The Untouchables

5. Untouchable

Anxiety torments me during the whole day until evening comes. As soon as the sun goes down, I walk to Navarro's mansion, following a corridor of columns to search for an entrance and the owner of this paradise.

I find him outside, next to the pool in the middle of the u-shaped mansion, chilling in the darkness, a bottle of beer in one hand and a gun in the other.

"When do we start playing?" I ask.

Navarro seems to acknowledge my presence. He nods his head in my direction, then aims the gun at me.

I hurry behind a column, a bullet shatters a window behind me.

"What the fuck?!" I yell.

"I forgot to tell you about my favorite rule of the game. If you won't find my room before I find you, I'll kill you!"

You gotta be kidding me! I jump inside the house, still protected by the column. On the right there's access to a corridor, and on the left there's a tiger walking to me. Fucking Mexican pets. I sprint to the corridor.

Behind me, Navarro opens the entrance doors. "I found ya!"

He throws his bottle at me, some glasses cut my skin. I can barely control my legs, but I manage to help myself change direction with a push against the wall, going up a flight of stairs.

"You know that I could kill you anytime, don't you?" he asks.

"Yeah. And if you wanted to do that, my brain would already be splattered on your walls."

"They're too expensive to be ruined, chica!"

I stop jumping up the stairs and turn to his amused face with a smirk. "You daily earn double of whatever they cost daily."

He claps his hand a couple of times before I start running again. It's not hard to find Navarro's bedroom: it must be behind the largest doors in the corridor. As I open them, I thank the universe for being right. I won. My reward will be keeping my life, at least for as long as I'll be around Navarro who will also accept to keep working with Quintero.

All that's left to do now is having fun with Rafael, possibly my way.

When I turn, he's already behind me. He presses the gun under my chin and pulls the trigger. Click. "Bang. Tú estás muerta."

"I found your bedroom. You must keep your word."

He laughs, pushing the gun harder against my chin. "Nah, this is a guest room. But thank you for thinking that my bedroom could be this clean and humble."

The door opens and a cop comes in. "¿Está todo bien aquí?"

"Help," I breathe, not thinking at all before talking.

Navarro nods at the guard that walks away, completely ignoring me. Then the drug lord's black eyes come back to stare into my soul.

He grabs the back of my neck and keeps the gun under my chin, forcing me to look into his dark gaze. "Rafael Navarro, Diego Hernández, Carlos Quintero. Do you know why they call us the untouchables?"

"No, sir."

"We make a billion dollars a month through drugs, weapons, and death. Everybody knows that, and nobody can raise a finger to change the system. Nobody can touch us. So, for the sake of your family, keep your mouth shut and do what I tell you before it's too late. Get on your knees and tell me your last wish."

"I'm untouchable too, Rafael. If any of you kill me, the accord you're taking through me won't be valid anymore and the war between the drug lords will start. Is that what you want?"

He bursts out laughing, freeing me from his grip. "You're a fucking genius. I wonder how you women always manipulate men so well."

I take a sigh of relief. "I need to meet Hernandez before he decides to make a move against Quintero."

"It'll take you almost a day to get there. You should go now."

"What about the sex?"

"Fuck it. I have too many prostitutes in here, I don't need you too, even tough you'd be my favorite for sure."

"Damnit," I mumble under my breath.

As I walk away, Rafael wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer, kissing me. When he lets me go, I almost fall back, breathless.

"What was this for?" I ask.

"You deserved it. I know you wanted it for a long time."

"I hope to see you again."

He steps back, breaking any contact with me to light a joint for himself. "Bring my men with you. Hernández will kill you if he sees the person responsible for the big mess getting close to his family house without any familiar face with you. Now go."

I obey, turning my back on him before tears wet my cheeks.