Part II-Chapter 9: OF WHAT YOU'RE RETURNING TOO

 

Chapter 9

Of What You’re Returning Too
(Ó 2009)

May 1998

Northwest Chicago

 

He lay horizontal on his back looking up into the cloudless night sky, looking at the few stars whose light could penetrate the city’s “light pollution“, as the astronomers would refer to it. The glow which was the result of the combination of the millions of lights of the huge metropolis. Anyone could see the radiance of the city night from a hundred miles away, and when the sky was filled with clouds, it intensified the luminosity.

He was on the rooftop of a four story brownstone apartment building, close to the short brick edge wall that was about two feet high. This was his second straight night here and he remained undetected the entire time, just as he had the several times before. This was his station for the surveillance of the building directly across the street, where the target for the latest mission resided. It was a cool comfortable evening and he decided to take a few moments rest from his surveillances. He looked up to these stars and he broke away from his contemplations of the target to focus on the few pinpricks of light above him. “This all wasn’t here,” he thought to himself, “none of this, this city, these people, me, none of this was here when the light I’m seeing right now first left those stars.”

He watched the stars for a few minutes more when his attention was then drawn to the voices that came from across the street. He then reached for the items next to him, a three inch square mirror that was attached to a thin telescopic handle and a small, yet powerful, hand sized monocular. He adjusted the mirror for the proper length he needed and then positioned it just above the edge of the wall. Then he looked at the reflection in the mirror through the monocular, seeing everything and everybody across the street. He positioned the mirror to the third floor balcony, first it was dark, then the lights came on and the living room was illuminated. He waited patiently for a few seconds, and then there walking into the room in his full view was the target, a dark skinned Hispanic man - - -

- - - by the name of Carlito Garza. He was a man of shorter stature; about five feet and seven inches with the muscular build of a boxer. He wore black jeans, Norteno boots and a tank top shirt that bore the logo of the Mexican National Soccer team. His arms, chest, and back were completely covered in tattoos; he had the Mexican Flag on his right shoulder blade and one of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his entire upper right arm. His long black hair was worn combed back and into a ponytail. He also sported a double daubed moustache that was worn on the extreme sides of his upper lip, the style that was made famous by the Mexican comedic actor, Cantinflas, this was also highlighted with a small “soul patch” beard in the middle and just below his lower lip. However, the rest of his tattoos had to do with the fact that he was always a member, and now the leader of Los Monarcas Aztecas, the Aztec Monarchs street gang.

He rose to power in the usual fashion, by proving that he was the most ruthless and the most fearless. However, it was also common knowledge that he was sadistic and demanded nothing but extreme total loyalty not only to him and Los Monarcas Aztecas, but also to the only person in the world he trusted, his girlfriend and lover, Daisy Humena, known to everyone as “Kittygato”. It was well known that Carlito did not run the Monarcas with an iron fist … but with a steel one. And if he had the steel hand, then Kittygato had the claws to match.

The loyalty he demanded was never tested. If someone in Los Monarcas Aztecas ever strayed from that loyalty, Carlito would torture them personally, which was set to record by the tattoos of small bloody fists above his left breast, which at this moment he bore sixteen. If there was an act of treason, Carlito would kill the traitors himself. Or, if someone outside of Los Monarcas Aztecas needed to be killed, Carlito would take on the most important jobs personally. The record of times that he performed these tasks was shown by the small tattoos of skulls with crossbones on his left shoulder blade, which he now displayed eighteen.

He was damned callous and uncaring to anyone, with the exception of Kittygato. It was said that the only time he would ever smile would be in her presence. And it was the truth, this man and woman, so cold-blooded in the way the conducted their business and lived their lives, they were in an acute bizarre way, totally in love with one another.

Carlito now sat in the middle of his sofa with his arms spread on either side of him, resting them on the back. His head was tilted backward and he looked upwards to the ceiling. He sat there for a few seconds when then up from behind him came Kittygato. She was wearing also a woman’s version of the tank top that Carlito wore. She also wore red shorts that rode up her buttocks slightly, the shorts were commonly referred to as “hoochie mama pants” by all those in the community, and she also had matching red high healed shoes. The tank top and shorts were one size too small, which accentuated her voluptuous figure. Her hair was long, curled and bleached blond which blended well with her dark brown eyes. She also bore some tattoos. On her right shoulder blade there was a rose with thorns that had the name Carlito above it. On her leg was the symbol for Los Aztecas Monarcas.

She had in her hand a cold bottle of Carta Blanca beer, which she handed to Carlito. She then bent over and kissed him very passionately, and then began to massage his shoulders as he drank the beer. She continued with the massage until he was finished with the beer, she then took the empty bottle from him, stepped around from the sofa and placed it on the table in front of him. She then sat down closely next to him on the sofa and placed her head on his shoulder, he then embraced her and began to stroke her bleached hair. He then drew her closer, continuing to stroke her hair with one hand, and caress her bare arm with the other.

If anyone else were to witness this, they would assume that this man and woman were just average hard working Mexicans in America toiling to get a better life. They both now appeared as a couple anyone would want to be neighbors with. As if they both had just arrived home and were resting together after a long hard day’s labor. No one would ever suspect how it really is. The brutality and corruption they both were involved with in order to live their lifestyle. It would not be questionable with this seemingly loving couple.

They both stayed in each others embrace for a few more minutes, then Carlito looked down at her, and she up at him to return his gaze. He then gave her a kiss on her lips and then motioned to her with his head for them both now to go to bed. She nodded back to him and he then released her from his embrace. She stood and held her hand out to him, he took it and then he stood up himself. They then both left the room with her leading him by the hand. In a few seconds - - -

 

- - - the lights were then turned off, and he saw only the empty darkened room. He then watched with the mirror and monocular for a few more seconds then placed them both on his chest. He looked up to the night sky, once again to the small pinpricks of lights that are the stars. He recalled being with the elders on nights like this, back in the land where the sky would be as bright as the city around him because of all the stars you would see. Where you could see as many stars as there were grains of sand on any beach.

“Soon.” He thought, “Soon this mission will be complete, all strategies and counter strategies are planned. If all goes well, this time, it will be over in a matter of seconds. I will enter, neutralize target, and remove what gives him his power … all done in a matter of seconds. In … execute the mission … and then out.” He then began to feel the anticipation that comes from planning the strike. Over again through his head of how he will enter, for he has already been inside a few times, of how he will come up to the target from behind, incapacitate him , then … then … then he stopped.

Something.

Something. Something was … asking him.

The anticipation of the mission was pulled from his mind and body because he sensed … something. What is that? He thought he heard the sound of the drums coming from his left. Then the wind chimes, they seemed to come from the ledge of the brick edge way, just at his feet.

“What?” He whispered to the sky. He could feel the words coming into his head, and then … the words burst into his mind. There came questions to him in a thought.

It made him pause when the questions shaped in his mind. The questions, “Aren’t you afraid? Aren’t you afraid of what you’re returning too? Aren’t you afraid of what you’re becoming once again?”

He now felt totally relaxed, breathing calmly. He thought of how he was then, back when he was happy. He thought of what he was saved from, and how it was he was saved. He thought of the man and woman he had put under his surveillance for all these months. How this strange couple were so in love that you could see it from a distance. He then thought of how once …

“No!” He whispered to himself with gritted teeth. Then the anger and rage began to return, “No! That was different. It was people like them, those two, people like them that made me … return to this.” He then turned onto his stomach, anger beginning to return swiftly, he crawled on his hands and feet backwards to a point where he knew he would not be detected and then stood, looking at the building across the street. He was now standing erect, his fists and teeth clenched. “Don’t even compare them to … what was.” He whispered angrily to himself. He then looked to the building that was directly next door to the one which he was standing atop of; it was equally at four stories high. He then began to make a running dash towards the building next to his, using the front parts of his feet to make his running silent, just as the elders had thought him. To run in silence … like the wolf.

He quickly came to the ledge and placed down his right foot on top of it and then thrust himself up higher into the air, over the forty foot drop between the buildings, then landing onto the ledge of the building next store just as silently. He stood, again looking to the building across the street and to the window of the darkened room that he was watching. “Soon,” he whispered feeling his blood pumping throughout his body from his returning rage, “yes … very soon.”