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HIDDEN ENEMIES

going to do as soon as I saw them and found myself throwing punches into the air and thumping my fist down on the table every time I went past it. Lucho knocked. I did another line before opening the door, then we went hunting for the Velascos immediately. Lucho already knew the story and didn’t ask any questions. He wasn’t there for his speaking ability and, besides, the time for talking was over.

The first thing we did was check their room. We listened at the door for a few minutes before knocking, but they either weren’t in or they had been warned and were keeping very quiet. After that, we had no real plan; we simply walked around the prison, looking for them. I asked anyone we saw who might know them. I wasn’t even polite about it.

‘Where are the Velascos?’ I demanded, skipping the niceties.

No one liked to get involved in these disputes so they all gave the same answer: ‘Don’t know’ or ‘Try their room in San Martín. They should be there.’

‘Tell them we’re looking for them,’ I called over my shoulder as we walked off without saying goodbye or thank you.

We hunted for about thirty minutes but couldn’t find them anywhere. Lucho wanted to keep looking, but by then the cocaine had worn off, and with no alcohol in my system I was left feeling a bit shaky and weak, so I decided to go back to my room and try again in the afternoon. I did some more coke. When later I still couldn’t find them, I knew for certain that the Velascos were deliberately avoiding me. But they couldn’t hide forever.

Later that week, Lucho came to warn me. ‘You’re messing with the wrong people, inglés.’ He only ever called me inglés when he wanted me to listen carefully.

‘What exactly do you mean by that?’

‘They’ve got people everywhere in here. And family connections on the outside. Jorge’s uncle is a colonel in the army.’

‘But it’s only what is right. Everyone knows they owe the money. Abregon is desperate.’

Lucho shook his head. ‘You’re heading for trouble, inglés. That money’s never coming back. If Abregon needs plata, then get it from somewhere else.’