might be a threat down the line. Rico grew up poor as dirt. I think he was abused. I’d say he never wants to feel like that again. He wants to be in such a position of power that he would never go back to what life used to be like.’
‘Pretty selfish.’
‘He runs a drug gang. What were you expecting?’
King nodded and shrugged. ‘The world’s full of people like him.’
‘You know that from experience?’
He nodded again. ‘A hell of a lot of experience.’
‘Did you deal with people like that in the past?’
‘You bet. I spent ten years killing them.’
‘That’s why you’re doing this.’
King looked across, taking his eyes off the road for a moment. He met Raul’s gaze. ‘What?’
‘You went your whole life being ordered to do shit like this. Maybe that’s why you’re helping. It’s what feels natural. You’ve been conditioned to do it.’
‘Maybe you’re right, Raul. Maybe you’re right. Where did José say to meet?’
‘At his warehouse.’
‘As in where he keeps his supply?’
Raul nodded.
‘He must trust you,’ King said.
‘He does. We were like brothers.’
‘You think he’ll help us?’
‘I doubt it. We’re planning an attack on his most lucrative client.’
‘That did cross my mind,’ King said. ‘But we don’t have any other options. Only thing we can do is try. Let’s see if family trumps business.’
‘I don’t think it will in this instance,’ Raul said, gazing out at the passing shops. ‘It’s a cruel world. Got to fight to stay ahead.’
Raul directed King into the industrial complex on the outskirts of Maiquetía, buried amidst the rolling plains and shanty towns. The area was barren, with wide roads devoid of traffic save for the occasional rumbling lorry. The hatchback ascended a rise in the road and for a moment they could see out over the city. King spotted the shipyard directly ahead, separated from them by a few miles of civilisation. The Caribbean Sea sparkled in the mid-morning sun.
‘This is his place,’ Raul said, gesturing to a small rusting warehouse buried up the back of a spacious property. It was dwarfed on either side by buildings almost double the size, giant behemoths that catered to the needs of Maiquetía’s various industries.
‘You sure?’ King said.
‘I helped him find it when he was just starting out. I’m sure.’
King turned the wheel and passed through an open gate. The cracked pavement leading to the warehouse was overgrown with weeds. The path cut through a field full of litter and discarded plywood, strewn randomly across the empty land.
The warehouse itself looked like it had been abandoned for years. There were no logos or lettering on the exterior whatsoever. There was none of the usual sounds of an operating business; no buzzing of machinery, no hissing of industrial presses, no beeping of heavy vehicles as they reversed into place.
‘I’m having doubts, Raul,’ King said, studying the compound. ‘This doesn’t look like an arms dealer’s place.’
‘Exactly why he bought it.’
‘Whatever you say.’
He coasted to a stop at the end of the path and killed the engine. The warehouse’s enormous roller door rested shut. As the noise of the hatchback subsided, complete silence descended over the property. Not a peep of noise came from inside the building.
King opened the driver’s side door and stepped out, his boots crunching on the gravel. He brought the AK-103 out with him. This far from the bustling heart of the city meant there were few potential witnesses. He could wield a Kalashnikov assault rifle as much as he desired with little fear of police interference.
It also carried with it the risk that he would be seen as hostile and shot from a distance.
He took that risk in full stride and aimed the weapon at the warehouse, resting the stock against his shoulder.
He’d rather be able to fire the opening shot.
‘Relax, man,’ Raul said. ‘No need for that.’
Suddenly a voice exploded out of a loudspeaker, harsh and discordant. ‘I agree. Put the weapon down, please.’
King searched for the source of the noise and noted a small megaphone drilled into one corner of the warehouse’s exterior, perched high up. He wondered if it had come with the building, or was a custom addition from Raul’s old friend.
‘That’s him,’ Raul said, smiling. ‘Put the gun down, man.’
It took King a moment of hesitation to figure that he had no other choice. He wasn’t one to surrender his chance of survival, but if anyone in the property wanted him dead, he’d be dead. He abandoned his aim and hurled the rifle away into the gravel. Then he raised both palms towards the warehouse.
‘I hope José’s motivations haven’t changed in the time you’ve been away,’ he muttered to Raul.
‘I trust him,’ Raul said.
A narrow door swung open in the corner of the building and a short man stepped out into the open front yard. His rotund belly strained against his cheap flannel shirt and his thin greasy hair had been combed back over a bald spot. In direct contrast to his stomach, his bare arms were packed with muscle. Veins ran along the surface of his forearms. King smiled. Testosterone replacement therapy had treated the man well. At first glance, he seemed to be in considerable shape, but further scrutiny revealed that he’d simply become wealthy enough to inject a cocktail of growth hormones that allowed him to stay vascular with minimal effort.
Still, it probably had its intended effect.
It certainly afforded him the look of an arms dealer.
‘Raul!’ the man exclaimed as he approached them, beaming from ear to ear. ‘I never thought I’d see you again.’
Raul looked at him, and for a moment his expression was cold and hard. ‘You didn’t bother to try and talk Rico into letting me out, José?’
‘Of course I did,’ José said. ‘You think I would just give up on you after everything you did for me? But Rico wouldn’t hear a word of it. I’m an outsider. I’m not part of them. I just sell them weapons.’
‘Pleased to meet you,’ King said.
José looked across. ‘And you are?’
He spoke with the blunt, reserved nature of someone who hated strangers. He didn’t know King, and King was dangerously close to his illegal operation.
‘I helped Raul get out of prison,’ King said.
‘He’s a good man,’ Raul said.
José extended a hand. King shook it. ‘Any friend of Raul’s is a friend of mine.’
‘What have you been up to since I was put away?’ Raul said.
‘Keeping busy. The position you put me in took off very quickly. Soon Rico had me outfitting all his men. He fortified the shipyard, too. Most of his supply comes in through there so he wanted to be able to defend it from any sized attack.’
‘Fantastic,’ King muttered.
José looked his way for a moment, then shrugged it off. ‘Come on in, my friends. You sounded like you needed something on the phone, Raul.’
‘I do.’
‘Anything for a friend.’
The three of them headed into the warehouse.
CHAPTER 36
They stepped into a cramped front office with orderly stacks of paperwork lining a long timber desk. A desktop computer rested in the far corner. José looped around the desk and sat down behind it. King and Raul both took seats facing him across its surface. King’s groaned as it adjusted to his bulk.
‘Let’s cut to the chase,’ King said.
José looked at him. ‘Okay.’
‘I’m ex-Special Forces. I know what I’m talking about. I’m not some lunatic who decided to get wrapped up in all this on a whim. I’m here for a ver
y clear reason and you don’t need to question me about that. Let’s clear that up first.’
‘Got it.’
‘Over to you, Raul.’
Raul paused, waiting for José’s attention to drift over to him. ‘Mamá and Ana are missing.’
José’s eyes widened. ‘Are you serious?’
‘You think I’d joke about that?’
‘Fuck. I had it in my diary to check on them this week.’
‘You’ve been doing that?’
José nodded. ‘I felt terrible when you two got sent away. I knew you were the household’s only income. My relationship with the Movers meant I had a lot of spare income, so I made sure to siphon some off to your family. It’s the least I could do, brother.’
Raul leant forward and offered a hand. José clasped it. Raul bowed his head and touched it to the handshake. He sighed. ‘Thank you so much.’
‘You don’t need to thank me. I would be a monster not to help them out.’
‘It means the world to me.’
‘They are missing…’ José said, his voice drifting off. The blood had drained from his face, turning his skin pale.
King piped up. ‘Not for long. I managed to briefly get in contact with Rico. He said he had his men take them as soon as he realised we had escaped from El Infierno.’
‘When did that occur?’
‘Yesterday. He wants us to meet him in a couple of hours and surrender ourselves over.’
‘Do not do that.’
‘Does it look like we’re doing that?’
‘If you give yourselves up, he’ll kill all of you.’
‘We know that,’ Raul said. ‘So we’re thinking of trying an alternative.’
José raised an eyebrow. ‘Trust me, Raul, I do not know a man more ruthless than Rico. I still fear the day where I fail to deliver an order, or miscalculate a truck full of firearms. He’s not mentally stable. He would kill me if I fuck up, but I’m in too deep. Don’t try and mess with him.’
‘Remember that part about me being Special Forces?’ King said.
José nodded slowly.
‘That’s an oversimplification,’ King said. ‘I was something else. Something worse. I’m not going to go into details, but I used to do this type of thing for a living.’
‘What type of thing?’
‘Tell him,’ Raul said. ‘No use skirting around it any longer.’
‘We’re going to infiltrate the shipyard,’ King said. ‘I’m going to kill anyone who tries to stop me, and I’m going to find Rico and deal with him, and then I’m going to get Raul’s family out of there. He’s a good friend, and I want to help him.’
‘Do you know Rico?’ José said.
‘Well enough.’
‘Then you must know that you will die if you attempt something so stupid.’
‘It doesn’t matter what you say, José,’ King said. ‘You’re not going to change my mind.’
‘You know how many men he has in that shipyard?’
‘Over a hundred?’
José paused. ‘Uh, no. More like sixty.’
‘Then I can handle it.’
‘Keep up the badass act all you want,’ José said. ‘You will still die.’
‘I’m simply telling you what I’m capable of,’ King said. ‘Based on past exploits. I’m not asking you to believe me, because I honestly don’t care. But we need guns.’
The man’s eyes widened behind the desk, and his tone shifted. ‘Wait … you think—’
‘Yes,’ King interrupted. ‘Yes, you will help me try to destroy your main source of income. And you’ll do it because you’re not a soulless piece of shit. From what he tells me, Raul’s family gave you a home. You won’t dishonour that. At least, I hope you won’t.’
José looked at Raul. ‘You’re helping this madman?’
‘He’s helping me,’ Raul said.
The office went quiet as José leant back in his chair, mulling over what had told him. He drummed a hand against the desk, the hollow echo ringing through the office. Then he spoke. ‘Nine out of ten times that you came to me with that proposition, I would tell you to get the fuck out of my sight.’
‘But?’ King said.
‘But today is your lucky day.’
‘I get the sense this is mutually beneficial to you.’
‘And what makes you think that?’
‘You’re very interested in making money. You wouldn’t have fought so hard to get where you are now otherwise.’
‘I’ve been considering something for a while,’ José said. He spoke slowly, clearly choosing his words very carefully. ‘I think this may be my opportunity to capitalise.’
‘You want out, don’t you?’ King said.
José nodded. ‘I have for a while. Rico’s paying me exorbitant sums of cash. I have enough to support myself for as long as I want. And frankly, it’s not worth fearing for my life anymore. I want to get the hell out of Vargas but I know he’ll hunt me down and tear me to shreds while I’m still alive.’
‘Give me everything you can,’ King said. ‘I’ll make sure you have the opportunity to get a fresh start.’
‘I haven’t made up my mind yet.’
‘You will soon. This suits everyone.’
José’s expression glazed over. The man was deep in thought. He had clearly reached the financial position he was in by making carefully calculated decisions. King knew he would not be brash. But hopefully he would see the advantages.
‘I need to make a call,’ he said. ‘Give me a moment.’
He launched off the chair and scurried through a side door, disappearing into the warehouse. The door clattered shut behind him.
‘You think he’ll come round?’ Raul said.
King nodded. ‘I think so. He seemed to believe that I can help.’
‘And he hasn’t even seen the shit you’ve done.’
As Raul spoke, his right leg twitched violently, shaking up and down on the spot with the fervour of someone terrified by what lay ahead.
‘You okay?’ King said.
‘To be honest, no. At least there was some kind of structure in El Infierno. This is going to quickly turn into madness. I just know it.’
‘I’m the opposite,’ King said. ‘The prison was madness. Being locked up inside those walls drove me insane. This is more like what I used to do.’
‘You’re not nervous?’
King shrugged. ‘I will be later. Right now — I don’t feel anything.’
‘Lucky man.’
King looked at him. ‘I’d rather be scared. Makes me feel more human.’
With a resounding crash the door to the warehouse burst open. King jolted off his seat, reacting to the sudden noise the only way he knew how. He spun. Clenching his fists. Gritting his teeth. Ready for a fight to the death with whoever came charging through into the office.
José stood in the doorway, a confused expression plastered across his face. He held a mobile phone in one hand. The other was empty.
‘Fuck me,’ he said. ‘You react quick.’
King shrugged. ‘My life hasn’t been relaxing.’
‘Evidently.’
‘Do we have a deal?’
José extended the hand with the mobile phone in it and shook it back and forth, indicating he had just made a call. ‘I spoke to a few business partners. They’ve given the all-clear. We have a deal.’
‘Shit,’ Raul whispered.
King turned to him. ‘Did you just get cold feet?’
‘I didn’t think this would actually go ahead…’ he said. ‘I thought it was all ludicrous … fuck, my heart’s racing. Okay, let’s do this before I back out.’
José beckoned them through into the warehouse. They followed him through, and King’s eyes widened as he gazed out at an extraordinary arsenal of firepower.
CHAPTER 37
The cavernous space had been outfitted with symmetrical rows of metal shelving, towering far above them on all sides. A few forklifts were scatt
ered across the warehouse floor. Hundreds of crates littered the shelves, ranging from the size of a man to the size of a tank.
‘You weren’t kidding,’ King said. ‘I thought you were an amateur…’
‘I was,’ José said. ‘I learnt quickly. Expanded quickly. That’s why I have enough funds. At some point the risk begins to outweigh the reward.’
‘Are you worried about arrest?’
The man scoffed. ‘Are you kidding? I’m integral to the operation of the largest drug gang in Vargas state. The police probably know exactly where I’m located, and what’s in this place. They wouldn’t dare do anything about it.’
‘So it’s solely Rico that’s making you want to step away?’
José nodded. ‘He’s a lunatic. A high-paying one, but a lunatic all the same.’
‘If he finds out you supplied me…’
‘That’s why I’m praying to God that you are who you say you are. I’ll give you enough firepower to level a skyscraper. Please use it effectively.’
‘I will.’
‘I hope so. Because I’m dead otherwise —’
He trailed off mid-sentence, as if a new thought had struck him.
‘What is it?’ King said.
José turned to Raul. ‘You don’t expect to rescue them, do you?’
‘My family?’
José nodded.
Raul shrugged, his eyes turning wet. ‘I can try, right? I can hope.’
José sighed. ‘Don’t go in there expecting to save them, my friend. In all likelihood they won’t be there. Or if they are, Rico will simply see you coming and kill them before you can reach them.’
The spiel hit Raul hard. King watched as he bowed his head towards the ground and blinked hard, struggling to control his emotions. He cleared his throat, composing himself. He looked up. ‘It’s the only thing we can do. I don’t have any other options.’
‘I know, my friend,’ José said. ‘They were dear to me too. It hurts to think about what might have happened to them. But with so many unknowns, please don’t charge in expecting for all to end well. It won’t.’
Raul nodded. ‘I know. Thank you, brother.’
They embraced, pulling each other tight. Raul slapped his childhood friend on the back hard several times, letting out the frustration bubbling to the surface inside him. As they rode out the anger together, King turned away. He let them have their moment. He scanned the nearest shelf, looking over a dozen open crates propped side-by-side, exposing glinting gunmetal within. He studied their contents. His eyes widened.
