Señora Ecsed stood under a single beam of light from a broken window in a warehouse. Her posture was regal and commanding, with her hands clasped behind her back. Her hood was down revealing her strikingly black hair. Her pale skin glowed in the dusty light and deep brown eyes had an intensity that could pierce the soul. The one called Hijo stood to her left. He didn't talk. Tall, tanned skinned, muscular, always wearing black gloves, he was La Muerte’s body guard and chief enforcer. Facing her was Ojo.
“So, my Ojo, what do you have for me today?” asked Señora Ecsed.
“My Lady, the abandoned truck was captured by los gringos. La pinche migra,” he replied.
“Captured? How? You sent men, right?” she asked.
This complication was not supposed to happen. Ojo felt shame and anger over the failure.
“Yes, my Lady. They got jumped. Someone tied them in the cab of the truck and ran it into a border crossing,” he said.
Señora Ecsed leaned forward, her anger becoming visible, but she still remained controlled. While her fury grew, she spoke calmly.
“Do we know who?” she asked.
Ojo certainly had fear for this woman that he loved and worshiped. But he would never disrespect her by showing it. If she needed his death, or to give him pain, he would take it with love and dignity.
“My source tells me the men were talking about a woman in black, with a painted face. They said they stabbed her but she wouldn't die,” said Ojo.
She glanced over at Hijo and then back to Ojo. Her anger turned into interest with a wicked smile.
“So she is on her way. That is very interesting news. Did they say anything else about this woman?” she asked.
“No, my Lady. That's all I could find out. For now. But we know that the gringos think the men were high,” he said.
She crossed her arms and contemplated the news, smiling at the implications.
“Not a surprise. Is there anything else?” she asked.
“Yes. Three of Lozano's men were found in our area,” he said.
She raised an eyebrow. The previous cartel had a strangle hold on this area but she turned many of its men to her side through her brutality and demonstrating her supernatural abilities. There were still holdouts however, trying to undermine her rule.
“The old man does not give up. What were they doing?” she asked.
“Collecting produce. Produce which we now own,” he said, now smiling himself.
Ojo had gifts for his goddess. Gifts he knew that she would appreciate greatly. She perked up and almost became giddy.
“Really? Show me,” she said with the smile of a child on Christmas morning.
“Of course, my Lady,” said Ojo, feeling proud of himself for bringing joy to his goddess.
“Bring them in!” he called out.
A door opened and armed men forcefully escorted five young women into the room and lined them up before their mistress. Each was gagged, with their hands tied behind their backs. They also dragged a chair into Señora Ecsed’s view. Tied to it was a man in his twenties. He was also gagged and looked badly beaten.
“College trip?” asked La Señora.
“Si, Señora,” said one of the gunmen.
“The boyfriend was sneaking around keeping tabs on his chick. He got a little aggressive protecting her so we needed to calm him down,” said Ojo.
She walked over to the women, and looked them up and down very carefully, taking in their forms. The witch stopped in front of the one the redhead in the group.
“Interesting. I have never tried on one like you before,” she said, stroking the woman’s hair. “Very pretty.”
The college student tried to back away but Ojo’s rough hand pushed her forward. Señora Ecsed looked into the scared woman’s eyes and smiled.
“Which is the girlfriend?” asked Señora Ecsed.
Ojo walked behind the only blond in the group and pushed her a step forward.
“Este blondie,” he said.
Señora Ecsed slowly approached the woman and looked at the boyfriend.
“I can see why you wanted to keep an eye on this one,” she told the boyfriend.
She brushed hair from the woman's face and looked into her blue eyes. The blonde looked away in terror.
“Take off her gag,” she commanded.
One of her men stepped forward and cut the gag with a knife.
“Please. Let us go. We won’t tell…” the woman didn’t get to finish.
Señora Ecsed waved her hand in front of the blonde's face. The college student stopped talking and her eyes glaze over.
“She talks too much. Boys, take her into the back room. It's been a long time since I've had a blonde. And put the boyfriend where he can watch,” she said with a wide grin.
It only took a gentle pull of her arm to get the blonde walking to a back room. The chair with her boyfriend was dragged along. The other women tried to call out to their friend but she did not respond.
“Silence!” commanded Señora Ecsed.
Her voice echoed throughout the warehouse and the college students felt her voice chill them like a cold, angry wind and fell silent.
“What about the others?” Ojo asked.
“Hmm. Very good question,” said Señora Ecsed.
She looked at them carefully again.
“They are all very pretty. They will do very well bringing in some extra income. Or I may keep them for myself. I don’t know yet,” she said.
Señora Ecsed leaned in to smell the hair the nearest college student making the woman cringe. Ojo laughed.
“They are all sweet, aren't they? Maybe I will save them for myself. Take them to the mission. If they make trouble, put them up for rent or give them to the boys as a reward. You may keep one if you like.” she told Ojo.
“Si, mi amor,” he replied.
“But don’t touch her.” she said pointing to the redhead. “I’ll be having her for dinner.”
Ojo snapped his fingers and the gunmen took the women away. The struggled and tried to scream, but no one was there to save them.
“Ojo, do you still have Lozano’s men?” she asked.
“Si, My Lady. Well… We have their bodies,” he responded.
“That is good enough. Send the old man their heads with my compliments,” she said.
“Yes, my Lady Ecsed,” he replied.
He turned to leave when his goddess got a better idea.
“Wait,” she called out.
“Yes, my Lady?” asked Ojo.
“Leave the heads on. Paint a bird on their chests with their blood and leave their bodies where Lozano's people can find them,”
“A bird?” he asked.
“Yes, a bird. With its wings outstretched. And wait till nightfall to transport the girls,” she told him.
As ordered, after dark a cargo van carrying the college students headed down an unlit road, away from the town. A jeep with more armed men followed. The van driver was silent, keeping his eyes on the road. The man in the passenger's seat was sleeping. The crying from the back of the van did not bother them in the least. The drive was uneventful until a crow began flying in front if the van, just outside the windshield. The driver reached over and hit the passenger.
“Mira, mira!” he told his friend.
“What? Estoy durmiendo, cabrón,” said the sleepy passenger.
“Mira. Un crow,” said the driver.
The passenger opened his eyed and noticed the bird flying in front of the van like a pilot fish.
“Que extraño,” he said.
Ximena stood in the road waiting. Both men in the front of the van had their attention fixed on the crow, not noticing the woman in black.
“Think I can hit it?” the driver asked.
The passenger looked at the driver.
“Don't be stupid,” he replied.
The passenger looked forward just in time to see the skull face in the headlights, shining out from the dark.
“Lookout!” he yelled.
Finally seeing Ximena, the driver swerved the van, managing to narrowly miss the black clad woman in the road. Following too close, the jeep ran Ximena down, and skid to a stop. The four men in the jeep jumped out to look for a body. The van had screeched to a halt as well. The driver and passenger ran back to the jeep crew to see what happened.
“Did you hit her?” the van driver asked.
“Yeah I hit her! Pendejo,” said the jeep driver.
“Hey, you follow to close,” said the van driver.
“Shut up!” was the reply.
One of the gunmen from the jeep walked back down the road to find the body but saw nothing.
“Nadie aquí!” he yelled out.
“Estas loco! Look harder!” yelled the jeep driver.
Ximena silently snuck up behind the gunman. She grabbed a rifle from one, and struck him in the back of his head before he could react. The unconscious man fell forward signaling the others that they were being attacked. By the time they were turning to face Ximena, she was already landing blows to knock them out too. The two drivers managed to run and get behind the van.
“Call Ojo!” yelled the van driver.
Ximena silently climbed on top of the van and jumped down in front of them. With perfect form, she punched the Jeep driver, making the target of her punch inches beyond his face. He was out instantly and fell to the ground. The van driver ran. She grabbed a pistol from the Jeep driver’s belt and threw it at the van driver. It missed his head by inches. Not seeing the gun in the darkness in front of him, he tripped on it, slamming his head into ground, knocking himself out.
“That works too,” said Ximena.
Ximena searched the Jeep driver, tossing a few hidden knives into the dark besides the road. She found another gun in an ankle holster and tucked it into the back of her pants.
“Just in case you wake up and get ideas,” she said.
She walked to the back of the van and opened the doors. The women inside recoiled at the site of the skull faced Ximena.
“Hello ladies,” said Ximena.
Then she removed the gag on the nearest one.
“Please, don't hurt us,” said the woman.
Ximena pointed to the men on the ground.
“But I just... Hurt you? Really?” she asked.
She took a breath.
“Forget it. Where were they taking you?” Ximena asked.
“I don't know. That woman just told them to take us to some mission,” said the frightened woman.
“What woman?” asked Ximena.
“Some scary looking woman in a black cloak,” she replied.
Ximena placed a hand on the woman's head, accessing the woman’s memory of Señora Ecsed ordering her men to move the women. Ximena pulled back her hand. The woman became further distressed and confused by this experience.
“What was that, what did you do?” she asked.
“Calm down, princess,” said Ximena.
The crow had landed on top of the van and was standing over the back of it. Through its eyes Ximena saw one of the jeep gunmen get up and raise a gun in Ximena’s direction. Without thinking, she grabbed the gun from her back, spun and fired, hitting the gunman in the head, but not before he fired once. His shot, hit Ximena’s shoulder and passed through her and into the van, missing everyone in the back. The women in the van screamed in fright. Two more of the gunmen started to get up. Ximena coldly took aim and killed both. For a few seconds she kept aim, making sure no one else got up. Then she snapped out of it. Her head jerked back and she dropped the gun.
“No! Dammit! What the hell!” Ximena yelled.
Ximena ripped the slide off the top of the pistol and tossed the parts. When she turned around the women in the van stared at her silently.
“Are you okay?” the un-gagged woman asked.
“Yeah. I, uh... heal fast,” said Ximena, opening the hole in the shoulder of her shirt, displaying the last bit of the wound healing.
“What are you?” the woman asked.
“I’m Bat-Man,” said Ximena in a gravelly voice.
The woman looked confused. Ximena looked disappointed with herself.
“Sorry. That was stupid. Act like that never happened,” she said.
Ximena began untying the woman.
“Untie the rest of your menagerie, take the van, and don't stop till you’re across border,” said Ximena.
“But. But. But…” from the woman.
“But nothing. Get moving,” Ximena commanded.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdK2GAKWlO
