Ain't No God in Mexico[Natasha, Violet[

"Hm... I wonder where she could be headin'..."

Natasha heard an oncoming presence making its way toward her. The sudden pace of footsteps was enough to give away the woman's presence, and though it would have been easier to simply attack her, and do away with one piece of the puzzle, but she needed to be careful unless she wanted to compromise herself. She chose to follow the woman instead, manipulating reishi enough to cloak her presence, curiously observing her movement and the room she intended to head toward.

The room Natasha was led to was just an office. Computers, desks, chair, and a mini fridge that seemed to be recently stocked was all she found. The woman that was getting the food put it all in and old plastic bag before heading back. Down the way, there was a set of stairs that led down into a basement. The women waved at her two friends before heading down to the basement with the bag.

Man one was armed with a pistol and a knife, both currently stuffed in the line of his pants. Man two was armed with a shot gun and his own knife, which was also put away, but located at his right boot. They participated in casual conversation, mainly speaking in Spanish, while discussing having "fun with the girl."

Following the woman with food in hand toward the basement, Natasha kept her ears peeled for important context, any word that would finally lead her to Violet. She noticed the two men at the door, waited for the woman to enter the basement, and continued to maintain a low profile behind the layer of concealed reishi. The moment they let their guard down, Natasha used her experience to subdue them quickly, soundlessly, and without any sudden noise that would distract the woman in the basement. Once that was handled, she made her way downstairs to find her next discovery. Considering what these sleazy bastards said just now, could this be where Violet resided? Time would tell the moment she reached the room.

In the basement, the floor was concrete, the walls brick, and there was barely any light. To the far back, a chain wall wrapped around two people hanging from old hooks by roped wrapped multiple times around their wrists. The hooks were attached to a chain that was melded to a metal beam on the ceiling. One of these people was a man, bloodied and bruised. He was unconscious and the blood was mostly dry on his face, shirt, and in a puddle on the ground. Once Natasha investigated, it would become clear that he was dead.

The other person was exactly who Natasha was looking for. Violet’s feet weren’t even touching the ground. Her head hung as if she were sleeping. Her clothes were dirty and bloody. A trail of clear lines marked her face, clearly having been crying through the dirt that covered her skin. Her visible injuries was a busted lip and a bruise on her cheek and left eye. “Aye, look who finally gets some food.” The woman said, dropping the bag on an old metal workbench and pulling out a few bits of junk food and a bottle of water. Something was better than nothing...

From behind Natasha, someone had been following her the entire time. The officer that gave her this address was sneaking up behind her, coming down the basement stairs as quietly as he could, holding his gun out in front of him, ready. Once he got a clear shot, or was spotted, he fired his gun at Natasha, aiming for center mass. "Hey, chica. You should have stayed home instead of sticking your nose in our business. Now you and your little girlfriend are going to die here together."

If she had not already been handled, the woman with the food immediately pulls out her gun and runs toward Violet, ready to use the girl as a hostage.

Natasha's gaze observed the grisly sight in full view. There was a dead and bloodied man, and then there was Violet, covered in bruises. Natasha felt her blood quietly at the sight but maintained her composure throughout her search. Everything was going along swimmingly until her road to Violet hit a snag, in the form of a gunshot no less.

"Dammit... "

Of course, she had to admit that the bad cop had done a pretty good job of pulling a fast one on her. The bullet hit her square in her body. By all accounts, she appeared to fall to the ground limply, without any resistance. No movement. No motion.

Violet twitched at the sudden earsplitting pop of the officer's gun, the chain that held her rattling as she stirred. She barely held her held up for a second before it fell back down. She had no strength to really see what was going on.

The woman did not get a chance to fire. She aimed at the officer and then at the blonde on the floor. "Castillo, what the fuck is going on?"

"Shut up, Dani," he said, holstering his gun. "The blonde bitch is the girl's friend. She came looking for her and I didn't have time to warn you."

"You're lucky you didn't shoot me."

"I've got better aim than that, idiot. Now, help me get her in the cage."

"Ain't she dead?"

"So? Put her ass in the cage," Officer Castillo said. Maria walked over to the cage and unlocked it with keys she had on her belt. Officer Castillo went to grab Natasha by the wrist and drag her toward the cage. "The bitch took out Javi and Diego before I could catch up. Boss ain't gonna be too happy about that."

"Shit, we're fucked if those two are dead..."

Natasha remained relatively motionless. There was no sign of tension in her body as she was guided to the cage. In reality, neither the woman nor the officer would have believed that the moment before the gun hit her, she instantly activated her Blut Vene, thereby preventing the bullet from penetrating her flesh deeply.

When their guard was down, Natasha sprung into action. In the blink of an eye, she bolted upward, punching the woman holding the keys with enough force to break her jaw.

Employing Steigen, her body an imperceptible blur dancing through the air, she shifted toward Officer Castillo and punched him in the chest with a significant degree of force, purposely breaking his rubs in the proccess.

"Consider that payback for shooting me in the chest, you slimy bastard. Nothin' I detest more than a dirty cop."

Turning her attention toward Violet, Natasha pointed her finger toward the chain, firing a blast of reishi to cut it in half as she finished her stride through the room by effortlessly catching the young woman in her arms. Hopefully, that would be the end of it, but Natasha maintained a studious gaze, surveying her surroundings with the poise of a veteran soldier.

One question remained now. Was Violet and the man the only ones that suffered or were there others? Slowly but surely, she removed the chains around the woman's back.

"How're ya feelin', Violet, sweetheart? S'me. Your auntie Natasha."

The woman barely got the cage open when Natasha shattered her jaw. The officer had his gun out to fire, but Natasha practically disappeared on him and the next thing he knew he was in immense pain, couldn’t breathe, laying on his back, and was coughing up bits of blood. "Y-You... bitch." he said, before going limp.

Violet suddenly fell and was caught. Something was warm. A closer look at Violet's condition would reveal multiple bruises. Her arm was likely broken, at least fractured with the dark purple discoloration. Her body shook from the cold and pain combined. Her shirt was torn and her jeans were unbuttoned.

"Auntie Nat..." Violet could barely speak, her voice coming out in a quiet whisper. Violet fought with every ounce of energy she had to lift her head. "Can I go home now?" Violet asked, but there was no way she was talking about Texas. Natasha likely wasn't aware that she had a whole house in the City of Light! No matter, what Natasha automatically knew was Violet desperately needed a hospital.

"Of course, sugar. It'll take a minute, though. Gotta book another flight to make that happen. Right now, you need to go to a hospital."

Natasha pulled a phone from her pocket, alerting the authorities to this place and the identities of each man and woman who was involved in this despicable organization. It likely didn't end here, and although she was certainly bold enough to pursue the thought of finding the true head of the snake, Violet was her topmost priority. Hopefully, her contribution would serve the officers well. Either way, Natasha wasted little time in remaining here, bolting off into the night at breakneck speed until she reached a hospital.

Ending the chapter on what proved to be a less-than-ideal night. This wasn't how she intended to ever visit Tijuana, but hey, at least she wouldn't forget what happened here anytime soon. Unforgettable memories, right?