The United Cartels of America, Season 6 (Queen of the South)

Part 15 - Karma

Carlos Bustamante was not charged because Lena Galvez's statement made it clear that she had not known him, and he had not given her any oxycodone. He had just been accompanying her 'friend' Marcus Moreno from the family Stables, who had brought the horrific news that her favorite horse Bucky had died. She had been so distraught by the news, on top of feeling quite self-conscious about the man she fancied seeing her with bandages on her face, that it had not occurred to her that bringing an unknown person to a private hospital visit was weird.

Marcus, who had been in the wind for a whole day now, had given her the Oxy to make her 'chill'. It had not occurred to either of them that she was on meds for the pain! She was hooked up to an IV...Only the man accompanying Marcus had said something to this effect after she had taken 2 Oxys and had continued sobbing while Marcus had given her 2 more.

Absolutely not! Marcus could not have given her the Oxy to make her overdose! He was such an adorable guy! And no, she had no idea why he'd carry so much Oxy on him, but the police could certainly ask him!

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Pote parked the SUV and got out at the same time as Kelly Anne did. They waited a few beats for Carlos to get the wherewithal to get out of the back seat: "I don't get it! Why are you doing this for me? Getting me out and all!" he said as he shut the door closed. He was pale and tired, his face expressionless.

"I don't know why either!" Kelly Anne also looked pale and exhausted from the emotional events of the last days. "But your father wanted to get you out...and he needs this, so I filed all the paperwork! You would have been out in another 24 hours anyway as Lena didn't..."

Carlos suddenly sprang to life: "Didn't what? Lie?"

Kelly Anne just shook her head making her hair that was tied in a messy knot fall down and then turned to walk in the house, leaving Pote and his son alone.

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Pote looked up from the tips of his shoes and said softly: "I'm sorry, mijo! If I could turn back time, I would...but I can't! And I am who I am and have done what I have done. I won't apologize or make excuses...mainly because it's useless!"

The young version of him stared back, then exhaled deeply and leaned on the car.

Pote went on: "You need to know I have always wanted a son...and I never knew you existed. Ximena never told me...If she had..." He didn't finish his sentence, to which Carlos raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question.

"If she had...I would have come back. I swear!" Pote's voice was intense with emotion.

Carlos nodded, swallowed, and then said: "Did you know Vargas sent sicarios after them?"

Pote shook his head vehemently. Words were not coming easily, but he forced them out: "I was a Vargas sicario...and I killed people like them...following orders. But I was never sent or told your abuelo was targeted. But siding with Jimenez would bring just that..."

Carlos kept silent and Pote finally said: "So what happens now? What are your plans?"

"You have to know that I ordered Moreno to poison the horse and Lena had the accident because of me! And I am sorry for it...That doesn't mean I suddenly love you and your folks as my family...because you are not it...But I realized that if she was spared, it wasn't my place to poison her!" He sighed deeply and pulled back from the car.

"So, I don't know what comes now! Moreno seems to have tricked me into believing he had a thing for Lena...I mean I didn't know about the Oxy, about his vicious plan...I just went there to meet her and find out for myself if she...if she..."