Queen of the South - My Season 6: Full Circle

Chapter 18, Cuentas Pendientes VI

Teresa had read up on Alfonso Jimenez aka Affi, El Tiburon, present leader of the Jimenez cartel and had determined that he was a wilder card than Boaz or Javier Jimenez from her past had been. He had a stable position, controlling half of the distro in Mexico and there was no reason for attempting to kidnap her but pure revenge. Cartel leaders who made decisions based on revenge impulses were never favorites of the CIA and the only reason he had not been eliminated so far, that came to her mind, was that it was inconvenient as the void that would be left, would be filled in by the next player, the Chinese, which would be something that the US government would never allow, no matter the color of the administration.

However, El Tiburon knew she was alive, and it looked like removing the Vargases wouldn't be enough to set her free. She still had enemies and they needed to be dealt with. She was certain that after her name had popped up in the official registers for documents and property acquisitions, all interested parties, including the CIA, had gotten updated on her real status. She doubted for a second if her decisions to come to Mexico and get back what was rightfully hers, had been wise, but then decided that it was done, and now she needed to think of a move that would align the figures on the chess board in a manner acceptable to her. And no matter how she turned it in her head, Alfonso Jimenez was expendable and needed to go.

"I wanna see him hang from a bridge," was what she told James after having shared with him her latest thoughts. Her head still hurt, there was a serious bump, the size of a small egg on her left side, but she was rested and had no dizziness. Once James had assured himself that she would not need medical attention, he paid more attention to what she was talking about, then cringed: "The Culichi way? Just like you had Pote shoot the Vargas women at first opportunity?"

She took a deep breath and thought that in the past few days she had bared her entire being, all her doubts and fears, related to all aspects of her life, personal, intimate, aspirational, professional to him and thus shying away from him about her desire to get revenge and deal with the matters in a manner she saw as 'appropriate', albeit being the Culichi way, was useless. So, she nodded and said: "You taught me most of what I know about the biz, your contribution to who I became is...indisputable...but this is who I am and what I need to do...at this stage of our lives." She knew him well and was sure he would appreciate the honesty and would support her, even if he didn't embrace her direction.

James only nodded, his eyes speaking volumes, so Teresa went on: "Does Castel really want Jimenez on her side...or just a puppet in his place?"

"She wants someone she can control...who will be loyal to the Agency...and would sympathize with their ideology...which is ultimately to protect the American public...the American way," James said pensively.

"The American way?" Teresa looked at him askance.

"Yeah...not hanging the enemy from a bridge but moving the pawns on the chess board behind the scenes..." James elaborated to the slight smile that had appeared on Teresa's lips.

"Then a Jimenez is not the right person for the job", Teresa said slowly.

"No, he isn't ...she offered me the distro job in Culiacan...but I think she will take Jimenez out if she can replace him with someone more reliable and...less volatile", he had told Teresa all the details of their meeting including the offer and the new dynamic which was to remove the Chinese at all costs.

Teresa stared in front of her deep in thought and then her hand raked her hair and she tossed her head back. James saw the stern concentrated look she had on her face and he knew she was moving the pawns on her mental chess board.

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?", he asked.

"Yes", she slowly lifted her eyes and met his. "Helping her put a reliable person in Culiacan in exchange for her taking out Jimenez ...we win, she wins..."