The rain had stopped an hour ago.The streetlights flickered weakly, one after another, casting crooked lines on the cracked pavement. Julio Ortega walked among the shadows, head down, hood up, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his sweatshirt.
Every few steps, he glanced up,not too high, just enough to spot the dull glint of the security cameras mounted above the small convenience store across the street. Two of them, both angled toward the entrance. He cursed under his breath, waiting for a passing bus to roll by, using its bulk as cover before crossing quickly to the door.
A small bell chimed as he entered.
Inside, the air smelled of instant noodles and cleaning detergent. A fluorescent light hummed faintly above. Julio kept his head low, the hood shadowing most of his face. The cashier,a boy barely out of his teens looked up briefly from his phone and offered a lazy nod.
Julio walked slowly down the aisles, eyes scanning the shelves but mind racing faster than his heartbeat. Every movement was measured. He picked up the essentials,a pack of tissues, a small loaf of bread, two bottles of water, a pack of mints and a few snacks,things that would last him a couple of days if he stretched them. He couldn't risk staying in one place long enough to shop properly anymore knowing that El Diablo's men were hunting him.
At the counter, he slid the items forward, keeping his head bent. His fingers trembled slightly as he pulled a few crumpled bills from his pocket.
"Busy night, huh?" the cashier said casually.
Julio didn't look up. "Just passing through," he muttered, his voice hoarse from disuse.
The cashier shrugged, scanned the items, and dropped them into a thin plastic bag. "That'll be seventy-four pesos."
Julio handed over the cash without looking. His sleeve brushed the counter as he slid the money forward,he made sure his hand covered his face just enough for the security camera behind the register to get only a blur. The boy handed him his change, but Julio didn't take it. "Keep the change" He said and just nodded once and walked out, the bell chiming again as the door swung shut behind him.
Outside, he took a deep breath of the cool air, glancing briefly at the reflection in the store's glass window. A hooded shadow, faceless, blending into the night.
He didn't look back as he disappeared into the alleyway. He walked the last few blocks on foot. The neighborhood was quiet, almost abandoned—half-built houses, stray dogs nosing through trash, a radio playing somewhere behind a half-open window.
No lights, no neighbors close enough to ask questions. Just how he needed it.
The small house he returned to sat at the edge of a forgotten neighborhood, where the streets grew narrow and the walls were painted with the kind of graffiti that no one bothered to wash off anymore. The windows were covered with cardboard instead of curtains, the door reinforced with an old plank nailed crookedly across it.
Inside, it smelled faintly of damp wood and dust. A single bulb hung from the ceiling, flickering every few seconds like a dying heartbeat. Julio set his bag down on the table and exhaled shakily. His fingers rubbed his temples as he leaned against the wall, the hood finally slipping back.
The reflection in the cracked mirror across the room startled him for a moment,he barely recognized himself anymore. His beard had grown out unevenly, dark shadows underlined his eyes, and the look in them was something between exhaustion and guilt.
He pulled a small burner phone from his pocket and stared at it. The screen was dark. It had been silent for three days,no messages, no instructions. No threats. Nothing from the phone Cassimo gave him.
That silence terrified him more than Cassimo's voice ever did.
"Luciana…" he whispered, his throat tightening. Just saying her name felt dangerous, like tempting fate. He closed his eyes and pictured her,soft hands, tired smile, the curve of her belly the last time he saw her.
He reminded himself he was doing all of these for the life bd safety of his wife and unborn child.
He sat heavily on the chair, the wood creaking beneath him. "You're doing this for her," he told himself. "You're doing this to keep her safe."
But the words didn't sound convincing anymore.
His mind replayed the time Cassimo's men had found him. It was a week before the signing of the papers for the shipment to Mazatlán,they made him relive part of the supply,the cold muzzle of a gun pressed to the back of his neck,the whispered reminder: "You don't do as I say,she stops breathing." He'd believed it then. He still did. Cassimo killed anytime he wanted to.
Julio stood abruptly and began pacing the room. "Think, think…" he muttered. He needed to deliver something soon....some kind of progress, a lead, anything that proved his loyalty. Cassimo didn't tolerate delays. If Julio didn't feed him information about Navarro's routes, Cassimo might decide that Luciana was no longer a valuable bargaining chip.
He slammed his hand against the table, the sound echoing in the small room. "Damn it!"
The burner phone buzzed suddenly, vibrating across the table. Julio froze, his heart lurching in his chest. He snatched it up, staring at the message.
CASSIMO: Tomorrow night.Route north of Tepic. Navarro's convoy.Don't fail me again, Julio. You know what's at stake.
Julio's breath hitched. His throat went dry.
He knew that route. He knew those men. He'd worked beside some of them. Good men. Loyal men. Men El Diablo treated right.
And Cassimo wanted them dead thereby reducing El Diablo's army.
He sat down slowly, the weight of the decision pressing down on him like a boulder. His chest tightened, his hands trembling again. He thought of sending out a message to alert them but Cassimo tracks the phone he gave him.
He thought of Luciana, her soft smile, the way she used to hum quietly when she cooked. He imagined her hands on her belly, whispering to their unborn child.
Outside, thunder rolled over the horizon, low and distant.
Julio turned off the phone and shoved it into his pocket. Then he pulled his hood back up, his eyes hollow and resolute.
Tomorrow night, he'd go to the location,lure El Diablo's men in and another ambush would take place.
Because love had become his prison and every act of betrayal was just another lock clicking shut.