latino_menace | (no subject)

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It's been a miserable few days and that's an understatement. Worse than that, it's been boring. He doesn't know whether they've lost the Americans or if they've just missed them by chance but there hasn't been a single attack since that first night. The jungle is disgustingly hot and just when it almost becomes unbearable, it starts to rain and keeps going for hours - which makes the place hot and wet. The heat never eases; it's exactly like walking through a sauna set to maximum heat. And the terrain makes things worse, if that's possible. It's slow going while half of them hack the foliage away and the rest of them struggle over rocks and crevices and through mud and scrub and tree stumps. The insects are constantly attacking them and there are any number of deadly species around here - he's also noticed jaguar tracks in places (the only tracks he can identify, for obvious reasons) and the mosquitos are starting to drive him insane.

Ramon is sick to fucking death of military rations, being sticky and filthy and bored. But these aren't the only problems he's noticing. Every night when they make camp, the men in his crew are quite obviously becoming more relaxed with the situation - the less danger the Americans seem to pose, the more they start not being afraid and their thoughts are turning to matters closer to home. Namely, the foreigners in their midst.

He's caught all of them, save Esteban, staring at Mary Anne in ways he imagines she probably doesn't like - the expressions range from lustful to mutinous depending on whether she's telling them what to do or doing something less intrusive, like coming back from changing clothes or cleaning up or anything similar. He's sure she's noticed herself so hasn't said anything since his original warning but it seems clear that things are going to come to a head at some point.

With Roxas, it's more like hate. He's not around so often and they don't know where he goes or what he's doing there. The kid is so impervious to anything around him and can't really be passed off as human by any stretch of anyone's imagination. The heat doesn't affect him, he doesn't sleep or eat or get uncomfortable in the conditions. He's also dressed differently and is impossible to insult. Ramon can virtually see their fists itching whenever the guy comes into camp but he doesn't know if it's registered with Roxas at all.

He doesn't do anything. He brought those two because they know how to handle themselves, not because he wanted to babysit. And because he's tired and in a bad mood, he doesn't think anything of leaving camp at night when he wants to think things over without being surrounded by people. Tonight, he takes Esteban with him because they have things to talk about.

Perhaps, in hindsight, this isn't a good idea. After all, they need some people left to carry the stuff.

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Maybe, but they can't have planned for everything.

"So what's the story going to be? I tripped and fell on somebody's knife?"

It's more than likely they haven't prepared anything like as well as they think they have.

'Nah,' drawls Luiz, winking at Juan. 'I think we can do better than that.'

The knife tightens on her throat as they join Rico. He has a rope and one end is already secured around a stout tree, similar to the way owners allow their dogs a long chain to have some freedom.

Given that there's three of them, the chances of much freedom are low.

'Maybe you just disappeared. Got bored and left - maybe you work for the Americanos. Fuck, you are American. The boss has been betrayed before, you know?'

She almost says 'not by me,' but that would be a lie.

(Betrayal is an important part of their relationship, after all.)

What she does say is this:

"You think he's dumb enough to believe any of that?"

Rico speaks for the first time. He's worked for Ramon for years and has seen him do many terrible things. He was there when he murdered his brother in cold blood and is sure of one thing;

'Are you dumb enough to think he cares?'

He walks towards her with the end of the rope in his hands.

'He'll find his way out without you.'

She can't let them bind her.

Which means she's pretty sure she can't get out of this without killing all of them.

She'll apologize to Ramon later.

She snaps her head back hard, aiming for Juan's face, and hopes for the best.

She connects but probably not as well as she'd like to. Still, it's enough to dislodge the knife at her throat; it's still close but it's off her jugular.

Rico and Luiz look surprised but it's only a heartbeat or two before they're moving in to grab her. Rico has to drop the rope as he comes forward, his hands reaching to take her shoulders.

'Bitch!'

That's from Juan who, perhaps unsurprisingly, looks furious.

It's more than she'd hoped for; she drops into a crouch, the knife skimming along her jaw and drives her elbow back between Juan's legs.

That connects too, with natural results. Juan hits the deck making a choked, winded pained sound as he goes.

The other two don't even think, they just jump on her. If she escapes and tells Ramon what they planned, they're probably dead anyway. They can't let her escape.

She grabs for for Juan's knife, kicking out at the other two.

Someone grabs her by the ankle and tugs her back, but not before her fingers close on the hilt and she twists to face them, knife slashing.

Luiz lets go of er leg and jumps back, arms up as if in surrender. The speed at which the tables have turned is alarming; as is the speed of that knife in her hands.

'Whoa, whoa! Calm down, lady. We're not going to hurt you.'

This lie is so blatant as to be ridiculous and he hopes Rico had the preence of mind to bring his gun with him.

She bares her teeth in a silent snarl as she stands up straight, the knife held flat along her forearm.

Her eyes dart between Luiz and Rico, but she's still listening for for any potential trouble from Juan.

Juan's struggling to get up but he's quite happy to let the others take her down at the moment. Two against one - even if she does have a knife - should be enough, right?

...Rico isn't sure, not with that look on her face. He turns around to where he left his gun on a fallen tree, leaving his back to her and Luiz try some negotiation.

Big mistake, Rico.

She lunges through the distance between them, knife driving for his shoulder.

And no none tries to get in her way to help their friend. Luiz does try to call a warning but it happens so fast, the words get stuck in his throat.

If anyone's back in camp now, they'll have an idea of where everyone's gone...all they have to do is follow the sound of Rico's scream as the knife sinks into his shoulder.

Rico doesn't have long to scream, since the knife's next destination is his throat.

She turns before his body hits the ground, ready to deal with Luiz.

Luiz's mouth is wide open in surprise (this evening was not supposed to go like this) and Juan just managed to get to his feet as Rico dropped for the last time.

Luiz has a brainwave...and runs. Juan does not. He's still holding his nuts and staring at his friend.

Juan joins his friend with similar quickness; nobody puts a knife to her throat and gets away with it.

She sprints after Luiz, drawing one of her own knives as she goes.

He can hear her coming and it freaks him the hell out because he can't see a damn thing and isn't all that sure he's running in the right direction and he keeps falling over shit and branches whip him in the face and there are things crawling in his hair and...is that a flashlight?

Yes, yes it is. Ramon sent Esteban to go look around and the light from the camp is within sight. Luiz practically sobs with relief and grabs the man's arm.

'Come on, quick.'

Estenban doesn't know if it's the Americans or what, but he does as he's told. There's no mistaking the fear in Luiz's voice.

Mary Anne is hot on their heels

She isn't sure who Luiz grabs and it doesn't much matter.

"Don't you protect that little shit! Don't you dare!"

They're running but Esteban hears her clearly and it doesn't make him stop. He's been just as aware as Ramon has about the plans the guys have been making and while he didn't approve, he wasn't going to involve himself. But now its clearly gone wrong for them, he's not about to let her butcher one of the crew. He'd prefer to save Luiz's life than hers.

They make the campsite. Ramon is leaning against a tree, smoking and listening to the commotion. Luiz immediately goes to talk to him but he shuts him up with a wave of his hand and just waits for Mary Anne to appear.

Mary Anne skids to a halt at the edge of the camp.

She twirls her knives, eyes flicking between Luiz and Ramon.

"Hi, honey. I'm home."

It makes him smirk, completely against his will.

'What happened?'

This is directed at her because he trusts her to tell the truth, unlike Luiz.

"He tried to kill me. Him and two others."

She grins.

"I tried harder."

'We weren't going to kill you,' Luiz bursts out, as if offended by the very idea. 'Just wanted to teach you a lesson.'

He looks at Ramon as though they're together in this, like he'll understand that men shouldn't take orders off of women and that they're only good for one thing anyway. Which is pretty stupid seeing as Ramon doesn't feel solidarity with employees and also, was the one to bring her along and put her in charge in the first place.

So Luiz really shouldn't be surprised when he gets clubbed across the head with the butt of a pistol. When he hits the deck, Ramon turns to Esteban.

'Go and find their bodies. Luiz should know where they are. Make sure there's nothing incriminating on them, get their weapons, and leave them there. It'll keep the Yanks guessing.'

And when they're gone, he looks back at Mary Anne.

'I warned you but you obviously know how to take care of yourself. You alright?'

Beat.

'You can kill him when he comes back, if you like.'

Mary Anne rubs idly at the scrape on her jaw.

"Doing just fine."

She grins. "You know, I think I'll give him a little time to twitch first."