Chapter 322 - The Shadow Proposal - mdfour
Roland
When I woke up, the room was dark, and the water had receded. I turned on the bedside lamp and checked the time—it was seven o'clock. I looked at my wife; everything important in my life was lying in bed. Verónica was on the other end, and I was at the edge because our intruders, Princess and Colado, were sprawled out like they owned the place, with the most peaceful expressions.
I had a meeting with the guys. I got out of bed, went to the bathroom, peed, washed my hands, brushed my teeth, grabbed some jeans and a t-shirt, and finished getting ready. I remembered our escapade in the bathroom; she still owed me her butt. I smiled. When I returned to the bedroom, my wife was still asleep. Could anyone be happier? I wouldn't trade my life for anything or anyone. I bit the tip of her breasts.
"That's cheating," she said, stretching.
"Then you say I'm the pervert," I whispered in her ear as her hand caressed my neck.
"You smell delicious. You do it on purpose, don't you?"
I kissed her neck. I used to change women daily, but for over seven years, I've been enjoying delicious monogamy with Verónica and her five facets. She's got me hooked.
"Remember, you still owe me your butt."
"Roland!" She sat up, and I smiled. "Are you leaving already?"
"Yeah, wish me luck. Hopefully, they'll be on board."
"They will. You guys are a team." She looked at me with a hint of sadness. "Even though you miss Aníbal, Kevin and Alfredo have joined, and Freddy too—Freddy is Zombie."
"Churrusco is Churrusco Vida. There will never be another to replace him."
"I've noticed that during our lunches with everyone. You still respect his place at the table. You know, Shirly loves that. It reassures her that you haven't forgotten your black friend."
"I love you. Take care of my little ones and my princess."
"Your princess is also a little one."
"No, she's a Princess."
"One who will have a boyfriend and do everything we do when she gets married." I didn't like discussing that topic. "Honey..."
"Take care of them. I'll see you in the early morning or tomorrow, Beautiful. Call me if anything happens."
"God bless you."
"Amen."
I arrived at my office and grabbed the ten folders. One was for Zombie, but I'll talk to him once he gets back from Colombia. I entered the secret passage, which I had to secure with a fingerprint scanner because Dante and Enrique had turned it into a game, constantly showing up at the headquarters. With Aníbal's situation, I had to close that route to prevent my kids from accidentally telling their mom.
If they find out about the deception, our wives will castrate us. I'll have to say goodbye to my manhood, and each of us will suffer at the hands of our wives. On top of that, Inés will finish us off with slaps and broom whacks. That's why it's better to tell them when Aníbal returns, so he can be our buffer.
I took the vertical elevator. I had followed Arnold's suggestion a while ago, and everyone now had a quick pedestrian route. The vehicle route was still under construction. We already had the escape route from the headquarters, and we were building the one from the house to the central location.
I was the first to arrive; it wasn't even eight o'clock yet. I placed a folder at each seat with the new organization plan, then went to see Aníbal. The black man was still intubated and had lost weight.
"Good evening, Mr. Roland. The doctor said he'd be here first thing in the morning," the nurse said before leaving.
"Hello, my friend."
I won't give up. I made a deal with God, and to this day, I haven't missed my prayer for your return. "Aníbal, you're a warrior. If you're still holding on to breathe, it's because you have the strength to come back.
"It's been a year and six months in this bed, and to your wife, you've been dead for a year next week. Shirly looks great. She started teaching at a university full of men. We did our research.
"But you know how stubborn she is. She didn't let us persuade her not to work. She's determined to teach. Men are constantly pursuing her. Stay sharp, my friend. Otherwise, another man will take your place." I whispered the last part close to his ear. "Come back soon to mark your territory. See you later, my friend." I left his room, which looked more like a clinic.
"That was very motivational," said Arnold.
"If that doesn't work... He's jealous. We're all a bunch of jealous guys here. But with Shirly teaching at a university, she's more likely to find someone else."
"As long as the black man doesn't die, I'll scare them all away," Miguel said, and we laughed. "He once asked me to take care of his wife, and that's what I'll do." Gradually, everyone else arrived. Kevin and Alfredo came in with Simón.
"Boss."
"I'm glad everyone is here," I said.
"I brought empanadas!"
Arnold shouted, and like a pack of carnivores, we headed to the kitchen and started eating. We grabbed sodas from the fridge, and suddenly, the empanadas were gone. Lupe makes them delicious.
"Didn't you have dinner?"
Most of us shook our heads.
"Not this kind of food," Miguel said. We all burst out laughing. I wasn't the only one who got teased.
"Well, now that we're all here with food in our stomachs, let's get to business. There's a folder at each of your stations. Read it, and then we'll discuss. The only thing I'll say is, you're not obligated to do this, but if you decide to, we'll need to get back in shape."
"What's this about?" I looked at Simón.
"Find out."
Each of us had two computers at our workstations. I gave them the time they needed while I played solitaire on one of mine. I watched them, more than one read the report twice. The only closed folders were at Aníbal's and Freddy's stations.
"Do you want to do this?" Simón was the first to speak.
"I'm in," Miguel said. "My wife was a victim of that trafficking."
"I haven't said I won't be involved. I'm responsible for all of you. What I mean is, are you going to give Any all the credit?"
"Yes. In fact, the problem in getting her support was that she didn't want to take credit for something she wasn't going to do. But I spoke with the higher-ups, and by selling the idea perfectly, they convinced her.
"Today, we got the go-ahead. I won't be leaving this place, but I'll guide you and watch via satellite. I'll be your eyes like we did last year. You'll execute under Rata's orders."
"We'll be a kind of mercenaries seeking justice," Daniel commented.
"Count me in, sir," Kevin said.
"And me. If we're going to get into trouble, there needs to be a doctor on the front lines," Alfredo leaned in.
"You know you'll always have my support, Roland," Gustavo said. "Today… I felt something strange this afternoon."
"Here goes the mystic!" Arnold got up from his chair as he saw Gustavo's fist coming.
"Don't joke around, this is serious. Now that the boss is showing us the new path, I'm glad, but this isn't the only thing coming our way."
"I absolutely believe in your word, just like I believe in my wife and all of you. So don't think you'll have all the fun without me," Arnold crossed his arms.
"You shouldn't have written that last part," Simón commented. "You know you have our loyalty and support. We've always been a team. I understand why you do it. But we know what such operations imply. Don't keep feeling guilty about what happened to Aníbal. That's why you're my second in command."
"With the mission to rescue my children, I felt like I was exercising my command power. This time, I won't force you to face mafias, groups, and sadistic or sick people. This is now my vision, and you are free to say no."
"Roland, deep down, each of us changed after what we saw in those places where children are forced," Miguel began to speak. "I have two children, and I'm looking for my little girl. Just imagining one of them in those places…" He fell silent, and looking at us, I knew he more than anyone understood what a violation was. "Count on me unconditionally."
"Since everyone is determined to create the Checkmate cartel, let's move on to surveillance and study certain cartels we have confirmed are trafficking children and women. From this moment on, we'll all study the cases.
"I have a list. It's important to know the basics. Then we'll send them an invitation to take the right path. If they don't, we'll rescue the children, the women, and if they get too tough, we'll take them down, evaporate them.
"We must work in silence, in the shadows. We'll have to infiltrate if necessary. Each case will be different, so it's essential that we all find the best option to dismantle this practice."
"We'll start giving meaning to our past and seek to redeem our sins," Gustavo said.
"Alright," Simón spoke. "Starting tomorrow, we go back to military training routines, tactical, physical, and mental endurance. We've had a year of laziness."
"Yes, sir!"
We all responded. It was like going back to the school we created to have the men we needed. Everyone here was the result of it.
"Boss, our first target is?"