The Death Of The Terminator

by S. Miletic

Borak's gang pals say they know who killed their boss and that a fight is coming. They shouldn't be taken too seriously but another murder in Dorcol would not be surprising. The odds are certainly on the side of the older, more experienced, more cruel guys whose obituaries cover several newspaper pages

Marko Borak Mare turned 18 in July last year despite many predictions by the police, criminals and people who knew him that he would never come of age. They were wrong by a full 10 months: a night watchman found a body in Svetozara Markovic street and called the police who identified it as Borak. His legs were riddled with bullet wounds and the cause of death was a torn artery. We don't know whether he was already dead when his unknown murderers threw him out of their car or if he died on the street and we don't know whether they just wanted to cripple or kill him. It is clear that the way they killed him is a kind of signature since Mare, during his short but gunshot filled life, always aimed for the legs. Their anger is clear from the torture marks on Borak's body which has not been usual in gangland vendettas in Belgrade so far.

Borak was a child of divorced parents who imagined himself at age 12 (his friends say) as the most famous criminal who would fight for justice. As a minor he had serious problems with the law but never went to jail thanks to interventions. That was when he formed a gang of mainly local minors who instilled fear since they respected no one. Mare loved bombs and pistols.

Panic hit Dorcol late last year when the rumor came out that Mare had drawn up a list of people to kill.

The first on the list (publishing names is not recommended) was a debt collector who is now a successful businessman. He allegedly offered Mare 100,000 German marks when he heard he was on the list. Borak's reply: "You're a criminal, a racketeer who grabs people's money. A million marks wouldn't get you off the list."

Social injustice was not always Mare's main motive but the fact that he struck out against established and untouchable underworld figures (mid-ranking criminals) posing as businessmen switched on the alarms for everyone who was on the hit list.

No one was killed in the frequent gunbattles, but there were a lot of wounded and damaged cars. Borak then disappeared for a while . Early this year, a sensational rumor broke that Borak had turned himself over to the police. Actually his lawyer Nesa Pavlovic took him to the police because jail was the only safe place for Mare.

The police wanted Borak for a number of things: three attempted murders, three counts of grievous bodily harm, two counts of inflicting gunshot wounds, robberies, several explosions.

Even the lengthy investigation produced no proof to base charges on. Not a single witness came forward and Borak admitted nothing. Witnesses even said they were sure he wasn't the shooter. The hit list grew longer every day. Mare told his lawyer that he'd cut his head off after the lawyer told him the only safe place was jail.

"Life has two halves," Mare told the prosecutor and investigating judge. "This is your half and mine will come. Don't forget that you're both on my list and even if you send me to jail for life I'll find time for you two," he said with a smile.

While the men on the list were relaxing, the investigation ended with the prosecutor deciding to release Marko Borak since there was no evidence to charge him.

That left Borak with no chance of survival. It was just a question of time when he would be killed. Several days before he died, unusual activity was noted among criminals and the police (often in cars together) near Mare's apartment.