Colombia (10) - The match

They were all drinking at the bar as usual. Kay and Salvador had had a few too many drinks, and they were laughing at everything.

Kay downed her drink and looked at the bottom of the now empty glass, suddenly serious. "You know," she said, almost to herself, "I've become everything I swore to destroy."

He looked at her, too drunk to fully understand the implications in her words. "Nobody really likes the way things are, but you know we don't have a choice."

Kay looked into his eyes, her mind clearer than it had been in months. "There's ALWAYS a choice." And with that, she got up and left.

The next day, the whole network was out, comms included. When Kay arrived at the station, everyone was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Official systems were … not all that reliable, but Big Brother always watched over them all, protective. Its systems were infallible. … apparently not. Kay went straight to Salvador's office.

Him and two of his men were looking frustrated at the computer screen, which only got to say Error: Network not found every time they tried something.

"Boss, can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure, Kay. Guys, if you please…"

Kay closed the door after they exited the office. "I know what's happening."

Salvador's face lighted up for a moment before turning into a worried expression. "Wait. You don't--"

Kay had a poker expression. "Thought I'd tell you before doing anything… else. Comms are off, nobody can hear us. … Yesterday got me thinking. This… this is everything I swore to tear down. I realized, fear is stopping us from making things right."

Salvador tried his best for a poker face too, but his concern was obvious. "Kay. … You know well what happens if you fight Andrei."

"I was dead the moment I stepped in here. I'd rather actually die than live as a mindless zombie, thanks."

He sighed. "I WILL have to go after you."

She smiled. "I was afraid you'd say that." She stopped him from interrupting her. "Look, you're a good friend, Salva. I thought I'd give you a chance. … even though I did knew you don't have the balls to do what you should."

He looked at her. Her taunting would get her nowhere and she knew it. "I do have the balls to survive. To do what's necessary." He opened a drawer and pulled a gun. "Kay. You know how this works. Either you're with us, or you're a target. So please, reconsider this nonsense. Or I'll have to kill you."

Before he could finish his sentence, she was behind him, a knife on his throat. "Good luck with that." And with a swift movement, she sliced his throat.

Colombia (5) - Drunken rant

(a month later)

It was late -- far past midnight. Salvador’s men, together with Kay and the man himself, were drinking almost mindlessly after a long day of work -- or whatever. They had a lot to celebrate and at the same time a lot to cry about. A small uprising --a wife and her kids daring to fight an officer about the agreed payment-- had been smothered --quite literally.

Kay and Salvador were sitting in the corner of the place, both mostly looking at their glasses slowly but steadily getting more and more empty, only to be refilled by the waiters when they got actually empty.

Kay sighed and looked at her boss. “You know, I know it’s my job and all that, but I hate this. Look at them -- if this was the right thing to do, we all should be celebrating instead of trying to drown our consciences in a glass of cheap booze.”

Salvador looked back at her, and for one time he was fully serious, as he slowly opened his shirt to reveal the scar on his chest. “Yes. But we have no choice. As you once said, if things change, we’re screwed.”

Kay looked at her glass again -- all the booze had finally had an effect, no matter how small. “There’s ALWAYS a choice.”

The man smiled. “Well, I’m NOT going to risk it. I’ll be doing my job. So you try and fight it -- you know what I have to do about that.”

Kay looked at him again, almost laughing. “As if you could stop me.” She now laughed fully. “No, no, you can’t, your guys can’t... But I know who can. The damned chip. … Fuck.” She laughed again. “I never thought I’d end up as a slave of the drug trade, Salva.”

Salvador laughed back. “Neither did I, yet here we are.”

“You see, all the ‘but we’re helping them, we’re giving them jobs, we’re giving them a life!’ -- all bullshit. All we give them is the bare minimum to survive, so they can bear this hell. So they have hope. And don’t fight back.”

The man nodded.

“Fuck. I never signed up for this. … This is, in fact, everything I always stood against. The money governing people. The rich doing their bid as the poor idiots are enslaved by… money and fear.”

Salvador laughed. “We have no choice, Kay.”

Her eyes seemed to gleam for a split second as she muttered to herself. “There’s always a choice.”

Colombia (4) - The Captain

(sometime later)

"Hey, boss. You called?" Kay entered Salvador’s office without knocking -- she had finally figured out her new friends didn’t have that habit.

Salvador looked at her, worry showing up in his eyes.  "Yes. We have to see the new captain. I'd like you to come. Help me make sure he... understands our particular situation."

"You know I don't do politics." Kay stopped for a moment, thinking of what she had just said. "Well, given the... circumstances, guess if you give me a political target, I'll have to take care of it. But... I'd rather not have to go to a political meeting."

"Kay. I know you. I was hoping you could do your thing since my hands are tied in the legalities. But that idiot still needs to realize what he's up against."

"Well... if it's THAT kind of politics…” she smiled -- ”I guess I can ignore the fact that they're politics."

The odd couple went on their way. She looked like taken straight out of the guerrilla, and he was wearing the official police uniform. They arrived at the police’s captain's office soon after. Salvador opened the door without knocking.

A man in a suit received them. He didn't know what to make of her appearance. "Who's...?"

"She's with me, Captain. She's one of us, in fact."

The captain sighed. "Oh-kay. I'll ignore the fact that she's not wearing the official uniform -- for now. I wanted to talk about what's been happening here. I have countless reports about police assaults, excessive use of force and... god knows what else. All against seemingly random citizens. Also reports about actual criminals being freed without any explanation."

Kay stood in silence, blatantly glaring at the new captain.

The officer sighed too, choosing his words as carefully as he could. "Captain, look, I'll... I'll be honest here. There's... something going on, and I know it doesn't make any sense from the outside, but... you have to trust me on this one. This is way above our heads, things are like they are for a reason."

"I also have quite a few files linking YOU to the drug trade." The captain replied, visibly annoyed.

"Well, if you let me explain... "

The captain looked at him authoritatively "Look, all this has to end. If I receive one more report on--"

"Enough," Kay cut him off.

"Who the hell do you think you are to interrupt ME?"

She circled the captain's desk in three long steps, and in a split second grabbed his gun and pointed it at the man's head, just inches before his eyes. "I said enough."

The captain instinctively raised his arms.

"Look, this is, as Salvador said, way above your head. Things won't change. Because if they do, we're all screwed."

"Put that gun down, woman,” said the captain, trying to make his authority count.

"Or I can blow up your head and hope the next captain they appoint is less of an idiot."

"You won't..."

Kay smirked. "You know what, you're right. I hate guns." Again in a split second, she threw the gun to Salvador, drew a knife, and placed the tip against the captain's chin. "They're too damn fast. You can't do this with them." She slowly let the knife slide down the man's throat, just barely slicing into his flesh. A faint red trail was left behind the sharp tip.

The captain couldn't contain a muted scream, mixed with what sounded like age-old curse words.

"You think that's bad, Captain?" She smirked at his reaction, the knife’s edge now pressing hard on the man's throat.

"You think you can…" the Captain’s voice trailed off as the edge dug a bit into his flesh.

Kay held his stare. "Shut up. It's not what I think. It's that there's a reason for any single one of those files you talked about. Yes, we've done lots of... stuff. The kind of things that should never go public. But you see, we don't really have a choice."

The captain seemed to understand. "The authorities can protect you..."

"No. Not from this. It's not about the drug trade. I mean, those are as much pawns as we are. There's... a guy. No, I don't think you know him, he's not from here." She added, seeing the captain's surprised expression. "Well... nobody's gonna cross the devil."

"Look, I can..." He was losing the battle and he knew it.

"No, I don't want your help. Look, my job is to make sure things stay the way they are. And I'll make damn sure of that."

The captain sighed. He knew he was in a bad position. … so first thing was to get out. You can’t fight crime if you’re dead, after all. “Alright. Alright, I’ll look the other way, then.”

“LOOK at me, you idiot,” Kay replied. “You think you can lie to me?” She laughed theatrically. “No, dear, you can’t. Now, will you be a good boy and actually mean it?”

The man thought about fighting her for a second, but then the reports came to his mind. …torture was not enough of a word to describe it. …and he realized, these people would do anything. He closed his eyes, not fully believing his words, but knowing well he had no choice. “Okay. Okay, I’ll turn a blind eye, I swear.”

Colombia (3) - Justice

The ride was long and bumpy. But Kay made it all the same. Despite the mosquitoes -- how many had bitten her already? Despite the weird noise coming from under the jeep’s hood -- let's pray it doesn't stop in the middle of nowhere. Despite the sun hitting her at full force -- it was the early afternoon after all.

Upon reaching the plantation, she spotted a guard and stopped to ask about Salvador’s guys. He pointed at the road leading to the next plantation -- so she shrugged and followed it.

Not five minutes later, at a clearing in the trees, she spotted two men messing with… a kid, he couldn’t be older than 12. … Her heart broke a bit. … But she reminded herself -- she had no choice. So she took a deep breath and got off the jeep. “Hi there, Salvador sent me to offer any help I could.”

One of them laughed at her. “No, he called, he sent you to follow orders. Now, this kid here. He’s a thief. Salvador wants you to serve justice.”

Kay smiled. There was a strange glint in her eyes. “Alright. What exactly do I have to do?”

The man grabbed the kid and threw him to the ground, while the second man offered Kay his machete. “Chop off his hands.”

Kay was… no. Surprised is not the word. She was almost thrown out of balance. That was quite a harsh punishment -- for what seemed like a petty crime. But she had no choice, she reminded herself. So she took the machete.

As one of the men had the kid already immobilized against the ground, she simply grabbed one of his hands and pulled. Then she struck. Hard. … A machete could cut through bone, but you had to hit it hard. And so, the first hand was cut off. The boy was trying hard not to scream, but he couldn’t help himself. At all. … It required lots of training to withstand that and not scream your lungs out, thought Kay as she reached for the second hand. … And she struck again. The boy didn’t scream this time -- he simply fainted. That was … better. No consciousness to actually feel the pain. … or so she thought.

The men were just laughing at the bloody scene. One of them opened the fly on his pants while the other glanced at her -- you just watch, try to stop it and there will be consequences.

Kay looked at him for a second, then looked at the boy. … She Had NO CHOICE, she reminded herself. So she yawned theatrically and watched the whole thing, her mind far from there -- a pair of blue eyes was all she could see. … Who would have thought the Devil had blue eyes, she caught herself thinking.

Colombia (2) - The job

The next morning, a knock on the door almost made Salvador jump in place. … Who the hell knocks on a door? … The answer came before he could answer the knock, as the door opened to reveal Kay.

“Anything for me?”

The man looked at her. … Her reaction the previous night had been … good enough, but could she take some actual work? Time to test it. “Yes. Come with me”. He got up and led her to the basement while he explained. “The guys found one of the fugitives from yesterday. I need you to figure out where the others are.”

She smiled. “Any red lines?”

He looked at her confused.

“... what exactly can I do to make him talk?”

Salvador laughed. “Follow my orders.”

The small cell greeted them with a stench of rotten piss and … God knows what else. The fugitive started crying as soon as he saw them. Salvador grabbed him by the neck of his shirt, laughing. “You shouldn’t have let that bitch escape if you didn’t want this. Besides, we haven’t even started yet.”

The man kept crying.

“Kay. Break his legs," he said, dropping him back to the floor.

She looked at him, slightly surprised, and steeled herself before stomping on the man's knees, bending them far past their natural angle. The man promptly passed out amidst screams.

“Wake him up.”

“Will take a while, you know.”

Salvador sighed. “Yes. Call me when he’s awake. Can you whistle?”

Kay shepherd-whistled as an answer.

“Good. You know how to call.”

She spent the next 15 minutes with the man, cursing at herself for not having … any kind of chemical to help the process. But this wasn’t the States, this wasn’t Russia, this was the ass of the world. The place where you go when there’s nowhere else to go. And it meant not having the … resources of the civilized places, she thought while she kept shaking the man.

Finally, he came back. But upon seeing her face, the ugly scar, he froze in place. Kay ignored it as she got up, and, as told, whistled loudly.

Salvador promptly came back. “So, can we keep working?” He looked at the man for a second. “Okay, you’re back to the land of the living, I see. Now. If you wish to continue in it, do tell us. Where are the others?”

The man looked at him before looking down. “I swear I don’t know, we each went in one direction, please, please--”

Kay sat in front of him. “Nice try. But you’re lying. Now, look at me.” She softly lifted the man’s chin, forcing him to look into her eyes. “You don’t want to get hurt, do you?”

The poor soul shook his head.

“Then do tell. Where are they.”

“I swear I don’t know, please….”

Kay smiled as her hand rested on the man’s knee. “Want me to help you remember?” Suddenly she shifted her weight, putting most of it on the man’s bent-back knee. The man, in response, screamed his lungs out. Kay simply looked at him with a smile the whole time. Then, silence -- promptly broken by her. “So? Memory any better?”

“Please…. Please….”

“Well, then. Let me tell you what’s going to happen. I’ll keep going ‘till you break. And believe me, you will. You will tell me where they are -- that much I can guarantee. What happens before then, that’s up to you. Will you go through hell and then some… for nothing?” She accentuated her words by resting her hand on the man’s other knee.

The man looked down and cried.

“Do it,” said Salvador, out of the blue.

“Patience, boss. I know what I’m doing.”

Salvador wasn’t having it. This was a test for her, after all. He pulled a gun and placed it against her temple. “I said do it.”

Kay sighed. “You want results? … or just to hurt him?”

“I want you to follow orders.”

She laughed in response. “You should have started there, man,” she said, shifting her weight again, placing it all on the man’s broken knee.

The poor soul started screaming again -- then he passed out.

Kay got up and confronted Salvador. “... and that’s what you get when you force it.”

He smiled. “I didn’t think you’d do it. Got to admit, I’m… impressed so far.”

She shrugged. “I’ve done far worse. I just need to know what you want. … I’m used to people wanting results, you see.”

Salvador kept his smile up. “Well, the guys will take care of this idiot. Now, I have received a call, they’ve caught a thief at the Mayorga plantation. … I need you to go there and follow our procedures.”

“Gotcha, boss.”

Colombia (1) - Arrival

The door to the decaying police station opened to reveal a mercenary -- or so everyone thought at first. Standard paramilitary clothes, a black gun in a waist holster, short, blonde hair in a longish crew cut -- the only thing that revealed her as a woman was a slight bulge over her chest. “Hello! Who’s in charge around here?”-- she said in Russian, but her accent was hard to pinpoint.

An officer silently pointed his chin at the back door. There, a man dressed in an official uniform greeted her. “Hi there. I’m Salvador.” His eyes stopped a moment on the horrid scar in her cheek, which also made him pause for a split second. “Oh. Yes, I’m… I’ll be your contact here, I guess.” He offered his hand.

She smiled as she firmly shook it. “Kali. But everyone calls me Kay.”

Salvador returned the smile, and then seemed to doubt for a moment before asking boldly. “So. Do you know … what goes on around here?”

Kay simply nodded.

The man sighed deeply before continuing. “Okay. So, the guys are going out on a raid. Tonight. You’ll be going with them. … I need you to prove …your abilities, so for now, you’re to follow orders to the letter. Prove yourself trustworthy, and we’ll then discuss … the exact situation of yours.”

She again nodded. “... Alright. Just say when and where.”

He looked at her amused. “The old post. At midnight.”

- - -

(midnight, the old watch post)

A handful of men were laughing and drinking inside the crumbling building when the door opened. Silence fell as the dark dressed figure entered the room, a couple of the men drew their handguns at it. “Who are you?”

The figure’s smile could be heard in her voice as she instinctively raised her hands, her palms open so everyone could see she wasn’t a threat. “Calm down. Salvador sent me.”

“So where is he?” said another man.

“Bastard is always late, Armando,” shrugged the first as he turned back into his glass.

“Care to serve me one of those?” said the figure. Shortly after, a glass of an indescribable liquor appeared in front of her. She downed it without hesitation. “Hm. Thought it’d be firewater. What’s it?”

The men laughed and started cracking jokes about rat poison when the door opened again. Salvador whistled loudly, and in less than a minute they all were riding two jeeps towards the jungle.

Not half an hour later, they were in the middle of… what should have been the jungle, but it was a plantation, hidden from the skies by a few trees. On the edge, a rotting cabin was barely distinguishable against the trees’ shadows. The jeeps parked in silence, the men quickly circled the house, then at a whistle, they barged in.

They found it empty. Salvador cursed before calling the men back to the cars.

Kay stopped him. “... we should probably search the place, you know.”

Salvador laughed. “What for. No. That’s not how we do things here.” He fumbled with his pockets for a moment. “Guys, off we go.” Then he lighted a cigar as he looked at Kay. “This” -- he paused a split second for emphasis -- “is how we do things here” he threw the match at the hay bed, which promptly caught fire. “Now let’s go, nothing else to do here.”