Vicious Minds (Children of Vice 4)

CALLIOPE - AGE 21

Bogotá, Colombia

Thursdays, June 28th

“Trágicas noticias esta mañana cuando las personas despiertan a la noticia de la muerte del presidente Rojas…” (Tragic news this morning as people wake up to the news of the death of President Rojas). Slamming my hand on the alarm, I tried to go back to sleep. My whole body ached, and I didn’t have the strength to lift myself out of bed. However, as soon as the words on the radio replayed in my mind, I snapped up, planting my feet on the floor. I already knew from the weight of the bed, but I glanced over my shoulder anyway at the rumpled sheets behind me…he was gone.

I rose from the bed, stretching, when the door opened and young maid stared at me wide-eyed, her eyes traveled down my naked body, her face turning red, but she snapped out of it quickly. saying, “Lo siento señorita…”

“It’s fine. You can clean while I take a shower,” I replied in Spanish. Grabbing my phone, I walked into the bathroom, mindlessly scrolling before looking at my refection. “Mary mother of… is he a fucking vampire?”

From my neck to my thighs I was covered in deep red love bites and marks. Turning around I did my best not to laugh at the one my ass…why did he mark me so much if he wasn’t going to stay? Then again, why would he stay?

I took a quick shower, rinsing my hair before stepping out wrapped in a fluffy towel. When I got back to the room the maid was gone, but my clothes made it from the living room to the bed. Lying next to my dress was a small card which read in Spanish: Women, if you need help, call and we will come…he does not own you.

I fought back a laugh as I dressed, hoping my coat would cover the marks on my chest. Before I stepped out of the room, I glanced back, grinning to myself. That was fun.

In the en suite, the maid looked up as I made my way out of the room. I lifted the card asking if she left it, knowing she could be the only one. She nodded frantically, waving her hands for me get out of the suite as fast as I could. Part of me wanted to tell her I wasn’t a victim. I was just fucked so good and so hard it felt like too much pleasure on just one person. But I didn’t want to stifle her mission so I just smiled and nodded to her before leaving.

Chapter 3

“Though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil, for I am the evilest motherfucker in the valley.”

* * *

~Alex Garland

ETHAN - AGE 23

Bogotá, Colombia

Friday, June 29th

I sat at the dining table, watching the screen as they grabbed her right off the corner in broad daylight. When she stepped out of her house, they grabbed her arms, lifted her legs, and threw her into the van. Switching to the feed inside the van, I glanced over my shoulder to see Tobias watching the feed with a frown on his lips before he shifted his gaze to me.

“Did she do something?” he asked me.

“She did.” I motioned for him to hand over the information he had for me.

“So you knew she was trying to play you from the beginning?” he went on, placing photos as well as bags of cocaine on the table in front of me. “But you slept with her anyway.”

I didn’t answer him, instead flipping through the pictures quickly and tossing them to the side. Taking my steak knife, I cut open each of the four bags in front me, pouring a bit from each one. Slowly I cut them into lines before lifting my lens, looking at each one carefully.

“Where did these two come from?” I questioned, tapping my fingers on the two whitest bags in front of me.

“It’s from the Rocha Cartel, their emblem is the open mouth gorilla, their current leader is Miguel Munha.” He handed me a photo of a short but muscular man, tan skin and with curly hair. “Is something wrong?”

“Don’t you even try it bitch!”

I glanced up at the tablet to see one of the men hit the side of her face with the butt of his rifle. Her head whipped to the side, and she stilled a moment before sitting up again, licking the blood from her lips.

“What happened?” the driver asked.

“She was trying to cut the hand ties,” the other replied, reaching behind her and pulling out a small razor blade. “Where fuck did she even pull this out from?”

“You try anything else and we’ll kill you here! Do you hear me?” the driver roared.

She didn’t reply.