Queen of the South - My Season 6: Full Circle

Chapter 5, Soul Aches

Notes: The Sinaloa Cartel got its start in the 80s as a marijuana producer, before specializing in transporting cocaine into the US from Central and South America. In the 90s they became the bosses and Culiacán became known as the City of Fear.

The cartels have become a kind of narco republic within the republic, who share the power like a shadow government.

As the cartel's hometown, Culiacán has a reputation for bloodshed. The 'Culichi Way' is marked by death and disappearance. The City floats around the top 20 most deadly cities on earth, which ratings include only the documented killings –victims lying dead in the streets, hanging off bridges or torn to million pieces in car bombs. The hidden victims, who do not make the official counts, are simply disappeared in the Bloodhounds.

Pax Narca is the simultaneous existence of the state and the narco state, a silent understanding that if cartel violence against civilians is suppressed, attacks by the security services on the narcos will be as well.

The Culichi Way

The Living Room

Laura looked her brother in the eyes and let the whole story pour out of her in an attempt to ease her mind: "My first impression was that she was looking for you, she asked me many questions about you and I kept telling her that I had no clue where you were ...but then they hit Mikey several times and he fell...and I told her you had made contact with me two years ago after about 20 years of silence...I'm sorry Jimmy, I had no idea what else to do!", her voice was shaking now and James only held her hand and kept saying it would be ok, so that she would get hold of her emotions and continue: "She wanted to know where she could find you and the only thing that occurred to me was that you were on another continent", Laura looked at James with a plea in her eyes and he said "very smart" with a little smile and waited for her to go on.

"This seemed to throw her off as she said she wasn't chasing you abroad...then she made a call in Spanish... I couldn't hear everything, and she probably had no clue I understood...but the person on the other end told her things as she kept nodding and then she told her goons to get Mikey loaded in their SUV and told me to pack as I was flying out... I could only think of her not having mentioned Bobby who lives on campus in NYC ...and as she seemed so determined and called someone to get me a plane ticket, it occurred to me to fly to Europe so she wouldn't know your real location... so I told her you were in Spain, on one of the islands...she practically kicked me out of my house and that's when she told me to tell you that you and then...she hesitated and added your family...that all of you had debts...I think the person she spoke to on the phone put her up to mentioning your family, Jimmy...please tell me I did right, please...tell me you'll come back to get Mikey out...please", tears were now rolling down her cheeks.

James hugged her and stroked her head: "Of course, I will!"

Then he looked at the others above Laura's head and said: " So, they may not know about Teresa at all...maybe they are looking for me only."

Laura lifted her head from his chest and said in between snivels: "Who is she, Jimmy?"

"My guess is that she is Isabella Vargas...I worked for her mother for five years, but we parted on good terms." James said, eyes locked with Teresa. "How am I supposed to make contact when I show up?", he added.

Laura pulled herself away and after wiping her eyes said: "She gave me a number and told me not to call it unless you are with me...and she gave me one week, of which there are five days left. If I didn't show up with you by then, they would kill Mikey", she said and burst into tears again.

===

Laura had gone to bed right after she had managed to eat something. She was jetlagged and exhausted, emotionally, and physically. The relief of seeing her brother and taking the burden off her chest had made her dizzy. The mood had sunk to the lowest possible level, the young children had been left to play in the living room, while Lena and Tony had gone to play a computer game in the den. Everyone was seated in the living room, but Pote who was walking slowly around, getting on everyone's nerves.