06-17-2014, 12:42 PM
The Estande estate dominated the slums below. The mere presence of clear water and green grass set it beyond any heights its distant neighbours could ever hope to achieve. The lonely bastion of paradise was overrun with armed men and women looking down upon the infested city with distrust and disdain.
“What happened here?”
Damien asked in a whisper. The sight of the sprawling metropolis in decay was unsettling. His memories of the city were vague at best but this was beyond what he had imagined from Gamez’s descriptions.
The man himself sat adjacent to Damien. In a wafer thin hand he held a glass of red wine. His dark skin was as hard and creased as leather adding at least a decade to his 53 years of life. Gamez Estande did not look down at the city. Brown eyes full of pain were reserved for Damien only. “I ask myself the same question every day,”
he said with a forlorn sigh. “Corruption, crime, poverty, disaster. It seems God has seen fit to punish my dear Mexico for its sins.”
“Why ask for my help then? I am a murderer and fugitive.”
Gamez chuckled softly and sipped at his wine. “As most of us here are, Damien. I know all about your past, who you are, where you came from.” A slight pause. “What you did that day.”
Damien raised an eyebrow. “That day? It has been almost a decade. I am surprised you found anything noteworthy.”
“So was I. I did not think I would see something so similar. You know, I had a son. You remind me of him.”
“Ah, I see. My condolences, Gamez. Yet, you still haven’t answered my question.”
Damien had since learned of the epidemic that had swept the world and the gifts it had granted to those who overcame it. A curious mystery but one he had no desire to unravel, particularly not when Mexico City in all of its glory spanned as far as he could see.
Gamez sighed, looking tired. “Because I am a weak man, Damien. I cannot bear the thought of Rosita living like this for her entire life. She was such a sweet child with a smile as beautiful as the morning sun. I would do anything to see her smile again.”
Damien understood the desire. He had felt it for eight years. This man’s pain had lasted far longer. “Why not seek the Ascendancy? He has power beyond what I can offer.”
“The Custody is content to watch and wait. They care nothing for our people, but you understand. You have felt the pain of injustice. You have achieved the impossible. It is a risk, but I am a desperate man.”
Damien’s nod was decisive. The most crucial piece had fallen into place and there was no turning back. “Very well, it shall be done.”