Chapter 38 - Death of an Empire
The heavy, metal cargo doors of the federal transport plane finally sealed shut, locking out the roaring wind, the freezing rain, and the bloody violence of the abandoned airfield. As the massive aircraft lifted heavily into the dark night sky, leaving Mexico far behind, Alejandro lay exhausted on the floor, surrounded by federal agents and emergency medical personnel.
Valeria was kneeling right beside him, her hands frantically pressing a fresh, sterile bandage against his bleeding side. She was sobbing openly, but this time, they were tears of profound, overwhelming relief.
"You promised me you wouldn't die," Valeria wept, kissing his pale forehead repeatedly. "You promised me."
"I always keep my promises," Alejandro managed to whisper, offering her a weak, tired smile before the powerful painkillers administered by the medics finally pulled him into a deep, dreamless unconsciousness.
When Alejandro finally woke up, the world was completely different.
He was lying in a bright, sterile hospital bed in a highly secure, classified federal medical facility somewhere in the United States. The constant, rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor was the only sound in the quiet room.
Agent Ramirez was sitting in a chair in the corner, reading a thick legal file. He looked up when Alejandro stirred.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr. Ríos," Ramirez said, closing the file and standing up. "You've been out for three days. You lost a massive amount of blood, but the surgeons managed to repair the internal damage. You are going to make a full recovery."
"My family?" Alejandro asked immediately, his voice incredibly raspy.
"They are completely safe, living in a secure federal housing complex on the base," Ramirez assured him. "And you will be pleased to know that the encrypted hard drive was authentic. We executed simultaneous, massive raids across four states yesterday. We seized billions in cartel assets, arrested dozens of corrupt politicians, and completely dismantled the remnants of El Escorpión’s network. Your old empire is entirely dead."
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"And the immunity deal?" Alejandro asked, staring at the ceiling.
"Signed and completely finalized by the Department of Justice," Ramirez confirmed, handing Alejandro a new, pristine American passport. "Alejandro Ríos officially died in a cartel shootout at an abandoned airfield. You are a ghost now. You and your family get a completely clean slate."
