Beyond your shadows by Marion S. Lee

Author:Marion S. Lee [S. Lee, Marion]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-12-01T16:00:00+00:00

16

“Open up.”

Don Héctor's deep voice thundered down the short hallway. It was a full-fledged order to the hard-eyed man with a pistol at his belt who was stationed in front of the door.

“Yes, patrón.”

Without making him wait any longer than necessary, the sicario turned and unbolted the lock that gave access to the gloomy room.

It had been several weeks since he had last entered the room because he felt sick to his stomach when he came face to face with the man who had betrayed him.

He took a step inside, followed closely by Diego Navarro, who remained close behind him. The room was gloomy and closed. The only clear ventilation it had, apart from the entrance, was a small window more than nine feet above the floor through which a slit of light and a faint breath of air filtered in. Inside, there was a bed, a table with a rickety chair and another door leading to a precarious toilet. The tenant didn't deserve anything else, and maybe not even that. If it wasn't because he really needed him for his business, what Paco Morelos would have gotten from him would have been a shot between his eyebrows and a pine box six feet under. No one who dared to challenge him lived to tell the tale.

He stopped in the middle of the room. The place reeked of sweat and something he didn't feel like identifying. He had enough guts to put up with stench and filth, but that day he could smell the odor stronger than usual. He wrinkled his nose and coughed, trying to make it less bothersome to his nose.

Sitting back in his chair and with his beady-eyed gaze on him alone, Paco Morelos clutched his side as if he was having trouble breathing. No wonder; he had nearly lost his spleen to a stray bullet and he guessed that, months later, the wound was still bothering him.

Paco had been working for him for eight years, when he and José, his twin brother, had just graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico with their chemical engineering degrees tucked under their arms. They had both wanted to eat up the world and be the best at it. Instead, the world ate them.

Whenever he had him in front of him, he disliked his presence. He never liked him; neither did his brother. But they were good at what they did - very good, in fact - and he had had to swallow his pride and keep treating them and paying them for the work they did for him. Until they betrayed him. Then there was no more consideration.

Morelos tried to stand up, but it was only an attempt, for his legs barely supported him and he collapsed on the chair. He observed him with disdain from his position of superiority.

“I see you have improved.”

The man nodded very slowly, his eyes never leaving him for a tenth of a second.

“Yes.”

“So, what, are you coming in or are we going to continue with this cat and mouse thing?” he asked without preamble.

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