She knew they were loud when they were running, and she hoped the humming of the generator would cover her suppressed fire.
She eased the door open and peaked down the darkened hall. A dim battery-operated light showed a fuzzy, obscure glow in the hall. Two shadowy figures sat―probably sleeping—in chairs while one stood outside of Veloz’s door smoking.
She took out the one standing first and quickly dismissed the other two before a word or shot could be fired from any of them.
Sin made her way down the hall and stood, back against the wall next to Veloz’s apartment.
She heard nothing but the droning of a television and the humming of the generator.
Sweat poured down her face as her adrenaline reached a new high. She closed her eyes for a moment and thought, It’s now or never, Sin. This is what you came here for. She nodded as if to give herself permission, and tried the doorknob.
Locked.
A thought came to her as she was planning how to get into the room. She checked the guards’ pockets and found a key with a corresponding number to the condo.
She slid it into the keyhole, scrunched up her face, and gritted her teeth, hoping the tumblers would move silently. Her body relaxed as the key turned in an efficient, smooth manner.
Sin opened the door, staying behind the safety of the wall. Peering to the side, she was able to ascertain that the room was in the living area of a two-room suite. From the eerie glow of the television, she saw Veloz’s bodyguard asleep on the couch and a young girl tied up and sleeping on the only chair in the room. Easing herself into the room, she silently made her way toward the guard.
The couch was situated such that his head was closest to her. She reversed her sidearm and held it by the barrel like a hammer. With a powerful blow, she cracked the butt end of the grip against the guard’s temple. She checked his carotid artery for a pulse. He was alive, but he wasn’t going to wake up any time soon.
Sin made her way to the little girl and put her hand over the child’s mouth so she couldn’t scream. The girl woke up in a fright—eyes wide, body trembling. She tried to scream, but Sin covered her mouth with more force.
The girl didn’t appear to be more than twelve or thirteen years old.
Whispering in the child’s ear, Sin told her that she was there to help and that the girl needed to trust her.
The frightened child continued to shake in terror.
Sin brought her pistol in front of the girl’s eyes to let her see the grip and brought her lips to the girl’s ear. “YO soy la Perla Angel. He venido a llevarte a casa, pero tienes que estar muy tranquila para mí. ¿Puedes hacerlo?” I am the Pearl Angel. I have come to take you home, but you need to be very quiet for me. Can you do that?
Tears flowed down the girl’s cheeks as she nodded vigorously.
Sin knelt in front of her and smiled. “I need to keep you tied up for a little while longer in case anyone comes in,” she whispered. “No matter what you hear from the other room, I need you to stay quiet.”
The little girl again nodded.
Sin kissed her gently on her cheek—tasting the salt of her tears—and ran her fingers through her long black hair.
The door between the two rooms was ajar and light was coming from the adjacent bedroom. Sin could hear Veloz having his way with a woman.
Pig, she thought.
Sin took a deep breath and burst into the room, both hands on her weapon. Sin’s eyes darted around the room before locking on to Veloz. “Say one word, asshole,” she said through gritted teeth, “and I’ll blow your nuts off.”
Veloz tried to reach for his gun, but his girth and the weight of the naked woman sitting on top of him slowed his movements. Sin fired one bullet straight through his shoulder.
The woman was so drugged up, she just sat there and continued to try and ride Veloz. With his good hand, he backhanded the woman so hard, she practically took flight. She landed with a hard thud on the cement floor.
Sin reached down with one hand to help the woman up, while keeping her eyes and gun on Veloz.
For her trouble, the woman slapped her hand away and spit at Sin.
“Girlfriend?” Sin asked in Spanish.
Veloz’s eyes were dilated and a cold sweat poured off his corpulent flesh. He looked high as a kite. A laugh void of emotion emitted from his trout-like lips as he lay, naked to the world. His good hand covered his wound and blood oozed between his fingers. “Justo otra puta,” he groaned. Just another whore.
He nodded toward the nightstand and spoke in very heavy accented English. “I seems to be out of hands, you help me out?”
Sin decided to play his game and reached into her own pocket and fished two cigarettes out of a pack. Keeping her eyes on the prize, she lit them both and handed one to Veloz. With a trembling hand and bloody fingers, he put the cigarette to his mouth and inhaled.
“Your English has gotten better since the first time we met,” Sin said.
“It helps in my line of work,” Veloz moaned.
Sin looked at the woman on the ground who was now crawling toward the door. With the sole of her boot, she pushed the woman over and told her to lie still. “Stay on your back and don’t move. That’s one thing you should know how to do.”
Again, Veloz laughed.
The woman—eyes wild and red—spit again in Sin’s direction. Sin pushed her harder, rolling her further away from her and the door. “Bitch,” she said, “God knows what diseases she’s carrying.”
Veloz laughed a phlegm
