A week later…The police in the city had been on high alert. There had been no more incidents of violence since the fire and the motel shootout. The federal government had gotten involved since the past two weeks had been the most bloody in the history of the city. It made the people skeptical of each other. There were more checks at the airports and border control was more strict. The government got wind of who the seafood businessman Marko Juarez was in reality. Linda Schmidt was under inquiry for Professional Misconduct. Her client had jumped bail under a false alias and there was suspicion that she knew more than she shared. Ivan Volkov was found in the chewed up motel along with a dozen armed dead bodies. Ivan had no outstanding warrants on him in the US and there was nothing that connected him to the cartel big shot who had wreaked havoc in the city. Hugo Ortiz had vanished like the silver dollar. Every department and agency tried their hand but got nothing. People wondered if t
Meanwhile in Palomino…All the servants lined up at the entrance to welcome Mrs Ortiz. There weren't any decorations because of the lack of time for any preparations. Camila’s family had moved back to the farm. Bruno didn't feel welcome in the house ever since Camila had disappeared. In the scorching heat of noon, a convoy of four SUVs and a limo arrived at the front of the mansion. The guards emerged from the SUVs and surrounded the limo. Hugo stepped out of the vehicle and offered his hand to Camila. She reluctantly took it and stepped out of the limo. He had a wide grin plastered on his face and no one could ever guess what had gone down between the two of them in the past twenty four hours. Juan Varga appeared out of one of the SUVs. He had been given the role of Chief Security Officer for now. He had huge shoes to fill. Hugo led Camila into the mansion. Michelle sat in the living room tapping away on her phone. She stood up and offered a fake smile. Camila respectfully nodded in
Hugo walked into his room without knocking and found the bed empty. The bed was a mess and Camila hadn't stepped out of the room all day. It had been going on since the day she had returned to the mansion. She barely ate, barely slept and almost never talked. Hugo had tried everything yet she remained distant and emotionless. It only fueled his guilt even further. He listened for any noise from the bathroom but there was nothing but silence. His heart skipped a beat. Then he caught the sliding door to the balcony wide open. He walked through the sliding door and into the open. He found Camila standing at the rail staring at the sunset. It was a beautiful sight. The horizon had turned bright orange and the moon could be seen at the top of the sky. There were no signs of relief or satisfaction on Camila’s face. Somedays one could feel like happiness has forgotten their names. It had become Camila’s life. She wasn't allowed to leave the mansion without a dozen guards. She still hadn't be
Hugo stood in the light of the burning cabin as he smoked a cigarette. He had never expected that from Pedro. Hugo’s father had assumed the financial responsibility for Michelle and Pedro. The siblings had been less than grateful but Hugo had never expected Pedro to do something so heinous against his saviors. Hugo knew that Michelle would give him hell for doing what he did to her brother but he didn't regret it. Pedro was to become an example for those who dared to look at the Ortiz family the wrong way. Hugo extinguished the cigarette under his shoe. He still had to break the news to Michelle. He shook his head and entered the SUV. Juan was typing away on his laptop. As soon as Hugo was inside, Juan ordered the driver to step on it. Hugo was silent for a while until he finally had enough of the secrecy. “What’s up with you and computers?” Hugo asked. Juan was a bit reluctant.“Senor Ortiz… I have a confession to make. I didn't drop investigations into Madam Michelle when you told
Michelle was out with her friends drinking at Club Toledo. The place was packed with young boys and girls trying to get noticed and have a good time. The flickering lights and deafening bass music filled the club. It all reeked of sweat and cheap deodorants. Michelle was looking for a new target as usual. All her friends had found someone to spend the night with. Michelle had higher standards and no such man was up for grabs in the club. She decided to stick to the drinks. She checked the watch and it was ten already. Juan didn't show up. She’ll have to tame that stallion some other day. Even thinking about him made her mouth water. She caught one of her friends dragging a muscular guy to the restroom and she couldn't help but laugh. She ordered another round. Her phone pinged and drove her attention away from the psychedelic lights and deafening music. The screen said, “Message from Pedro”. She cringed as she was in no mood to deal with his tantrums and failures. She tapped on the ph
A month later…The flight from the United States descended with the sun. Ernesto Cortissoz Barranquilla International Airport was already bustling with activity. There weren't many passengers traveling from the United States to Colombia. The majority of them were tourists and the rest were back to see their families. Among the crowd of arriving passengers was Adam Peterson trying his best to blend in. He wore a pair of oversized sunglasses and a baseball cap. He walked over the line at the immigration. He produced his passport that read, “Alex Bradley” and the officer didn't take long to return it after stamping it. He went through the formalities and stepped out of the airport. His mind was working over time. He couldn't spend one minute without looking over his shoulder. There was some truth to Frank’s words. This was a stupid idea. Hugo Ortiz didn't have much support back in Nebraska yet he still managed to wreak enough havoc to have the federal government involved. But this was hi
An extravagant yacht floated a couple of kilometers away from Tortuga Bay in Ecuador. A party was being hosted on the vessel. There were dozens of women of all shapes and sizes wearing swimsuits and bikinis, dancing to the beat. The tables had lines of coke on them and every once in a while, one of the guests showed up and one of the lines vanished. Dominic Carter was the center of attention as he sat on the beach chair wearing a tropical print shirt and a pair of shorts that barely hid what it was supposed to cover. Two girls sat on the armrests leaning their bodies on him and he wasn’t complaining. Everyone was trying to be on his good side since he was the proud host of the party and the yacht. Most of the girls enjoying the party had made their way to his list through his bedroom. The rest were future prospects. Dominic preferred them in their mid teens. Half a dozen guards were scattered across the vessel and two of them stood behind Dominic like mannequins. The lines on the tabl
Days passed agonizingly slow for Camila. The security around her had tightened exponentially. Her each step was carefully watched. She had a strict routine that even laid out her lunch, dinner and bedtime. Hugo still hadn't been physically intimate with her but that didn't mean she had any say over anything else. She wasn't allowed to leave the mansion alone under any circumstances. The servants and guards had orders to stop her at all costs and failure would result in execution. The recent bloodshed left little doubt in the gravity of the orders and everyone shadowed her twenty four hours. She wasn't allowed to own a cellphone. The walls were suffocating the life out of her. It was a starry night with a crystal clear sky. Camila stood at the balcony watching the only friends she had left. The stars never hurt her. They were free and Camila envied them. She cursed the day she had fallen in love with Hugo. She had been blind to the blood running through the white walls of Casa Ortiz.