Chapter 36
“Domino”
Alejandro stood before Luis Carranza, a worker who had clearly found himself entangled in a web of deceit. He was quiet, composed, and almost bored, but it was the kind of calmness that made men unravel.
Luis was already sweating through his shirt… and not from the heat, but from knowing he got caught.
Finally, Alejandro broke the silence, his voice and even, measured tone that held an underlying threat. “We trusted you with the docks,” he began, a frown creasing his otherwise impassive face. “Inventory comes in, inventory goes out. It’s simple.”
Luis's eyes widened as he shook his head fervently. “I ain’t steal nothing! I swear!” he denied.
“You did,” Alejandro interjected. “And even worse… you thought you’d get away with it. You’ve been shaving weight off every shipment—a little here, a little there—thinking we wouldn’t notice.”
Luis’s eyes darted between us. “It… it wasn’t like that! I was gonna put it back!” he stammered, his eyes pleading.
“Tú no me tomas nada prestado(You don’t borrow from me),” Alejandro gritted, his tone never rising, but somehow hitting harder.
“Por favor… tengo hijos.”(Please… man, I got kids.)
Alejandro didn’t even look at him when he spoke again. He just stepped aside slowly, like he was clearing the stage. It was a calculated move; a way of passing the weight of the moment onto me.
“Domino.”
That was it… just my name.
I stepped forward, rolling my sleeves back, slow, unhurried, letting Luis see exactly who was about to handle him.
The dread washed over his face immediately, panic tightening his features. “Nah… nah. Not him! Please! I’ll fix it! I’ll fix everything!” he begged, his voice cracking with desperation.
“Should’ve thought about them before you touched money that wasn’t yours,” I responded, my voice devoid of any pity.
There was no need for a gun—my presence was enough to instill fear. Instead, I grabbed the metal bucket sitting off to the side and dragged it across the floor. The sound alone made him flinch.
“What… what are you doing?” Luis asked, his voice trembling with rising panic.
I didn’t answer.
I tipped the bucket forward slightly, allowing him a glimpse of its contents.
Clear, cold, and unforgiving water.
Luis’s breathing quickened as realization dawned on him. “No! Please no! I beg of you!”
I grabbed the back of his head before he could move, forcing him forward.
“Relax. This part only feels long if you fight it,” I murmured, a dark calmness settling over me.
Luis screamed, thrashing in a desperate attempt to escape, but his struggles only served to tighten my hold on him. My fingers pressed down on his head, pushing his face into the water. His body jerked violently, the flailing of his limbs a frantic dance against the inevitable.
I held him there, feeling his resistance weaken, lifting him just enough when his body began to give out, allowing a gasp of air before plunging him back under. Again… and again, each submersion shorter and quieter than the last... until the fight left him completely. Finally, I released him, his body slumping forward, water coursing down his face, lifeless.
Silence filled the room.
Alejandro adjusted his cufflinks before finally addressing the clean-up crew. “Clean it up,” he instructed.
Then, we turned and walked out of the warehouse, our footsteps echoing in the silence left behind, as if it were just another day at the office.
Because to us, it was always just business.
