ULTIMATUM: Destiny's Doom

Chapter 2 - El Mano

'Leiland Star. The brain behind the apprehension of 30℅ of the US drug industry is more than a threat to our operations in New York, sir', Obi reported.

'What do we have on her background?'

'She's a soldier. After her service in the 90s, she was recruited into the FBI as a sleeper and has successfully pissed off most of Mexico, particularly, El Durango'.

'She pissed off Eddie? That's something.... Eddie should know that we have his goose on our turf... Is her contract permanent?' Peter queried.

'No, she has two months left on the Rico case against us and that should be all'

'I'll contact Eddie today.... It's a good day!', Peter says as he reaches for his phone.

Almost Immediately,

'Hey beautiful, wanna do dinner? - Yes'.

Obi, you'll be going home without me tonight, I've got a date with Mary. Tell Grace not to wait up.'

'Peter, what's the play with this spy? I reckon you have some plan to handle her permanently?'

'Yes Obi, we're just getting to the fun part'. Peter chuckled, feeling mischievous and somewhat happy.'

This was June 26, 2021. Three months before the raid.

'Yes Obi, have the Russians send it a day after our ruse.... That should do it.' Peter had instructed Obi concerning the shipment of their new supplies from the Russian mafia - Their supplier.

What did happen on Monday, August 1st?

Peter, knowing that Mary's on his tail, had set her up to lose credibility with her superiors, so as to single her out and win her over.... Or so he thought.

He knew everything about her.... knows she paints too, after finding her drafts from high school when he'd dug into her past, makes arrangements to have her enjoy free audit at an exhibition - His exhibition. His goal is to feel her. Peter hasn't felt this invested in anyone since the first time he met Grace and it's been 18 years of life together, now. His intentions and his actions however, play out differently. Mary feels dominated and lost in love.... Or lust. Grace just might take out her husband before he sends her out. Peter's in love.

Today, Tuesday, August 3rd, 2021.

'Eddie!'

'Peter'

'How's the roulettes and barrels business going?'

'You tell me, I hear you've expanded your reach to cover all of new York'.

'Well, it's only 70% but we'll get there.... I just sent you info on a certain someone, consider it a gift for the good old times we spent hustling these streets'.

'Okay'.

He hangs up.

'What? The traitor that killed my brother, El Mano still lives?' Eddie shouted out.

It was four years ago and Eddie was beginning to make waves at Mexico. He was as it were, The Matador of Mafia. He'd just ran away from New York city about 8 months ago for fear of his life, after helping Peter in an assassination attempt on Baron, their boss to usurp his turf (which was half of New York) ... They'd failed and Baron was out for blood. Eddie ran to his little brother, Mano who had settled down in Mexico with a family of two kids, a faithful wife and a job at the liquor bar he ran.

After 2 weeks in this 'peaceful' part of mexico, with a lot of parties and good business opportunity, Eddie started pillaging drugs around parties. He did this for a month and got young boys to work for him. Boys that looked up to his brother, Mano. His expansion was imminent, fast and attracted the major Cartels in the city and the Law. Soon, Eddie got himself new enemies. Baron was dead though. Peter killed him on a one on one duel for turf.

Mano noticed his elder brother's threat to his new life and resolved to send him away, to protect it. True, they'd all grown up in Detroit, selling weed on the streets, but that was a life they we're both lucky enough to survive. He wasn't going to relive those days, not even for Eddie.

They had an argument, Eddie got angry and left for sometime. However, the Cartel had noted Mano's house as Eddie's and sent a new recruit to wipe Eddie out. It was a 'She' and her name was Leiland Star.

At the time, Leiland was trying to gain the highest ranking a US citizen could amass in the Mexican cartel and ultimately end it. But she had to win their trust, completely. So, she went to Eddie's town, eventually hooked up with him and almost killed him in a Cartel set up to wipe out both Eddie and her boss at the Cartel in one fell swoop, but his brother who had gone to confront Eddie about his lifestyle, was there and wound up taking the bullet for Eddie in the back.

Mano died there, bleeding away from his back as Eddie tried to shoot Leiland and pave a way out of the building to get Mano treatment.

Eddie killed the head of the Cartel behind the plot and subsequently killed the other Cartel heads that we're against him, however he never saw Leiland again.

He stares at his brother's photo on a frame in his room and remembers how he had to explain his brother's permanent absence to his family and stepped up, as the man of the house. He did however, keep the family away from his line of business. It was his only way to honor his brother, aside Leiland's head.

'You won't escape this time, i'll kill you Leiland Star'.

'How do you even get your info? What the heck is wrong with you sleepers? Maybe you're taking this job like some Disneyland fairy tale excuse to f**k the law', John kept cussing.

'He knows, he's always known, he played me... I thought for sure I'd grown a connection with him.... he was always around', Mary confessed.

'Both of you shut up... Mary, you're off the case. You'll be reporting back to base first thing in the morning from next week. You can go', Leiland attempts to calm the qualms.

'Back to base? You're going to Nairobi or f*****g Afghanistan, you damn slut! Can't believe you sold us out', John kept cussing tiill she left with no further replies.

What do we do now?'

'We rest easy.... I hear a ferry from the Russians arrived ashore last night. I'm not sure it's valid, but it tracks to Peter playing us against the wall... And we probably don't know as much about him, but we can find out.... John, find me an angle and keep Mary around. Those dates might have not been for nothing.' Leiland suggests.

It's August 4th and Peter's just outside Mary's house, contemplating why he's there. It's been three days without any good conversation between them, three days of serious alone time and meditation to think about 'the very end of it all.... How did I get here? I won, but why am I not happy? Standing here at the entrance of someone who'd seize every opportunity to gun me down. Why do I feel so.... empty, Feeling like a hormonal teenager, only that he'd never use hands. He's sunken, thinking of a life with Mary alone, without the drama, without the drugs and law enforcement, even without family. True, if he'd met her first... Maybe he'd be happy - 'But wasn't i happy? This lady, vulnerable as she is, tried to cut me off my freedom. But then I did always feel free with her'.

That's the thing about Love. Some people say, it's blind, others say it's free, but what happens to the chaos that freedom brings? If it is truly blind, how can you possibly find it?

You know, Peter wasn't the only one looking out for Mary. Grace had a tracker on him and she had a loaded gun and a temper. Obi was one valid reason, she hadn't made a move on Mary since she discovered her apartment.... and she doesn't want to lose Peter. However, knowing he was inside the building, she couldn't help but get creative with how her husband must be smashing his mistress at the moment and how much energy he was giving Mary, at the expense of his life and relationship to their kids- 'Won't be long now'.

Grace doesn't know Mary's a spy.

He finally knocks. After taking two minutes to pick her sturdy self up and open a single room self-con apartment, she opens the door with a pistol on one hand and a look to kill. She was wasted and depressed.

'May I come in?'

'When did you start asking? You sure you don't own this house too?', she asked fanatically and leaves to get a seat.

'We need to talk'- he says as he enters the room and takes a seat opposite her.

'Moment of truth?' He continues.

'Please... Indulge me', she listens.

'Mary, yes I've known you're a spy, I know you grew up as an orphan in foster care at Los Angeles. I know you painted as a young teenager.... Not that you're not young still, I mean i'm only 18 years older than you. I know about the tracker you set up on my phone, I know the burner phone you use with Leiland, in fact.... You name it, I know it.... However, riddle me this, you've had dozens of opportunity to frame me for the accusations you're investigating.... or kill me, but yet you chose to be with me, why?' He stopped, looking desperate for intimacy.

'You mean, choosing to f**k you? Well... f**k you? What do you want Peter?'

'I want you.... I want a life with you. Just the two of us forever, I want to wake up to you every morning. I want to live this life with you, Walk the earth with you.... I want us... No more games'

Mary was stunned.

'Have you considered the family you have already and the fact that your wife could very well run the drug business without you?' She says intent on planting fear in Peter.... 'You're not the man I fell for, not the one that loved arts and showed me pure art in it's infancy, you've ruined my life.... Are any of your confessions even true?' She sat tearful and pointed the gun at him- Get out. Get out now.

Peter leaves.

'That was quite the show!', John says after listening to Peter's conversation with Mary at her home.

'Yes John, I trust you know what to do', Leiland responds.

'I'll have her ready', John replies with pride.

'Good... While you're at it, watch Grace carefully, I doubt she'll stay quiet about all this, I want you to personally tail Grace's every move... She's hopefully the time bomb we need to nail Peter. That will be all' - Leiland gestures John to leave.