Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
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)
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)