while another enforcer patted their visitor down in search of weapons. When they were satisfied with their search, the men signaled toward the gate and handed the paper bag back to its owner.
CKB watched the gate open as the men near him dispersed from the area. He approached the passageway with pessimism, hearing the sounds of adults frolicking and music playing just beyond the thick concrete. The watchful man sensed all manner of weapons trained on his body from high places and wished that Mitch never gave him this assignment. Upon reaching the gate, he noticed a six-foot-five-inch guard standing near it with his arms folded. Cody's strides quickened as he ambled past the three-hundred-pound muscular gatekeeper, knowing that there was no escaping this place.
The compound was friendlier inside, and CKB hardly noticed the gate when it closed behind him. There were blaring sounds of mariachi musicians, loud talking from a group surrounding the pool, and the occasional splash near the diving board. The whole interior was painted in distinct sandstone colors to mimic the red rocks of Arizona and Utah. It featured flowerbeds with hundreds of desert roses and various species of cacti.
CKB concluded that there were three beautiful women to every man in the facility, making it a misogynist’s paradise. Most of the crowd was dancing or drinking as one would expect at any party, but something was amiss. As he glanced around, CKB perceived that there were no less than a dozen lounge chairs, and all of them featured men in their early twenties wearing dark sunglasses. The men were sporting identical bathing suits featuring an orange Aztec sun god symbol embroidered on a white background. Each of them had similar builds, and their haircuts matched as if they were clones.
The career criminal smirked at this deception, having already figured out which was the real Hector. His celebration was short-lived as he saw the gatekeeper following a few steps behind him with his arms folded. CKB did a double take at the bulky enforcer, jumping a bit at the sight of him. The man seemed to grow suspicious of this action, prompting Cody to attempt a more relaxed appearance. He turned his attention back to the men on the lounge chairs and spotted one surrounded by the most attractive and busty women in the area.
“I have something for Hector,” Cody said to the behemoth guard, holding up the brown bag for him to inspect.
The gatekeeper stepped up next to CKB and snatched the bag from his hands, almost ripping the indented portions from the top. He looked inside the bag and shuffled the contents about, like a bear nosing around in a trash can. After a thorough search, he pointed a sausage-like finger at CKB, signaling for him to stay put. He then marched over to Hector Mescal with the prize, keeping his back between CKB and his boss. There was a short exchange between the two men, and then the gatekeeper motioned for CKB to approach closer. The defenseless criminal did as instructed, detecting unwholesomeness at the center of his stomach.
“You’ve got some special Mary Jane for me?” Hector asked from behind his sunglasses as CKB approached the lounge chair. “What’s so special about this? I’ve been smoking it since I was twelve.”
“Yeah, but this batch was genetically engineered to have a stronger effect on the brain,” CKB stated with conceit, keeping a foot of space between himself and the lounge chair. “Be careful, though, it does leave a bit of residue since it’s so potent.”
“Is it poisoned?” Hector pried with suspicion, looking up at his guard in disappointment. “Why don’t you try some first?”
Without another thought, the gang leader tossed a white marijuana joint at CKB and retrieved a silver Zippo lighter from a glass table. CKB caught the marijuana cigarette in his palm, and the lighter soon followed. He immediately stuck the end of the joint into his mouth and flicked the lighter a few times to ignite the tip, shielding it from the wind. The powerful man took two drags of thick smoke through his teeth and held it in his lungs for a few seconds. After pausing for a satisfactory amount of time, he blew the smoke out in a casual manner. Cody then held the cigarette at his side between the index and middle fingers of his right hand.
“All right! Let’s party!” Hector announced in a lustful manner, passing joints to several of the women around him. “Give me my lighter.”
CKB tossed the lighter back to Hector, allowing the marijuana cigarette to remain burning between his fingers.
Stoney peered through a square porthole on the west side of the complex, taking pictures with his satellite phone. He could see that CKB was smoking something, and it looked to be an illegal amount. Although he wanted a stronger charge than illegal possession of enough marijuana to distribute; it would be plenty to get even. The police officer could feel his hands shaking from a severe need to use a bathroom. Stoney decided that he would call in the bust and then make his way to the closest public place. He swore at himself for not using the alley but was fearful of getting caught with his pants down by drug dealers.
“Drop the phone and put your hands against the wall, officer.” A male voice ordered Stoney from behind.
The Japanese man felt the barrel of a pistol pressing against his spine, and he turned around to see a street thug in a ski mask standing behind him. Stoney put his hands against the wall, horrified about being captured without police dispatch knowing his whereabouts.
CKB found himself swaying to time-honored Mexican music next to the glimmering swimming pool. He glanced down at the ornate patterns within the slabs of sandstone that surrounded the area. They featured engravings with a rich tradition of Aztec symbols from extinct civilizations. The television star watched one of Hector’s guards grimace at his boss, and a smirk formed on CKB’s face. He turned to surveil Hector, who was smoking with a satisfied expression in his deluxe lounge chair. Unbeknownst to the gang leader, the marijuana joint was gradually turning his mouth and lips green. The lower part of his face now appeared to have been soaked in forest green food coloring.
Cody steadied his body to ensure that the hidden camera on his chest captured Hector smoking and looking like a fool. His stomach became tense as he realized that the most dangerous part of this deception was about to go down. One of the ladies turned to give Hector a kiss, and he grabbed her jaw in a state of shock. The aggressive gang leader twisted his head from side to side, inspecting the green stains all over her mouth and lips.
“Yo, cut the music!” Hector shouted to a group of guards that were near the locker rooms. “Is my mouth green? Is my mouth green?” He asked several bystanders with an expression of betrayal. “What did you give me?” The powerful gangster shouted at CKB, moving with explosive energy to confront him near the pool.
“I didn’t give you anything. It’s just Mary Jane.” CKB contended with a casual expression, holding his arms out to the sides in submission.
“Bulls***, you gave me something!” The fierce gang leader swore at CKB, snapping his fingers at the massive gatekeeper to fetch him a pistol.
“I told you that this stuff is strong, and it leaves a residue on your mouth.” Cody proclaimed in his defense, attempting to sound innocent.
“Then why isn’t any on your mouth, huh?” Hector redirected with outrage, swaying from side to side in front of CKB as the gatekeeper handed him a black, 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol. “Why isn’t there any on your mouth? Because you’re a liar!”
“Look, I didn’t smoke as much as you – okay,” CKB reported with a troubled stare, watching Hector for any signs of aggression. “The more you smoke; the more it coats your face. It’s the strongest pot in the world; what did you expect?”
“I’m gonna’ drown you, bro!” Hector shouted as he gripped CKB by the front of his sweatshirt, smearing green residue on the white fabric. “I’m gonna’ drown you here and now. You think you can make me look like a punta? Huh? Do think I’m gonna’ let you get away with that?” He spat in CKB’s face and slugged him hard in the stomach, watching with satisfaction as the man fell to the ground.
“Yo, Hector, I fou
nd this cop outside.” One of the guards reported as he escorted Stoney to the pool area with a gun at his back. “I think he came with CKB.”
“Did you bring a cop to my place?” Hector lamented in a fit of rage, kicking CKB in the stomach several times. “Are you with the pigs now, CKB? What the f*** are you doing, bro?” The gang leader swore again and continued to kick CKB until blood was seeping from his mouth.
Stoney stood stationary with his hands clenched into tight white balls of discomfort. The officer’s body had nearly reached its breaking point, and his legs shook with a severe need to empty his bowels. Although he refused to give in to his colon, he knew that there would soon be no other choice. His baseball cap and sunglasses had been confiscated by the thug that caught him, leaving Stoney feeling overexposed under the bright sunshine.
“What are you doing here, cop?” The gang leader asked with outrage and prejudice. “I said what are you doing here, cop?” Hector lost his patience and struck Stoney on the right side of his face with the pistol.
Stoney felt his cheek tear open, and a fresh stream of blood ran down the side of his face from a small cut. He considered himself unfairly prosecuted, despite the situation, and the gang leader