Chapter 18: City

Lola closed the door to her small apartment and walked wearily down the unkempt hallway of the old building. Another night, another endless shift at that run-down police station. She wondered why she had abandoned the tranquility of her village to join the police force of this filthy city.

She shook her head tiredly as she descended the rickety stairs. Her mind still echoed with the jeers and lewd looks her superiors gave her whenever she tried to raise cases related to the growing drug cartel activity in the suburbs.

"Better stick to the petty stuff, babe. Let the boys handle the important cases," Lieutenant Ortega had sneered at her.

Lola pressed her lips into a thin line as she recalled his words and the way some of her colleagues snickered under their breath. Disgust and revulsion filled her at the memory. How could they be so blind and insensitive to the corruption rotting them from within?

She stepped out into the warm city night with a heart weighed down by impotence. Once again, her attempts to have the advance of the criminal gangs taken seriously had been dismissed. Reports of extortion, kidnappings, and disappearances piled up with no further investigation. Didn't anyone realize the purpose of the police?

She could almost picture the compassionate gaze and worried frown her old friend Juana would give her if she knew what was happening. Or the grave, silent expression of her ex-partner Miguel, the veteran officer from her village who had so often advised her with wise calm. Lola wondered what had become of that good man these days, facing the same scourges that now had her so overwhelmed.

A chill ran through her at the thought that perhaps that praiseworthy rural officer was in danger, trying to combat alone the criminal network that was spreading ever wider through these streets. She shook her head, pushing those grim thoughts aside. Miguel was no fool, surely he would be alright.

The young woman shook her head with a wistful smile as she remembered the first days. How her life had changed in such a short time! After her parents' death, she had decided to accept the move to the city in search of new challenges, naively believing it would be for the best.

During those first days, she had brimmed with enthusiasm for her new job alongside the elite metropolitan security force. But over time, her spirits darkened as she discovered corrupt colleagues, covert operations, and veiled threats.

Lost in her musings, Lola barely noticed the decrepit pickup truck parked in front of the building. It was not until she spotted the old woman standing by the vehicle, with a small bundle clinging to her skirt, that she finally reacted.

"Mrs. Juana?" she exclaimed, stopping short with eyes wide in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The woman saw her and gave a sad little smile as she approached, leading Arturo by the hand. The little boy watched her with huge eyes but said nothing.

"Lolita, dear... I need your help," Juana responded in a trembling voice.

Lola frowned, seeing her haggard expression and the protective way she hugged the boy to her side.

"What happened? Why did you come all the way here?" she asked with growing concern. Something about her old friend's demeanor told her things were not at all well back home.

Juana swallowed hard before answering, her eyes brimming with tears.

"We had to flee the village, Lolita... Those wretches from the cartel threatened us, I..." She paused and looked down, stroking Arturo's head. "I need to find a safe place to stay with the boy. And also... I have to tell you something more. Something horrible."

Lola fell silent, finally understanding the full gravity of the situation. She nodded slowly and stepped closer to embrace her friend in a warm hug, motioning for them to go up to the apartment.

"It's okay, it's okay... You're safe here. Tell me everything."

She guided them up the narrow stairs with a protective arm around Juana's shoulders. Arturo followed silently, clinging to the woman's hand like a little castaway seeking safe harbor.

That night, while the streets bustled with criminal activity, Lola would hear a disturbing tale about a human with supernatural strength that would mark a turning point in her life forever.

♢♢♢♢

Miguel drummed his fingers on his old desk, his brow furrowed in an angry expression as he watched the man seated across from him. The man avoided his gaze, shifting uncomfortably in the chair.

"So you're going to explain to me what the hell is going on, Lupe," the veteran officer stated gruffly. "I've been getting call after call about the things your bosses have been doing lately."

Lupe shrugged, feigning indifference, but a bead of sweat trickled down his temple.

"I just follow orders, Miguel. The boss Riquelme wants to expand the business and that means moving around more..."

"Expand the business?" Miguel interrupted with an incredulous snort. "What you're doing is causing complete chaos! Disappearances, shootouts, extortion... You even seriously injured your own collection crew!"

He slammed his fist on the table, making some papers jump. His face took on a purplish hue from restrained anger.

"You were supposed to keep a low profile, damn it! That was the deal for me to protect you from investigations!"

Lupe swallowed hard, averting his gaze with a mixture of fear and resentment. Finally, he shook his head and fixed his cold eyes on the policeman.

"You're not in a position to question the boss, Miguel. Riquelme does whatever he wants and you're just another pawn in his service."

A tense silence followed his words. Miguel clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, barely containing the urge to slam his fist into that insolent face.

"We'll see about that, scum," he hissed in an icy voice. "If you don't lower your damn profile immediately, you can start looking for someone else to cover for you with the authorities."

Lupe paled at that threat, realizing he had gone too far. He nodded hurriedly and stood up with trembling hands.

"I-I'll tell the boss what you think... Anyway, everything's going to get worse after what they do tonight. For now I'm leaving before you decide to forget our arrangement."

Miguel frowned deeper at Lupe's words. "What do you mean 'after what they do tonight'?" he asked in a menacing tone.

Lupe swallowed nervously. "Well, you see...the boss has ordered to go collect from that old lady Juana who had a store in the village. Apparently her new employee is some really weird and strong guy who caused problems for some of our men."

Miguel's eyes widened with concern at the mention of Juana's name. He knew her well, she was a good friend of Lola's. "You're going after her? You can't harm that poor woman!" he exclaimed, striking the table with his fist.

Lupe raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Calm down boss, they're just going to collect what she owes them. Though this employee of hers..."

Miguel clenched his jaw, debating inwardly. He knew he could not openly stop them without risking exposing his own deal with the cartel. Finally, he let out a sigh and shook his head.

"You'd better not harm that defenseless woman. And I hope after this you return to keeping a low profile as promised. I don't want to have to intervene because of you."

Lupe nodded quickly. "Don't worry boss, it'll just be a routine procedure." He headed for the door. "Thanks for understanding."

Miguel watched him leave with a mixture of powerlessness and worry. Knowing Juana, she had probably already fled at the first sign of trouble. He hoped that was the case, and that this "strange employee" had not gotten too involved. He could do nothing more than trust that the cartel's thugs would restrain themselves this time.