Thread: Black Widow : Assignment Colombia [DeRe & Celebstars]

In the silence of his antique-paneled office Astardo could find some solace from his distractions. He had set no limit on the time and money expended to decorate the private space. The wooden paneling was from a former mansion in Medellin, while the impressive variety of Spanish colonial art had been assembled by fair acquisition and open thievery. He had taken the chair from the office of a High Court judge who had shown for come after him. The judge now laid entombed in concrete beneath a local swimming pool, while his extremely comfortable chair now warmed Astardo's haunches. One way or another, he was a man who always got what he wanted. A neat pile of folders lay carefully stacked on the table's green felt surface. Despite the powerful computer that side by one side, Astardo was staunchly old-school that insisted and everything was done by hand. He reviewed the files, noting with satisfaction how they recorded the steady growth of his enterprises. The bookkeeping was immaculate and studiously honest, and Astardo smiling wryly at the thought his accountant was more loyal than his mistress. His short attention span expired quickly when looking over figures, and once assured of his profits he stashed the folders in a desk drawer with disinterest. He felt unsettled, an unusual and unwelcome experience for the normally unshakeable druglord. Carolina's betrayal had hit him harder than had expected. It was hardly the first time he had dispatched a mistress in a brutal fashion, but on this occasion he felt the slight worse than usual. He reflected on the fact he was perhaps beginning to soften in his middle-age. Something was needed to revitalize him, he thought. A bolt of excitement to drive off the melancholy fug which descended on him like the morning mists in the valley below. But what this tonic would be exactly, he could not decide. As Lupez entered the room with the tray, the distant and muffled report of gunshots rang out. The elegant butler laid out a selection of crisp fried empanadas and the bottle of aguardiente. As he poured out a glass the sharp rattle of machinegun fire continued for a few moments then died away. Astardo picked up a glass, surveying it meditatively as he swirled the clear liqueur about. Neither man spoke but both knew what the sound portended. A group of laborers had been caught earlier that day preparing for an escape after being interrogated to learn the extent of the conspiracy they had been summarily shot. It was a clear message to the staff of the entire compound. Astardo pushed the plate away and stood up. Apologies to Freda, I'm not in the mood for her excellent empanadas right now. Lupez nodded, taking up the tray with the fried snack but leaving the bottle. With velvet silence he quickly left the room again, knowing his master's mood was taking a turn for the worse. Astardo himself took several slugs of the aguardiente, then drew out a golden case from one of his drawers. It contained his personal stash, an exceptional batch of genetically engineered coke. He poured out and snorted a hefty line, letting the explosive dazzle of the drug clarify and sharpen his thoughts.