9 GUNS

CHAPTER 1:The Grace of Unknown

Interrupting the deep noise of isolation, in the bright light of noon, the old and sluggish Police van was just an hour away from its destination. The vivid green view of Northern Mexico around the lonely road was indeed soothing for the driver but the back cabin of the selfsame vehicle described a very different story; death was inevitable for the four of them and indeed, too close!

The prison at Durango 31 miles afar awaited their arrival but the flow full journey had to achieve an unforeseen pause.

"Who put that over here? Why is..." the driver murmured as he stepped out of the van gazing the two red barriers blocking his narrow path.

He moved towards them trying to push one and discovered the task was much easier than he had expected, thus he decided to complete the job swiftly, planning to reach the prison on time but his dreams had yet to shatter. His movement abruptly stopped as he felt the pressure on the side of his forehead, the force of a loaded pistol!

"What do you want? ....Who....who are you?" said a trembling voice as he moved his head left towards the face of the weapon.

The last view his eyes could grasp of the cruel earthly life was a tall black man, black pants and a black coat, pointing a weapon towards him! The mainstream crew cut and a silver watch in the right arm holding the pistol at his face, the sound of the gunshot ran shivers in the four men inside while on the outside, an innocent soul departed for heaven. The gaze of the armed stranger remained indifferent to any feeling as the body fell down from a lively man into a corpse, and he began approaching the van to push open the back door.

"Who among you is Adam Kembutch?" asked a deep American voice.

"Adam quem?" a Brazilian criminal tried to rush out towards freedom, but was equally blocked by the interrogator,

"I am sorry man, but I am just here to freed Adam Kembutch, you can't step out so soon!"

"Calar-se!" the enraged native, desperate for his freedom, made the mistake of rejecting what was ordered to him, and the stranger didn't bother, taking a second life on the same day!

The Brazilian blood was on the van's floor quenching any thirst for the other two to speak but a third voice eventually rose,

"What do you want?"

"Step out man, you need to go!"

He knew he could be seconds away from his last breath of life so Adam didn't even bother to argue. As soon as he stepped out, the ignorant stranger started walking across the 2 post barriers towards the gun metallic Chevy Camaro a few yards ahead. Adam could sense the dearth of fear in that man though his face wasn't as rough, and he started following him; he had nothing else to opt!

"What about us American guy?" a loud Portuguese accent rose from the back of van.

"Stay in there till we leave....I mean if you wish to live" he didn't bother turning his face back and sat inside his car.

"Get in man, we don't have a short way ahead"

"Who are you and why are you doing this?" his voice was straight yet expressed the curiosity troubling his mind, as he sat on the back side.

"My name is Ronald Jeffery, and that's all you need to know by now"

The stranger gazed Adam through the front mirror, feeling a little pitiful though superior in light of the outfit he had on; a perfect prisoner uniform.

"They found the right size for you my man" smiled the man as he started the engine and began to accelerate.

"You care about this goddamn unif-" his outburst was interrupted by the abruptly applied brakes.

The booted man peeped his head out the car and as soon as he aimed his gun for the van, four loud fires ignited an idle van into a blazing vehicle. The tumultuous sound of the explosion brought nothing but sheer stress on Adam's head and he broke through,

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

"Easy man...easy" the car set off for its destination

"Easy? You know what you just did"

"I don't wanna be but I am stilled surprised that a person like YOU man is so concerned about this! You have done the same things more violently I suppose!"

"Uh...I am not...I am just saying....why did you killed THEM?" Adam stammered in confusion.

"Criminals so lost like them were not supposed to exist at the first place my man!"

"I lost too! It doesn't suit you to save me then."

"I know it! But he thought you were worth another chance."

"He?.....Wha....Who are you talking about?" a pool of questions just arose in Adam's head.

"Well that's for what you have to wait man!"

"Listen you douche bag, don't waste tries attempting to be full of suspense! I hate surprises!"

"You hate being the one not told....he really knows you well!"

The words were only piling Adam's vexation and he promptly picked the gun right to Ronald's seat, aiming for his life!

"You think you can scare me with that kid?" he stopped the car "then let me tell you that all I know about you isn't just what he told me regarding you. I have had enough time to tell you what you are going through, you wanna know? You are dying to know all about what's happening to you now and I am the only one who can take you to where you want! So it would better for you to put this gun down or shove the bullets up your ass!"

Ronald's shout served enough to keep the anxious man silent for a little while but after all, he eventually spoke up,

"I can't!"

"Can't what?"

"I can't shove them up there!"

"Huh?....why so?"

"You are already an unbearable pain over there!"

"Huhuh!" chuckled Ronald "You are successful at gaining your first achievement man!"

"What achievement?"

"Making me laugh...that's a hard thing to do"

"Then remind me to gain the achievement of making you cry the most!"

"Huh! Well there you achieved a two in a row, better try for a hat trick!"

"You really want to know what hat trick I wanna score right now?" asked Adam.

"Sure!"

"Shooting 3 bullets straight into your ugly body!"

"You will not be then living long enough for this man"

"I will do it! And you should know I can!"

"I don't know man, but the thing we need to do now is to find you some clothes, they are not gonna let me enter Durango with you otherwise."