Do Or Die (Surreal Blue Rogue Agent 1) by E.R. Baine Page A

walked out of the dilapidated
jail house.
    The
jailhouse was an outpost in the midst of obscure squalor on the outskirts of a
little-known Guatemalan city. The police there were not properly supervised,
and dished out their own brand of justice; namely the laws of the local crime
boss. Prostitution, money laundering, and human trafficking were their bread
and butter.
    The
man sighed. He walked a little ways to the side of the small, grey-brick police
station stood in the middle of a dead end street. He lifted a stone and removed
a small device that resembled a car locator. Looking up, he stumbled backwards,
caught off-guard by the amazing fifty-foot tall magnolia tree in front of him.
The grey asphalt walk that led to his car was lined with the great beauties. He
walked a mile further down the road to his parked car.
    He
raked his hand through his dark, curly hair. His mind went to the little girl
in the cell. No doubt she was a prostitute, sold or kidnapped into slavery. She
looked so sweet and innocent, and thin. He shook his head. A beauty among
savages.
    The
evil that men do…
    He
pushed the button on the device, and the jailhouse he had exited just minutes
before erupted in an explosion powerful enough that it rocked the ground as
though an earthquake had hit. The flames shot up ten feet in the sky. He nearly
collapsed from strong shaking of the earth.
    Yeah,
death is hard for everybody, , he thought as he sifted
through his keys for the one that matched his car. He then noticed the flashing
signal on his cell and decided to check his text messages. There was only one
worth merit.
    “Mexico?”
    Carlos
snickered. Using his thumb, he typed in a return text.
    “I’m
all in.”

EPILOGUE
    Atlanta,
Georgia
    Audrianna Maxckmillian
examined the report on her screen, reevaluating the Critical Assumptions she
had concluded for the companies she had deemed would be successful takeovers
for the coming year. She sat at an antique armoire with the laptop in front of
her. She couldn’t help but glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her bald
head still irked her. She squeezed her head on either side and willed herself
not to be perturbed by it.
    “Mommy! Mommy! Watch me! Watch
me!” Nathan, her four year old son appeared beside her.
    Audrianna laughed, “What is it
baby.” She hugged him to her.
    “I’m not a baby.” He declared
pushing her away.
    She released him and he stood,
posing with his hands on his hips with a very serious look on his face. He
puffed out his chest and started to bob his body up and down. He started
singing the beginning of a popular children’s cartoon in Russian. Audrianna had
to hold her breath to keep from expressing her dismay at having to see her son
perform the same act for the fourth time for the morning.
    “A!” Viktor walked in,
trailing behind their daughter. His hand secured a small, bushy brown teddy
bear to her shoulders. “I thought I told you to stay in your room and not to
disturb your mother.”
    Nathan squealed as he climbed
on top the bed, rolling himself inside the comforter.
    “Mommy! Mommy! Look it’s
Chubby!” Nadia, Nathan’s twin sister showed her the teddy bear Viktor kept from
falling.
    “So, is daddy following you
around with that whole day?”
    “No!” Viktor was adamant.
    “Yes!” Nadia cheered.
    “Off of that bed and go to
your room.” Viktor ordered Nathan.
    “No Chunky Nasty!”
    Viktor scowled. “What did you
just say?!”
    Nathan giggled rolled up in
the covers like a pig in the blanket. Viktor pulled the sheet towards him.
Nathan wriggled.
    “I want to poo poo.” He
screamed.
    “I want to pee too.” Nadia
said.
    Audrianna sighed. “No you
don’t.”
    “Yes mommy I want to go to the
toilet too.” Nadia begged.
    Audrianna sucked her teeth in
long, old fashioned, Trinidadian stupes.
    “I’ll handle it.” Viktor said.
Though he knew Nathan only said he wanted to go to the bathroom to not get into
trouble for what he had just said, and