Ruination of the Sun

[Adwest]

Aligatag, Mayari

Aligatag had always been considered a sort of haven among other major cities in Mayari - many of which fell victim to the trap of unsustainable population growth during the economic boom of recent decades past. Throughout its time as a bastion of the nation's political neoliberals, it grew to become a model of commercial development and vertical expansion rivaled only by the capital.

To its towers flocked many of the highly mobile and emerging upper middle class, both for business and residential purposes. Meanwhile, to its waterfronts facing the Larrazabal Strait fled tourists mostly from the West to enjoy the warm climate and the many amenities the city's extensive commercialization brought.

Indeed, tourism remained one of the most lucrative industries in Aligatag. It and the rest of Kalisita Island - the largest in Mayari - accounted for almost a fifth of the entire country's share of foreign visitors. The province benefited from this injection of foreigners spending their cash on spirits by the strait or adventures in Kalisita's interior or scuba diving and other aquatic getaways. Although many of the endemic issues Mayari faced such as glaring poverty did not elude Aligatag and its province, progress had managed to crawl enough on the island so as to cement itself as a "progressive city" and a leader of the rest. In most part, again, thanks to the many years of no-holds-barred economic liberalization pursued by the hegemonic Partido Kalayaan (Freedom Party).

Aligatag was the pet project and arguably most successful outcome of PK's commitment to laissez-faire policies. Deregulation, regressive taxation, and an unsatiable desire to attract foreign investment had become the bulwark of Aligatag's bright lights. Yet almost simultaneously, such policies also became the foundation for a thriving underworld of criminality and hedonism seen nowhere else.

Organized crime rings involved in an expansive array of activities from human trafficking to the sale of illegal narcotics subtly pervaded the city and affected the lives of its residents. Lawlessness subtly lay beneath the surface of the posh and the glamorous to paint a dual picture that characterized Aligatag.

Why the ruling Kalayaan administration - both in the city and in the national level - did not tackle these concerning issues was fairly simple.

They were intertwined with it.

---

The black SUV streaked quickly through the main thoroughfare, diverging through an alley shortcut that led to Pinya Street. Although a number of vehicles blared their horns in frustration at the SUV's overspeeding, the traffic aides which manned the roads during the evening knew more than enough that apprehending that one would be more trouble than its worth.

In a short while the SUV stopped in front one of the many restaurant-bars which lined both sides of Pinya Street, one of the less frequented of many red light districts which dotted Aligatag's seedy underbelly. Unlike the more well-known areas such Lawton Plaza, Pinya Street saw much different demographics once the sun set. There weren't as much foreigners in the narrow but long strip of restobars and nightclubs as would be expected, though there were some. Most of the customers of Pinya Street were the locals who had the time and wealth to make use of the city's prostitution rings.

In particular, Pinya Street was the favorite destination of PK's stalwarts in the province - the Mayor of Aligatag himself included. It had a de facto status of exclusivity as a venue to unwind and enjoy for the patrons of the criminal groups which ran the place, and perhaps it was for this reason it was less frequented by possible prying eyes. It would be scandalous after all if the local congressmen, the provincial governor, and the city mayor would be seen with escorts of women by their arms.

The driver of the SUV disembarked, a tall and bald man in a leather jacket and shades. Opening his door, he almost hit a Florinthian who appeared to be in his early twenties. A fresh graduate from university perhaps, enjoying life across the world before being thrust into reality. The foreigner hit the door with the palm of his hand - he seemed somewhat flushed, likely due to copious amount of rum ingested.

"Look before you get out, dude!" yelled the man, a hiccup following. His group of friends, trailing behind, laughed and pulled the drunk foreigner to continue on their barhopping.

But before they could do so, the Florinthian found himself laying flat on the ground. The bald driver had punched him in the nose, shut his door, then proceeded briskly to the passenger side.

From the passenger compartment disembarked a lean man with a grizzled appearance. He had round eyes that drooped heavily, whereas his head of hair as well as his Van Dyke appeared uncombed and sprayed with hair color to hide the gray. He wore a plaid polo shirt, unbuttoned to the last two top buttons, his sleeves rolled up higher than casual.

"What was that?" the lean man questioned upon stepping out of the vehicle. He glanced to his side sharply, although in a few moments he found his vision limited as a minuscule army of young women apparently waiting for his arrival clustered around him. All were giggly, eager to catch the lean man's sight, and those who were close enough repeatedly rubbed themselves against the apple of their eyes. Their outfits were conspicuously scanty in contrast to their concealers and mascaras.

The SUV driver, who was also a bodyguard, answered back. "Nothing, sir".

Alberto Fuentes Hidalgo detached himself from further concern, searching the women around him for his favorite. An eighteen year old who went by the alias "Leonora". His sight catching the lass near the entrance of the establishment they were about to enter, he shook off the rest of the women and walked over to her with arms open for an embrace.

Leonora shrank as Alberto wrapped her in himself, feeling the aged man push up against her frail and petite figure. Leonora was the youngest of the escorts in this particular establishment, and had been abducted from her family of subsistence farmers when she was eight. This was the first time her employers had sent her to work on "the field"; she had previously been working as a camera girl until her coming of age.

"It's good to see you again Nora. Didn't you miss me?" asked Alberto as they parted, an eager smile now plastered across his aged face. The young woman barely made a sound of affirmation, a whisper, although this was enough for her client for tonight.

The President of Mayari erupted into jovial laughter. With a hand on Leonora's shoulder and an imported cigar on the other fetched from his satchel by his bodyguard, he entered the establishment to meet with his compadres.