The Serpents

There were three trucks parked in alignment along the runway of an abandoned hangar. In those trucks hid a variety of weaponry and a collection of armed men and women. There was no movement whatsoever, no sound but the crickets and the whispers of a dreadful night. Seconds passed by and a trail of gentle smoke rose from one of the rolled up windows of one of the trucks, the one at the center. The window rolled down moments after, a delicate hand rests on the surface with a cigarette between the fingers. The Queen Viper once again tastes the nicotine of her cigarette as the anticipated lights kf an aircraft appeared in the distance sky up north.

A sound fills the silent sky and all eyes look up. The silence is finally broken and in the distance, pairs of lights were seen by all. A white plane introduces itself egotistically upon the dusty air. The whirling roars of the engine loudly overwhelmed the wide scope of desert and savanna. No one stirred, not a single one. Everyone that was present within the trucks waited until the visiting plane had landed safely. All eyes were on it as it landed smoothly and slowed down to a stop, the engines dying. Cautiousness was overwhelming and suffocating despite the wide span of land and cold and dusty air as the silent watchers in the trucks armed and ready waited. Then the air-stairs deployed before the door finally opened. But for a moment there was no movement. Brazen winds and tense stares occupied the night.

The truck at the center signals its headlights three times. A pistol cocks, breaking the silence. The cigarette fell from the woman’s fingers as a man in an angel white suit came into view from the entrance of the plane. Two men of gigantic height and brusque, wearing black suits guarded the white-suited man with stoic and unreadable expressions, their weaponry visible on their holsters and in their hands. And only one thing caught the eye of the Queen Viper and her serpents—the two leather suitcases the bodyguards were carrying. And within that locked item out of reach, housed billions of dollars.

The Queen Viper, the heart of the operation cocks her pistol and returns it to its holster. She eyed the suitcase and the men that accompanied the elder man in the angel white suit. The man with snowy white hair was called the White Wolf, the interested buyer and one of the most wanted men in the south. One bad move would lead to a possible slaughter. The Queen Viper, the leader of the Serpents organization took the risk of bargaining with a deadly mafia leader in the southern state for the grandest and most dangerous deal in Serpent history. But to the minds of all its members, the billions of dollars in the suitcase would be a blessing to each of them. Agreements among the organization that sold weaponry legally and illegally were unanimous and the Queen Viper, guarded by the best among the rankings were willing to go against the tide.

Beside her sat one of her best, and her closest friend Robert aka the Rattlesnake. He breaks the silence by raising the walkie-talkie to his lips, telling their men in the other trucks to standby. The White Wolf stops halfway down the runway and the Queen Viper exhales, stepping out of the truck.

“Queen Viper on the move, Serpents; standby. Green Cobra, copy.” Robert spoke, exiting the vehicle while on the other truck to the left another exits at the signal. Magnus, aka the Green Cobra, is another of the Serpent’s high-ranking members and another close friend of the queen. Her most trusted had now taken their place on each of her side, their hands free but their weapons ready for any form of misconduct.

The Queen Viper stops a few feet from the White Wolf, half-smiles exchanged as formality.

“Everything you asked for is in the trucks behind me Mr. Wolf," she begins, placing her hand on top of the other against her abdomen. "I will hand them to you once the payment is confirmed to be the right amount and given to one of the men beside me. My men will even be so courteous as to put them all, each casing and each individual weapon into your plane.”

“Your charm is intoxicating but I like that,” The White Wolf chuckled. “And I also like that you get down to business, get this over and done with with both parties leaving with smiles on their faces. Can you see my boys smiling?”

The two rugged men beside him remained still despite of the stupid joke, wearing dark sunglasses like goofs and their stances intimidating. The Queen Viper knew that they were staring at her intently and the weapons that rests in each holster.

“The money first, Wolf, and you get your weapons. Nothing more.” The Queen Viper reminded.

“Of course, of course. But first I would like to see the weapons; everything that I ordered perfectly organized and ready for some of my boys inside the plane to take back home.”

“A whole truck load. Everything you asked for is in every single one behind me, all filled to the brink.” She glanced to Magnus and Robert, giving them both a nod. “Rob, tell the Serpents to turn the trucks around and show ’em.”

Rob picked up his two-way radio and commandeered the men to maneuver the trucks in reverse. Soon all three trucks had the back doors open, revealing massive cases and crates of weaponry. The eyes of the White Wolf seemed to glimmer despite the dullness of his irises as he saw the expensive arms.

“So do we have a deal, Mr. Wolf?” The Queen Viper asked one last time, growing impatient by the minute. Her eyes were fixated on the suitcase with a desperate heart as the Wolf loomed hauntingly, enjoying the delay.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Queen Viper.” The Wolf finally said, taking one of the suitcases and immediately the Serpents reacted, stiffening along with the Queen Viper.

The two suitcases mattered more than the weaponry they were willing to exchange. The billions of dollar that rests in a fairly large leather container was the hope of the Queen Viper and her Serpents as a form of saving grace. It was their biggest break-through and biggest risk.

“Hank,” The White Wolf called his man to his right. “Call the other men to transfer the weapons to the plane.”

The Queen Viper watched impatiently as Hank pressed the button on his earpiece and ordered the rest of the hidden party to come into view. The Serpents prepared themselves, cautious at the numbers that slowly came out one by one from the plane. About ten heavily armed men reached their boss as the lock of the suitcase clicked. The tension increased as his men equaled the Serpents.

“I want my money, Mr. Wolf. You’ve seen the weapons and my patience is growing thin.” The Queen Viper hissed. “The longer the wait the more chances you won’t receive them.”

“You will get your money.” The White Wolf smirked his accent thick with a bit of ‘v’ sound on the ‘w’.

The White Wolf gave the suitcase back to Hank. The Queen Viper never left the gaze of the White Wolf, a silent battle between two powerful opposing forces but neither one planned to submit to the other.

The Queen Viper didn’t like the numbers that emerged from the plane. She sensed that something was off, her heart rate increasing by the second as the White Wolf’s men drew closer. Heavily armed and obviously prepared for a bloodbath, the Queen Viper hadn’t come without preparing herself and the White Wolf was yet to witness first and last the power of the Queen.

She stood firm as his men hauled the weaponry to and fro from the trucks to the plane. For a good thirty minutes, she remained stoic and still. Beside her, Magnus and Robert barely moved as they held their weapons close to their chest. Her Serpents in the trucks, scattered about stayed vigilant.

The night air had grown colder.

“Are you satisfied?” the Queen Viper raised a brow.

“Most definite,” the White Wolf replied and he flicked his wrist and pointed to me.

His men that held the heavy duty suitcases were handed to Magnus and Robert. Finally. The queen could finally breathe and retreat with her children with the million dollars she promised.

“It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Queen Viper.” The White Wolf grinned, fox-like.

“Likewise.”

And the rest was history. In a millisecond, the White Wolf withdrew his gun from his hidden holster and aimed at the Queen Viper. He took the shot, and she only had her hand to her weapon in reflex when the gunshot was initiated. A Serpent member threw himself between the Queen and the Wolf, a restrained grunt coming from him as he fell on the ground.

Soon, it as open-fire. In a rage, the Queen had her magnum in hand and aimed at the Wolf, barely leaving any ammo unused. But his men were quick to shield him, taking the shots as he was rapidly led away toward the plane.

The Queen put down her weapon and quickly tended to the fallen Serpent. Robert lie helpless with a bullet hole to the stomach and he heaved trying to get up.

“Stay down, Robert!” She commanded, putting pressure on the wound and his blood seeped through her fingers. “Where’s Gomez?” She shouted in a fright, taking a hold of Robert’s hand, squeezing it tight.

“Donna, I’m fine,” He grunted.

“Quiet! And don’t move!” She shouted, glancing back to her men that were still firing against the White Wolf’s men.

Magnus shielded both Donna and Robert as the raging of bullets destroyed the silence of the dusty desert plain.

Donna witnessed the deaths of many of her comrades and shuddered at the sight of their blood spilling on the ground, their screams forever branded in her soul. Never had she failed a mission. She reminded herself that she made the necessary precautions when dealing with the most wanted man in the south. But why did it all come to this?

“Donna!” Magnus shouted. “We have to get out of here! Shit! We have to get out of here! All men retreat to the trucks!”

“Go!” Robert grunted.

“I’m not leaving you!” Donna argued, gripping his shoulders.

He took out a grenade from his pocket.

“No! We’re getting you out of here!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Robert smiled. “Magnus! Take her!”

Magnus glanced at his friend, a person he called brother and cursed out loud as he fired at the enemy. “C’mon, Donna!” He said, suppressing his emotion as Rober lay on the ground bleeding.

Donna picked up her shotgun and in a rage went into a frenzy and targeted the white wolf.

“Grenade!” Magnus yelled.

“Get out of here!” Robert demanded.

Donna cried as she stood her ground but Magnus grabbed her by the waist and forced her out of the way. She fought to release herself but Gomez, their medic, as well as Kat, another member, grabbed her by the arms as she watched in horror the White Wolf’s men throw their grenade at the same time Robert did. And the explosion blasted them back, hurling them into the air.

All Donna could hear was the loud ringing caused by the brief damage to her eardrums. Cheeks lying flat on the ground, she wearily looked up and saw Magnus getting up. She raised herself in a struggle her muscles aching beforw turning around to see the plane of the White Wolf leaving.

The Queen Viper wasn’t going to leave without exacting vengeance.

“Magnus! Get in the truck now and go after the plane!” Donna commanded as she took from the back of the truck a large grenade launcher.

Magnus thought her insane but acknowledged her anger and followed her orders, slamming on the gas as soon as she got on.

Donna sat on the window, her legs and arms contracted as she raised the heavy artillery. Her body cried in pain with the large tube-like weapon on her shoulder. The wind and dust slapped her in the face as the truck reached to a speed of eighty kilometres. The plane raced against time and the moment she snapped when she sensed its fear and those that think they were getting away, put all my strength in pulling the trigger. She grunted as the thrust of the weapon almost pulled her to the ground, she held on screaming as the grenade exploded violently and the earth shook just when the plane took off. And the air was filled with flying debris as the it burst in flames and skidded down the runway.

The truck swerved to a stop and Donna dropped the grenade launcher, watching the blaze consume what’s left of the plane.

Vengeance was hers but she lost more than she gained. And the money they received were of no value to compensate for the lives lost when she promised in confidence, the success of the mission and of the Serpents.