Chapter 13 - The Interrogation in the Alley
The man in the denim jacket took three cautious steps into the alley, his eyes scanning the empty delivery dock. He pulled a suppressed pistol halfway out of his jacket, realizing too late that he had walked into a trap.
Mateo stepped out from behind the wooden crates with terrifying speed. He didn't use a weapon; he used his entire body weight. He slammed into the man’s side, driving his shoulder hard into the man’s ribcage. The heavy silver watch smashed against the brick wall, and the pistol clattered noisily onto the concrete ground.
Before the man could recover, Mateo grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and slammed him against the bricks a second time, pressing his forearm brutally against the man’s throat.
"Who sent you?" Mateo growled, his voice a low, lethal whisper. "Who took the photograph of my children?"
The man gasped for air, his hands scrabbling uselessly at Mateo’s arm. "You're a dead man, Mateo," the man spat, blood staining his teeth. "Arturo sends his regards."
The name hit Mateo like a physical blow. Arturo Vargas. The ruthless enforcer of the syndicate they had dismantled in Querétaro. Arturo was supposed to be dead, trapped in the burning warehouse that Mateo had collapsed to save his family.
"Arturo is dead," Mateo said, pressing harder against the man's windpipe.
"Arturo survived the fire," the man wheezed, his eyes wide with fear and malice. "He spent six months in a burn ward. Half his face is melted off, and he blames you. He isn't here for your money. He wants to watch your wife and your children burn just like he did. He’s going to turn your new house into an ash heap."
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Mateo’s blood ran completely cold. This wasn't cartel business anymore; this was a deeply personal, unhinged vendetta. Mateo released the pressure just enough for the man to breathe, then delivered a swift, brutal punch to the man's jaw. The man slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Mateo picked up the suppressed pistol, checking the magazine. He tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. The time for hiding was officially over. He had to go home and tell Laura everything. They were going to war.
