Watching corpse after corpse being carried out, Maracaibo City Police Chief Chavez's veins throbbed. This was the most heinous incident since Maracaibo City's founding.
"Chief, the count is in. A total of one hundred and eighty people died. All of them were core members of the La Dani Gang, including gang leaders such as Carmen and Rod. Every one of them was killed by gunfire. There was fierce gunfire exchanged between both sides, but we found no personnel from the other faction."
"Since it happened late at night, there weren't many witnesses. Only a local resident, Otar, dared to sneak a look yesterday. According to him, the other side fighting in the street appeared highly skilled and organized. They were most likely a rival gang of the La Dani Gang..."
Chavez quietly listened to the clues his subordinates had gathered, cold sweat rising in his heart. Never mind whom the La Dani Gang had offended—the hellish scene before him alone was enough to silence everyone in Maracaibo City.
He walked over to a body bag and forced himself to ask, "Is Carmen in here?"
A subordinate answered, "Yes. Based on the remains and clothing left behind, we identified him as Carmen, the former boss of the La Dani Gang."
Chavez held his breath and lifted a corner of the body bag. Inside lay Carmen, still barely recognizable as human.
The officers nearby saw Carmen's face, burned until his features were incomplete, and felt their stomachs twist. Some of the younger officers ran off and vomited up even last night's meal.
As the head of the Maracaibo City Police Department, Chavez did not react too strongly. As an old policeman, he had seen his share of horrors.
In the early twentieth century, public security in most countries was far from good.