Mafia's Mistress

MARKO

"Want to generate fear in the hearts of people?

Make someone an example."

- Mr. N

There are some points in our life when we want to stop for a while and look back.

There are moments when we want to recall all the years we spent living.

We want to remember all the mistakes we made and the sins we committed.

Today is the same point in my life. It's my birthday.

Hi, my name is Markus Suarez Vargas.

For most people in the city, I am a reputed businessman.

And for those who know me very well, I am the head of one of the most powerful cartels in Los Angels, Vargas.

While most people see me as a kind and helping gentleman, the ones who know me know me as a cruel and sadistic monster.

And I don't deny them. A monster! That's what I am in real.

But that's not my fault.

When you're born in a family where violence and killing people is a matter of every day, you somehow get addicted to it.

And there are some incidents that kill the innocence inside you.

In my case, it was both.

***

The story of Vargas cartel started with my abuelito (grandfather) who founded the Vargas Cartel in 1981.

He was an ordinary man with a powerful vision.

In the time when cocaine was in demand, he quickly figured out that he could strike rich by supplying drugs to America.

And guess what he made a lot of money by doing that. At some point, we had much more money than any bank in Mexico and we had to bury it in ground to avoid suspicion.

So, my abuelito striked it rich by selling drugs but forgot that more money also brings more enemies. 

***

On my 9th birthday, I recieved a gift box containing the head of my abuelito along with a note:

Salutem scriptam patrinus!!! (Greetings to the godfather!!!)

****

To be honest, we had seen it coming. One thing about running a cartel is being aware of enemies both from inside and outside.

But what happened after that completely unexpected...

I saw friends turning into enemies. I saw loyalty shifting sides.

I saw Francisco, the bodyguard who was my abuelito's friend for 25 years shooting papa in head.

I saw blood, gore, and dead bodies of my uncles, aunts, and cousins.

I saw mama begging that fucking fat piece of shit Antonio for mercy as he grinned and shot her in the head with a shotgun from point-blank range.

Finding it really hard, I tried to scream. But someone covered my mouth with hands. It was Maria, our chambermaid.

"Shh!!! Don't scream else they'll kill you." She whispered in my ears as she hid me under a table.

So, I just sat there watching those morons laugh as they were frantically shooting the corpses.

What else could a 9-year-old kid do? I was little, naive, and weak.

And only a fool fights a battle that he knows he can't win.

****

For 2 hours, I stayed their hidden under the table while all those people were shooting corpses to make sure no one is alive.

There were also looking for a little child everywhere who had escaped. That little child was me who sat there under the table praying to be never found.

But then one of those killer found me and prepared to load his shotgun to fire at me from close range.

Thinking this was the end, I closed my eyes.

But then something happened. The person who was aiming at me stopped.

I opened my eyes and saw a smooth-talking man standing in front of us.  Jose Luis Santana, leader of the rival cartel.

He was the one who had ordered the hit on my family. Now, he was probably going to kill us too. But for some reason, he spared my and Maria's life, and even allowed to us stay with us.

While Jose claimed he saw himself in me because he was also spared when a rival cartel leader murdered his family - I could never understand why he did so.  Perhaps, some things are too complex to understand.

***

Like I said, only a fool fights the battle he can't win.  A wise person tries to regain his strength and prepare himself for the fight. Revenge is a dish better served cold, after all.

Under Jose's tutelage - I studied, grew up, and became a soldier in his cartel. 

I quickly rose through ranks and became his most trusted associate. Jose was happy as he looked forward to use my potential for expanding his empire.

But I had something else in mind. I was preparing myself for the revenge. I was preparing myself to take what was rightfully mine.

***

One day, Jose and I were coming out of a pub when a couple of assassins shot him.

I was also caught in fire. Injured my hand too, but not before killing two of them.

But Jose died on spot, leaving behind his wife.

***

With no apparent heir, I assumed command of the cartel and became what I am today. Leader of Vargas cartel who was now much more stronger than ever before.

Many still think it was a rival leader who shot and killed Jose. Nobody even suspected that it was me.

It was me who paid those assassins and then arranged the kill. Had to kill two of my people in process.

Still I got what I wanted.

While Santana had wiped my entire family, I did not kill his wife.

I just gave her the choice to run, leaving her on her fate. That I could do at least.

After all, I was not a monster. I only took what was mine.

But I did not spare those who had betrayed my family. I made their examples:

First was Antonio. I tortured that bastard for two days, gauged his eyes out, cut him into pieces, and parceled his body parts to his family.

I shot Ana, Francisco's wife before cutting his head in front of his little girl.

I didn't kill her because I wanted her to remember what happens when people wrong me.

And I did not stop till I had avenged everyone and give them gruesome deaths. It was a clear message: "either you are with me or you die".

Many people who will label me insane. But this insanity is what helped me establish the powerful empire I have today.

And I simply took what was mine and gave them back what they deserved.

I still use this lesson of making examples to spread fear and it always works.

Many of you will probably hate me for this. But I don't give a damn about what you think.