Letty had had enough of the night's call, not with the noisy chatters on the street, not with the hit-and-run that seems to be going on every minuscule of an hour. Not with the cop's sirens, gunshots, but little to no less it was more of a concern that she was pissed at a bartender. The most favourite of everyone. Miguel Cabrera was his name.
Letty had arrived in Cuba, a month prior on a notion of spending a vacation but it had turned out bad when The Blacklists started showing up. No one knows why, but what she had heard was that their crime boss had been let loose through a snatch-and-grab done by Carlo and his crewmen. To her, Carlo was a brother and a friend at the same time. Years back before she met the Torettos, Letty and Carlo had worked for a cartel known as the 'Cilghal', the one now known as The Blacklist. Then, Letty and Carlo were the cartel lord best shot.
No
missions were done without them, robbery, cokes, gunfights, exterminations; name it.
But like almost every job, Letty got tired of it. Though, it was thought she never quit but instead, she had been among the black legs of the organization. One of the confessions which were hers had singled them out, devastating the group.
When Carlo found out, he had vowed to end her on sight. Now, she keeps running wondering when Carlo would even ever find her. He could have found her with the Torettos; they were popular, or some other way. But it seemed Carlo laid off on her.
But with the crime boss back after some years? Something was definitely cooking.
Miguel Cabrera on the other hand was an informant, a years-long informant of the cartel. But he was a bartender. A fucking rich bartender, who's committed more crime than anyone could. At first sight, he might seem innocent, but on the safer side, the best bet is to stay clear of him.
Right now, he was up for the beating.
"What do you think unh, Letty? It's Cilghal himself, ain't getting myself in no trouble this time. Uhn Uhn!" Miguel shouted as he continued mixing vodka. The loud blast of the music drowned their voices.
Letty raised her shots, downing it in a go. She was in a casual dress of a shirt and pants, her denim jacket buttoned all the way. She had a Glock tucked in a belt, with biker boots gleaming black in the purple light of the bar. It had been fifteen shots in of the Vodka she had taken in counting. "You tell me the reason for the rescue, and I leave you be, or we take this elsewhere."
"How am I supposed to know that, donzela? Fuck, I would be the first to know even if." He slammed a palm. But a scornful look from Letty told him differently. "Alright, this is a one-time thing and nothing more after this, you threaten me again and I call the shots on you okay?"
Miguel got no response. He sighed. "With what I heard, Cilghal is back for one thing...you guess what that could be for yourself."
"I asked you a damn question, not for you to reciprocate, Miguel."
"O-Ok...I heard he is back for a treasure." Miguel edged his head closer.
"Come clean like I said, holy boy."
"...a business mogul by the name, Harlow Robert is auctioning for an asset, one of the most treasured pieces in the universe. Exaggerated, you might say but it is true. Well, like I was informed."
"Informed?" Letty asked.
"I mean...yeah, I was present. Fuck!"
"This piece is worth half a billion dollars or closer, in counting. I or we, we are not informed of what the piece was or where it came from, but the main point of this whole rescue project is to steal it before Harlow gets his hands on it."
"What are the coordinates?" Letty looked around. Miguel on the part was dumbfounded.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, were you told of the location, dammit!"
"Location? Not my priority to know, damsel."
"Alright Miguel, you have been a good lad all along." Letty stood from her stool, palms on the bar. "Have you ever gotten hit before?"
"What?" Miguel stressed.
"I mean, like this…" Letty collided a fist to his nose, dragging his shirt closer. "Let's take this outside."
But before Letty and Miguel could get outside, a commotion had busted out. After some throwing of punches and shouts, a gun rang through., followed by screams.
"Expected. Dammit, let's get out!"
"Where? It's your business. Cilghal men would be looking for you now." Miguel snickered, as he faced the exit.
"What do you say?"
"Oh, I think they are." Miguel dashed towards the exit.
"Hey…" and Letty followed suit.
They met Cilghal' crew at the exit. Guns blazing, Letty dipped for cover behind a Corvette, guiding Miguel away from the line of fire.
"You follow my lead, Miguel," Letty whispered through gritted teeth.
"I don't take orders from you now. I am in deep shit, you are in deep shit!" Miguel ran out of cover, as he darted through an alley. It was nighttime so he hid in the shadows hoping they hadn't followed him yet.
"Shit, Miguel?" Letty shouted as a shot bounced at the rear of the Corvette, rightly close to her face. "Dammit, I would be back for you asshole."
Letty undid her denim jacket, tying up her loose hair in a raised ponytail. She untucked her Glock, her western belt in place, kicking her biker boots down a hill. She fired one of Cilghal's men; headshot. He fell back like a log.
One of the gang shouted something in Spanish, he seemed to be their leader, and at his command, the gang fanned out in droves, chasing after Letty.
"Why now, dammit!" Letty cornered a right to a narrow street. She had expected it to be quiet but she was wrong. As narrow as it was, passersby kept moving, some traders were even trading.
Cuba. She mused.
The aroma of grilled meat wafted into her nose but that was the least of her worries now as she moved into a duplex. She unknowingly hit a woman who retaliated with a curse in Portuguese. But Letty pleaded, clambering her way up a stair.
She could hear the noise of Cilghal's gang nearby as she continually moved up. She ducked as a shot pierced a wall beside her. She needed to escape fast, or else she was dead meat.
The storied duplex was built upon compartments, so there were different intersections to each floor and every room. What Letty never knew was that there were other passages up the duplex. She was immediately caught by surprise as a stout man rushed her to the floor. It was one of Cilghal's men.
He had bared a machete on her. But she was quick to move away before it connected to her skull.
Letty hurriedly stood up as she ducked another, a short man this time. She lifted him from his midriff, smashing him to the wall. But the man never let go as he continually jabbed an elbow through her spine. Letty recoiled after some time, she took another first to the face. Another one, pressing her to the stairs.
Her head rang through, as her knees faltered. Her vision blurs in and out. What made her regain her consciousness was her Glock, she found— one she had lost during the collision. Letty twisted her way around the other stout guy, who was holding a machete straight for the neck. She poked a flat palm to his neck, the man choked, gasping as he dropped his weapon.
Letty found a space now to pick her weapon. With her Glock now in hand, she gave a double headshot to both men, making her way to the roof.
They were getting many although she could still hear their shouts. She groaned in pain as she leapt up a roof to another.
"Hey, she is getting away!" She could hear one say, as he jumped after her.
Another shouted in Spanish; still the leader it might be. Letty could understand Spanish so she knew what he said. Something of the sort, 'We corner her at the front. You. You, you, follow her!'
There were three chasing after her now, but she hadn't given up hope just yet. She rolled down another roof, crashing headlong into a fabric store. She apologized as she hastily stood up again. Letty was in the market square now.
Safe for some evasion, at least. Letty thought to herself. She wondered how the market could still be so crowded at this time of the night. It was Cuba, after all.
Letty wriggled her way in and around the crowds, but everywhere she seemed to turn, Cilghal's men waited at every corner. "Shit, I'm in for it. Gonna skin you later, Miguel. You better keep running."
Letty grimaced as she thought she found a haven. She headed straight for a bend, leading out of the market, back into the districts. She came to a halt, as there was nowhere left to run. Letty was cornered on all sides.
"Hey Amigos, could we settle this?" Letty snickered a laugh as she raised both hands in surrender. "Who is the boss?"
"Estúpida, we've got business shit to settle, unh?" One of the men throated, moving close to her. From the looks of him, Letty recognized him as the leader of the crew. Tall, bearded and arrogant. He lit a cigar, puffing the fumes on her face.
"Hold her still, camaradas" He said as he cracked his fist. Letty flinched as she took a punch to the gut. " That is for the weakest member of the group."
The crew laughed, as their boss grinned, puffing another smoke. Letty's knee buckled as she took in another blow. But this time, to the rib— six in succession.
"That one there, for camaradas." The crew's boss spat on her face, with fingers pointed to his crew. "What do the Americans call it? Yeah, we are still testing the waters. The main deal is with the Boss."
"Are you having fun?" Letty said through shaky breaths. She tried to swivel free but she was met with a slap to the face.
"Oi, you don't ask questions. You say any more words, you will be met with more pain." Their leader scorned, smashing his last bit of cigarette on his feet. "You all know what to do, ei? Beat her up, tie her and bring her along. She has more important issues with the boss."
Letty visions fogged, and she couldn't see much about what went down. But she knew she was continually punched and kicked.
After what seemed like an hour in hell, she heard a series of gunshots, groans and screams. What she could understand was that she was rescued and through a slit, before her eyes closed, she saw Giselle and Mia.
"It's time to come home, Letty." She heard a drowning voice say. It could have been Mia's or another; she couldn't discern before she gave into darkness.