FEAR

3

•KÖNIG•

We went out to the market. Everyone seen to know Verena greeting her. She wore a yellow sundress that hugged her body on the top showing off her perfect boobs. I know if it wasn't for Ghost and I everyone would be staring at her. She was hard to miss, even in a potato sack she would be hard to miss. "Verena te miras muy linda." (You look very pretty) A old man said. He smile at her missing half of his teeth. She waved back not smiling and I wonder what would get her to smile. Other then this morning I don't think I've see her smile. She smiled at Mateo.

She has people to shop for her. In fact her fruits and vegetables garden at her estate yet here she was in this Mexican heat waving, taking compliments. Do they know who she really is?

As we walked a women bumped into me. I stopped to help her taking her dirty hand into mine and helping her pick up her fruits. "Muchas gracias." She said. I notice how dirty her clothes were but how nice her necklace was. Verena noticed that I stopped and had the courtesy to stop and wait. Ghost stopped behind her overseeing the area.

"Yeah sure." I dismissed. I looked behind her to see she had two other girls with her. They bowed their head and hurried passed me.

"What was that?" Ghost asked.

"Just a klutz." I shrugged it off.

Back at the estate. Ghost and I ended up helping Verena with her baskets of fruits. We followed her to the kitchen She said something in Spanish and then turned to look at us.

"These fruits are for my employees feel free to take anything you like but for now . . ." She paused. "Follow me." She walked quickly. Her dress flowing behind her. She was walking towards the guards quarters. She walked right in, everyone stood as attention at the sight of her. Some not even facing her. They just stood still.

"Señora." They yelled simultaneously. She waved her hand walked past them.

"Marcus taught them that." She rolled her eyes. We followed her down a hall to a door with a padlock. She put in the code and walked in. "This room is the interrogation room. Rarely use. Marcus used it once or twice to catch a thief after he caught them they were sent out of the estate with no hands... please sit down." She talks like this was a casual conversation. Or this shit didn't bother her.

Two tables we both sat at one. Two hand guns. I looked at her confused. She walked into the other side of the room and turned on the light to reveal a person with a hood over their head.

"Her name is Maria." She says. She pulled off the women's hood. Her nose was bleeding and her face was bruised and beaten. I recognized her. She was the woman I helped at the market but what did she do? What did they do to her? How did she get here so fast? The only reason I recognized her was because of her gold necklace. Why would Verena take her? I looked away from the women and back at Ghost and Verena.

"Shoot her, Ghost." She rubbed his right shoulder and spoke in his ear. I could see his jaw flex under the mask and he adjusted in his seat. Being turned on and pissed off at the same time is what she does to us and I'm starting to think she knows it. "She looked so innocent, doesn't she König." She walked over to me, standing behind me she leaned close to my ear. Her hand touches my back. She was taunting me and I wanted nothing more then to indulge in it. Her voice, soft and sultry, but she was the devil. Verdammter Teufel.

Ghost didn't make a move toward the gun on the table at all. He was stalling but there was no way out of this, either that woman died or we die tonight no matter how good we are there are way more of them then us and they currently had more weapons.

"You have twenty seconds to make a decision." I looked at the woman her eyes pleading with me. Tears mixed with blood flowed down her beaten face. She still wore the same old rags from earlier. It was clear this woman didn't know anything but poverty. Why would she deserve this? Who the fuck does Verena thought she was?

I know Verena was cruel. Her file was so deep in allegations that people assumed she wasn't real. All those stories were just that, stories to scare the kids but this shit was real. I looked at the gun in front of me and picked it up. If we didn't do this. . . If I didn't do this she would kill the woman, then Ghost, and I. I aimed. I bite my tongue and fired. The bullet hit her shoulder and she fell back into the wall then fell over on her side. She was still alive, sobbing in pain. The blood oozed out of her shoulder and she sobbed trying to get out of her restraints.

"She's alive," Verena said. She smiled wickedly and grabbed the gun out of my hand. Taking out magazine.

"Finished her," She walked over to the table in front of Ghost. Her eyes gleamed when he picked up the gun, aimed, and fired it. Shooting the woman right in the forehead. He did it to end her suffering. I should've done it. I should've killed her instantly. There was guilt that I felt pinching at me.

It was quiet for a couple of seconds. Ghost and I watched Verena as she watched the lifeless body. Then she smirks.

"She sold her daughter to a trafficker. All four girls were beaten, raped, starved, and then killed." She got off the table taking the gun out of Ghost's hand. He stared down at her but the more she spoke he started to look away. But she didn't she looked at him and then turned to me. "When my men found them the only reason they were able to identify those girls were, was from DNA testing. The oldest was only 16. The two girls at the market were about to meet the same faith. There in the medic ward." With that, she grabbed both of the guns and started to walk out. "Next time don't question me or hesitate because I will kill you."

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