Complicado (Queen of the South, My Season 6)

Part 17 - High Price

astel Fioto told Teresa to 'sit tight' as she was engaging an associate of hers who operated in Fortaleza. She asked for her coordinates, which Teresa took off Google and provided right away.

"I'm sending my plane. It's about a four hour flight one way...So, by morning your friend and you should be in Medellin!" Castel was very business-like, but Teresa had the feeling she detected excitement in her voice.

Teresa could hardly contain her relief. She had been hearing the voice of the priest she and James had delivered to King George long time ago to be executed, a reformed man by the name of Ronaldo. He had asked her if she was ready to 'meet her maker' and whether she knew where her soul was going. And ever since Marcel had walked back in her life, she had been thinking that there was no permanent escape from the past. It always came back to remind her of its tainted tentacles. What was happening now was the greatest proof!

She heard herself ask Castel: "Would I need to do anything to have your people identify me?"

"When they use my name, that should be good for you!" Castel was ready to hang up, when Teresa decided to thank her and was told that it 'was too early' and that she would do it in person soon enough!

The last sentence gave her a premonition, but she shoved it deep down inside because she had to tell Marcel who was coming for them. She kept her story to the fact that Castel Fioto ran the largest drug cartel in Colombia.

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It was close to an hour and a half later when they heard motor engines going up and down the street, then intermittent shots, then a full-blown shootout.

Even in the bad light Marcel could tell Teresa had shed some tears. They had streaked down through the grime on her face like running eyeliner. She noticed his worried look, took out a tissue from the back pack and wiped her face. He didn't dare say anything and decided to focus on the noise that kept coming to them.

He was antsy to get out, but Teresa was adamant to do exactly as Castel had told her: wait until identification. Then they heard the whirring of chopper blades or so they thought, and Marcel got out of their hiding room and ran down the dark corridor. Teresa had no choice but to follow.

He peeked through a window and noticed splotches of green from what he assumed were night vision goggles. Teresa saw them too and was not surprised because any associates of Castel Fioto were expected to be well equipped.

A few minutes later they could hear radios cracking and were able to visually confirm that the whirring was the rotors of a chopper.

A sudden torrent of gunfire filled the hallway as they flattened themselves against the ground until the shooting stopped. Struggling back onto their feet, they ran to the exit with more urgency.

The outside door was on the floor below. They descended and picked out distinct voices. Two men and one woman. Two red dots crisscrossed Marcel's path. He felt something zip by like a passing hornet. A bullet. Another one struck the door with a spark of fire. Who had entered the warehouse and was shooting at them?

He sidestepped to the left, straight into the darkness where he believed the outside door to be. Teresa had already reached it and to his surprise was leaning on it trying to push it open. He threw his full weight next to her as the door slid open and they both disappeared in the darkness.

It was super muggy outside. The air felt thicker sliding into their lungs, and Marcel registered a twinge of light headedness. His head swam, his stomach churned. Movement edged into the periphery of illumination coming from the street. A figure coming towards them.

The yard was dark, and the only noise was the whirring of the chopper that had now remained on the other side of the building. Then they heard a clang and a voice shouted in accented Spanish: "Teresa Mendoza! Estamos aqui para sacarla! Senora Fioto nos manda!" (We are here to get you out. Senora Fioto sent us.)