La Mujer de Lalo (Lalo's Woman)

The man for the job

As the car came to a screeching halt, a panicked Lalo got down and rushed into an old but well maintained house. He banged on the door only to be greeted by Ciro's gun. Nacho came to the door and stood behind Ciro.

Lalo was relieved at the sight of his men. He locked eyes with Nacho and raised an eyebrow.

"She's upstairs." Nacho chimed.

Lalo climbed two steps at a time and opened the master bedroom door. Ana shot up and sat quickly when she heard the door open suddenly. They immediately felt at ease at the sight of the other. Lalo strode in slowly, as Ana jumped out of bed and ran to him.

He lifted her up and kissed her forehead. She wrapped her hands and legs around him and entangled her lips with his. She didn't mind the dirt and grime on his face and clothes. She knew that she was lucky to be there with him at that moment. A drop of tear fell on Lalo's face.

"What happened, mi amore?" She questioned Lalo.

He placed Ana on the ground and scratched his temples. He had let his guard down for a few hours and a lot had happened since then. He was furious with the Chicken Man for trying to hurt his home, his people and most of all, his future wife.

"Gustavo Fring. But don't worry, querida, I won't let my guard down hereafter. He will face my wrath. I'll bring that hijo de puta to his knees. I'll make him suffer for what he tried to do to you." Lalo spat the words in anger.

"I don't care about all that, Lalo. All I care about is the fact that you're safe and alive and with me now. Please don't go anywhere. Please, Lalo." She sobbed and burried her face into Lalo's bosom.

Lalo consoled his lady and took her back to bed. After she'd gone to sleep, he cleaned up and went downstairs. A long chat was due with his second in command. His new friend. His future brother-in-law.

Nacho was impatiently pacing across the living room. Beads of sweat that had formed on the top of his shaved head hung like the crystals in a chandelier. He noticed Lalo Salamanca steadily heading towards him. The furrowed temples and deep set black eyes began studying Nacho's every move.

Lalo poured a drink into a wide glass and gently sipped it, all the while without turning away from Nacho. The man knew how to instill fear into his enemies. He enjoyed making people uncomfortable and out of their space. Today, Nacho was no different than the regular narco.

"Listen man..." Nacho started.

There was no response from Lalo. Not even a slight change in his demeanor.

"I... I don't know where to start. But know one thing, I'd never do anything to harm my family." Nacho continued explaining about how he met Mike and later Gus. The droplets on his forehead had decended to his eyebrows and found their way along the side of his face.

Meanwhile, Lalo was still sipping the raw scotch without moving a finger. He drowned the last drop of the drink down his throat and threw the glass and took his gun from the back of his pants, all within the blink of an eye. The pistol pointed at the obvious object.

Nacho knew he would have to face his bane. There was no turning back now. No place to run. And no beloved sister to save him. This was the most vulnerable point of his life. He felt like he was awaiting the executioner's sword.

All of a sudden, Lalo tossed the gun towards Nacho, who instinctly caught it with one hand. No one in the room would have expected this twist. Ciro, who was witnessing the events that unfolded before his eyes was ready to take down Nacho, should he make an attempt at his jefe's life.

"What's the meaning of this?" A puzzled Nacho asked his boss.

Lalo just smirked. He strode towards Nacho and bent down to whisper something into Nacho's ears.

"Una vida por una vida. (A life for a life.) I'm sparing you for saving Ana's. But know this, Nachito, I'm giving you an ultimatum. Something no person has ever received from the Salamanca family." Lalo spoke in a deep voice.

Nacho looked bemused. Unsure what the Don was offering him.

"I've got a job for you. I wanted to send my cousins to do it, but now, I've changed my mind. After all, you're the man for the job."

"Lalo, I sincerely apologize for what had happened. I'll do anything to fix it, man. Anything to keep my father and sister away from harm's way." The genuineness in his tone softened Lalo's serious demeanor.

"Ah, don't worry, it nothing too difficult. A Chilean Chicken had been cooing for a long time. We didn't mind it as it kept business good. But now, each cluck that comes out of it's mouth is causing us so much trouble, eh. I want you to make it stop moving around. You can strangle it or bleed it out, I don't really care. La cabeza de ese hijo de puta es mía. (That son of a bitch's head is mine)"

"Oh, and one more thing. As far as anyone is concerned, I'm dead. You've won your freedom. My girlfriend is a mess. My men are dead and my house is burned down." Lalo's speech dwindled as he left the house.

Nacho was dumbstruck with terror. How the hell was he going to bring Gus down? Especially with Mike and his other men all of whom, are sworn to guard their boss' life.