Chapter 3

We found ourselves in a modern apartment complex on the eastside of El Paso, Texas. Inside Sarai Jimenez's unit, the decor was sleek and pristine, with photos of the young woman adorning the walls - pageant shots displaying her distinct brunette hair and light brown skin. In the family room, the TV played an episode of SpongeBob amid an unusual scene.

On the couch lay two duct-taped men - one awake, one unconscious - cocooned in silver wrapping from head to toe. The conscious one was Scott Plumlee, the security guard from the coffee shop. Next to him was Jose Carlos Chavez, a cartel member, looking beaten with a black eye and messy hair peeking out from the tape.

Sarai emerged from her bedroom, clad in pink pajamas with smiley faces, letting out a tired yawn. "You guys sleep okay?" she asked groggily.

Scott turned to the passed out Jose, then back to Sarai in disbelief. "I'm sorry?"

"Um, did y'all sleep alright?" Sarai repeated, seeming confused.

Scott's tone shifted to anger. "Did we sleep alright? Are you out of your fucking mind? How long have I been here? Who is that man? And what was that tunnel you put in the coffee shop? I want answers, young lady!"

Sarai stared at him for a moment before bursting into hysterical laughter. "Wha-what the fuck is funny?" Scott demanded.

"I'm sorry," Sarai gasped between laughs. "You should just see how you look right now...wrapped up like you're in a cocoon, your face completely pink, and you're yelling at me while SpongeBob is playing in the background. Man, I am just so unprofessional at this. You'd think after one kidnapping I'd get the giggles out!"

Scott's face grew redder as he squirmed angrily on the couch, the tape restraining him. "Is this some kind of game to you? Let us out of here now!" He thrashed so violently that he tumbled off the couch, still wrapped in foil.

Sarai laughed again. "It's not funny!" Scott yelled from the floor.

"No, no it's not," Sarai said, struggling to lift him back onto the couch with grunts of effort. She plopped down in front of him, and Scott began pleading.

"Look, I got a family, I have a life! I just wanna go home. I won't tell anyone what I saw or who you are, nothing! I swear to God."

Sarai looked at him with disappointment. "You seen the news lately? $500,000 to the lucky bastard who can catch me slipping and give my information to the police. Now you've seen my tunnels, my home, my face. Hell, I've even got you watching cartoons on my couch. That's a lot of information right there."

"I'll forget it, I swear to God! Just please let me go!" Scott begged.

Sarai interrupted him. "See, that's the thing. You won't. Information like this could change your whole life, definitely get you off those streets playing rent-a-cop. And why would you want to help me? I mean, I hit you, I kidnapped you - as far as you're concerned, I'm your worst enemy. I can't let you walk, not yet. But when my plan is complete, I'll let you go scot-free. I could give a shit what happens to me after that."

Scott fell silent, his face dejected. Sarai continued, "On the bright side, your situation is much better than your friend's next to you. This man, unlike you, is utterly and entirely fucked. His days go like this: he wakes up, I ask for information, he doesn't give it, I torture him until he does, then I torture him again for fun before he sleeps."

Scott turned to the unconscious Jose, then back at Sarai with terror and disgust. Sarai laughed, "Aw c'mon, don't look at me like that! This asshole deserves it and more. But you're just an innocent security guard in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'll feed you, answer your questions, even get you in contact with your family as long as you cooperate until my plan is over. Then you'll be free to walk home and hopefully have one big chuckle about all this, okay?"

Scott reluctantly nodded agreement. Sarai continued, "Okay, you had questions? Shoot."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'd just like to know who this guy next to me is and what he could've possibly done to deserve all of this," Scott replied.

Sarai shook her head and stood up. "Well, let's have him tell you himself." She walked over and punched the sleeping Jose hard in the face. "Wakey wakey!"

As Jose slowly roused, Sarai said, "We got you a new friend. He's curious what you did to deserve being treated this way. Care to share?"

She waited as Jose's mouth remained duct-taped shut. "C'mon, don't be shy," Sarai mocked, the room awkwardly silent until she laughed again. "I'm sorry, that just never gets old! It's funny because he literally can't tell you even if he wanted to."

The room fell quiet again before Sarai broke the silence. "No, he's here because his boss thought it'd be smart to have him as security at one of my hits. He tried to mess with my plans, so I knocked him out, brought him back here, and used what his boss tried against me. Now, his boss is no ordinary guy - he's one of the most powerful drug lords in America, the leader of the CJNG cartel. Your friend here is a member. I have one golden rule with the cartel: any member is my enemy."

Another pause, then Sarai spoke again. "Now, if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer over breakfast. Of course, I'd have to keep the rest of you tied up except your arms."

Scott nodded yes. The scene cut to the two of them eating bacon and eggs, Scott's arms free while the rest of his body remained bound.

"So the cartel, right?" Scott asked between bites.

"Yeah," Sarai replied. "Why are they your enemy?"

Sarais expression grew somber. "One day on a trip to Mexico, they stopped us on the road and wanted a fee to pass through. We didn't have it. My dad promised them money, even though he knew we couldn't afford it. Told them he'd give it to them later. Long story short, later came my dad didn't have the money, and...they murdered him."

"Man, I'm really sorry," Scott said softly. A heavy silence lingered between chews until Scott asked another question.

"So is that why you're robbing all these places? Like your payback against the world, way to blow off steam?"

"In a way, definitely helps," Sarai replied. "Really, it all ties into my main plan."

"Which is?"

Sarai's eyes hardened. "Target businesses run through the cartel. At some point, it'll get their attention. Then it will get a certain someone's attention - that certain someone is who I've been training to kill for the last four years. That certain someone is the man who killed my father."

To be continued…