Chapter Four: Mexico City, Mexico

They landed in Mexico City on Avenida Rio Churubusco, where Avenida Río Churubusco and Avenida F. C. de Río Frío intersect, directly in front of the Teléfono Público telephone company. "There has to be a neighborhood around here somewhere," Samson sighed. Ziero consulted the GPS on his wrist phone and discovered that there was indeed a neighborhood nearby, “The nearest neighborhood is located in the center-east of the Mexico City Federal District on the street Benito Juárez,” he said.

Jesse supplied the group with light, by producing a flame on his fingertips, as Ziero guided Samson and the group down Eje 4 Oriente (Canal de Rio Chucubusco) until they made it to where Eje 4 Oriente and Eje 4 Sur met where they turned right unto Eje 4 Sur Avenida Té. They kept straight then they took a left onto Sur 187 and a right unto Oriente 102, keeping straight until they had to take a right onto Circuito Interior Avenida Río Churubusco and a left unto Benito Juárez which led them into their first neighborhood: Iztacalco. Mexico City's borough Iztacalco was very dark except for the streetlights and lamps that lined the street named Benito Juárez in Iztacalco.

Samson and his group passed a couple of businesses on the street Benito Juárez. There was a storage building to their right and a garage-like business to their left. As Samson and his group travelled down the Benito Juárez, they came across a dangerous Mexican gang. In the light Jesse provided them with, they could see the gang wore black leather jackets with their gang name and a picture of a motorcycle on them, jeans, T-shirts, bandanas, and they rode motorcycles. The gang brought their motorcycles to a stop in front of Samson and his group and dismounted them.

They approached Samson and his group and cracked their knuckles, “Alright, these are our streets, so which one of you ladies wants to be our B***h?” one of the gang members said. He wore a red bandana around his head.

Ptolemy growled and marched forward, “Just who the hell do you think you’re calling a “lady”?” he asked.

The guy who spoke earlier smiled, “It looks like we have a volunteer, boys!” he laughed and grabbed his arm.

“Unhand me, monster!” Ptolemy growled.

When the gang leader ignored his request, Ptolemy punched him, causing the other gang members to get angry. The gang members surrounded Ptolemy as Eric rushed in to the circle they formed around Ptolemy to assist him in the fight. The gang members screamed insults at them in Spanish while Ptolemy and Eric returned the favor with kicks and punches. Before the fight continued to cause a disturbance in the peace of the night, Samson stepped between the gang and Ptolemy and Eric, “Hey! Everyone just calm down,” he called.

“Shut up, punk!” one of the gang members called out, “Somebody’s gotta teach these ladies a lesson!”

“Stop calling us ladies!” Ptolemy shouted.

“No one’s going to be teaching anyone a lesson,” Samson strictly affirmed. “Now Ptolemy and Eric, can I talk to you guys for a minute, please?”

Samson led Ptolemy and Eric away from the gang members, “Guys, let me remind you that we are not here to kill the Earthlings, we are here to help the Earthlings,” he said. “This is all The Chaos’s doing. He is trying to divert your attention from the task at hand to slow our progress. You can’t let him win!”

Ptolemy snarled, “They started it!”

Samson sighed, “I don’t care who started what! Now, let’s just go and find us an apartment where we can start recruiting so we can get out of here! We need an army to go up against The Chaos to prevent his rise because if he succeeds in rising, that will mean the end of The Living Circle as we know it. So, let’s move.”

The gang members looked at each other and said something in Spanish that Samson and his group couldn’t understand. The only thing Samson could make out was the word “loco” and then he heard the gang members burst into laughter. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

The gang members sighed and crossed their arms over their chests, “I think I recognize you now, homey,” one of the gang members said. “You’re that guy from the news. Samson, isn’t it? I heard you talking over there. So, you’re looking for an apartment?”

Samson nodded.

“You ain’t going to find one around here,” the guy continued. “There’s a few apartments in Iztapalpa and Benito Juárez and I can have my gang lead you there if you like. We’re sorry for going hardcore earlier. We’re not really a dangerous gang or much less a gang at all. We’re the Solo Angeles, a Mexican motorcycle club. We can lead you to the apartments if you like.”

“So, you were just playing with us?” Ptolemy asked.

The gang member nodded, “That was fun,” he laughed.

“No it wasn’t, that was cruel,” Ptolemy retorted.

Samson sighed, “Ptolemy cool it,” he said.

“So, you said you could help us?” he said to the gang member.

“Yeah, but only if you help us first,” the guy said.

Samson and Eric looked at each other and back at the Solo Angeles, “What would like us to do?” Samson asked them.

The Solo Angeles smiled and one of the members said, “I’m Pablo Mendez. Follow us.”

They got on their motorcycles and led Samson and his group to Tijuana. “We own a charity that delivers toys to poor children here,” Pablo said. “We would appreciate your help. This is a lot of toys.”

Pablo led them to where they housed the toys. It was an old rundown garage-like building with an eighteen wheeler out front. The building had a lot of toys ranging from dolls and bikes. “Help me get these into the truck, guys,” Pablo called from inside the building.

“Wow, you weren’t lying about it being a lot of toys!” Samson exclaimed.

“It’s nearing Christmas and these kids probably won’t be getting much this year. Sometimes they barely get anything to eat and some of them don’t have much of a place to stay. These toys would mean the world to these small children.”

Eric crossed his arms over his chest, “Just how small are we talking here?” he asked.

Pablo carried an armful of dolls, remote-control cars and stuffed animals to the truck, “I don’t know, five maybe six years old,” he replied. “So, are you gonna help us or not?”

Samson and his group teamed up to assist the Solo Angeles in their endeavor to transport all those toys in the building to the poor children in Tijuana. Once they were done loading up all the toys, Pablo closed the back of the eighteen-wheeler, “Good job, boys!” he said. “Good news,” he added as he tossed Samson the keys, “You get to drive!”

Samson smiled and laughed nervously, “Yeah, that’s great news!” he said. “But, where will the rest of my group go?”

Pablo rubbed his chin, “Well, if they promise to not touch anything, they can go back here,” he said as he reopened the back of the eighteen-wheeler.

Samson’s group of Ancient Xeroxians and Earthlings climbed into the back of the eighteen-wheeler, being very careful to not break any of the toys inside.

Prince Smith offered to sit up front with Samson after learning there was an extra seat up there. Samson sat in the driver’s seat of the eighteen-wheeler and Pablo patted him on his shoulder, “Don’t worry, just follow us and you’ll be fine,” he said.

Samson managed a smile and Pablo closed the driver’s side door. Samson put on his seat belt, “So, which one of these buttons starts the truck?” he asked.

“The first thing you should do is check the mirrors,” Prince Smith advised. 

“How would you know that?”

“I’ve driven a car before. Trust me.”

“This is not a car.”

“I know that but you should still check the mirrors.”

“What do I check the mirrors for?”

“To see if you can see behind you. Check their alignment.”

Samson adjusted the mirrors according to Prince Smith’s guidance. “Okay, now what do I do?” Samson asked.

“Now start the truck,” Prince Smith said.

“How?”

“He gave you the keys. There’s the ignition, you just put the ignition key in there and turn it to start the truck.”

Samson put the ignition key in the ignition and turned it. The truck started with such a loud roar that it startled everyone except Pablo and the rest of the Solo Angeles. “It’s time to get this show on the road guys! Vamos!” Pablo said as he and the Solo Angeles started up their motorcycles.

“Alright, now lightly press on the gas,” Prince Smith said. Samson put his foot on the gas pedal and the eighteen-wheeler lurched forward with such great force that Prince Smith screamed, “I said lightly!” The motorcycle club raced ahead as the eighteen-wheeler maneuvered recklessly behind them at the mercy of Samson’s driving. After a while, the Solo Angeles brought their motorcycles to a stop near a bridge.

"Stop, Samson you're about to hit the Solo Angeles!" Prince Smith cried. Samson slammed on the brakes, sending Prince Smith forward. He breathed a sigh of relief, "See? It wasn't so bad," he croaked.

Samson passed him the keys, "You're driving next time," he said. Samson and Prince Smith crawled out of the eighteen-wheeler.

Pablo approached Samson and patted him on the shoulder, "You did good, amigo," he said. "Let's get those toys." Samson, Pablo, and Prince Smith went to the back of the eighteen wheeler and opened it. The rest of Samson's group climbed out of the back and half of them took some of the toys with them, while the other half passed out on the ground or puked.

"Land! Oh, land!" Tamar cried, hugging the ground.

"Oh, sooo dramatic," EJ said sarcastically.

Ptolemy glared at Samson, "Were you trying to kill us?"

Samson shook his head, "But, don't worry it won't happen again," he said.

"Why'd it happen that time?" Solé Anna demanded.

"Because I've never driven a vehicle before," Samson whispered in her ear. "But, don't worry Prince Smith will be driving next time," he added when Solé Anna's eyes widened, "Just don't tell Pablo, now let's go get these toys to those children."

Pablo led Samson and his group underneath the bridge on the Canal Rio, where several children were huddled together, trying to stay warm. As Samson approached the bridge to deliver the toys, he began to feel sorry for the children and wished there was something else he could do to help. He noticed the children were dirty and they looked starved. According to Pablo, the parents had gone into town to beg for food and clothes. Samson carried a bike and a teddy bear to a young girl and offered them to her. Samson had to have Pablo translate for him because he didn't know Spanish. "Graçias, señor," the young girl said to Samson.

"She says "Thank you, sir"," Pablo translated. The rest of Samson's group gave the rest of the children there some of the toys from the back of the eighteen-wheeler. It wasn't long before the children's parents came back from the city. They screamed at the Solo Angeles in Spanish and Pablo calmly explained who Samson and his group were and explained their purpose for being there in Spanish.

A woman approached Samson, "Pablo tells me you're his amigo from some crappy news show, eh? What brings you here?" She asked. Samson explained while Pablo translated and the woman sighed, "I don't understand," she retorted, "why Mexico? Why not some other country? What do you want from us? Don't you see we've already gone through enough? Now, you want us to join you to fight some war because some Chaos is supposed to be rising? Oh, sure, not like enough of us has died already!" Her voice cracked and Samson dropped his gaze.

She began to cry and Samson reached into his pocket and brought out a wad of cash. He slipped it into her hand and said, "I don't want you to have to sleep under a bridge anymore. It's very cold out here. Here's some cash for you and your family. You don't have to beg anymore. You can buy some food and clothes for you and your family."

The woman looked at Samson for a while and sighed, "I don't want your money and I don't want your pity," she retorted.

"I'm giving it to you. Please take it," Samson said. "I don't pity you. I know someone who was just like you. You can get out of this just like he did."

"How would you know someone like me?" She asked.

"Because that man was my father," Samson said.

The woman looked at Samson for a while before finally accepting the cash. "Graçias, señor," she wept, "Mucho graçias!"

She returned to her family and Pablo smiled, "She says "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much"," he translated. "That was a very sweet thing you did for that woman, amigo," he added. "Let's get going," Pablo said, "Lots more children to deliver to."

Samson and Prince Smith climbed into the front of the eighteen wheeler while the rest of Samson's group climbed in the back of the eighteen-wheeler. Prince Smith was driving this time, "Now, Samson pay close attention to how I drive this truck, okay?" he said to Samson. Samson nodded looking embarrassed. Prince Smith turned the ignition key and the truck started with a loud roar like before, startling Samson and Prince Smith for the second time.

"Stop scaring us like that, Samson!" Ptolemy called from the back of the truck.

"Sorry! This truck is so unpredictable!" Samson returned.

Prince Smith winked at him and put the truck in drive. Pablo led them to another part of the Tijuana canal, not too far from where they were before. They stopped in front of an old run-down shack and Prince Smith carefully parked the eighteen-wheeler on the side of the road and turned off the truck. Samson and Prince Smith climbed out of the eighteen-wheeler and Pablo followed them to the back of the eighteen-wheeler.

They let the others out and Ptolemy glared at Samson, "You weren't pretending to not know how to drive before, were you?" he asked.

"It amazes me that you can always find something to be mad at me about," Samson said, astonished.

"So you were trying to kill us before," Ptolemy retorted.

"Believe me, Ptolemy, if I was trying to kill you, you'd be dead by now," Samson replied. "Now, let's get those toys."

Samson and his group grabbed some toys from the back of the eighteen-wheeler and approached the shack. Pablo knocked and opened the door and the children ran out to meet him crying, "Big Brother!" in Spanish.

Pablo smiled and hugged them, greeting them in Spanish.

Pablo smiled at Samson, "They call me "big brother" because I'm like a brother to them and they're so little," he said. He turned to the children and told them to greet Samson and his group in English.

The children turned to Samson and his group and smiled "Hello," they said. It was about twenty children in the shack and because of that some of Samson's group members had to stand outside because it was so many people in the tiny shack. They handed out toys to all of the children as best they could. And, once all of the children received a toy, the Solo Angeles and Samson and his group visited with the children for a while before moving on to their next destination, which was some families staying in the tunnels of the Canal Rio.

Samson and his group went back to the truck to get some more toys for the children staying in the tunnels of the Canal Rio with their families before meeting with the Solo Angeles to deliver the toys to the children. Pablo had to translate for them here as well because these families didn't speak very good English. Pablo explained to the parents of the children who Samson and his group were and their purpose for being there in Spanish. Some of the parents smiled and introduced themselves and their children, while the other parents wouldn't let Samson or his group near their children. Pablo delivered the toys to the children of those skeptical parents and extended his apologies to Samson and his group.

"Some of the parents here are very protective of their children," he said to Samson, "so if they don't know you, even if you appear friendly, they won't let you near their children. We, the Solo Angeles, have been doing this for a while now, so they're more comfortable with us than they are with you. So, don't be discouraged."

Samson nodded and smiled, "That's understandable," he replied. Once all of the children in the tunnels of the Canal Rio had received a toy, Samson and the Solo Angeles left for the Siempre Para Los Niños, an orphanage in Tijuana, B.C., Mexico.

Prince Smith and Samson climbed in the front of the eighteen-wheeler, while the rest of the group climbed into the back of the eighteen-wheeler. There were a lot less toys in the back of the eighteen-wheeler now because of all the deliveries they had done. Prince Smith managed to maneuver the eighteen-wheeler out of the Canal Rio and drive them to the Siempre Para Los Niños, following the Solo Angeles. The Siempre Para Los Niños was a 16,000-sq. ft. two-story brick building with stairs with white railings and a playground.

It had rooms for the children, a large study area, dining hall, staff housing & guest dorms in Samaritan House. Prince Smith parked the eighteen-wheeler outside the children’s home and they followed Pablo into the Siempre Para Los Niños and a lady greeted Pablo and the rest of the Solo Angeles in Spanish. When she inquired about Samson and his group, Pablo introduced Samson and his group in Spanish and explained that they were there helping the Solo Angeles to deliver toys to the poor children in Tijuana, Mexico.

"That is a very good thing you are doing for them, to take time out of your schedule to help them deliver these toys. Your help is greatly appreciated. The Siempre Para Los Niños was established in 2004 to help young children. Those who have been neglected, abandoned, or who have lost both parents at a young age come here seeking our help. We provide them shelter, food, love and support. For some, a family is even provided, but for others we are their family. We operate as a non-profit in America and a legal Civil Association in Mexico. Come, the children are anxious to meet you!" she said in Spanish.

She led Samson and his group and the Solo Angeles inside the Siempre Para Los Niños to meet some of the children. On the way to their destination, Pablo kindly explained to the lady that Samson and his group didn't understand Spanish, so she agreed to speak English for the rest of their visit. There were two young children, a boy and a girl, sitting together in one of the rooms laughing, talking, and doodling in their notebooks.

The lady approached them, "This is Maria Díaz," she said touching the young girl on her shoulder. "And this is Marco Díaz," she added touching the young boy on his head, "They're twins. When they were very young--2 yrs. at most--their parents were taken by violence. A bunch of terrorists kidnapped them and carried them away to be sold into slavery, and the Ejército Mexicano [The Mexican Army] rescued them. They recovered Maria and Marco but they failed to recover their parents--Ingrid and Marcus--because it was too late. They were already dead when they found them. Maria and Marco were sent here to be placed under our care until a family comes here hoping to adopt them."

The children continued to play and draw as the lady led Samson and his group and the Solo Angeles to another room. In this room, there sat a young boy on the bed hugging his sides and rocking back and forth. He was breathing hard and crying. The lady sat on the bed next to him and hugged him. She turned to Samson, the Solo Angeles and the others, "This is Carlos Melaz. He's suffering from Autism," she said, "but, he still remembers when his parents abandoned him shortly after learning of his disorder. They thought there was no use in trying to raise him, so they brought him over to us in the middle of a stormy night and just left him here. He has no idea where they are and he can't register in his mind just why they'd abandon him like this. Because of his heart-brokenness and neglect, he occasionally swings from sadness and depression to anger and anxiety. Today is one of his sad days. He occasionally gets counselling for his mood-swings."

The lady gently stopped hugging the boy and rose from the bed, "So, that's the children, Maria, Marco, and Carlos, just to name a few," she said to the Solo Angeles, Samson and the rest of his group, "There are many others but many of them are outside playing or in their rooms sound asleep. If you would like, you can just bring the toys here and let us distribute them to the children here."

The Solo Angeles nodded and led Samson and his group back to the truck to get the rest of the toys. Samson and his group were very careful to follow the Solo Angeles and their instructions on how to transport the toys and how many toys to take. Samson and his group followed the Solo Angeles back to the Siempre Para Los Niños to deliver the toys to the kind lady that introduced them to some of the children so she could give them to the children there. They departed the orphanage and went back to the truck, which was practically empty in the back.

Pablo sighed, "Thanks for your help," he said to Samson and his group, "You cut our trip time in more than half by just assisting. It usually takes us a week to deliver to all the children in Tijuana, Mexico so we just have the families come to us and get the toys. But, with your help, we actually got to deliver the toys to these families and for that I thank you. Now, I believe we made you a promise, am I correct?"

Samson nodded, "Yeah, you said that if we helped you deliver those toys to the children in Tijuana, you'd help us find an apartment where we could start recruiting to put an end to the Rise of Chaos."

Pablo nodded, "Yeah, I remember saying that," he said. "But, I also remember you said that this thing called The Chaos was trying to rise in seven days and that you had six days left 'til he rose. It took us one day and some hours to travel from Mexico City, Mexico to here in Tijuana, Mexico, so wouldn't it be more time efficient if we joined your group?"

Samson sighed, "Well, uh, you said that you'd show us to some apartments in Mexico City, Mexico if we helped you deliver toys to the children in Tijuana, Mexico," he said.

Pablo nodded, "Yes, I know I said that," he replied, "but I also know that I wouldn't want to see planet Earth destroyed before you even finish your journey."

Samson nodded, "Yeah, you have a point there," he said. "We do have five days left to stop the Rise of Chaos."

Pablo nodded, "That's why I asked wouldn't it be more time efficient if we joined your group?"

Samson sighed, "Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked. "It will be very dangerous."

Pablo smiled, "For Earth, I'd do anything," he said, "even if it is a little dangerous."

Samson smiled, "I commend your courage." He turned to Prince Smith and Prince Smith nodded in agreement and Samson smiled, "Alright, welcome aboard." Pablo smiled back and joined Samson's group along with the rest of the Solo Angeles, Raúl Zeta, Tito Páco, Gabriel Díaz, Enrique Más, José Melodía, Antonio Miguel, Alejandro Iglesia, Francisco Aguja, and Juan Angelo.

Samson waited as the Solo Angeles said their goodbyes to those at the Siempre Para Los Niños. Once they were done and the rest of the Solo Angeles had left, Pablo turned to Samson, "So, where are we going?" he asked.

Samson sighed, "We'll be going to Berlin, Germany," he said.

Pablo recoiled, "Are you sure you want to go to Germany?" he asked.

"We are prepared for whatever comes our way," Samson replied.

Pablo smiled, "Alright, Germany it is," he said.

As soon as Pablo said that, the ground around the Siempre Para Los Niños began to shake violently. Trees crashed to the ground and the playground equipment began to break apart. The lady that Samson and the Solo Angeles entrusted to deliver the toys ran outside to gather the small children and lead them back inside the building. The ground around the orphanage began to split apart and the force was so powerful, it disrupted the natural flow of the ocean that surrounded them. Samson looked around their area and noticed a large wave of water and debris was headed their way at top speed.

"Quick everybody hold hands," Samson called and in a blinding flash of light they found themselves in the middle of another city in the darkness, before the wave crashed over Tijuana, Mexico. They stopped holding hands and turned to face the corner of one of the streets in Berlin, Germany: Prenzlauer Allee.

Author's Note

Please excuse the dialogue. Some parts of this chapter were originally written in Spanish using Google Translate.