NOVEL WEB Chapter 722
Chihuahua City, located 370 kilometers south of Ciudad Juárez.
I arrived at a beautiful Baroque-style cathedral after passing through a dilapidated mining town.
“It’s 6 PM, and the shops are already all closed.”
“Usually, they all shut down by 5 PM. There are places like that convenience store that stay open until 6 PM, though.”
The park in front of the cathedral was still lively with locals and tourists.
Young people busking and playing Mexican music occasionally popped up, reminiscent of Hongdae.
“Chihuahua City is entirely controlled by those Los Calchona guys. I can’t fathom why they came all the way to Juárez to cause trouble.”
“Why did they come?”
“Presumably to flex their power. If they want to smuggle drugs from Mexico to the US, they have to pay a fee to the Juárez cartel. Money issues can explode anywhere, right?”
“Very sensitive.”
I nodded and spread the ether paint all over my body.
“Isn’t the Infi Myeong-gu really unnecessary? It’s not that uncomfortable, and it only takes a minute to completely change your appearance.”
“No. When I tried it earlier, the change in expression felt awkward. It’s better to just wear heavy makeup like this. Besides, you guys seem to have a hard time distinguishing East Asians.”
I finished my shabby makeup while looking in the passenger mirror.
“Hmm, then I’ll be on my way. See you in two days.”
I dragged my cheap strap slippers and got out of the vehicle.
‘Where should I go?’
First, I need to find the children on the street attracting customers.
Doo bang doo bang—
Los Calchona was not just involved in drug trafficking; they also ran shoe factories and clothing factories in Chihuahua City.
These factories needed a vast amount of ‘cheap’ labor.
Thus, kidnapping and human trafficking occurred frequently here.
The kidnapped children were said to either be sent to factories or spend 12 hours a day hawking food and souvenirs to tourists.
‘Can anyone really buy something from such an ugly little thing?’
I thought while looking at a photo of a skull-pattern keychain wearing a witch hat.
Caw caw—!
After walking around the tourist spots for a full two hours, the sun had completely set.
There were hardly any open shops left, and the remaining tourists were all preparing to return to their accommodations.
As time passed, children dressed in shabby clothes became more evident.
“30 pesos for one, 50 pesos for two, 100 pesos for five!”
The price of the keychains that used to be 100 pesos (7,000 won) had dropped to 30 pesos each.
“Wanna buy a keychain? Do you have any money?”
The kid who had ignored me earlier asked if I had money.
“No.”
As I shook my head, the girl muttered curses under her breath and started looking for other tourists.
Another hour passed.
9 PM.
Now, there were more children begging than tourists.
It felt oddly nostalgic, as if I were reliving something from my past life.
I was about to give up and head back when—
“Hey, kid, you’ve been here for a while.”
A girl who looked like she was in middle school approached me.
Clatter—
My gaze shifted towards the souvenir she was holding.
A skull-pattern keychain wearing a witch hat.
“Did you lose your parents? I’ll help you find them.”
The girl reached out to me with an innocent smile.
I lowered my gaze and whispered in a voice as tiny as an ant.
“I don’t want to go home… I’m scared because grandpa hits me all the time…”
“Oh, I see. Then let’s go to a safe house together.”
“Wuwu…”
“When we get home, there’s cool air conditioning and delicious ice cream waiting. Isn’t that exciting?”
“Ice cream…!”
I burned with enthusiasm as much as I could.
Yet, at the same time, I felt discomfort for the girl who was coldly executing the kidnapping.
Thud—
I secretly threw a small pebble high into the sky.
“Ah! That hurts!”
It hit her right on the head.
* * *
“Sophia, are you joking? You only sold 20 today?”
“Check the numbers! With this few tourists, selling 20 is quite impressive…”
“Is this all the money? Show me your hands. If I shake you down, you’re done for.”
“Stop touching me…! I really don’t have any!”
“Hmmm…”
The girl, having been searched in her pant pockets, crossed her arms in shame.
Daily earnings: 980 pesos.
It seemed like a substantial amount because they had scammed the tourists, but—
“Here’s your share.”
“After working all day, only 100 pesos? You should give me at least 200 pesos for conscience’s sake!”
“Get lost. And Sophia, don’t show your face here again from tomorrow.”
“W-why?”
“You’ll be working at the factory. From tomorrow, the kids won’t be seen, and I’ll manage it.”
“The daily minimum wage is 250 pesos, though.”
“You skipped lunch to buy gelato, right? Plus, today you’ve already failed to meet your quota three times. There’s a limit to my patience.”
“Wait a minute.”
“Want to die? Get out of here. But be prepared. The Calchona eyes are everywhere.”
“I’m telling you, I brought a child.”
Sophia gestured for me to come over.
I slowly walked towards the man with a rifle.
“Her name is Hime-na, and she’s an orphan with only a grandpa left. I thought she might have run away, so I brought her here. How old are you?”
“Eight years old…”
“Yes. Eight years old.”
The gang member shined a flashlight on my face.
“Huu…”
I swallowed hard and lowered my eyes.
I averted my gaze, biting my lips tight.
My eyebrows trembled, and my irregular breathing was meant to make me look like a scared child.
The gang member turned off the flashlight.
“Why bring such a weak girl?”
“No, she actually walked a long way without whining…”
“Her face is just the type those perverts like.”
“Regardless, you’ve filled your quota, right?”
“This is your last chance. If you mess up again, it’s off to the factory.”
“Phew.”
“Take her.”
I followed Sophia into the hideout.
‘So even kidnapping has become a job for children now.’
What a cunning method it is.
The hideout building was shabby.
As I walked through the musty-smelling hallway, I asked Sophia.
“Sophia, where’s the ice cream?”
“It’s in the refrigerator. Help yourself.”
The girl replied with a chilly demeanor.
She grabbed my wrist and led me to the master bedroom.
“Hey, Sophia!”
A boy who seemed to be her age greeted her cheerfully.
“Lady.”
“I heard it all. You were caught trying to escape?”
“I wasn’t escaping. I just stepped out to get gelato for a bit.”
“You must have made a lot of money, then? We’re stuck working in the factory. Isn’t that envy-inducing?”
Sophia handed the boy two 10-peso bills.
There seemed to be a hierarchy even among the kidnapped children.
Bang bang bang—!
“Hey, hide!”
A hefty lady burst through the door.
“I said there’s a new kid today, right? Yeah, that one. We’re sending her to the main office tomorrow morning, so have her wash up by 5.”
“Yes…”
“If you’re done with dinner, don’t make noise and sleep quickly.”
With those words, the gang lady left.
In the meantime, I opened the refrigerator in the room.
Even the yogurt ice cream had mold on it, so I closed the door.
If it were another child instead of me, it might have been quite a shocking situation.
“Ugh, why 5 AM! Is there anyone who’ll wash her instead of me?”
“Haha, right?”
“I don’t get why that crazy lady is only mad at me.”
“I can wash up by myself… I’m eight years old, you know…”
“Hmm? Really? Alright, if you’re eight, you should know how to wash yourself!”
Sophia’s face began to brighten up.
Meanwhile, children who had been eating dinner on the cement floor started coming closer to me one by one.
They looked at me with curious eyes, ranging from five to fifteen years old.
“I look just like a beggar, but I’m kinda cute, right?”
I swatted the hand of the boy trying to pinch my cheek.
“But he’s got a bad attitude.”
I surveyed my surroundings.
There might not be any CCTV in this shabby place, but the poor soundproofing was the only flaw.
‘I shouldn’t make too much noise…’
“…!”
The boy from earlier tightly grabbed my hair.
“When a person speaks, don’t ignore it and listen, okay? Going to the main office isn’t good news at all, you know that?”
“Then what is it? Tell me.”
“What’s that? Ha! You’re going to serve the high-ups of Calchona. But why do you think they picked a clueless little kid like you instead of someone slick? It’s definitely pedophiles.”
“Hime-na, don’t take it seriously. He’s just saying that out of envy to scare you. At the main office, you’ll get a salary and tips, it’s a hundred times better than this dump.”
“Isn’t it right? Who would have an eight-year-old child as a maid?”
“Yo.”
I called the boy.
“Honestly, it’d probably be better to go to the factory; from now on, your life is going to suck.”
[Arrogance: Hibris]
“Let go.”
“Grrr…!”
The girl fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.
Thud—
“What the hell? What’s suddenly going on!”
I sat on a chair by the door, crossing one leg over the other.
“Didn’t that lady tell us to sleep early?”
“…?”
“I’ll turn off the lights, so everyone spread out the blankets and lie down. If you say a word from now on, I’ll make you just like this.”
* * *
The minor organization run by Los Calchona had members from all walks of life.
Kidnapped children, kids sold through human trafficking, or even runaways that voluntarily came in to make money.
This information was compiled after asking various kids.
“So, um…”
“Don’t tremble; just say it.”
I gently brushed aside Sophia’s bangs.
“U-uhm… Until we prove our loyalty to the organization, we can’t get out of here.”
“Then we should escape if we go outside.”
“How would we know the organization is watching us? The Calchona people are everywhere. If you run away and get caught, you’ll become a genuine slave.”
“When you prove your loyalty?”
“Then you go to the main office, and the organization will assign you missions. Like notifying if the police show up or transporting drugs… If you do well there, you might even be formally appointed as a member.”
This was precisely the reason why the government and police couldn’t eradicate the cartel.
The cancer had sunk its roots deep into society.
But I had no chance to prove my loyalty.
“Why do they want me at the main office right away?”
“No one knows. The kids here haven’t been to the main office…”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. They only know it through rumors. As José said earlier, you could be sold far away, or they might just need a simple child courier… Anyway, I don’t know.”
So it was just a shot in the dark.
After all, the “main office” they spoke of was undeniably the core base of Los Calchona.
Even if you called it a base, it was just a mansion with a swimming pool and a large garden.
“You probably don’t want to leave, huh? You came here to make money, after all.”
“…”
“Not really?”
“Ugh… sniff… No, actually, I want to go. I’m sorry for making noise; I’ll keep quiet… sniff…”
Tears flowed endlessly from Sophia’s eyes.
“It’s okay; just speak.”
“Walking around for 10 to 12 hours every day is tough… They always give us disgusting food… sniff. And whenever I fail to meet my quota… It feels terrible forcing the kids to come, and what I hate most is that I’ve grown used to this life…”
“That’s kidnapping. You did something bad, so you should go to jail.”
“I’d rather go to jail. I can’t live like this…”
“Well, it’s easy to say, but if you actually go to jail, you might think differently.”
“I don’t know… I don’t know anything…”
She sobbed alone until exhaustion overtook her, and she fell asleep.
Just before she dozed off, I asked her who I was, but she didn’t answer.
‘Anyway, you’ll find out soon enough.’
* * *
Clatter—!
A black truck wrapped with tarpaulin stopped in front of the hideout.
“Hurry up and get in, you brats! We don’t have time!”
“If everyone’s in, we’ll depart!”
“Is the new kid from last night on board?”
“Yeah! Uh, no! I found her here just now and got her in!”
“Don’t mess up, make sure!”
“Yes!”
I was shoved by the gang members into the truck bed heading to the main office.
‘Let’s see.’
Looking at the faces of the kids in the truck, they all seemed clean.
Many of the kids in the hideout had stoic expressions, but here, there were more who were sobbing.
Only then did I come to realize that I had been kidnapped.
“Hmph.”
* * *
“You bastard! What the hell are you doing here!”