•~3~•

6 YEARS AGO

The TV blared a rerun of a Harry Potter movie, but Karla was too busy sleeping on a couch, a large bowl of popcorn in her arm, to watch it. As she slept, her grip on the bowl loosened, and it slowly descended. It finally hit the floor with a loud plop, scattering popcorn all over the rugged floor, and waking her.

Karla rubbed her eyes, and checked the wall clock above the TV. It was 1 am, but her father wasn't yet home. She wasn't worried though, because she knew exactly where he was, even without being told.

There was only one place that could keep Luke Nightingale out so late —the casino. Luke had an addictive habit of gambling, and no matter how hard Karla had tried, she never could persuade him to stop. It didn't matter what method she used. He would promise to stop when she begged him to, and actually do it, but would go back to gambling a day or two later. At a point, Karla gave up trying.

She blamed it all on his love for thrill. Luke, before he married Karla's mother, had been an adventurer, and aired a little show on it called "Luke's Journey". It hadn't been a popular show, but it earned him just enough to pay for flight tickets and buy the basic necessities for a life on the road. There was nothing he didn't do, from bungee jumping to climbing mount Everest. Nevertheless, when he met Karla's mother, she became his thrill. He gave up his adventures to run her hardware store, and build a family with her. But then she died, and the thrill disappeared.

The doorbell rang, and Karla sighed a "Finally!". Her father was home. She opened the door, and a man stumbled in. Luke was a tall heavily built man in his late fifties. Just like his daughter, he had skin the color of coffee. Even at his age, most of his hair was black, except for the tip of his goatee beard. He was also very handsome, even with his shabby hair and old clothes.

    "Really Dad? I know you're into gambling and stuff, but couldn't you have at least spared one night to watch a movie with me? You promised!" Karla whined.

She stood akimbo, scowling and sulking, but Luke wasn't listening. For the first time, Karla noticed just how unsettled her father was. He was obviously worried about something, and kept glancing right and left anxiously. Karla wondered what.

   "Buttercup, I need you to do something for me." Luke grabbed his daughter's shoulder.

    "Wha... "

    "I need you to stay over at a friend's house. Just for a day or two."

    "Why would you need me to do that?" Karla asked, visibly confused.

    "You have to trust me on this one."

Karla shrugged, deciding not to bother herself with questions she might not want to know the answer to. "Okay. I'll pack up some stuff and leave in the morning."

    "No! Tonight!" Luke shrieked.

    "It's 1 in the morning. No one is gonna want somebody knocking at their door this early."

    "You gotta... "

Luke stopped talking mid-sentence,  when someone began pounding violently at the other side of the door.

    "Luke boy! I know you're in there!" A gruff voice yelled.

    "Dad? Who's that? What's happening?" Karla whispered nervously.

    "I'll explain everything later. But now, you've gotta hide."

    "I'm not leaving you. I don't want to leave you."

    "Just go." Luke whispered harshly, and it was enough to get Karla scurrying to the kitchen.

    "Knock it down."

The door came crashing down, to reveal three nasty looking men. The man in the middle was obviously the leader, with multiple gold chains on his neck, a DJ Khalid beard, and a lit marijuana between his lips. He stood at at least 2 feet taller than the other two men, who were already very tall.

    "Big Ben!" Luke gasped.

    "Luke boy!" Big Ben bubbled. "Funny you would run away from the casino once I came in. Do you mean you ain't got my money yet?"

    "I-I j-just need a l-little more time." Luke stammered a response.

    "Luke, Luke, Luke. That's the thing. I can't give you more time. The jig is up. You pay up, or I use you to pay up."

   "Please. Anything but that."

Big Ben ignored Luke pleas and turned to one of his men.

    "That's even collecting way lower than my price. I doubt this nigger is worth what he owes."

    "Not really boss. Livers and hearts are very well priced in the black market." The other goon replied.

    "Very well then. Tie him up! We'll be taking him to the doctor. Be careful not to damage anything valuable."

At her position behind the kitchen door, Karla listened in horror. These people were planning to sell her father's internal organs, and they were going to start on it right away. Karla couldn't allow that. Her father was the only family she had left in the world, and she couldn't loose him. Without thinking, Karla sprinted to the living room.

    "How much does he owe you?"

Everyone in the living room shifted their attention to Karla. Big Ben and his two men, who had already pinned Luke to the ground, were surprised at her presence. Luke, however, was just plain horrified.

    "$500,000." Big Ben told her.

Karla almost choked on nothing. $500,000? How could someone owe that much from gambling? Didn't her father know when to stop? Those were the questions that ran through her mind. There was no thinking it through. They didn't have that type of money. If they did, their house wouldn't be so rundown, or their store, almost bankrupt. Still, Karla couldn't let them kill her father.

    "Please." She begged. "I'll do anything. Just don't take my father away from me." Tears ran down her cheeks.

    "No!" Protested Luke. "Karla stay out of this."

Big Ben checked out the teenage girl in front of him, from her thick afro curls, tied in a messy bun, to her plump succulent lips. She was exactly what he needed — young, innocent looking, and very pretty.

    "Actually, there is something you can do for me."

TEASER: KARLA IS SWORN INTO THE C CARTEL