Finding Célia

Chapter 2

She slowly stirred awake, as a wave of acute pain washed over her entire body. A cloud of dark fabric imprisoned her face; the callous material chafed her skin and obstructed her vision. She finally began to fully wake up and get her bearings, realizing that her head was covered with a mask and her hands were bound behind her back. She couldn't see much through the mask's small tatters, and just as she began violently thrashing about in order to try and remove her restraints, her shroud was abruptly ripped off and tossed aside.

Strands of her disheveled hair drooped in front of her eyes. Her forehead was slick with droplets of sweat. She hesitantly glanced up and made eye contact with a stranger she had never seen before. His expression was menacing. His steely blue eyes gazed down at her with disdain, and his stare alone was enough to make her feel worthless. He was clad in an expensive-looking suit, and that coupled with the aristocratic structure of his face caused him to exude an air of opulence. But the contemptuous grimace he wore proved that his intentions with her were much more sinister.

"What's your name, princess?"

His gravelly voice bore no hint of an accent.

"Am I still in Mexico?" She wondered.

"I believe I asked you a question." He interrupted.

Her voice was small and barely audible.

"Célia. I'm Célia Alvarez."

"Well, Célia. My friend here tells me that you've been hanging around in certain places. Certain places that aren't meant for girls like you." Venom dripped from each word that left his lips.

"I-I don't know what you're-"

Her words were cut off by approaching footsteps. The footsteps belonged to a familiar face, and he stood at the menacing stranger's side.

Célia was utterly confused; she knew she had seen this guy before. After scrutinizing his unkempt appearance, she immediately recognized him thanks to the countless tattoos inked on his body.

"You... You're the guy from the taqueria..." She mumbled.

"Sure am." He said, with complete indifference in his voice.

"What did you do to me?! Where am I?!?"

The man in the suit laughed.

"She's cute, Spooky. I think she'll be of some use."

"Where do you want me to place her, Boss?"

Célia looked between the two as they casually continued their conversation; all the while an immense panic was building within her.

"Take her to Las Rosas and have Sabrina train her."

"Got it."

The tattooed man she presumed was Spooky suddenly grabbed her and forced her to her feet.

"No! Please, stop!" She looked at the man in the suit with pleading eyes, hoping that what was happening was just a cruel, cruel joke.

"Keep an eye on her, Spooky. Something tells me she'll be trouble."

Spooky nodded. The suited man slowly stepped forward and lifted her chin so she could meet his eyes.

"This isn't the last you'll see of me. I'll come to visit you very soon."

~

Vivian's fingers nervously tapped the keypad on her phone. She absolutely dreaded having to make this phone call, but she summoned everything she had within her to be the bigger person, knowing that he was the only one who could help. She had already tried contacting the local authorities, but they quickly dismissed her case and told her to come back after 24 hours. Now, she was all alone in a foreign country, and to top it all off, her best friend had just gone missing.

"C'mon, pick up..."

Her ears were only met with an incessant ringing.

The ringing went on for what felt like forever, but just as she was going to lose hope, a voice answered.

"Hello?" The all-too-familiar voice answered.

"Toni? It's me, Vivian. I need your help."