The First Age

Ricky drove and kept calm which was a harder feat to do than you would have expected. Inside he was seething. He kept his cool when he was approached by various Nuevo Leon thugs and kept their cover story quite well. He kept in mind that now wasn't the time to reveal them selves. It would be a mistake to take on one of the biggest cartels in the city. It didn't change the fact that it was Ricky's city, and these assholes were causing the corrosion of it.

They arrived at the Brothel which was really a diamond in the rough. El Sanguinario was a dick, but he knew how to keep his property looking well to do. It gave those who visited a false sense of security.

Jacinda recommended going to the nearby cantina - also owned by the Nuevo Leons. Ricky nodded his head in agreement. He didn't like going there, however. He didn't want his money to fund their criminal organization, but he had to get intel and not drinking in the cantina would look suspicious.

The cantina was actually on the same property as the Villa, so Ricky wasn't surprised when they entered to see the clearly drugged out girls - and they were girls too, not women - clad only in bras and panties with their "clients." The brothel allowed their clients to go get a drink before they played - after all, they charged by the hour. They weren't exactly worried about people taking the girls away either. Those who did had significantly shortened life-spans if they even made it out of the compound.

It took a significant amount of effort for Ricky to not show his disgust, but it wasn't enough to prevent his right hand from clenching. No one would have been able to see it, except for Jacinda maybe. He approached the bar and offered the bar keep a smile.

"Una cerveza, por favor."


The bar keep nodded and handed Ricky a bottle of beer. He sat down and began to sip at it. He would let Jacinda order her own drink. She was a big girl and could handle it.

He kept on his smile, despite his feelings. Jacinda likely knew his true feelings on the place and would probably see through it herself. He turned to her and spoke in English. "So we can listen for rumors..."


As he began to speak, a man entered, babbling. Ricky could barely discern what he was saying. He was stripped down to his boxers and bleeding. The scratch marks were indicative of something with claws, but a lot of things could cause suck marks. Ricky caught words such as "large bat" and "dinosaur." The words caused some people to snicker, although the "prostitutes" looked at the man with glazed over eyes and confusion.

He heard the words "crazy" and "cutter" passed around a lot and the bar keep shouted orders to the bouncers, who removed the man from the location. One of them picked up a phone and made a call, while the other stayed outside with the man. Whether the man was calling more thugs or an ambulance, he did not know. As he didn't know how the man managed to escape the Quetz alive.


Edited by Enrique, Dec 5 2014, 04:30 PM.

They walked into the cantina and the atmosphere was palpable. However clean and maintained this and the brothel were, you just couldn't wash away the sense of filth that came from the flesh trade.

Jacinda was no prude and she had seen more than her share of how screwed up the world was. She saw the glassy eyed looks of the girls in their lingerie- some not having the figures to look proper in them and felt her stomach turn.

She remembered Regan, when she was 12. He had treated her like a woman. He hadn't drugged her or abused her or anything. These girls had been kidnapped or sold or had been born into this life. They were nothing but toys.

She wanted nothing more than to burn this place to the ground. She looked over at Ricky and despite his attempt at composure, she could tell he felt the same way. Perhaps they would. She definitely knew she'd find a nice decoy for the queztal.

They went up to the bar and both ordered a drink. She got a light beer. She needed her wits tonight. A man burst in and made a scene that was quickly smoothed over. They were definitely on the right track. She wanted to follow after the guy but he was bundled out of there but knew that might draw too much attention.

So....they needed info. She watched the patrons- most of them men of various ages, all dressed well. Probably divided between wealthy patrons and those higher up in the cartel.

The girls would be a better source. It wouldn't be unrealistic for patrons to peruse the "merchandise"- the word left a sick feeling in her stomach- and she relayed her idea to Ricky. "We need to talk to the girls. See which one looks to be lucid enough to talk but not enough not to sell us out."


While she was sure not all the girls would do that, it was a distinct possibility. Slavery sometimes did that sort of thing to a person, made you wanna curry favor with your captors to avoid punishment or receive some momentary reprieve or reward. She couldn't blame them, really, but she wasn't gonna let them do it either.

She pushed away from the bar and started walking to a couple of the girls to get a read on them.

Ricky listened to what Jacinda said, but his eyes were on another "patron." He didn't stare, but he couldn't help but look. The man was with a girl, maybe ten or eleven. He was feeling the girl up and it took every ounce of his strength to not go over and beat the man as he kissed her. The girl, however, was pushing away from him. The drugs she was on was beginning to wear off and she fought him.

The man became angry and slapped the girl, Ricky looked away from the scene reluctantly, opening his other senses. He could hear the girl crying and asking for mercy. He heard another slap before the cartel people intervened. The girl quieted, drugs entering her system again and trying to get the man to calm down. The man was a regular - they knew his name and Ricky picked up on it - Ricardo Diaz. Well Ricardo Diaz would soon find out karma was a bitch. He listened for more. They offered him someone else, later for free for the inconvenience. With some reluctance, Diaz accepted. He would come back at 11:00 PM. Good to know.

Ricky was finding it difficult to not loose control and so as he followed Jacinda, he took her hand lacing his fingers around hers. Part of it was to keep up their facade that they had started on the way here. The other part was to give himself some strength. He gently squeezed sending along the message. He kept their cover going through his head like a mantra. We are partners looking for a 'good time'


They had been whispering, but Ricky spoke a little louder, keeping up the whispering, but allowing the nearby pimp, he could only have been a pimp as he had been one who had helped calm down Ricardo - hear them. "You get to choose, sweety."
He gave Jacinda a smile, but inside his stomach was riled up. He could play the role even though he didn't like it. He squeezed Jacinda's hand again. He went a little farther by giving a nod to a girl that might fit her requirements. "What about her hon?"


The pimp or whatever they called those fucking bastards that "made the sale" approached them. "Can I help you two?"

"My girlfriend and I were just looking, we'll let you know when we are ready."
To be honest, Ricky had no problem 'buying' one of them. If nothing else he could save her for a moment from getting taken by one of the real perverts.


Edited by Enrique, Dec 9 2014, 06:48 PM.

Ricky was upset to the point that Jacinda was worried he was going to blow their cover. These guys were 'professional' people readers. Ricky's disgust and anger was gonna get noticed.

He took her hand and attempted to seem more couple like. She squeezed back, trying to will him to relax. One thing at a time. He was young, led as much by his emotions as by his head. She remembered being that way once upon a time. She was human after all, and seeing girls abused like that touched a nerve with her too. But they had a job to do.

She breathed in deeply and took all her emotion and compassion and anger and placed it in a box and sealed that box tight. Regan had taught it to her, years ago, the ability to go dead inside and focus on what needed doing instead of the myriad things demanding your attention, your energy, your emotion. Boxing it all up, sealing it up, squeezing and squeezing until it seemed to be an infinite point.

And then, when the time was right, releasing it all in one beautiful, sensual, cathartic explosion of emotion and power and life and blood. It was ecstasy. The point was deep this time. This would be good.

She smiled at his attempts to play the role. He was doing good, given the circumstances.

She lifted their entwined hands and touched it with the other. She feigned predatory joy. "I get to choose."
she said softly as her eyes ran over the girls.

She noted the one Ricky pointed out but kept looking. It was something specific, something almost hard to put into words. She'd know it when she saw it. Spark of intelligence, desperation, and the flicker of hope. A newer girl, most likely, one that hadn't been broken yet, one that still watched everything, listened to everything, remembered everything.

There. The girl was maybe 11. Not broken yet. She stepped forward and the girl flinched but didn't step back. Brave. The smile on her lips was genuine. She allowed herself just the sliver of an emotion- delight. This girl would be perfect.

She gently lifted the girl's chin. "What's your name, sweety?"
Fear swam in the girl's eyes and she answered with a whisper.

"Marta" She smiled kindly at the girl. It was not out of character for a client to feign kindness to the child, though in Jacinda's and Ricky's case, it was truth.

Without looking away she raised her voice to Ricky. "Marta will do."
Then she looked at Ricky with a feigned smile. "This one. Pay the man, hon, so we can go."


Ricky nodded and turned to the man in charge. She took note of him too. Very likely he would do just fine for when they were near the caves. When they were paid up for the girl and a room- taking them off premises was much more expensive and required a security deposit to guarantee return in relatively good condition- they headed out the door.

The girl was scared. Jacinda put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be ok, sweety,"
she said softly. She was sure customers said that all the time. This time, though, it happened to be true.

Ricky paid the man, keeping his cool as he did so and walked with Jacinda and Marta to whatever room they needed to go to. Jacinda tried to calm the girl down, but the girl was probably used to getting ravaged after people feigned kindness. Ricky could see Marta's hands shaking.

They were led to a bedroom that was lavishly decorated. Artwork hung on the walls and in the middle was a four poster bed with canopy. Other furniture ran around the room - sofas, chairs, and dressers. A table sat on the left side of the room and it held a tray with a pitcher of ice water and some glasses. Next to it was a liquor cabinet.

"Can...can I get you a drink?" Marta said, her voice shaking. She picked up the pitcher and her hands were shaking so hard that ice rattled and some water spilled on the floor. The girl put down the pitcher and started shaking as she hugged herself. She looked like she was about to cry and her fear increased. She expected them to punish her for her mistake.

"It's okay, Marta."
Ricky said, and moved towards the bed. The girl misread his motion and began to take the bra off. "You don't have to do that either."
Ricky said as he pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around the young girl. She looked up into Ricky's eyes, confusion and then looked down quickly. Ricky's blood boiled, but he kept calm. He couldn't get angry in front of the girl - it would only scare her more.

The girl remained silent, but she still have some fight left in her. "You're...you're not gonna hurt me?"

"Not at all, niña."
Ricky's eyes showed nothing but compassion.

He could see her uncertainty, but the shaking diminished. Ricky walked to Jacinda and spoke quietly to her. "I need to calm down. can you start this?"
Ricky could feel the blood running through his veins in anger. She was just a child - how could anyone do this?

Jacinda watched Ricky walk away. Poor kid. He needed to learn how to concentrate his emotions into a pinpoint and hide it away. It would be there for later. It always was. She'd have to teach him. He wasn't a bad hunter, for all his youth and brag. Just needed seasoning. These kinds of jobs did that.

She dismissed Ricky from her mind and turned to the girl. She wasn't a mothering sort, but she did know how to speak to people. Especially to kids. It was what she'd learned from Regan and had honed over the years. You find what they are most hungry for, deep down in their hearts, and you fill that first. Once that's done, there's trust and you can go from there.

For this little girl who was only 11 and still had enough fight in her not to sell them out to her bosses, it was pretty clear.

She crouched down in front of the girl and arranged the blanket around her so she was fully covered. It wasn't thick and the weather wasn't cold. but it was a barrier none-the-less. Being covered made her feel safe and not on display, not exposed. Then a kind smile. "Where is your mother, nina?"


The girl looked afraid to answer. Jacinda sat cross legged on the floor. "My mother is dead. She was killed a very long time ago."
She didn't really think about her mother much. It had been so long ago. When she did, it was more about her revenge, the way she and Regan had stalked that old roug and made him pay. And afterwards. She never really thought about her life as Jacinda Nolan. That little girl had died that night. But every once in a while, she'd remember snippets of that life, of her time with her mom and dad, when it was peaceful and fun. She let herself think of that now.

"Sometimes I miss them. We used to camp a lot. We'd sit around the campfire and my dad would play his guitar and we'd just look at the stars."
She looked up at the girl. "Do you miss your mother?"


The girl's eyes were glassy with tears and she put her head down and began to cry softly. Jacinda could hear her muffled words through the sniffs and the sobbing. "Yes, I miss my mommy. I miss her."

Jacinda got up and sat on the bed next to her and tentatively touched her shoulder. The girl flinched but that was it. Jacinda hugged her to her and let her cry for a little while. Any emotion she felt was added to her box, compressed down tight. She couldn't help feel a little bit of excitement lance through her as she looked forward to unleashing it.

When the girl quieted she looked up at Jacinda through tear stained eyes. The make-up had run. Jacinda reached for tissue and dabbed gently at the girl's face while holding it gently with her other hand.

"Ricky and I are going to try to get you out of here."
Her eyes lit up and Jacinda put a finger over her lips. "But first we need your help."


The girl nodded vigorously. "Anything anything. Just take me home, please."

Jacinda smiled at her. "We will sweetheart, we will. But first we need you to tell us about this place."
She smiled conspiratorially. "I know you've been paying attention because you hope to escape."


Marta smiled through her tears, now strong and defiant. "Yes! Yes, I watch. What do you need to know?"

Jacinda laughed. "Clever girl."
She called Ricky back into the room. When he came he looked like he had gotten himself under control. She smiled at him. "Our girl Marta is gonna help us."
The girl nodded vigorously and smiled.

"Ok, Marta, first, how many men are there? How many with guns?"
They needed to know everything before they proceeded. They'd get to the quetzal once they had the lay of the land. Jacinda needed her decoy. And to know where the attacks were coming from and when.

Ricky stepped.out of the room and breathed. He hadn't remembered any time when he had felt as pissed off as he was now. He stood outside the room, letting Jacinda take the lead. She would probably be able to calm the girl down easier being a woman. He was sure it would be difficult for Marta to trust him given her circumstances.

He had heard about the cartels and what they had done to young girls, but seeing it firsthand had been a different experience. He had no idea how Jacinda had remained so calm. Seeing the girl get slapped by Clad had angered him, and then seeimg Marta so scared...it had a profound effect on him.

He knew he had to do something. He and Jacinda would be Marta's last "clients." He had to get her out of here, but had no idea what to do afyerwards. Hopefully he could find her parents and then what? Get them out of the country? The Nuevo Leons would persue the family, if they were even still alive.

He pushed those thoughts aside and renetered the room as Jacinda called for him. Marta had been crying, but Ricky saw a new found courage in the girl's eyes. She was a fighter. She even smiled at him and Ricky gave her an encouraging smile back. It wasgood to see her smile. He had to get her out of here.

Marta wanted to help them and she spoke quietly. "Some have guns amd some hide them in their coats.I don't know how many. I'm sorry." Marta dropped her gaze.

"It's okay, niña. Just whatever you know."


She raised her eyes and smiled before wqlking up to Ricky and hugging him. It must have been awhile since anyone had been nice to her. He returned the hug and she let go before continuing. Late at night, new guys come in and the other ones leave. Lately they've had to get newer ones. Some.of.them have been disappearing."

Ricky gave Jacinda a knowing look. Seemed like their prey was nearby. "Can you tell us which man is in charge here?"


Marta slunk back into herself and the fear returned. Ricky knelt next to her andplaced his hand on her shoulder. "Its okay, niña."


She looked up at him again. He could still see the deifiance she felt for her captors in her eyes. "We don't know his name. We call him Diablo. He's really mean..." Even with the defiance, he could tell she was scared.

Ricky smiled at her again, encoraging her. She gave him another hug and then moved to Jacinda again. "You guys are really nice." Ricky smiled. It was good to see the girl smile.

Ricky came back and the girl seemed calm for the moment. Jacinda knew it wouldn't last. You don't live in a brothel as a child without some severe PTSD. Jacinda fed more into that box and focused. At least they be able get good information from her.

She knelt down by the girl on the bed and pulled out her wallet and set it in drawing projection mode, a virtual sheet of paper appearing.. "Alright sweety. Can you draw me a picture of this place?"


She looked at the wallet and the projection with wide eyes, as if it was magic. Probably had been poor before she'd been kidnapped or sold into this. "I can try. They don't let us wander around." She seemed eager to help. A promise of escape from this hell-hole would do that.

She began drawing and pointing out what the rooms were. Jacinda labeled them quickly. It looked like there were three floors but Marta only had been to two of them. The top floor was off-limits to the girls. A lot of bedrooms though, furnished like this. The basement was where the girls were kept, packed into rooms like sardines.

Marta's mood was starting to slip as she drew and talked. She'd been in a lot of the bedrooms in the year she had been here and pointing them out seemed to make her relive the memories. At least those she could remember, since they forced them to use drugs and alcohol many times. At least sometimes, anyway. Some clients liked them scared. More went into that box in her head.

She put her hand on the girl's shoulder and she flinched. She looked at Ricky a bit more frequently too. They were running out of time. In a reassuring voice she went on, "You're doing great sweety. Just a few more questions and then we can try to get out of here."
She had a two small guns in the sides of her knee high black boots. They didn't hold much in the way of ammunition. Hopefully enough at least until they could get back to Ricky's car for the actual hunt.

And she had a little something special in her pocket too. For her little side thing. "Last thing, Marta. Can you tell me about the man who runs this place? The one who lets you go with customers?"


Marta's eyes widened with fear. Their window of gathering intel from her was closing. "El Diablo. The man from the cantina." Jacinda could imagine how he'd earned that nickname. Yeah, he'd do.

She took both of Marta's shoulders in her hand and smiled at her. "Ok, Marta. Listen to me. I have to go for a minute. I need to get something, ok?"
The girl's face dropped and she looked terrified as her head swung to Ricky's.

"Please, no! Please, please please!," she cried, clinging to her hands. "I promise I'll be good. Don't leave me alone!" Jacinda tried to calm her. She wasn't really sure how to do it. She looked at Ricky with frustration. He started to move to the girl and she freaked out.

"Stay back Ricky! She doesn't wanna be touched by you!"
She should've softened her words but she hadn't thought of that until after they'd come out. She wasn't going to apologize though. "She thinks this is a trick, a game we're playing with her."
Looking at Marta she tried to smile reassuringly. "I promise I'll be right back. We aren't here to hurt you."
She looked around the room for inspiration and saw a closet door.

She looked back at Marta. "Why don't you hide in the closet? Ok? Just go in the closet. I'll shut the door and you'll be safe in there."
Of course Ricky could just open it, but it was something at least. She calmed a little, head swinging between their faces and the door. Then she nodded slowly, trying to get herself under control. The fear was in her eyes though. "I promise you, I will be right back and then we'll go. Ok?"
Inwardly she smiled at how well she was doing. Who knew she had this in her? Maybe she'd get a mother of the year award.

She stood and took Marta by the hand while taking the thick blanket off the bed and led her to the door. "Get in. Go to the very back and sit down, ok?"
She looked small sitting in the corner. She knelt down and wrapped the blanket around her. "You're a strong girl. That's why I picked you. Trust me. I'll be right back."
She looked back at Ricky and then back to Marta. "Ricky is a good man. He won't hurt you, I promise."
The girl nodded hesitantly, the terror still there, though more subdued.

Jacinda stood and stepped back. "I'm going to close the door, ok? You'll be safe here. And I'll be the only one who opens it. Not even Ricky will touch the door."


She nodded again. "Ok."

Jacinda shut the door carefully. Then she turned to Ricky. "Don't take it personally. She's afraid to trust us."
At his nod, she went to a mirror and looked at herself, talking as she untucked and unbuttoned her shirt and rebuttoned it crookedly. "I'm going to get us some insurance and a way out of here."
She messed up her hair and pinched her cheeks a few times. Then she went to the liquor and spilled some of it on her shirt. Perfect.

She nodded to the door. "Make sure she's safe."


And then she went to the door and opened it, walking outside into the hall, making sure to stumble a bit. The hallway was empty but she was sure there were cameras. Now to get to the cantina.


Edited by Jacinda, Dec 20 2014, 04:01 PM.

Ricky was sad as Jacinda left. Not because she left, but because of Marta. The poor girl was scared to death and he wanted nothing more than to help her. He wanted to take her away from this place and back to her family...that is if they weren't the ones who sold her into this life.

She was scared of him, and he understood why, but the idea still made him sad. She shouldn't have to feel scared of him. Ricky was caring less and less for the hunt. He would kill the quetz, of course, but the excitement he had felt before was gone, replaced with anger and sadness.

He couldn't contemplate what Marta had gone through. She was just a child. He wondered if she had ever played games with other kids and did...well kid stuff. The injustice of it was sickening.

The tears came of their own accord, brought unbidden by his emotional state. The fact that somebody thought to do this was terrible enough. That feeling was multiplied as Ricky thought that someone actually did it. Ricky wiped the tears from his eyes, but hearing Marta whimpering in the closet did little to help his mood.

She deserved better. All of these girls did. He needed to find a way to save them and get them the justice he deserved. The face of Gustavo Perez, Ricky would no longer refer to him by his nickname, came into his thoughts and fueled a deep anger within him. It was hard to think, but Ricky knew he'd have to do something.

Jacinda made her way to the Cantina. The few guards she saw didn't do more than look her over appreciatively. People heading back to the bar was pretty normal. To them, she'd just be letting her guy have a little alone time.

She made sure not to look really out of it, though. She mostly wanted to appear like she'd been partying, not like she was about to pass out. She had no illusions about the kinds of things these guys might try, if they thought they could get away with it. Part of her kinda wanted them to. She'd open that box a little and, well, then they'd see what it's like.

But she had to stay focused on the job at hand. They needed a way out with the girl. Easiest thing would be to rent her off premises for the night. But that would cost a lot more. And she really wanted to take Diablo with them.

She saw the man sitting with a few others at a table, drinking and talking. She went up to him and the table looked up at her. She was glad she was a woman. Despite her height and strength, most men dismissed her. Especially here in Mexico where the kind of guys running the scene thought with their little dicks. Machismo and all that bullshit. Ricky woulda had a harder time of it, she was sure.

She made her voice soft and showed mild worry on her face. "Excuse me. There's been a problem with the girl. We gave her some of the wine and she started convulsing."
She could've said more but it was better to be simple about it. Too much explanation was suspicious. "I saw you get that other guy a replacement, so..."


The man scowled. They were new customers, after all. Not regulars. "Not unless she can't go." He stood up. "We'll go and check her first. Then I decide." He nodded to two of the guys at the table and they joined him. To the others "Go check out the supply. If someone's trying to put us out of business, I want to know." The other men left. Cartel wars over business and turf being what they were, it was not unheard of.

They walked back to the room, Jacinda making sure to maintain the illusion that she had been drinking. Now that she was with these men who were on an errand, she didn't need to worry about looking like rape bait for some bored guards. She stumbled once and grabbed on to one of their arms for support. "Sorry"
she said. The man looked at her and she could see the idea in his eye. Mentally she smiled and shook her head. Idiots.

They got to the door and as they opened it, she stumbled again, this time enough to dip into her boots to pull out her guns. They walked passed her into the room and she followed quickly, shutting the door. Ricky was sitting on the bed and looked up in surprise. They turned back to look at her just as she shot the two guards in the head. The suppressors they made these days were amazing. Not like when she was younger.

They dropped like bags of dirt. Her gun was trained on Diablo now. "Don't even think about it."
His face was dark with rage, but she just smirked at him. She looked at Ricky. "Marta ok?"
The shock on his face was hilarious. At his wide-eyed assurance, she said, "Take his gun. And whatever else he has."
Likely knives, with a name like Diablo.

Ricky did and Jacinda put one gun away. They didn't have much time. She pulled her hypostick from her back pocket and stepped to Diablo and slapped it to his neck in one quick move. He clapped his hand to his neck. "What is going on! Do you know where you are? Who I am?"


Jacinda gave him a big smile and made her voice soft. "I know exactly who you are, Diablo."
She put on a mock-concerned voice. "If I were you, I'd be more concerned about who we are and what I've just done to you."
A glimmer of fear appeared, though he masked it well.

"I've just given you a particularly painful poison. You'll probably start to feel it in about 10 minutes. And that means you have 20 more minutes to live."
She smiled nastily. "Only 20 minutes....but it will feel like forever. Hell for the devil? Yes?"


The look on his face said he believed her. "What do you want?" he said, a bit more shakily. He was not used to being challenged like this.

"I have the antidote at my place. We're gonna go there. You, me, my friend. And Marta,"
she said nodding at the closet. She stepped into his face and looked him in the eye. She was the same height. "Just one thing to remember. If anything happens to us- and I mean anything- you will die in agony. So I wouldn't waste any time. The clock is ticking."


There was sweat on the man's head. He knew she was serious. She'd just shot his men in the head like it was nothing. And no doubt he was familiar with poisons, what with the assassinations that went on in these cartel wars. "Si. I accept. I will take you."

She patted his cheek. "Such a smart man. I can see why you run this place. Just remember. If we don't get out alive, you, at least, will die. In very great pain, remember."
And then, as if it was nothing, she added. "I'm sure you've made enemies, doing this. You might want to think about your own daughters, if you have any. I'm sure they would not like being the latest addition to this place."


The fear in his eyes was clear now. She nodded. "I think we have an understanding."
She holstered her gun. To Ricky, "Watch this guy ok? I'll get Marta."


She went to the closet and opened it. Marta was there and there was relief in her eyes. She stood up slowly but didn't say anything. "Alright, Marta, we're going to leave now. But first, you need to know, there's a man out here. But he can't hurt you, I promise."
Better to let her see Diablo and his dead guards. They really didn't have a lot of time to convince a crying girl.

She stepped out with the girl in hand and then felt her stiffen and pull back. "It's ok. I killed his guards. And he knows that unless he helps us, he's going to die too."
He'd die anyway, but Marta didn't need to know that. And thankfully, the bodies did what their words couldn't. Convinced Marta they were serious about getting her out of here.

Ricky would probably whine that showing an 11 year old two men with their brains blown out wasn't the best idea. But they really didn't have time to convince her.