Chapter 20
The air in the prison visitation room felt even more oppressive and toxic than my previous visit. Karina sat across the thick acrylic glass, her arms crossed, her expression a mix of weary irritation and smug curiosity. She knew I wouldn't have returned unless I was incredibly desperate.
"You look terribly stressed, Alejandro," she mocked, leaning into the plastic receiver. "Did the big, bad Senator finally scare you out of your little health center project?"
"I have the offshore ledgers, Karina," I said bluntly, cutting entirely through her condescending performance. "I know about the charitable foundation. I know Vargas used Apex Holdings to launder the cartel's money and orchestrate the land grabs. The federal prosecutor in Mexico City is currently drafting a massive RICO indictment that will effectively end his life."
Karina’s smug smile faltered slightly, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her eyes. She hadn't expected us to crack her military-grade encryption.
"Congratulations," she replied coldly. "But you wouldn't be sitting here in this miserable room if you had everything you needed. You hit a wall."
"The final transaction cell is locked behind your personalized password," I admitted, hating the absolute power she held over me in this moment. "The specific wire transfer from twenty-two years ago. The money that paid the men who murdered my father. I need the password, Karina. I need to prove he ordered the hit."
She laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. "And why on earth would I simply hand that over to you? You are the reason I am wearing this disgusting beige uniform. You stripped me of my wealth, my reputation, and my freedom. I would rather let Vargas destroy you than help you achieve your precious vengeance."
"Because you know Vargas is meticulously cleaning house," I countered, leaning closer to the glass, my voice deadly serious. "You built the very ledgers that implicate him. You are the ultimate loose end. The moment he realizes we breached the drive, he will know you are a massive liability. How long do you think you will survive in this prison before one of the guards, paid off by the Senator, quietly slips a shiv between your ribs in the shower? I am not asking for your charity, Karina. I am offering you a lifeline."
She stared at me, the arrogant defiance slowly draining from her face, replaced by the cold, harsh reality of her precarious situation. She knew I was absolutely right. Vargas left no survivors.
"I want a formal letter," she demanded, her voice dropping to a desperate whisper. "A legally binding letter to the parole board, signed by you, strongly advocating for a massive reduction in my sentence based on my complete, essential cooperation in a major federal terrorism case. Furthermore, I want an immediate transfer to a highly secure, protected federal wing where Vargas's men cannot reach me."
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It sickened me to my core to offer any form of leniency to the woman who had profoundly betrayed me and allied herself with my father's murderers. I looked down at my hands, wrestling with the heavy, agonizing moral dilemma. But I thought of my mother, the clinic in Coyoacán, and the absolute necessity of permanently destroying Vargas. I was willing to sacrifice my personal vengeance against Karina to secure my father’s ultimate justice.
"Deal," I said.
