The Castrator by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (short books for teens txt) 📕

BASIC THINGS LIKE DRINKING WATER. YOU ASK WHERE I GOT THE MONEY! WELL, I HAD TO APPLY SOME TRICKS, BECAUSE AS THE EASTERN PEOPLES USED TO SAY "TO LOSE FACE" WAS ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS CRIMES AND COULD REALLY COST YOU YOUR HEAD IN THE LITERAL SENSE.

I DON'T WANT TO BORE YOU WITH THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF MISSOURI, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE WHO RESIDES IN THIS STATE SHOULD KNOW. THE CRIME RATES WERE HUGE! SO THERE WAS NO REASON TO MISS GETTING OUT OF THAT HOLE!

THE FELISTER HOUSE WAS CREEPY ENOUGH, BUT THE PEACE I FOUND THERE WAS SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO ME - I REALIZED THAT ONCE I CROSSED THE BORDER, I WOULD BE STARTING A WHOLE NEW LIFE IN MEXICO AND MOST LIKELY UNDER A FOREIGN IDENTITY. IT WASN'T EASY TO BREAK WITH THE PAST, BUT I ALSO HAD TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE.

SOMEONE ELSE IN MY PLACE MIGHT HAVE JUST CROSSED THE OZARK MOUNTAINS OR THE OZARK PLATEAU - CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, OR STAYED IN A TERRITORY THAT WOULD GUARANTEE HIM PEACE FOR A LONGER TIME, BUT IN MY CASE THINGS WERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

YES, IN THE END, IT DID TAKE SPENDING SOME TIME IN AN OLD BARN BEFORE THINGS REALLY SETTLED DOWN.

I THEN HEADED TO OKLAHOMA, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH SOME OTHER MEMBERS OF THE WELL ESTABLISHED FELISTER NETWORK. IT TURNED OUT HE WAS TOO SMART AND THE MONEY WAS IN OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS SCATTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE. HE HAD NAMED THIS MONEY "FELISTER'S LEGACY". ALL OF THIS, OF COURSE, I FOUND OUT FROM ONE OF THE MORE SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION. THE IDEA WAS TO START A SIMILAR ACTIVITY LATER IF SOMEONE DUG UP THE PIGS.

FELISTER WAS PRESCIENT AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT HE PRAYED NOT ONLY TO THE DEMONS BUT ALSO RELIED ON HIS OWN BRAIN.

THE SENIOR MEMBER OF "FELISTER'S FARM," AS OUR ORGANIZATION WAS KNOWN, WAS UNWILLING TO GIVE ME ANY MORE SERIOUS HELP, BUT ONLY WARNED ME TO BEWARE BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED SCRUTINY BETWEEN THE BORDER BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.

I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO WANDER AROUND SAN ANTONIO, BUT I FOUND THE PLACE GOOD AND QUIET ENOUGH BY MY STANDARDS.

HOWEVER, THE MORE I LEARNED ABOUT THE HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF FELISTER'S ORGANIZATION, THE MORE I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE LURKING THERE THAT WAS PERHAPS BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMS.

BUT I STILL WASN'T READY TO ACCEPT THE HARD TRUTH!

TO DO BETTER, THOUGH, I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE STASHED MONEY I HAD WHILE TOURING THE COUNTRY. SUCH ACTIONS WERE WISE ENOUGH IN HARD TIMES LIKE THESE! THE THING WAS THAT THE NEUTERED ANIMALS WERE TAKING A VERY STRANGE ROUTE AND WERE BEING REPLACED JUST BEFORE THE BORDER ITSELF, WHILE ANOTHER TRUCK OF ORDINARY NEUTERED SHOPARS WAS PASSING THROUGH A BIT EARLIER AND BEING CHECKED BY CUSTOMS OFFICIALS. IN THE CASE OF THE SECOND TRUCK, WHERE THE FELISTER GOODS WERE, OR RATHER THE MEXICAN CARTEL GOODS, THE INSPECTION WAS CONSIDERABLY SHORTER, AND THE INJECTED PIGS WERE PUT IN A SPECIAL CAPSULE WHICH WAS UNDER THE BODY - A SORT OF DOUBLE BOTTOM. THE DESIGN OF THE TRUCKS WAS ALSO FELISTER'S WORK, WHICH MADE ME THINK HE WAS TOO FARSIGHTED AND TECHNICALLY LITERATE ENOUGH TO HANDLE SUCH PROBLEMS.

WELL, IT WAS NOT IMPOSSIBLE THAT THE GOODS MIGHT OCCASIONALLY GET CAUGHT, BUT IN GENERAL MR. EMBANKS WAS AWARE OF THESE RISKS AND COULD AFFORD TO LOSE EVEN THIRTY PER CENT OF THE FINAL SHIPMENT AS LONG AS THE OTHER SEVENTY ARRIVED AT THEIR FINAL DESTINATION. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THE REVERSE MOVEMENT - VERY SIMPLY THE INJECTED SUBSTANCES WERE BLANKS THAT WERE USED TO PRODUCE THE FINAL SUBSTANCE, AND A HUGE PRODUCTION COULD VERY EASILY BE ACHIEVED IN A FINITE TIME FRAME, WHICH WAS THEN RE-IMPORTED BY OTHER ROUTES.

BUT I WASN'T GOING TO FURTHER MY CAREER AS A GANGSTER, I WAS GOING TO FIND ANSWERS FOR MY OWN EXISTENCE.

THE KIND FACES OF THE PAST WERE BUT PALE MEMORIES, REPLACED BY THE BRUTAL REALITY AND SUFFERING THAT SURROUNDED US. YES IN THE ORPHANAGE, AS HORRIBLE AS IT WAS, FOR A SHORT TIME I HAD SOME SEMBLANCE OF FRIENDS. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I LEARNED TO JUDGE PEOPLE.

AFTER I TRANSFERRED TO MEXICO AND GOT A FAKE PASSPORT FOR MY MONEY, I SET ABOUT CONTEMPLATING MY NEXT STEPS.

THINGS DIDN'T LOOK ROSY, BUT FELISTER HAD TOLD ME TO RELY ON MYSELF AND ONLY MYSELF. I STILL REMEMBERED HIS ALL TOO THOUGHTFUL MESSAGE THAT WE WERE ONLY TEMPORARY VISITORS TO THIS WORLD.

I GUESSED THAT FELISTER HAD BEEN THROWING HIS MONEY AROUND IN VARIOUS OFFSHORE COMPANIES THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRETTY HARD TO FIGURE OUT, BUT I WAS ALSO SURE OF SOMETHING ELSE. EMBANX HAD MADE SOME MISTAKE - NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL OR HE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SHOT LIKE A DOG ON HIS OWN PORCH.

BUT WHO WAS MY FORMER EMPLOYER, REALLY, AND WHAT DID I KNOW ABOUT HIM?

ALMOST NOTHING - EXCEPT THAT HE HAD TAKEN ME UNDER HIS WING FROM AN ORPHANAGE IN KANSAS CITY WHERE I HAD BEEN DUMPED BY MY PARENTS, WHO, ON TOP OF THAT, I DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER.

FELISTER WAS LIKE MY FATHER OR STEPFATHER OR GUARDIAN OR I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ANYMORE EITHER... BUT HE WAS LONG GONE!

I KNEW THAT MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS WERE FAMOUS FOR THEIR CRUELTY AND UNSCRUPULOUSNESS, AND I DIDN'T PARTICULARLY CARE, SINCE I WAS ABOUT TO WALK RIGHT INTO THE LION'S MOUTH. SOMETIMES SERIOUS CONFLICTS WOULD LITERALLY BREAK OUT BETWEEN LOCAL GROUPS OR SEPARATE FACTIONS, EACH FIGHTING FOR SUPREMACY. THE MAJOR PLAYERS WERE FEW AND EACH WIELDED ENORMOUS POWER AND CONTROL.

IN ANY SERIOUS ORGANIZATION WHERE OPIOID SUBSTANCES WERE PREPARED, THERE WAS ALWAYS A COOK, HELPERS, AND AN OVERSEER.

BUT I DID NOT GO AS A PARLIAMENTARIAN OR AS A PERSON SEEKING DIRECT FINANCIAL GAIN AS THE SOLE SURVIVOR OF THE BRUTAL POGROM ON THE FARM. NOR WAS I GOING AS A REFUGEE. I WASN'T GOING AS A ROMANTIC. I WAS GOING AS A LOST SOUL YEARNING TO FIND MYSELF.

THE STREETS OF MONTEREY, WHERE I DECIDED TO STOP FOR A WHILE, WERE HOT AS HELL. AND I DECIDED I REALLY NEEDED TO STAY SOMEPLACE FOR A WHILE LONGER. PERHAPS AFTER ALL THESE EXPLANATIONS MANY HAD WONDERED JUST WHAT ANSWERS I NEEDED? THE MOSQUITOES WERE ALSO A HUGE AND BRUTAL PLAGUE. BUT APPARENTLY YOU COULDN'T DO WITHOUT THEM! APPARENTLY THE EARTH WAS THEIR PARADISE!

"IT WAS GOOD AGAIN THAT I BYPASSED THE SYUDAD HUARES, WHERE THE NUMBER OF MURDERS PER YEAR IS SEVERAL THOUSAND," I THOUGHT TO MYSELF. "EVEN THE MILITARY GARRISONS DEPLOYED ARE UNABLE TO CURB THE BRUTAL ARBITRARINESS AND VIOLENCE. I'VE HEARD THAT SOMETIMES THE BLOOD IN THE STREETS IS ALMOST LIKE A RIVER! IF THERE IS A HELL, IT IS HERE ON THIS EARTH!"

THE CITY WAS IMPRESSIVE FOR ITS ATMOSPHERE AND NOT LEAST ITS ARCHITECTURE, WHERE SO MANY STYLES MINGLED.

AND THEN I SAW HER - DRESSED IN RED, WITH A GENTLE AND BEAUTIFUL FACE. I HEADED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THIS WOMAN'S IMAGE WAS PRINTED ON A HUGE BANNER, AND UNDERNEATH SOME HAND HAD SCRAWLED THE RATHER UNREMARKABLE "CALL!". THERE WAS SOME NUMBER SCRAWLED ON IT, AND AFTER LOOKING AT MY HAND, I REALIZED IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE ONE ON THE BANNER.

I DECIDED TO DO IT AND THAT ACTION OF MINE TURNED MY LIFE AROUND.

NEW FRIENDS

CHAPTER THREE: NEW FRIENDS

 

DROVE ME TO ONE OF THE SUBURBS THAT WERE FULL OF LIFE. BY THE WAY, MONTERREY WAS THE CAPITAL OF THE NORTHEASTERN MEXICAN STATE OF NUEVO LEÓN AND WAS AN IMPORTANT ADMINISTRATIVE AND DISTRIBUTION CENTER. FROM WHAT MY EYES COULD SEE I FELT THAT I WAS ABOUT TO LEARN SOME INTERESTING THINGS.

THE DEPTH OF MY CONSCIOUSNESS WHISPERED TO ME THAT THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK. AND NOW I HAD NO USE FOR ANYONE. FELISTER HAD OBVIOUSLY REALISED THAT PERHAPS THINGS WERE ABOUT TO REACH A SIMILAR BOILING POINT, BUT HE HAD NEVER GIVEN US ANY INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO IF WE HAPPENED TO SINK UP TO OUR NECKS IN SHIT.

THE VOICE ON THE OTHER SIDE WHISPERED TO ME NOT TO THINK, BUT TO JUST FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS, AND NOT TO ASK TOO MANY QUESTIONS. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I DECIDED ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT TO TAKE IT COMPLETELY SERIOUSLY.

I WON'T DESCRIBE HOW I GOT TO ONE OF THE EXTREME NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE METROPOLIS, NAMELY SANTA CATARINA. I WAS TOLD TO WAIT THERE FOR A WHILE AND THEN LEAVE MONTEREY FOR GOOD. THIS DISCOURAGED ME. I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FINANCES, AND I WASN'T QUITE SURE WHAT ELSE I WAS SUPPOSED TO COME UP WITH, AND THEN I SAW HER AGAIN - IT WAS THE SAME WOMAN FROM THE BANNER. IT TURNED OUT TO BE SOME LOCAL MANNEQUIN - NOT VERY FAMOUS, BUT STILL WILLING TO HELP.

I ASKED HER, QUITE FRANKLY, AFTER WE SAT DOWN IN ONE OF THE LOCAL RESTAURANTS IN A PLACE THAT WAS THE LEAST CONSPICUOUS, WHAT THE HELL SHE WAS DOING ANYTHING FOR ME.

- "FELISTER, HE WAS MY UNCLE," SHE REPLIED SIMPLY.

"IF I WASN'T IN SUCH A WRETCHED STATE, I'D PROBABLY HAVE LAUGHED MYSELF HEALTHY. I WOULDN'T HAVE SCREAMED - LIKE AN INFERNAL CREATURE. I WOULD HOWL LIKE A WILD WOLF. LIKE A MORTALLY WOUNDED ANIMAL! SO THE EXISTENCE OF A MAN LIKE A FELISTER EVEN DEFIED THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.

- "I KNOW HE WAS VERY PARTICULAR," SHE LAUGHED SOURLY.

- "BUT I WONDER WHAT THE MATHEMATICAL PROBABILITY IS OF US GETTING STUCK IN A PLACE LIKE THIS," I ASKED HER, TRYING TO SOUND AS CASUAL AS POSSIBLE.

I DIDN'T BELIEVE IN CHANCE. FELISTER - THAT SICK, DERANGED, BRUTAL AND ARROGANT BASTARD MUST HAVE HAD SOME DASTARDLY PLAN AND CLEARLY HIS DIABOLICAL GAME WAS STARTING TO BEAR SOME FRUIT. "FILTHY SADIST!" THOUGHT I. "PITIFUL SEMBLANCE OF A MAN! AN ANIMAL! DEVILISH FREAK! DAMNED SATAN!"

- "YOUR CHANCE OF SALVATION IS ME," LAUGHED HIS NIECE AGAIN. "YOU MAY NOT LIKE TO BELIEVE IT, BUT FELISTER LOVED YOU LIKE A SON-WELL, IN HIS OWN WAY. AND IF I AM DOING THIS NOW IT IS NOT OUT OF LOVE FOR YOU, OR BECAUSE YOU ARE VERY AGREEABLE TO ME, BUT BECAUSE I AM SIMPLY DOING MY JOB."

- "Y-YES," SHE PRONOUNCED, LINGERINGLY, "YOU MUST BE WONDERING HOW I FOUND YOU. WELL, MORE ACCURATELY, YOU FOUND ME UNKNOWINGLY, FOLLOWING YOUR GUARDIAN'S INSTRUCTIONS."

I LOOKED AT HER GLASSY EYES AND IF I DIDN'T CONSIDER MYSELF A SOLID LITTLE MAN I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SCREAMED. THERE WAS SOMETHING PARTICULARLY STRANGE ABOUT HER WHOLE AURA.

- "YOU MEAN THE STRANGE AURA AROUND FELISTER LED ME HERE?," I ADDRESSED HER DIRECTLY.

- 'WELL, HIS DEATH WASN'T ENTIRELY UNEXPECTED," SHE ANSWERED ME UNPERTURBED.

I THOUGHT SHE WAS A BIT TOO SASSY, AND I WAS DEFINITELY A BIT ANNOYED. THE PLACE, WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN FULL, WAS NOW STRANGELY QUIET AND YOU COULD TELL THERE WAS NO ONE THERE.

- "I SENT THE STAFF AWAY," SHE YAWNED, AS IF READING MY THOUGHTS. - YOU PROBABLY EXPECT SOME ANSWERS, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO GET THEM YOURSELF. FELISTER WAS LIKE THAT. HE DIDN'T LIKE WEAKLINGS, MUCH LESS COWARDS. AND DIED SHROUDED IN MYSTERY!

I LISTENED TO HER AS IF SPELLBOUND. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO THINK, NOR HOW FAR I COULD TRUST HER.

HER LIPS WHISPERED ENCHANTING WORDS WHICH AT THE SAME TIME WERE NOT AT ALL DEVOID OF MEANING