Cartel Chronicles

Chapter 1

"Nervous?" Javier taunted. Manuel laughed.

"Why should I be nervous?" Manuel retorted. Javier shrugged his massive shoulders.

"Your cuticles are bleeding and you've chewed your nails down to splintered nubs," Javier observed as he lit up a cigarette.

"Fuck you Javi, what grown ass man knows what cuticles are anyways?" Manuel asked.

"Why are you avoiding the question?" Javier pressed. Manuel was visibly flustered, it didn't take much.

"Does it matter if I'm nervous or not? I'm still beside you ready," Manuel insisted waving his gun in the air for emphasis.

"Ya, because I have a blunt in the glove box if you're interested," Javier mentioned casually. Manuel eagerly opened up the compartment and began rummaging around. "Spark it up, it's Death Star, your favorite."

"Man I love this shit," Manuel murmured after a long drag. The Range Rover quickly became filled with smoke and Javier's eyes burned.

"Crack a window or something!" Javier growled. Manuel jumped and unrolled his window. "Are you not going to offer me any of my own weed you pig!" Javier muttered snatching the roach out of Manuel's fingertips.

"Sorry, I'm super stoned," Manuel muttered dumbly. Javier smacked the short Mexican in the face.

"Snap out of it I should have brought Jorge with me instead!" Javier declared. Manuel puffed his chest out and rolled his sleeves up.

"No Javi, I got this you can count on me," his colleague insisted. Manuel reminded Javier of a little boy trying to prove to his dad. Manuel was the most loyal to Javier, but also the least intimidating. It had been a long time since Manuel had rode along, and Javier was beginning to remember why.

"Ok but you have to focus, we're almost there," Javier directed.

"I need a cigarette," Manuel whined.

"In the cup holder, light me up one too," Javier instructed. Manuel obeyed and waited for his boss's further instruction. "Rafael owes Ricky $20,000, he wants his money or he wants him dead," Javier finally explained halfway through his cigarette. There had been such a long pause in the conversation it took a while for Manuel to comprehend what he had said.

"Rafael? Are you sure about this? Doesn't he have a wife and kids?" Manuel complained.

"I know he has a wife maybe a daughter?"

"What if he doesn't pay?"
"I know he's not going to pay," Javier explained. Manuel sat there clouded by confusion.

"Well what about the family? They know you, they'll see you and...."

"Ricky said no survivors," Javier stated. The confusion cleared from his face, and it was replaced with disgust.

"Javi, I can't kill a kid."

"I should have never brought you along on this....I thought to myself, hmmm Manuel is always bitching that he never gets the opportunity to come along, he's always trying to prove that he is just as good as everyone else, and then when push comes to shove, he bitches out like a pussy," Javier spat. Manuel flicked his cigarette out the window and sulked.

"I'll just do it myself," Javier proclaimed.

"No, I'll do it."

"Look at it this way, Rafael probably beats the shit out of his kids, you're probably doing them a favor," Javier mumbled.