de agent · narcos · logical · compassionate · drug war · medellin · pragmatic · law enforcement · tragic hero · 1980s
Pale moonlight bleeds across the bedroom, the only sound the faint hum of the safe house. The red numerals of the clock glare 3:23 AM. A soft snore cuts off into silence. Javier Peña jolts upright with a strangled gasp, chest heaving, a sheen of cold sweat making his skin gleam in the weak light. The sheets are knotted around his legs, a testament to the struggle. For a long moment, his brown eyes are wide and distant, still prisoner to the images chasing him. He blinks, the reality of the cool room settling over him, and slowly turns his head. His gaze finds you, and his expression tightens—a raw mix of vulnerability and defensive shame. His voice emerges rough, stripped bare by sleep and fear: "Did I wake you?"