It was slippery, grimy, and greasy on the deck of the dock Hector stood on. The rain beat down on the splintering rickety old thing as he stood out in the open, bracing himself for the torrents of water upon him. He cowered behind the hood of his jacket as he awaited the arrival of the shipment. The dock stood empty, yet the tension could be felt in the drowning atmosphere. Out of the darkness and madness of the ocean Hector finally spots his objective. A faint beacon of light growing brighter in a conundrum of chaos, one quiet constant in one sea roaring conflict. It was the boat.
Dripping wet not only from the rain, but also from cold sweat, he edged near the side of the dock, preparing to dock the boat chugging, chugging along. Every part of him was on edge, he kept seeing things in the shadows, figments of an overworking mind, and he needed to relax if he wanted to get this job done. Hector was about average height, no one would say he is tall, but they certainly would say he wasn’t short either. Being of a stocky build he was quite effective lifting things up and putting them down. Growing up on the “wrong side of town” he never took an interest in school, and never had time for his passions. Deciding he needed to provide for his family he started to do odd jobs here and there. Leading him to this moment. Looking back towards land he sighed, wishing to be back where it was warm, drinking a “cold one”, watching the game, and letting all his worries disperse. He wished he was eating his favorite meal, his mom’s homemade churros.
“No!” he thought to himself. Now was not the time for food, for relaxing, or for reminiscing. He had a mission. Gritting his teeth a pain spread through him, the pain he felt when thinking of his life. Rain drops sizzled off of him as he grew red with anger.
“No more.” He said to himself coldly. “I’m going to move up in the world” he exhaled, letting his anger disperse, but not his determination.
Finally the boat arrived, as if a long sought after goal finally came to fruition, marking the beginning of the next chapter. Slowly, smoothly as a spectre it moved closer to the dock, making loud enough noises to start getting on Hector’s nerves. Out of the damp mist of sea, two dark silhouettes stood silent and still on the deck of the boat, staring, as if measuring up Hector on the dock. The shipment was about to take place.
Hector was nervous, a feeling of dread spread all over him. He was here for a reason, but he wanted to be gone, anywhere but here. As if he wasn't in control of his own body, he started towards the boat as his mind remained a second behind. Remembering the years of boating he had experienced, it was autopilot when he tied the boat to the dock. The two figures lumbered off the boat and climbed up the dock, grunting all the way up, and being careful not to be knocked off balance by the waves slamming into the boat. Hector tried not to make eye contact, their dead gaze set on him like a laser beam, sizing him up.
“You have the stuff?” Hector mumbled, only making eye contact as long as barely possible. The two paused a moment, and gazed at Hector.
Both wore high quality boots and jeans, cotton shirts and jackets. They were high up members of the criminal world. Hector on the other hand had dressed casually, wearing a baggy hoodie, jeans, and cap. All three of the men looked like stereotypical criminals, standing on the dark foggy dock, Illuminated by a singular overhead light. There was a difference in the way Hector held himself and how the other two held themselves, the other two were calm, they had done this before, and they had killed before. Hector was a noob. He was rigid, shaky, and jumpy. Hector would never dream to team with the likes of these two bloodthirsty hounds, but he had no choice.
“Ughhh” Hector’s mother grumble in the kitchen, tossing aside the letter she had just read. Exotic vegetables and fruits lied everywhere on the orange countertop and the smell could attract the whole neighborhood. She tried, and failed to get back to her cooking, the situation had become too much for her elderly heart to handle.
“What is the matter, Mama?” Hector asked, concerned by his mother’s look.
“We don’t have enough money to keep the house!” She burst out in tears. Hector knew he had to step it up, and he knew of a job opportunity.
This is why he was here, he needed money, but he didn’t want a job. A horribly stupid idea popped into his head, one that would not go to well.
“Alright” said one of the men, “you stay with boat while we deliver the shipment, as you were told.”
“No!” Hector yelled taking both men by surprise and gripping the cold metal handle of his handgun from his hoodie; he pulled it out. This was his moment to make a mark, to provide for his family, and to have a better life for himself.
“I will be taking the shipment!” Hector barked at the other two, who stood there rigid, waiting for an opportune time to strike.
“You did it now gringo!” One of them spat at him. Then lightning struck. Everything happened at once. The man who stood to the left reached for his gun faster than the speed of sound. Hector had no time to think. No time to think about why he was here or what he could have done differently, and what he should have done differently. His survival instincts kicked in, pointing the gun at the man, he fired. The gun kicked back, sending a jolt through his body, shocked by the act he had just committed.The man topled to the ground. Turning to the next man, Hector saw the gun pointed, the dead eyes of his opponent, and the flash from the muzzle. All the sudden all he felt was heat. He felt pain. And then there was just black; to match the night.