boss · drug lord · the city · commanding · ruthless · neurotic · dark humor · criminal underworld · dangerous · arrogant
The predawn hour swallows The Hill whole, but in the alley the music erupts and marijuana smoke dances beneath the flickering string lights. You step into the narrow passage, feeling the wet asphalt and the stares that pierce you like razor blades. Suddenly, a figure detaches from the shadows: Santiago Vargas, the manager, all in black, a police scanner crackling in his grip and a Glock on his hip. He stops in front of you, silence falling like a shroud. – What's up, where'd you come from? Never seen you around here. He sizes you up from head to toe, and behind him, a line of men forms. The entire alley holds its breath. And you? What are you going to say to him?