Chapter 49 - The Ultimatum
"El Fantasma," Emily repeated the name, her mind racing. "Where is he operating from?"
"I don't know!" El Lobo pleaded, straining against the ties. "He is a ghost for a reason! He uses encrypted satellite phones and proxy servers. He never stays in one compound for more than a few days. But he is watching you. If I don't check in by midnight, he will initiate the assault protocols on your estate."
Emily looked at Arthur. The threat was imminent, and their timeline had just drastically accelerated.
Before they could formulate their next move, El Lobo’s encrypted tactical phone, which Arthur had confiscated and placed on a metal worktable, began to buzz violently. The caller ID displayed a scrambled string of alphanumeric characters.
"It's him," El Lobo whispered, sheer terror widening his eyes. "It's El Fantasma."
Emily didn't hesitate. She walked over to the table, picked up the phone, and answered the call, putting it on speaker for Arthur to hear.
"Mateo has been indisposed," Emily stated, her voice projecting absolute, unshakable confidence.
The line was silent for a heavy, agonizing moment. Then, a dark, raspy voice chuckled through the speaker.
"Emily Vance," El Fantasma purred, the sound resembling dry leaves scraping across concrete. "I must admit, I am highly impressed. You managed to capture my best tracker. Victor Sterling deeply underestimated you. I will not make the same mistake."
"If you come anywhere near my family, I will bury you," Emily threatened, her grip tightening on the phone.
"Bold words for a woman sitting on a powder keg," El Fantasma replied smoothly. "I do not care about your family, Emily. I only care about my money. You have the encrypted hard drive you stole from Victor. I want the decryption keys for the Swiss account. You have forty-eight hours to transfer the hundred million dollars to my designated routing numbers. If you fail, I will not just attack your villa. I will unleash my men on the entire neighborhood of Coyoacán. I will burn the market to ashes."
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"I don't have the biometric keys," Emily stated truthfully.
"Then you better find them, Emily. The clock is ticking." The line went dead.
