DAY 2 — THE NIGHT OF THE MASKS
6:30 A.M.
Jay woke up to someone knocking on her hotel-room door.
She opened one eye.
Another knock.
"Jay!"
She recognized Coco's voice.
She pulled the blanket over her head.
"Go away."
"It's six-thirty."
"Exactly."
"There's breakfast."
The blanket disappeared.
Jay sat up.
"Why didn't you say that first?"
Coco laughed from outside.
"I knew that would work."
Jay changed into loose black pants, a plain oversized shirt and sneakers.
No makeup.
No complicated outfit.
No jewelry.
She grabbed her sunglasses from the table.
Lisa was already waiting downstairs.
Coco looked at Jay.
"You're wearing the sunglasses again."
Jay put them on.
"Yes."
"At breakfast?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Jay walked past him.
"Because they're mine."
Lisa nodded.
"Valid."
---
7:15 A.M. — BREAKFAST MEETING
Breakfast wasn't peaceful for long.
Three men from different criminal organizations were waiting.
This wasn't a normal business meeting.
There were no presentations.
No laptops.
Just coffee, folders and carefully chosen words.
Jay sat down.
One man smiled.
"You're younger than I expected."
Jay took a sip of coffee.
"And you're louder than I expected."
Coco covered his mouth.
Lisa looked down, trying not to laugh.
The man's smile disappeared.
Jay opened the first folder.
"You want access to our logistics network."
"Yes."
"You don't have it."
He leaned forward.
"And if I make you an offer?"
Jay closed the folder.
"You already did."
Silence.
"You offered money," she continued. "I don't need money."
The man looked irritated.
"What do you want?"
Jay smiled.
"Predictability."
She explained exactly what she expected from any organization that wanted to work with hers: no interference with her people, no unauthorized use of technology, and no attempts to manipulate her business.
The men eventually agreed.
Not because Jay threatened them.
Because she made it clear that working with her was more useful than working against her.
Coco whispered,
"She just negotiated three organizations into behaving."
Lisa smiled.
"That's Jay."
---
9:00 A.M. — INTERVIEW
The next meeting was with a potential ally.
Jay didn't ask him about his money.
She asked about his people.
His employees.
His rivals.
His habits.
His biggest mistake.
His biggest fear.
His answers were polished.
Too polished.
Jay listened.
Then she asked one unexpected question.
"What would your closest friend say about you?"
The man paused.
Only for half a second.
Jay noticed.
She leaned back.
"Thank you."
The interview was over.
Outside, Coco looked confused.
"You barely asked anything."
"I asked enough."
Lisa smiled.
"You already figured him out?"
"Not completely."
Jay put her sunglasses back on.
"But now I know where to start."
---
10:30 A.M. — FIGHT ONE
They left the building.
Four men blocked the street.
Coco sighed.
"Already?"
Jay looked at him.
"Apparently."
One stepped forward.
Jay moved aside.
"Coco."
"Yeah?"
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Do anything stupid."
Coco smiled.
"No promises."
The confrontation exploded.
Jay stayed back at first, watching.
Lisa moved beside her.
Neither of them looked particularly concerned.
Coco handled one attacker.
Security dealt with another.
Jay stepped in only when someone tried to reach Lisa.
The entire confrontation ended quickly.
Jay straightened her shirt.
Lisa looked at her.
"You okay?"
Jay nodded.
"Fine."
Coco walked over.
"See? Easy."
Jay looked at him.
"You nearly fell over a chair."
"That chair attacked me."
Lisa burst out laughing.
---
12:00 P.M. — MAFIA COUNCIL
The second meeting was different.
Twenty representatives.
One enormous table.
No one trusted anyone.
Jay walked into the room with Lisa and Coco behind her.
Every conversation stopped.
The leader at the head of the table spoke.
"Jay."
Jay sat down.
"Let's make this quick."
Someone laughed.
"You think you control this room?"
Jay looked around.
"No."
She paused.
"I think everyone here wants something."
That changed the room.
Jay began outlining a proposed alliance.
Transportation.
Information sharing.
Protection of civilian businesses.
Strict rules against betrayal.
Each organization would gain something.
Each organization would give something.
It was less about intimidation and more about leverage.
By the end of the meeting, several rivals who had arrived suspiciously were discussing cooperation.
Coco whispered,
"She just made enemies sit at the same table."
Lisa replied,
"She didn't make them friends."
Jay heard them.
"Exactly."
---
2:30 P.M. — FIGHT TWO
The alliance meeting hadn't even finished when someone tried to sabotage the exit.
The hallway erupted into chaos.
Jay grabbed Lisa's arm.
"Stay close."
Coco moved beside them.
The security team intervened.
The fight was intense and fast.
Jay avoided the worst of it rather than charging into the middle.
Lisa did the same.
Coco tried to help until Jay yelled:
"COCO!"
He stopped.
"What?!"
"Stay behind the security line!"
He immediately stepped back.
"Okay!"
Lisa stared at him.
"That actually worked."
Jay shrugged.
"He listens sometimes."
"Sometimes?"
"Very rarely."
---
4:00 P.M. — THE INTERROGATION
Back at the hotel, Jay interviewed someone who had been caught passing information.
She didn't yell.
Didn't threaten him.
She simply placed three documents on the table.
"You told them this."
The man shook his head.
"No."
Jay placed another document down.
"You told them this."
"I didn't."
She placed the final document down.
"And then you told them this."
Silence.
Coco looked impressed.
Lisa crossed her arms.
Jay leaned forward.
"You don't have to tell me everything."
The man looked confused.
Jay smiled.
"You only have to tell me the truth once."
After a long silence, he finally confessed.
Coco whispered,
"That was terrifying."
Jay looked at him.
"I wasn't even angry."
"That's what made it terrifying."
---
6:00 P.M. — FIGHT THREE
A rival group attacked the hotel entrance.
This time, there were many more of them.
Security moved immediately.
Jay and Lisa were escorted upstairs.
Coco looked back.
"Shouldn't we help?"
Jay shook her head.
"No."
"But—"
"They know what they're doing."
The fight continued below.
The attackers were eventually forced outside.
No graphic details.
Just shattered furniture, overturned chairs and a very annoyed hotel manager.
Jay looked at the mess.
"We're paying for that."
Coco nodded.
"Definitely."
Lisa pointed at a broken lamp.
"Wasn't that expensive?"
Jay sighed.
"Very."
Coco whispered,
"Maybe don't pay for it."
Jay stared at him.
"Coco."
"Okay. Paying."
---
7:30 P.M. — THE MAFIA EVENT
That night, Mexico's most powerful criminal families gathered for an enormous private event.
Everyone wore masks.
Jay didn't.
She walked in wearing her usual simple clothes and sunglasses.
Coco leaned toward Lisa.
"Everyone dressed up."
Lisa looked at Jay.
"Jay doesn't care."
Jay heard them.
"Correct."
Music played.
People talked.
Deals were made in corners.
Information changed hands.
Jay walked through the crowd without rushing.
She wasn't there to impress anyone.
She was there to observe.
A man approached.
"You're not wearing a mask."
Jay smiled.
"I don't need one."
He laughed.
"You don't trust anyone?"
Jay looked around the room.
"I trust people."
She paused.
"I just verify everything."
---
9:00 P.M. — FIGHT FOUR
A disagreement became a confrontation.
Then another person joined.
Then another.
Suddenly the entire side room erupted.
Jay and Lisa stepped away from the chaos.
Coco followed.
"Do we run?"
Jay shook her head.
"No."
"Hide?"
"No."
"Stand here?"
"Yes."
Coco nodded.
"Excellent plan."
Security intervened.
The fight was eventually broken up.
Jay calmly walked back into the main hall.
The room went silent.
She looked around.
"Are we finished?"
Nobody answered.
"Good."
She picked up her drink.
"Continue."
---
10:15 P.M. — THE FINAL DEAL
Jay met the leader of the largest organization privately.
He offered her a partnership.
Jay listened.
Then she made a counteroffer.
He rejected it.
She offered another.
He rejected that too.
Finally, Jay placed one final document on the table.
"This is what I can give you."
"And what do you want?"
"Your neutrality."
He stared at her.
"You want me to stay out of your way?"
"No."
Jay smiled.
"I want you to make sure everyone else does too."
He studied her for several seconds.
Then signed.
Jay stood.
"Pleasure doing business."
---
11:00 P.M. — FIGHT FIVE
Outside the event, one final group waited.
Five men.
Coco looked exhausted.
"Why are there always more?"
Lisa sighed.
"Apparently nobody here understands bedtime."
Jay smiled.
The confrontation began.
This time, Jay and Lisa barely needed to move.
Their security team handled most of it.
Coco stayed beside them.
When it was finally over, Jay looked at her friends.
"Everyone okay?"
Lisa nodded.
Coco raised both hands.
"Perfect."
Jay smiled.
"Good."
Coco looked toward the hotel.
"Can we sleep now?"
Jay thought for a moment.
"Yes."
Coco smiled.
"Finally."
Jay started walking.
"After dinner."
Coco stopped.
"WHAT?"
Lisa laughed.
Jay looked back at him.
"What?"
"You're unbelievable."
Jay grinned.
"You're hungry."
"…Unfortunately."
They walked back toward the hotel together.
Mexico had given them two days of meetings, negotiations, chaos, food and far too many fights.
And tomorrow?
Jay had absolutely no idea what was waiting for them.
Which, somehow, was exactly how she liked it.
They finally returned to Casa Aurelia, the luxurious five-star hotel overlooking Mexico City. After two days of nonstop meetings, negotiations and fights, they were more interested in the restaurant than anything else.
They sat at a private table overlooking the city.
"I'm ordering everything," Jay announced.
Coco laughed. "Everything?"
"Everything that looks good."
Soon the table was completely covered.
They tried tacos al pastor, tacos de carnitas, birria, chiles en nogada, enchiladas, quesadillas, tamales, pozole, cochinita pibil, elote, esquites, mole poblano, tostadas, guacamole with fresh tortilla chips, and sopa de tortilla.
Then came dessert: churros, tres leches cake, flan, and Mexican hot chocolate.
Lisa stared at the table.
"We're going to need another table."
Coco took a bite of birria.
"Worth it."
Jay tried almost everything, occasionally stealing food from Coco's plate.
"Hey!"
"You weren't eating it."
"I was going to!"
"You were thinking about eating it."
Lisa laughed.
By the end, all three were completely stuffed.
They went upstairs to their huge rooms, changed into comfortable clothes and collapsed into their beds.
Jay placed her sunglasses on the bedside table.
"Tomorrow, we're eating again."
Coco's voice came from the next room.
"Obviously."
Lisa laughed.
"Goodnight!"
"Goodnight," Jay said sleepily.
Within minutes, the three were fast asleep while Mexico City glittered outside their windows.