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Hector Rodriguez is the leader of a violent gang. He was responsible for the death of Manny Aguilara and later plotted to kill Vicki Byrne and Mark Eisman.

Biography

After the Rapture

Manny Aguilara tried to get into contact with his gang. Manny called Hector. Manny falsely said to the Young Tribulation Force that Hector could help them find out if Claudia Zander was telling the truth about wanting to meet the Young Tribulation Force in order to escape the Global Community when they were inducing their employees to take the mark of loyalty. When Manny admitted that they were meeting Hector under false pretenses, Vicki Byrne was willing to hear Manny out, while Mark Eisman initially more hostile.

Manny said that Hector's gang was into dealing drugs and was in a tense rivalry with another gang where they had their territory which was separated by a geographic line. According to Manny, the rivals encroached upon the boundary, and Hector told Manny that he should accompany him to help end that problem. Before the disappearances, that meant that one would take a couple of guys to talk with the people as a means of intimidating them. After the Rapture, the gang had more business and there was more violence in their operations. During that meeting, Hector pulled his gun first, so Manny was compelled to do so to support his leader. In the aftermath, four people died that day.

Manny said that he was in a Global Community prison because they knew he was involved in the murders of the four men. The Global Community promised that if he testified against Hector and a few others, he would not have any jail time. Manny did not cooperate with the GC because he was afraid of Hector and the gang more than the GC.

After Manny was imprisoned, Hector brought Manny's sister, Anita Aguilara to their hideout and took care of her.

When Manny told Hector how he escaped from the GC prison with the help of the Young Tribulation Force, Hector thought it was incredible because no one would risk infiltrating a prison for someone like Manny. Vicki responded that Manny was a brother now, so they could not leave him behind. Hector cynically said that their "brother" is a murderer, but Vicki said that Manny told them the things he had done, but despite his past Manny had changed. Hector was intrigued about Manny's change, and asked what brought about that change.

Manny Aguilara asked Hector whether he heard about the man who chose the blade over taking Carpathia's mark. While he was incarcerated, Gustaf Zuckermandel, Sr. talked to Manny about God, and Manny sincerely listened and engaged him. Then, Manny said he was receptive to praying, Zeke Sr. led Manny in the sinner's prayer, and Manny became a believer and received the seal of God. When Hector heard the de re reference to Gustaf Zuckermandel, Sr., he responded contemptuously. Hector said that the man was a fool, and that it is just a little tattoo, so there is nothing to worry about. There was a man the room who was pointing a gun at Vicki Byrne, Mark Eisman, and Manny who laughed when Manny warned them not to take the mark, and Hector soon joined in laughing.

Ironically, Hector should realize that the tattoo is not trivial. Manny earlier pointed out to Vicki Byrne and Mark Eisman that he has a tattoo of a small "x" on his face that indicated that one is a member of a gang. People fear those who have the "x", but when one leaves the gang, the gang would try to kill you and even other gangs would try to look for you. Manny said that the tattoo effectively locks you in the gang, since it is easier and safer to stay in. Manny then warned Hector that whatever he does, he should not take the mark because it would seal his destiny forever.

When Manny told Hector that he could not live with himself if he withheld the faith that grants eternal life to them and that the locusts, the earthquake, and the other plagues had the purpose to get the world's attention, Hector told him to keep his religion. Hector responded that only needed freedom from religious nuts when Manny said that they would never know true freedom if they hardened their hearts to God.

After Vicki and Mark left the gang safehouse, Hector had the gang kill Manny. He gave Manny the pretense that Manny was to speak at a meeting, which Manny ecstatically took as an opportunity to preach. The gang members brought loaded guns to the meeting. During the meeting, Manny was expounding that one cannot get into heaven by doing good deeds or working off one's sins. When Hector heard this, he laughed, saying that he did not want to go to heaven, and that all his friends are in hell. (Hector probably said that as a joke, not as an indication that he believed in a literal hell.) That remark made the other gang members laugh. Despite the gang's disdainful and hostile reaction, Manny continued saying that Jesus had atoned for sin through His death. The gang said they heard enough and took Manny to another room.

Hector brandished a gun and accused Manny of divulging too much information to the Global Community. Manny averred that he did not tell the GC anything, but that his intention of returning was to tell them the truth about God. Hector and the gang then took turns kicking him, and then they aimed their guns and fired. The gang then put Manny's corpse in the trunk of car to dump him in an alley. Anita Aguilara said that shortly after Manny's death, she heard singing from above, and then saw a bright light that caused the gang members to cover their eyes. Vicki thought it may have been angels, but whatever it was, it spooked all the gang members.

After they disposed of Manny, Hector had regrets that he let Mark and Vicki go and wanted them eliminated. After Anita was saved when Vicki lead her in the sinner's prayer in a telephone conversation, she wanted to leave the gang. Vicki had Lenore Barker drive to Anita to facilitate her escape. During Anita's escape, the gang shot at Lenore's car, and Anita dropped her phone. Hector picked the phone up, and threatened Vicki Byrne, saying that he will track down Anita and Vicki. Fortunately, Hector did not find them.

It is unknown what had happened to Hector. He could have been apprehended by the Global Community and took the mark of loyalty, or he could have continued living life as a criminal staying hidden from the Global Community and avoiding receiving the mark, like Mainyu Mazda or Steve and LeRoy Banks before they were caught. Manny said he wanted to reach his gang before they have hardened their hearts, as Manny recalls Tsion Ben-Judah saying that people's hearts will be hardened, so Hector would likely not be receptive to the gospel. It is faintly possible that, despite Hector's gang lifestyle and his murder of Manny, Hector would be saved, much like Saul of Tarsus after he was persecuting Christians.

Manny said that Hector's gang regularly pays off the GC authorities. Hector said that he had a contact within the GC who said that the GC is still looking for Manny. A contact also told the gang that Vicki and Mark escaped from the hotel when Claudia Zander tried to trap them.

Personality

He was a heavyset guy with a mustache. He operates his gang violently, not hesitating to use intimidation and lethal force to eliminate opponents. He also enforces the rules against defectors.

Hector is disdainful towards religiosity since he laughed at Manny Aguilara's assertion that taking the mark of loyalty would seal one's eternal destiny for the worst. If that is the case, it is unknown how he would react to someone who is genuinely devoted to Carpathianism or Enigma Babylon One World Faith or he is just hostile towards Christianity (now pejoratively referred to as the "Judah-ites" by those sympathetic to the Global Community) and other Abrahamic religions. He is similar to another criminal in the main series, Mainyu Mazda, who mocked Albie for being a Judah-ite who believes in the "evil spirits" because he would not take the mark of loyalty. It is unknown if he would try to resist taking the mark of loyalty like Mainyu Mazda out of principle due to not wanting to pledge allegiance to any authority, but it seems that if Hector was under duress, he would take it to save his life.

Hector thought that Manny wanted to be a preacher to the gangs because it would earn Manny brownie points in heaven. Hector probably thinks that Manny's religion encourages adherents to do good things in order to win God's favor, as opposed to doctrines emphasizing the role of God's grace.

Hector is paranoid. He wanted Vicki Byrne and Mark Eisman eliminated, even though they were not part of a rival gang or the Global Community. He had the gang search Mark and Vicki for a recording device and transmitted but they did not find anything. Even though Manny said he came back to talk to them about God and that he told the GC nothing, Hector still thought Manny snitched on them and perhaps the religious change was a subterfuge from the Global Community to make Manny appear less threatening to them.

Appearances

Left Behind: The Kids

Trivia