ONE

​​​​ ONE

DIEGO

Looking out the window into the dark and really busy night, I did wonder what people found beautiful about this city. Was it the overly crowded streets, the tall buildings and their always blinking bright lights? Or perhaps it was the noise from the cars and trains zipping past; maybe something in the air that I would never quite figure out.

What exactly is beautiful about this dump? I have stayed here for 6 years and I still cannot see it.

“Maybe I am just not open to it” I muttered cynically

“Open to what?” a trembling male voice replied behind me.

“All of this” I answered turning around

“I do not know what people find so intriguing about this city that makes them so eager to come here and start their life; New York City, the land of dreams…more like the land of fucking nightmares” I muttered again

“Please, I will tell you anything you want to know” the man stuttered

I could see through the reflection in the glass that the man was trembling from fear. He was on his knees and his voice filled with the terror he was feeling that I could not see so clearly from the window pane.

For a second there I had forgotten where I was and what I was to do here. I took a sip from the glass of whiskey I had clearly forgotten too was in my gloved hand as I snapped back to the situation at hand. I turned around, setting the glass on the table behind me and picked up the gun.

I drew the chair beside the table and took a seat, facing the man kneeling in the center of the room with his hands tied behind his back. I glanced in disgust at his two dead compatriots lying in a pool of their blood on each of his sides.

“What did you just say?” I asked

“I will tell you whatever you want to know… just please… please do not kill me, I beg of you” he managed to get out.

The room indeed was a gory sight but they sure did not make mercenaries like they used to before if he was ready to spill guts just because I had killed his associates; It was shameful and quite disgusting.

“What could you possibly tell me that I do not already know?” I asked, adjusting myself

 I stared down at the pathetic sight the man was making and shook my head. If this was an interrogation I would have been majorly irritated by the lack of intrigue.

I mean where was the fun if the person being interrogated simply blurts out the answer to every question before it is even asked.

Thankfully it was nothing close to an interrogation; I was here for an execution.

He began mumbling a whole lot of things that I did not care to listen and because I already knew everything he knew except for the most important thing I wanted to know and the reason I was here

“Shut up for a second and listen” I snapped.

He fell silent, shivering and drowning in his fears

Pathetic, I thought

“Now let us begin again; what is your name?” I asked

“Miguel”

“Now Miguel, I know you and your buddies over there are not from this part of the world; so I want you tell me why you are here?”

“We…we are not even here for you man; I don’t even know who…you are” He stuttered, each syllable slurred by his shaky voice

“Focus Miguel” I said, snapping my fingers in his face… “That was not the question and so I will repeat it one more time; what are you doing in New York? Keep in mind that I will know if you lie and this will not end well for you”

“We were hired to kidnap some kid a week back and bring her back with us to Mexico that is all I know”

“What kid?” I asked

“Some girl, I don’t know; man. All we were given was an address I swear and the mission was to get the girl and kill anyone who interferes”

“So you have orders to kill me, Miguel or does this not count as interfering” I drawled, raising his face up with the gun I was holding.

“I swear amigo; I do not even know who you are. It was just supposed to be a quick job, grab her and drive through the border.”

“And who gave you this quick job?”

“I don’t know, I never met the guy. All of our communications were done through letters; I don’t have any contact on the motherfuckers” he groaned

“What address?” I asked

“What?” the man stuttered

“The address for the girl you were asked to bring… focus Miguel” I snapped, hitting him across the face

“The note is in my friend’s pocket over there” he muttered, pointing to one of the guys I had killed earlier

“Please” he began as I got up and approached the dead guy… “I have a family back in Mexico; my wife is expecting a baby in a couple of weeks. I am begging you to spare me and will never hear from me ever again, amigo”

I got up and searched through the dead man’s pockets and found the piece of paper. It was folded neatly and soaked in blood. I opened it and read its content and sure enough it was exactly the address I had in mind that was printed on the paper.

Six years we had hidden in this country, six years I have been in exile protecting her from the shadows making sure no one knew of her existence, preparing myself for the possible eventuality that they do find her.

How, how did they find her? My mind raged, running different scenarios in my head, none of which made any sense.

Well it was done and there is no point in me dwelling on it; it was time to activate the contingencies I had set in place already. It was not like we could have hidden her existence forever; a part of me was relieved that the truth was finally out in the open maybe now they would finally allow me return.

“That is all I know” Miguel muttered, jolted me back from my thoughts.

 He was right though he was just an ordinary hit man and there was no way he would know more about the inner workings of the Syndicate; he was but a mere cog in the machine.

“I believe you” I informed him, rising and reaching for my coat.

“What now?” Miguel asked, still trembling as the words left his mouth… “What happens to me?”

I pick up the glass of whiskey and emptied its contents into my mouth right before turning around to watch him

“You know what happens next, Miguel”

“No please don’t, I told you everything you wanted to know…I cooperated.”

 I could see the tears stream down his cheeks as he closed his eyes when I pointed the gun to his face

“I have kids, man” he begged

“I also have a family Miguel and just like you, I would do anything to protect that family” I told him

I could see the moment it dawned on him that he was going to die in this pent house suite right before the bullet pierced into his left eye.

For a moment after his body hit the ground with a dull thud, the room went quiet as I returned my gun to its holster, surveying the room one last time.

There was a moment in time that I would have vomited at the very sight of blood but now as I looked around I realized; this was the real beauty of New York. The beautiful sight of blood and carnage was what I loved most about the city.

I turned back to look outside the window and took in the sight one last time.

The most logical solution would be to get the girl and run further like I did six years ago but I was tired of running, tired of being scared of that life.

With this conviction, I pulled out my phone and dialed the one number that I swore never to with my heart slamming faster in my chest with each beep of the tone.

How is he going to react? Is he going to welcome me? Has he forgiven me? So many questions ran through my mind and just when I was about to hang up, his voice came through

“Hello”

It hadn’t changed a bit.

“Hey Dad, It is me. We need to talk.”  I heard myself say