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Escape to Tampico

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9.

Alegrio Rey was a tall, athletic man. Bella estimated him in his forties. He wore a chevron moustache, somewhat less voluminous than Gonzales had. He had short black hair, bald on top. Most enigmatic (and scaring) were his narrow eyes, Bella qualified as ‘evil angel eyes’. He wore boots and a black Stetson, when he came to fetch Bella and Rosita from their cottage, the next day.

“You two Señoras will be my guests of honour for today!”

“Guests of honour?”

“Guests of honour for the games! The Cartel Olympiade!”

Outside the hacienda-motel stood a large, high wooden enclosure, behind a white building, in which Bella and Rosita were guided inside. Next stood a kind of tavern-restaurant, named Casa Tuco. Several guests were eating or drinking in what Bella saw as ‘a typical Mexican saloon’. It could have been the set of a western. From the restaurant, they took a wooden staircase, leading through the flat roof of the building. Upstairs was some kind of a stands, protected against the sun by a wood and cloth cover.

“Welcome in the Imperial Logia!” Rey said sardonically. “Have a seat, Señoras!”

The logia overlooked a kind of arena, a circular wooden enclosure with stands all around, except for the opposite side, where there was a gate leading to a kind of shed. In the arena stood a few wooden poles.

Other ‘guests’, some of the men who had been in the bar below, took a seat, flanked by armed guards.

“This used to be an arena for bull fighting!” Rey explained, “but animal activists have managed to enforce a legal ban on such activities. Which I can only approve that such barbaric shows with animals are forbidden. However, since the edifice was available, we turned it into something more exciting!”

On order of Rey, a bugler sounded his instrument.

The gate at the opposite side was opened, and two men entered the arena, two of the younger passengers from the bus, each escorted by two of Rey’s men. Both passengers only wore a Bermuda shorts, and each of them carried a round shield and a Roman style sword.

“Gladiator games!” Rey explained to Bella. “A fight to death!”

Bella could not believe her eyes and ears. Were they really going to do this?

“The winners are granted to live on, and even get a women available!” Rey further explained. “Not anyone of the two of you!” he hastily added. “On condition they submit to our discipline like obedient soldiers!”

Apparently, both men in the arena behaved very reluctant when they had been told what to do. One of the guards pointed his rifle to one of them, but all he replied was : “Dispararme!”! Shoot me!.

Then, one of the guards went to the gate, shouted an order, on which one of the older male passengers of the bus was brought out, hands tied to the back, stark naked.

He looked around, confused by the sun and the strange setting he was in, but he had little time to think since the guard forced him to kneel down and immediately slit his throat. With a surprised and terrified look, the man fell forward in the hot sand, and soon a puddle of blood spread around his severed neck.

The brutal killing set up consternation among the captive women. Bella’s stomach turned. But Rey kept a calm, approving look.

So, it was made clear to the gladiators-against-their-will what to do, and what would happen if they further refused to fight.

Hesitating, the two men took position towards each other, and drew swords. They were clearly not used to handle a sword. They kept thrusting and cutting towards each other and meanwhile tried to protect themselves with their shield, while keeping a safe distance from each other. This went on for a few minutes, until one struck right, more by chance than by skill. With a shriek of pain, the other man grabbed to the bleeding wound, giving his opponent the opportunity to strike once more. The wounded man fell down, crying of pain, writhing in the sand. His adversary wanted to strike another time, but held back. The wounded man, with fear and pain in his eyes, lifted his arm, as a sign of surrender and a plea for mercy. His opponent stepped back and dropped his sword, clearly having enough of it.

“Continuar!” Rey shouted. But the man hesitated.

Rey then made a ‘thumbs down’ sign, and the guards ordered the man to kill his wounded opponent. Confused and unwilling, he looked around, but then the guards gave him the choice : kill or have his own throat cut.

But still, he was refusing. The guards grabbed him, but Rey ordered to hold back, and transferred another order.

“Just one thrust and he would have lived! Such a pity, that man squandering his whole life like that, but I have no choice!”

On order from Rey, the guards got another gladiator from behind the gate. He was ordered to fight with the winner of the previous combat, who was still unwilling to kill his own wounded opponent. This time, the odds were different. The fight did not last long. The new gladiator fought with much more ferocity. His look was clearly determined to win this combat. Soon his opponent was slain, and after the ‘thumbs down’ from, Rey, it took him only a slight hesitation to make the kill. Then, on order of Rey, he finished off the loser of the first combat. Rey made a ‘thumbs up’ towards him. His life would be spared.

“Good new recruit!” Rey said to Bella. “The first blood is always the most difficult, but from then on, killing becomes piece of cake!”

The next combat with two new gladiators immediately begun. It was an unequal fight, since one of them was so scared, he tried to run away. His opponent, clearly understanding what was at stake, and determined to stay alive, hunted him down and stabbed him to death. He got a ‘thumbs up’ from Rey.

“Easy job!” Rey said.

The fourth combat was completely different again. Both fighters were fierce and relentless. It was not clear who was the strongest. They hit each other with non-lethal strokes, but despite each being wounded twice, they kept going on, until one of them stumbled over one of the dead bodies still lying on the arena floor and lost his sword. Unarmed, he waited in fear. Then, Rey ordered a break.

Rey gave another order, and two more elder prisoners were brought naked in the arena. The gladiator’s job was clear : each had to kill one of them. They carried out the order, and both got a thumbs up.

“Normally, there should only be one winner, but on the other hand, it’s a pity to waste scarce talent!” Rey said and added “I am practical businessman, not a slaughter!”

Bella had seen many crime scenes in the police force in Washington DC. She had seen dead bodies of men and women of all ages, killed by many ways of violence, bodies of people that had just been killed, or who got murdered weeks or months ago. It needed a strong stomach to descend on such places, cross the police fence and do the appropriate work.

Yet, never, never, she had witnessed an actual killing, leave a fight on life or death, with real swords, with wounds being inflicted, and with the losers being coldly finished off. It had already been a first shock when she had witnessed the killing of the bus passengers at the ambush, but there, she still had felt a kind of cover by the crowd of passengers, and she had been too much focused on trying to conceal her identity towards the abductors. But here, she had to face it straight. Rosita, she seemed to be unmoved by it all. Was she already used to such killings? Although the ‘Imperial Lodge’ was covered from the sun by a canvas, Bella suddenly got it uncomfortably warm.

“Intermission, Señoras and Señores!”, Rey suddenly ordered, “Let’s have a drink below! Pedro! Get some tequila for our Gringa Moss here, since she looks a little bit pale around her nose!”

(to be continued)
 
9.

Alegrio Rey was a tall, athletic man. Bella estimated him in his forties. He wore a chevron moustache, somewhat less voluminous than Gonzales had. He had short black hair, bald on top. Most enigmatic (and scaring) were his narrow eyes, Bella qualified as ‘evil angel eyes’. He wore boots and a black Stetson, when he came to fetch Bella and Rosita from their cottage, the next day.

“You two Señoras will be my guests of honour for today!”
 

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10.

As they returned at the ‘Imperial Loggia’, Bella saw to her surprise, at about two thirds across, a stark naked woman, about forty years old, stood cuffed arms over head to a pole.

“Listen!” Rey said! “This is the problem! We had more tests of applicants in the arena a few days ago! Two of those who passed, have second thoughts and are rather unwilling to cooperate further. They have the particular problem with the possible prospect of having to kill women either! So, they need a second test! The woman in the arena is theirs! They may do what they want with her, on condition that they kill her afterwards!”

To everyone’s surprise, Bella protested.

“You cannot do this! That’s not fair! That’s savage!”

Her reaction caused consternation among the other guests. Even Rosita looked terrified for Bella’s boldness. Only Rey remained calm.

“Listen, Bella Moss! That woman is not innocent! She has caused a lot of harm to our company!”

“Whatever! She should get a chance!”

Meanwhile, the bugler awaited Rey’s sign to announce the beginning of the show. But Rey hesitated.

Then he stood up.

“Bella Moss! You and your friend Rosita come with me!” He ordered guards to escort them. They went down to the restaurant, around the outside of the arena and were led into the shed.

“First thing you two have to do now is strip naked! Completely!”

“Yikes!? Here!? Now!?”

“Si! Here and now por favor Señora Moss! This is not a holiday resort!”

“Alegrio Rey! You filthy pig!”

“Querida Rosita! You keep repeating yourself! Now carry on! Desnuda!”

Bella reluctantly started to undress, nodding to Rosita to do the same. This was it, she thought, I have upset Rey, so he will do the same with us as with that woman at the stake.

“So, Señoras,” Rey said, when they were ready, “the complaints of Bella Moss about this part of the show are rightful! You have made me consider, and you have a point about that woman! It should not be fair to have her simply abused and butchered! So, I changed the rules of the game a bit! Those two men, I mentioned, can still get their woman. But I added one difficulty! They first have to pass along the two of you! You will defend that woman’s life with your own life! Understand!?”

“You mean, we have to fight in the arena ourselves?” Bella asked.

“Exactly, Bella Moss! You and Rosita!”

(to be continued)
 
11.

“Fight in the arena? Like this!? Naked!?”

“Here is a rope and a piece of cloth! Make a loincloth of it! Weapons you will get! You two got the right stuff, I think, to give us a good gladiator fight! Good luck and do not disappoint me! My invitation to a diner with the two of you still stands!”

Minutes later, Bella and Rosita stood in the arena, barefoot, armed with a round shield and a gladius. They were wearing a scant loincloth – just a rope around the waist and the cloth wrapped front and back over it. Their eyes had to adapt to the bright outdoor sunlight, and their feet to the hot sand. At first, Rosita had calmed down the woman at the stake. Meanwhile, they awaited the return of Rey in the loggia.

“Bella! Be careful, next time! You almost made Rey loose his face in front of his subordinates! That is deadly for a man’s position in this society! Look where it brought us!? We are lucky he did not tie us to a stake too!”

“Do we have any tactics?”

“Any proposal?”

During her police career, Bella had been more than once in life threatening situations. A bust about to go wrong. Criminals, violent, psychotic or drugged, and finding themselves cornered, always could react totally unpredictable. And sometimes they did. Mostly, she was backed by Sam Reingold, and by a squad of policemen, but on a few occasions, she had stood alone for moments.

And although she was used to handle some stress situations, this one felt like the most perilous she had ever been in. Facing a gladiator combat for life and death, in an arena, in a remote village somewhere in Mexico, was the last possibility she had ever expected to be in. As a detective, she had always felt protected by the authority of her badge, the force and as a last resort, her weapon. Devoid of that canvas of authority, she felt naked now, particularly since she was as good as naked herself.

‘Will it end up here? Some place to die’ went to her head. She would have to grab all her experience together to survive.

Rey had taken place in the Imperial Lodge, and let the games begin. The trumpets sounded, the gate was opened. The two opponent gladiators came out.

“Oh!! Shiiit!” Bella whispered.

One was armed with a sword, but a larger one than theirs, and also a larger shield. The other one, at his left, had no shield but carried a trident on a stick. And they both wore sandals.

“What to hell!” Bella said “where in the fine print of the game rules is it written that these guys are allowed better equipment than we have!?”

“Too late to complain, I am afraid! Once more, Bella, any clue for tactics?”

“Maybe! Have you ever been trained in fighting?”

“Yes! Rudimentary! I learned to defend myself hand to hand, but not against a sword or a trident!”

“Me neither. I did a lot of hand to hand fight training at the police sports school, so we are not chanceless. But the largest weapon we trained for, was a threat by a big knife! Still, these two were perhaps random bus passengers too, so maybe they are not so skilled!”

“Good thinking” Rosita said “perhaps they do not expect it from us, that could be an advantage! But keep in mind, they already won a gladiator combat!”

“So, let’s speculate they get distracted by our bare tits and bums!”

Meanwhile, both men closed in carefully, their weapons drawn.

“That guy with his trident!” Bella said “He could be the weakest spot! I take him! He may consider himself safe, thinking that size matters!”

“Yeah?”

“First of all, Rosita, we must stop retreating and take initiative! That could confuse them, as probably they think we are some scared sitting chicks! Let’s assault that guy with his sword, both, then I take on that trident, while you cover me!”

“Cover you!? Easily said!?”

“Do you have a better plan!?”

“No, Xena, let’s go for it!”

“Come on, Gabrielle! Charge!”

Bella and Rosita drew swords and charged. As expected, their opponents got surprised by the initiative. The man with the sword found himself violently assaulted by two opponents, and got preoccupied by shielding himself against the combined fury of the furies. The one with the trident had stopped advancing and had taken a defensive position.

Bella then disengaged and turned towards the trident. The man thrusted his trident forward, but, largely concerned about his safety, he held the stick too far backward, so his thrust lacked power and precision. Bella could easily repel the thrust with her shield, knocking the trident down with her sword. As she had anticipated, the man had got too much confidence in the length of his weapon, and he had neglected his balance. This gave her the opportunity, when he tried to rebalance himself, to inflict him a flesh wound in his right arm. The man lost his grip on it completely and stumbled further forward, hindered by his wounded arm. Bella grabbed the stick, just behind the trident and pulled. She had now full control over the weapon and thrusted the trident’s butt end, with full force, into the man’s face. He was out of action for a moment, allowing her to turn against the man with the sword, who now was assaulting Rosita. His slashes were uninspired and predictable, so Rosita could parry them, but clearly, his brute male force was about to overwhelm his opponent. Bella did not hesitate, charged on adrenaline, and thrusted the trident into the man’s unprotected left side. With a shriek of pain, he fell on the ground, mortally wounded.

Trembling on her legs, Bella picked up her sword and shield again. The trident bearer was still out of action, bleeding from between his eyes down to his mouth, and from his arm, while crawling around on his knees. The woman who got chained to the pole, stood retching from the bloody spectacle.

Bella looked at Rey, in the loggia. He made a ‘thumbs down’ sign, indicating they had to finish off the wounded trident bearer. Bella shook her head. Rey insisted. Bella threw her weapons on the ground.

Then, Rosita took up the larger sword, stepped to the wounded man.

“Sorry Bella!”

… and stabbed him in his heart.

“So that’s enough!” Rosita said, her ankles and knees full of spatters of fresh blood, and she dropped her sword and shield. “That bastard Rey did not order us to fight each other!”

“Yikes! What have we done!?” Bella said, while she dropped all her weapons too.

Together they faced the loggia, where Rey still was, remaining emotionless.

“He does not look pleased!” Rosita remarked.

“Maybe he does not like girl power!”

“Didn’t we not act according a plan?” Rosita wondered.

“I hope, he is satisfied! I do not intend to kill that poor woman for him! If he will force me to do it, it will be over my cold dead body, and first, they have to pass along my sword and this trident!”

“Don’t worry, Bella, he does a thumbs up!”

“Fortunately!”

“Bella! Just one thing, besides!”

“What!?”

“You lost your loincloth during the fight!”

“Oh, shit!”

(to be continued)
 
“Oh!! Shiiit!” Bella whispered.

“What to hell!” Bella said “where in the fine print of the game rules is it written that these guys are allowed better equipment than we have!?”

“Too late to complain, I am afraid

“No, Xena, let’s go for it!”

“Come on, Gabrielle! Charge

“Bella! Just one thing, besides!”

“What!?”

“You lost your loincloth during the fight!”

“Oh, shit!”

Giggle snort ❤️
 
12.

“I am a man of my word, Señoras!” Rey said, while they were sitting on a table in the restaurant down of the arena. “If I invite you to a diner, I do it! And once again, congratulations from me and the staff here for your victory in the arena! You have made an impression to all of us!”

Bella was not particularly hungry, after the gladiator games earlier that day. Yet it was clear she and Rosita were Rey’s ‘guests, and that it would be appreciated to take part of the meal, otherwise she would ‘insult’ the host.

“Don’t worry! The food will not be drugged or poisoned! I will be eating the same as you will” Rey added. “Now, Señora Moss, I leave to you the honour to choose the wine!”

“Do you have… Italian Pino Grigio!?”

“White wine for a Mexican dish, Señora Moss!? But all right, we could take it for a starter! It is all my treat.”

Rey commanded a wine, and soon, the tavern keeper showed up with a bottle of wine.

“Tuco has, unfortunately, no Italian wine of your desire in his cellar, but I hope an authentic Mexican Pinot Gris will please you!? Baja California?”

Actually, It could have been a calm diner. The food and wine were good. The place was clean and cozy. Service was impeccable. It could have been a touristic meal in a local village, had there not been three guards, standing at a fair distance from the dining table, but still, watching everything. The best she could do, Bella thought, was accept the situation as it was, and try to gain time. If there could any time be gained, since it was now clear for her that she got involved entirely in the ruthless Mexican drug war, and that the Zuni and Pecos Cartels were not best friends.

“Señora… Moss! Perhaps you are not familiar with our business habits in Mexico! Please do not have yourself biased by the scenes you watched before. We are a respectable company! However, in this country, there is a lot of corruption, and the state and federal authorities are unreliable and do not do what they or supposed to do : protecting fair business. Some of our competitors do not bother to follow law and use extreme measures to bring us down. So we find ourselves entitled to protect our people and our business interests our own way. But to do so, we need people who are prepared to take extreme measures either. So, our job application procedures, as you just witnessed, are a little bit odd, I admit, compared to US standards!”

“I have heard that before!” Bella replied. “But what do you want of us!?”

“Some… cooperation, Señora Moss. You could be helpful for us in a few ways!”

“Helpful!?” Rosita intervened, “your people have murdered my sister!”

“Please do not interrupt the host when he is talking to another guest, Señora Martinez! That is against dining etiquette. You see, Señora Moss, Señora Martinez’s sister – Maria was her name, I recall - had once unlawfully appropriated financial assets from our company, entrusted to her. We caught her just before the US border, and I shall not conceal to you her fate. After taking back what belonged to us, and a harsh but useful interrogation, we brought her one morning to Monterey, stripped her naked, and hung her by the neck from a highway bridge. With a short rope! A sad but necessary example! It left behind her sister Rosita, present here, a little bit vengeful, and turned herself into an executive hanging expert! In case you should not know yet, Señora Moss, your friend Rosita here has a notable body count on her conscience! Some people refer to me as ‘angel of death, but I can assure you, there have been quite a number of people whom the last thing they ever have seen was Rosita Martinez’ pretty face! Did you ever kill someone, Señora Moss?”

“No!- At least not until today!”

She had not. Sam Reingold, he had fired his gun three times during his police career. Twice in the time before Bella was his partner in the force. One of the occasions at nearly point blank he had told her. The third time, she was around when he fired the shots, but when she arrived, the perpetrator was already down and death.

“Why did you flee American justice?”

“I committed a fraud case!”

“Fraud? Sounds very white collar! No violence! But killing someone!? Would you ever be prepared to do it? Or do it again!? Planned? I mean, this is a dangerous place, you already noticed?”

“What do you expect from me?”

“There was a firearm in both your luggage! I suppose you can handle one! Would you ever use one, for self-protection or when ordered?”

“But, why?”

“Just asking!” Rey concluded the discussion.

The next course arrived. The tavern keeper served selected red wine! This was about to be the best meal, Bella had eaten in weeks. Yet she wondered more and more whether this was the last meal of a condemned to death for her and Rosita.

When the course was finished, Rey took his wallet.

“Your victory has given you two credibility to stay here! Of course, you will remain in the village, and any sign of contact with the Zunis, or with the authorities, will be punished with death! We expect unconditional obedience to our company, regardless of your personal feelings! But since the lucky event, you have survived the fight, there is already something you could do for us, Señoras. You can first of all provide me some information. There is something going on in the Zuni Cartel. There is a man who seems to be rising quickly through the ranks, in their Tampico base, under the protection of Captain Gonzales. Curiously, it is a Gringo, and this is him!” Rey said while he threw photographs on the table.

“This is the man I am talking about,” Rey said while pointing to a person, “His name is Sam Reingold! What do both of you know about him!?”

(to be continued)
 
13.

“Hey! Stop that!”

“You are not in a position to give orders here, Bella Moss!” Rey replied.

Rey had brought her to one of the cottages. Rosita had left an hour earlier to get some drink, and she had not returned. To Bella’s horror, Rosita, stark naked, had been hung to a parrot perch, her ankles tied, as were her wrists, bound together over her shins. She was harshly interrogated. Rosita’s exposed thighs and bottom showed whip marks, her feet and her face were bruised and she was attached to electrical equipment. A puddle of water on the floor and a bucket with a crater revealed other methods. Three men, under Rey’s command, were interrogating her. Rosita clearly sounded in despair, sobbing, moaning and whining.

“It is not because we keep you as guests, that we are not entitled to inquire you about some domestic affairs of the Zuni’s! Particularly from Rosita, a long time insider as she was! Unfortunately, she was not in the mood to be very talkative, so, we needed some persuasion!”

“But this is…!”

“You disappoint me, Bella Moss!”

“Disappoint..?”

“Rosita has revealed that you have concealed for me a few things! That you were an ex-cop in the Washington DC police! It is true, isn’t it? Your fraud case was actually about abuse of your former police credentials for your private business! We also found out that your business partner there, was a certain Sam Reingold, the same Sam Reingold who was your teammate in the police, and the same Sam Reingold you pretended not to know when I showed his picture and asked information about him during our diner lately!? Is what I say true!?”

“But I…?”

“I am sorry, Bella!” Rosita moaned from her uncomfortable position.

“Bella Moss, I am not stupid! From the first moment I showed up the photo and mentioned his name at the table, I saw in your eyes both of you were immediately bothered how to conceal for me that you know him quiet well!”

“I…”

“Shall we ask Rosita again?”

Rey nodded, and one of the interrogators turned on the power. Rosita scarily shrieked.

“All right! Stop it! It is true!”

Rey waved his hand to order to cut off the power;

“So, you are a cop!”

“I was a cop, just like Sam Reingold! We had resigned from the force and started a private business together!”

“And now, you and Sam Reingold work for the Zuni’s?”

“Wait a minute! He works for them! Not me! I only looked for refuge, and Reingold had arranged one, in Tampico! I had no idea he had arranged something with the Zuni Cartel! I swear it is true!”

“How did he get there?”

“Apparently, he knew some Captain Gonzales, also an ex-cop, here in Mexico, something from before my time in the force! But I didn’t! And now Reingold works for them, and he wants me dead!”

“Reingold wants you dead, Bella Moss? Why should he?”

“Because I became an annoying witness! If he wants to work for them in the States, he should not be linked to me, or to my escape! Don’t you understand!? And he wants Rosita dead too, because she knows me too well!”

“That is getting interesting! Now I understand why Rosita took the risk to leave Zuni territory and trespass ours! Tell me everything, Bella Moss! Where have you entered Mexico?”

“In Piedras Negras! During the Federal shutdown! We gambled that border control would be less severe!”

“Have your passports been checked by the Mexican border police?”

“Yes!”

“And they let you pass, with those obviously false visa?”

“Sam told he had put a hundred dollar note in each of them! The border guards have cashed it!”

“Now I get it!” Rey said. “Old habits die hard, on both sides of the border! And next!?”

“In Piedras Negras, we stayed on night in a motel called ‘El Dorchester’!”

“And next?”

“The day after, we met Gonzales, somewhere in Monterrey. Then we ended up in the resort in Tampico. Sam and I soon had an argument, when I discovered it was a cartel base. I hardly had contact with him since.”

“And meanwhile, you befriended Rosita Martinez!?”

“Yes, I did!”

“Listen, Bella Moss! You are going to tell me everything, and I mean everything you know about Sam Reingold! Even the size of his shoes! Here and now!”

“First, release Rosita!”

“I told you…”

“Please, Señor Rey?”

“All right! Rey said with a sigh, and ordered to give Rosita ‘a break’!

So, Bella told everything she knew about Reingold. At the end, Rey seemed well satisfied.

“Next, Bella Moss, I want you to make a brief statement on video, about whom you are, and about the involvement of Sam Reingold in your escape! With that, and incriminating elements like your forged passport, we have a great opportunity to blackmail him, once it will suit us. Mister Reingold will be Mister Goldfish in an bowl, our bowl, once we will have confronted him with his crime!”

“Oh, just one thing I forgot,” Bella added, “Sam Reingold is fond of ‘Cheers’”

“Cheers!?” Rey asked, “the sitcom!? Good show! Particularly the episodes with Shelley Long! Hot girl! Remarkable!”

“What’s remarkable?” Bella asked.

“Well, I had expected a man of his class would rather prefer something like… Seinfeld, or so!”

(to be continued)
 
13.

“Hey! Stop that!”

“You are not in a position to give orders here, Bella Moss!” Rey replied.

Rey had brought her to one of the cottages. Rosita had left an hour earlier to get some drink, and she had not returned. To Bella’s horror, Rosita, stark naked, had been hung to a parrot perch, her ankles tied, as were her wrists, bound together over her shins. She was harshly interrogated. Rosita’s exposed thighs and bottom showed whip marks, her feet and her face were bruised and she was attached to electrical equipment. A puddle of water on the floor and a bucket with a crater revealed other methods. Three men, under Rey’s command, were interrogating her. Rosita clearly sounded in despair, sobbing, moaning and whining.

“It is not because we keep you as guests, that we are not entitled to inquire you about some domestic affairs of the Zuni’s! Particularly from Rosita, a long time insider as she was! Unfortunately, she was not in the mood to be very talkative, so, we needed some persuasion!”
 

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14.

Bella had made the video statement. Then she and Rosita got locked up separately. The next day, she got picked up again. She recognized the arena where Rey had organized the gladiator games two days earlier. She entered the arena from the backside. Once inside, they were immediately surrounded by the usual army of bodyguards. Then Rey came in. She had to fight again! She had to kill Rosita, strung up naked to a parrot perch, in the arena, with a trident!

Then she woke up! Rosita was there, next to her, sleeping!

Bella got nightmares! Nightmares of being back in some of the perilous and threatening situations from her police career. Mixed up with the recent arena experience. In her nightmares she faced the perils naked, having to save Rosita from an impossible situation. Or otherwise, Rey and Rosita threatening to kill her, sometimes on order of Sam Reingold!

As she had woken up, relieved that it had only been a dream, she looked back on the arena fight. She was also relieved about the outcome, because, she still ‘had it’, that survival modus, the Washington DC Police Department had implemented into her mind. Without that, she would not have been able to analyse the threats by the two gladiators, to spot their weaknesses and act appropriately! Definitely, she owned her life to that training!

But surviving the arena combat had been one thing! She was still a captive of the Pecos Cartel, and her life depended entirely on the mood and the will of Alegrio Rey. She would need all her survival skills to get out of that situation safe and sound!

Rosita had fortunately recovered from her torture very fast, and she did not seem to be traumatized by it either. They had never talked about it. Neither had Bella inquired about Rosita’s apparent nickname as ‘Angel of Death’, Rey had revealed to her during the diner after their gladiator combat. She and Rosita were still alive, and she hoped to come out of that situation alive, ultimately. The best was therefore to stick together with Rosita, who had the same concern.

Somehow it was curious, they were kept alive, after all. She wondered what Rey and the Pecos cartel were up to with them, and particularly, with someone like Rosita, the Pecos certainly had bills to settle.

“It looks like, we are some kind of trophy’s, aren’t we!?” was Bella’s sole explanation for the moment.



So, she went to Rey, inquiring about the plans he had with them. But actually, she found him very grumpy about it.


“What was wrong, Señor Rey? Were we supposed to get killed in the gladiator combat?”

“What makes you think that?”

“You did not seem to be pleased about our victory!?”

“I am not supposed to explain myself to you!”

“What else do you have in mind for us, as far as killing us is not, or not yet an option!”

“What if I would send you on a mission!?”

“What kind of a mission!?”

“You were a cop, Bella Moss! You know how to use weapons! I could send you for a kill!”

“What kill!?”

“Any kill! Someone from the Zuni’s, for instance!”

“Sam Reingold?”

“No! We need him! Alive, he is more useful to us, for the time! You know that!”

“And if I would refuse to go on such a mission?”

“Then I will kill you and Rosita! If I would send you, I will keep Rosita here! If you fail, by any means, she will die! Not just a shot or slit in her throat! We have ways to make someone die extremely slowly and painful. Her interrogation a few days ago was just a fondling compared to that! Only if you would succeed and return, Rosita will stay alive!”

“I could get killed! What would you do then!?”

“(…)”

“No answer, Señor Rey!? Why should I bother Rosita, if I could get away from under any cartel terror?”

“Because you and Rosita have clearly developed a… particular intimate relationship! And you are still too much a cop and a woman of honor to abandon her just like that!”

“I think, Señor Rey, that you have a lots of struggle with yourself about our presence here!”

“I said I do not have to explain…”

“We are trophy’s, aren’t we!? A fugitive Gringa cop and Rosita a prize from the Zuni Cartel! Trophies are only valuable when they stay alive. Next! We could also be useful for some dirty jobs, like the combat in the arena, or like your supposed hit mission! That’s another reason to keep us alive! On the other hand, you are eager to have power, over life and death, which could instigate you to have us killed! Just to satisfy that desire! And because keeping us alive could be interpreted as a sign of weakness!”

“Bastande! Lagarse!”

“All right! Arrivederci, Señor Rey!”

As she left his office, meanwhile realizing that ‘arrivederci’ is Italian, not Spanish, she heard him say:

“Ay, caramba! Mujeres!”

(to be continued)
 
Listen, Bella Moss! You are going to tell me everything, and I mean everything you know about Sam Reingold! Even the size of his shoes! Here and now!”
You know what they say about the relationship between the size of the shoes and the size of something else?

Well, I had expected a man of his class would rather prefer something like… Seinfeld, or so!”
You see, Moore (I mean Moss), some people have taste!
“Sam Reingold?”

“No! We need him! Alive, he is more useful to us, for the time! You know that!”
That should be comforting...I guess
“Ay, caramba!
Now we have The Simpsons to add to Cheers and Seinfeld!
 
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