Chapter 12 - The Silver Watch
Mateo did not tell Laura immediately. He wanted to understand the scope of the threat before bringing the nightmare back into her life. He left for work at his usual time, driving his battered blue pickup truck, but his eyes were constantly darting to the rearview mirror.
The logistics garage was noisy, filled with the sounds of pneumatic drills and heavy diesel engines. Mateo worked on a shattered transmission, his hands covered in grease, but his mind was calculating tactical disadvantages. Whoever took the photograph knew where they lived. They knew the children’s routine. But they hadn't attacked yet, which meant they were trying to inflict psychological terror before making a physical move.
During his lunch break, Mateo walked to the bustling open-air market down the street from the garage to buy a torta. The market was a chaotic sea of colors, loud music, and shouting vendors—the perfect place to lose a tail, or to spot one.
He paused at a fruit stand, pretending to inspect a pyramid of mangoes, and used the reflection of a nearby bakery window to scan the crowd behind him.
He saw him. A man in his late thirties, wearing a faded denim jacket and a dark baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. What gave the man away wasn't his clothing, but his stillness. In a market where everyone was moving, haggling, and eating, the man was simply standing near a concrete pillar, watching Mateo with an intense, unwavering focus. On his left wrist, a heavy, expensive silver watch caught the harsh midday sun.
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Mateo didn't run. He paid for his food, turned around, and walked directly toward a narrow, shaded alleyway that led to the delivery docks behind the market. He knew the alley was a dead end. He wanted the man to follow him.
Mateo stepped into the shadows of the alley, hiding behind a massive stack of empty wooden crates. A few seconds later, the man in the denim jacket turned the corner, his hand instinctively reaching into his jacket pocket. Mateo took a deep breath, his muscles tensing. The hunter was about to become the prey.
