Chapter 25 - The Cartel Proxy
The office of Alejandro Vargas, the legitimate legal front for the Sinaloa syndicate in the city, was located in an unassuming, brutalist concrete building near the industrial docks.
Valeria walked through the front doors, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She approached the heavily tattooed security guard at the front desk.
"I am here to see Señor Vargas," Valeria stated evenly.
The guard scoffed, looking at her diaper bag. "He doesn't do pro-bono family law, lady. Get out."
"Tell him I have the missing ledgers from the 2011 European expansion," Valeria commanded, not breaking eye contact. "Tell him I have the name of the man who stole fifty million dollars from his employers."
The guard’s smirk vanished instantly. He picked up a secure phone, whispered a few words, and then nodded toward a heavy steel door. "Down the hall. Last office."
Valeria walked into a dimly lit, smoke-filled room. Alejandro Vargas sat behind a metal desk, smoking a cigar. He radiated danger.
"You are a very brave woman, Valeria," Vargas said, recognizing her from the highly publicized news coverage of Teresa’s trial. "Or a very foolish one."
"I am a mother neutralizing a threat," Valeria replied, unzipping the false bottom of her bag and tossing the yellowed ledgers onto his desk. "Ricardo Valdés is petitioning for custody of my daughter tomorrow. If he succeeds, he gains access to the primary Valdés trust."
Vargas opened the ledger, his eyes scanning the detailed, handwritten codes. His expression shifted from mild amusement to dark, lethal fury.
"Ricardo blamed my cousin for this theft," Vargas growled, closing the book. "My cousin was executed for it."
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"Now you know the truth," Valeria said smoothly. "I don't care about your business, Señor Vargas. But if Ricardo Valdés disappears before 9:00 AM tomorrow, the court hearing is canceled, and I will ensure these ledgers are never seen by the federal authorities."
Vargas smiled—a terrifying, cold-blooded expression. "Consider your custody problem solved, señora."
