Cocaine and Chocolate Cake

Can I kill my wife to save our children? This is the dilemma in front of me. Am I capable of placing a gun to her head and pulling the trigger? My mind races with thoughts, none of which make sense. How can a simple family trip to Costa Rica go so wrong? The gun lay on the table in front of me, one bullet, one choice.

A scraping sound of a fork grinding along a plate breaks my introspection. I focus on the man responsible for this bizarre, inhuman choice. My disgust for him deepens as he shoves another piece of dark chocolate cake into his fat face. Sweat dripping off him, I smell his odor wafting on the stale air, blending with the sweet yet bitter chocolate, a contrast of life. He smells like a coward.

We were all sweating inside this warehouse, filled with cocaine, and forgotten dreams, not all my sweat came from the heat.

Content to eat while we watch, scooping it up, cramming more into his full mouth. He speaks to me like we are friends. “Do you know why my wife’s chocolate cake is so delicious? It's because she adds not only fresh coco, but fresh cocaine.” With that he laughs like it was the funniest thing ever. His cronies politely chuckle, they heard that joke a thousand times.

"So, gringo what's it going to be? You ready to shoot your wife, or do I have my men kill your family while you watch?"

Some fucking option that is. My mouth goes dry, my body continues to shake uncontrollably. Risking a glance towards my two children, Meghan, and Cole, sitting on the floor, forced to watch this fiasco. They don't have any idea what is happening, then again neither do I.

Through swollen lips I spit in his direction, more blood than saliva. 'Gringo?' did he seriously say that, like some bad eighty’s movie. This guy was a joke, except he was the only one laughing. I am moving past my scared phase and quickly heading towards my pissed off mode. I want to yell and scream so loud it will shatter his eardrums. Instead, I find myself saying, one more time. “We won't say anything, we don't know anything. What harm can there be in letting us go?"

"Ah, my friend, that isn't how this works. You don't get to dictate the terms here, I do." The fat man stands up from behind his desk, sticking his fingers into some left-over icing smeared across the now empty plate.

I point out, “We don't know who you are.”

"My apologies, where are my manners. I am Alejandro Martinez, you may call me el Caballero. This warehouse you stumbled upon, is mine."

Facing one of his henchmen he spits out "How you found it, is a mystery, especially since I was assured no-one would."

The scarred face man looks away, mumbling "Lo siento, el Caballero..." before he can finish, Alejandro rushes forward and slaps his man across the face.

"English, you idiota, where are your manners, we have guests."

Chocolate fingerprints lace the henchman's cheek. "I am sorry el Caballero, this site is safe. It is far from everything; the local authorities have an understanding with us."

"And yet here we are, disrupting my birthday celebrations, forced to spend it with inadequate guards and stupid tourists.”

The tension in the room rises higher than the heat.

Perhaps, he was partially correct. We were looking for a secluded beach one of the locals told us about. I took a wrong turn, then another and another till we got lost. We followed a narrow road that led to this warehouse tucked away in the jungle. Hidden from view. That should have been our first clue. A wrong turn that will change our lives forever.

Angela kneels in front of me, tear stains marking her beautiful face. Her blue eyes no longer pleading, now dry and clear with the truth. Resolving herself to her fate. She always was stronger than me.

"Shoot me instead." I whisper.

"What?"

"Shoot me instead." I yell.

His answer is laughter, waving a scolding finger at me he repeats, "You do not make the rules, I told you this already."

The scarred man speaks up. “They are simple tourists el Caballero, their deaths will cause investigations from the feds, are they really a threat?” Shrugging, he continued. “I told you the local police are on our side.”

Smiling he continued. “We blindfold them and drop them off, far from here. Problem solved. Also, no mess to clean up.” His friends laugh at that little joke. I pray that el Caballero see's the logic in this.

Alejandro saunters towards his man, placing a beefy arm around his shoulder, shaking his head he whispers in the man’s ear. “Carlos, this is not, nor will it ever be your decision to make. You Costa Ricans answer to Columbia. Should you ever question me in front of anyone again, you will face the same choice this 'tourist' must now make.”

Walking over to my wife he lifts her chin, staring into her eyes. "The price for you to leave here with your children is for you to shoot your wife."

"That's bullshit." I cry out "I shoot my wife then you kill me, I know how this will go."

The back hand came so fast I didn't see it, I only feel my head explode, pain brings me back to reality, we are all going to die.

"You call me liar?" Yelled Alejandro " My word is solid, if I say you go free, you go free."

Not realizing I was on the ground till I feel the coolness of the concrete floor against my face. Struggling to my feet, wiping more blood away with the back of my forearm. Our children’s cries echo in my head, tearing at my soul. "Why should I believe that you will let us go?"

El Caballero answered by pointing to one of his guards, who holds up a cell phone. He is going to record everything, including the execution of my wife. By me. Bribery, blackmail or just for fucking kicks. This man is a sadistic asshole.

"That is my assurance.” Then pointing to our passports that lay scattered next to the gun. “And these, my insurance. We have your names and where you live."

A stream of light pierces the dimness, invading our privacy. I watch as a lady enters from the back, approaches my children. Kneeling in front of them, she begins talking to them.

Angela shouts, "Get away from my children." Rising to her feet. Carlos forces her back down.

El Caballero marches over to the lady, grabs her by the arm, yanking her away from the two frightened kids.

"What are you doing here woman?"

"Alejandro, I am taking the children out of here, they do not need to witness this." The lady pleads.

For a moment I feel grateful. Then anger fuels my legs, I drive forward towards the fat man. I am going to kill him. I get within six feet when one of his guards slams a rifle butt into my gut, I collapse on the floor, then vomit.

From where I lay, I watch as Alejandro 'the fat' pushes the lady away from Meghan and Cole. Yelling for her to leave.

As she walks away, he calls after her to bring more cake. Alejandro kneels in front of me with a stupid grin on his face. “My wife, she has a soft spot for children, so do I.”

Standing up he absently waves his hand, “Go, take you wife and leave”

Stunned, I rush to my wife and call our children.

His laughter echoes throughout the building. He walks over to Meghan, running his fingers through her blonde hair, brushing her cheeks with the back of his chubby fingers. "Maybe we come to another agreement." He says, "I keep the girl, it appears she is about to mature into a woman." Meghan cries out, crumpling into a shaking ball on the ground. Her younger brother runs forward and begins to beat his tiny fist against the large man. Who, with one hand tosses him aside, saying "This one feisty, maybe I keep him too?”

My mind goes blank, no longer able to think, this must be a dream, an unbelievably bad nightmare. I glance around, the room spins out of control. I watch helplessly as he runs his hands across my daughter’s tiny body. Even his guards no longer seem comfortable. I feel they detest this man as much as me. Fear keeps them loyal. Which means he really is evil.

From out of the fog, I hear my wife calmly say. "Paul, it's okay. You can do it."

She repeats herself, over and over till the room became quiet, the children stop screaming. The men watch this brave woman willingly sacrifice herself. El Caballero leaves Meghan and approaches me. Grabbing me by my hair he pulls me up. "Time to be a man, gringo."

I try to focus, taking a deep breath, my mind calms down. I look to my wife, who slowly nods. Meghan and Cole, they deserve a future. I finally realize what a parent will do for their children. I know what I must do. Stumbling to the table where the gun lay. I walk over to my wife, my love.

She gazes into my eyes, no remorse, no judgment, just determination. "It's okay Paul, I love you." Glancing over to our children she calls out " I love you both so much, be kind to your father, this is my choice."

“Let her hold our children, please.” I plead.

My throat tightens. I want to cry, I want to beg, both are useless.

Our children weep in silence, totally drained of all emotions.

"Remember, you shoot one of my men instead, I will kill your family slowly while you watch. If you shoot yourself, I will make their deaths as painful as possible. After having fun with your wife and little girl." Threatened the fat man.

I kneel in front of my wife, kiss her. Standing up I look her in the eyes, "There is only one choice." I start to hyperventilate. “Meghan, Cole, turn around.”

“They watch, gringo.”

I hear Alejandro whisper to one of his henchmen "He doesn't have the 'cahonas' to go through with it."

I notice the guards in the room looking in every direction, but not towards us, their feet awkwardly shuffling.

I take a deep breath, walk behind my wife, execution style. My hand continues to tremble. Slowly I raise the gun to the back of her head, upwards. Over and over, I whisper "I love you." Her shoulders draw back in defiance, tears now flowing freely.

The world goes calm.

I focus, gently press the trigger, and fire. The blast fills the room, my ears ring. The shot is perfect. No pain.

I drop the gun.

Alejandro stands there; mouth wide open a shocked look upon his face. He never thought I would do it. One bullet, one choice. Through the skull, scrambling the brains, blowing a hole out as it exits. He falls back, dead. The shot was perfect.

He was too conceited, felt invulnerable, no-one would dare take a shot at him. He was wrong.

Before the stunned silence changes into chaos, with bullets filling me full of holes, I yell out. "I just made one of you a very rich and powerful man.” I wait for that to sink in. "One of you will become the new el Caballero. In return for your gratitude, I am leaving now, with my family."

Picking up our passports, gathering my family around me we head out the door. We don’t get more than thirty steps outside when we hear multiple gunshots from within the building.

A hostile takeover of any organization is so messy.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you enjoyed it, please leave a heart, and help yourself to view my other writings. Should you decided to leave a tip, it is not expected, but always appreciated.

Jason,

Other Stories :

-Cost of Freedom - Little Shadow

- Best Date I Never Had - Two Steps - Falling

-Oh, What a Lucky Man - The Final Battle- Watchers of the Door

-Coffee, Cake and Conversation (At the End of the World)