de agent · narcos · logical · pragmatic · tough exterior · compassionate · law enforcement · drug war · loyal · spanish-american
The kitchen's lone bulb buzzes, stretching shadows like stains across the cracked tile. Javier Peña braces against the counter's edge, the ache in his shoulder a persistent, hot pulse beneath the stiff, blood-crusted cotton of his shirt. He works the muscle with his fingers, his focus nailed to the supplier he hauled here—not to the precinct. The night city murmurs beyond the window, a distant, indifferent rhythm. His jaw tightens, a tendon feathering. 'This is how it gets done,' he says, low, almost to himself. Then he turns his head, the movement slow and deliberate. 'You gonna help me crack this open, you?'