Chapter 8 - The Trap at the East Gate
The east service gate of the Ríos estate was hidden behind a thick wall of overgrown bougainvillea and tall iron spikes, far away from the main security cameras.
Valeria pushed through the heavy side door, stepping out onto the cracked concrete of the deserted outer lane. The morning air was biting, carrying the sharp exhaust fumes of passing industrial trucks from the highway below.
“You came,” a cold voice echoed from the shadows of the concrete wall.
Valeria spun around. Two men in dark civilian jackets stepped out from behind a parked, nondescript gray sedan. Both wore dark sunglasses despite the morning gloom, and the one on the left had his right hand casually tucked inside his jacket pocket.
“Where are they?” Valeria demanded, her voice shaking but filled with fierce defiance. “Where are my mother and my brother?”
The lead man smiled, a thin, cruel slash across his face. “Relax, chica. They’re comfortable. Right now, they’re waiting in the back of this car. All you have to do is get in, and we’ll take you right to them.”
Valeria took a half-step backward, her instincts screaming that something was wrong. The men weren't taking her to her family; this was an abduction designed to draw Alejandro out or silence the witness who had broken their financial pipeline.
“I want to see them first,” she said firmly, holding her ground.
The man’s smile vanished. He stepped forward quickly, his hand pulling a heavy zip-tie from his coat pocket. “You don't get to make demands—”
Bang!
The sharp, deafening crack of a high-caliber sniper rifle shattered the morning air.
The concrete wall six inches to the right of the kidnapper exploded in a shower of gray dust and flying stone splinters.
Both men froze in sheer, unadulterated panic.
From the upper ridge of the estate wall, half a dozen armed guards materialized instantly, their submachine guns locked and loaded, laser sights painting glowing red dots across the chests of Garza’s operatives.
And then, the heavy iron gates of the compound swung open with a slow, grinding screech.
Alejandro Ríos walked out into the morning light.
He didn't wear a jacket. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his face set in a terrifying mask of controlled fury. In his right hand, he held a heavy black Sig Sauer pistol, the barrel still faintly warm from the warning shot.
“You picked the wrong property to trespass on, pendejos,” Alejandro said, his voice cutting through the chill morning wind like a razor blade.
The lead operative’s hand twitched toward his jacket, but before his fingers could even graze his holster, Marco and three enforcers swarmed them from behind, driving both men hard against the hood of the sedan and stripping their weapons in less than three seconds.
Alejandro walked past the pinned men without sparing them a single glance. He stopped directly in front of Valeria, who was trembling violently, her chest heaving as the adrenaline crash set in.
“Are you an idiot?” Alejandro snapped, his voice harsh, though his eyes scanned her frantically for any sign of injury. “Did you honestly think walking out here alone was going to save your family?”
Valeria looked up at him, tears finally breaking free. “They had my mother and Leo... I had to try—”
“Your mother and brother were moved to the secure subterranean safehouse in Monterrey three hours ago under armed escort,” Alejandro interrupted, his tone softening just a fraction as he grabbed her firmly by the shoulders to steady her. “They were never at the clinic, Valeria. My security protocol always stays one step ahead of Garza’s rats.”
Valeria stared at him, the heavy wave of relief crashing over her so hard her knees nearly buckled. Alejandro caught her before she could fall, pulling her securely against his side.
May you like
He turned his cold, dead gaze back toward the captured operatives pinned against the sedan.
“Take them to the lower block,” Alejandro ordered quietly. “Tell Garza’s messenger that if he ever tries to touch anyone inside my gates again, I won't just dismantle his network. I’ll hang his lieutenants from the highway overpass.”
