*ON HOLD/editing* Friend U Can Keep | Miss Bala (2019)

one - decisions

Gloria held the butt of the AK-47 tightly to her chest, her finger hovering over the trigger. She pointed the end of the gun at Lino, who was kneeling on the wet pavement. Gloria held and wielded the weapon in her hands, which had enough power to end Lino and finally stop him.

The evening turned into a destructive and dark night; Lino's face was illuminated by the soft, warm glow of cars and buildings on fire. Gloria's heart and mind played tug of war, pulling her from logic to emotion; how could she care for someone who is a murderer, drug trafficker, and clearly a man with no morals? A few weeks ago, Gloria wouldn't have had any hesitation ending him, killing him- she would have even gone as far to say she would have felt victorious and justified in doing so, but things quickly change when you live amongst the wolves.
"Show him your hand!" Gloria venomously spat out at Lino, not breaking their eye contact. Susu shakingly raises her arm to show the brand situated on the back of her hand, the iconic star with an E. The brand dictating that Susu belonged to Los Estrellas and Lino.
"You knew where she was all along." Anger coursing through her veins, Gloria felt a fire burning under her skin. Her grip tightened on the gun.
"I did what I had to do, Chula. We both did." Lino says, getting up slowly with both hands stretched out in front of him. Lino stepped towards her; Gloria moved back, not willing to let him get any closer to her.
"Please," Susu said, breaking the tense silence. "I want to go home."
In a sane person's mind, they would have saved their best friend with no regard for Lino, but something held Gloria back from closing down on the trigger. She couldn't tell if it was empathy or stupidity, but one thing she was confident about; was getting Susu out of this mess. Susu needed to go and be with her brother.
"Go. Get home now. I'm sorry I can't come with you right now." Gloria cried to Susu with a tear falling on her cheek after finally coming to a decision. Susu approaches Gloria with a confused and horrified look; she closes in on her best friend.
"Come home, please. Just come home." Susu pleads, and Gloria's heart ached, and her eyes welled more with tears that cascaded down her face. Lino took this time as an opportunity to step towards them. Gloria abruptly shoved back into Susu, attempting to wedge more space between her and Lino.
"Susu. Go home, leave. Please. I love you." Stopping Susu before she can recede into the dark street that had abandoned cars littered everywhere, Gloria wanted to give her one more thing.
"Take this, and I'll contact you somehow, hopefully soon." Gloria handed a small handgun to Susu, one that she swiped while scanning the mansion. Lino watched Susu handle the firearm with shaky hands and then disappear with one last look to the woman in the red dress. Meeting his eyes to Gloria's, Lino saw pain and hurt painted over her face. If Lino tried, he could reach her in a few strides and take the gun away, but he didn't. He waited with both hands raised in the air, trying to stay calm.
"Chula..." Lino trailed off. Meeting his gaze once more.
"Both eyes open," Gloria said with a stern tone, their eyes not breaking contact. Gloria squeezed the trigger, and the bullet pierced the air with a loud bang. Lino gasped, shut his eyes, and prepared himself for the pain of a gunshot wound. After a couple of moments, Lino opened his eyes with a breath and saw Gloria aiming the gun behind him. Lino turned around to see a man in a tan suit lying limp on the ground holding his chest, the man's gun laid beside him on the pavement. Turning back to Gloria, Lino stepped towards her and pulled the weapon from her grasp. Gloria stares at the damage she inflicted, understanding she made her choice. Pulling her into an embrace, Lino turns them around so that he is facing the man on the ground. He was moving his hands to her face while also attempting to meet her shocked and silent eye line.
"Hey, look at me." No budge. "Look at me." Her eyes move to his gaze. She gasps, and tears flow down her cheeks. Taking the gun from Gloria's hold, Lino stares at the deceased man on the ground, who looked like he attended tonight's festivities.
"Don't look," Lino instructs Gloria. Moving around her and continuing to the body on the ground. Kneeling beside the body, Lino finds a badge while patting the jacket pockets. Black leather fitted the badge into a case that revealed DEA etched onto the badge's medal. Clutching it in his hands, Lino stands up while pocketing the badge in his suit pocket with the gun in his other hand. Moving towards Gloria, he grasped her hand in his, pulling her away. A black SUV speeds towards them, coming to a screeching to a halt beside them. The driver yelled for Lino to get in. His right hand held onto the gun tightly and pulled her towards the extraction car. Opening the backseat door, Gloria jumped into the SUV, settling into the middle seat with Lino following behind her. The vehicle quickly took off with dust kicked up by the spinning tires. Gloria felt dread in the pit of her stomach, the anxiety and guilt growing as the car drove her farther and farther until all that was in rearview was the smoke floating into the night sky from the destruction caused.