Chapter 5 - Noon in the Courtyard
The Thursday sun was hot and bright, baking the red bricks of the courtyard and casting sharp, dark shadows beneath the playground equipment. The street outside was quiet, but inside the center, the community kitchen was serving lunch to dozens of local residents. The sound of clattering plates and children’s laughter drifted through the open windows of the dining hall.
Victor stood near the main entrance plaque, his hand resting in his pocket, his fingers curled around a small, high-frequency signal jammer Brian had provided. Brian himself was stationed on the second-floor balcony, dressed in a maintenance uniform, a long-range camera and a concealed radio transmitter secured to his belt.
At exactly 12:00, a black sedan with tinted windows pulled up to the curb.
The back door opened, and Alejandro Garza stepped out. He was a man in his late fifties, dressed in an immaculate, albeit slightly dated, Italian suit. His silver hair was slicked back, and his dark eyes scanned the perimeter with the cold, calculated precision of an old soldier. Behind him stood two heavy-set men in leather jackets, their hands tucked significantly into their pockets.
Garza walked through the main gates, his leather shoes clicking against the courtyard pavement. He stopped ten feet from Victor and Catherine, a thin, patronizing smile appearing on his face.
"Catherine," Garza said, bowing his head slightly. "You look remarkably like your father. He always had that same look of stubborn righteousness before a merger."
"Don't speak his name, Alejandro," Catherine said, her voice steady, her chin held high. "You helped him ruin this city. You’re a ghost from a past we’ve already buried."
"And yet, here I am, digging you back up," Garza smiled. He turned his eyes to Victor. "Where is the chest, Victor? I don't see any city inspectors. I assume you were smart enough to keep this meeting private."
"The chest is exactly where you left it," Victor said. "But before we go near it, you’re going to tell us what’s inside. And you’re going to sign over the digital decryption keys for the secondary lock."
Garza let out a soft, dry laugh. "What’s inside? It’s the legacy, Victor. The complete financial registry of every politician, judge, and police commander Marcus Williams bought over twenty-five years. It’s the insurance policy that kept your father-in-law out of prison for two decades. And with the current political climate in Mexico City, that ledger is worth more than all your hotels and foundations combined."
"It’s a list of bribes," Catherine whispered, her eyes wide with a sudden, horrifying realization. "A list of corrupt officials."
"The ultimate ledger of the heart, Catherine," Garza said, his smile widening. "And with it, I can ensure that my retirement is very comfortable, and very safe. Now, let’s go downstairs. My friends outside are very impatient, and I’d hate for them to get clumsy with the gas valves."
"We’re not going anywhere, Garza," Victor said, stepping forward.
May you like
From the second-floor balcony, Brian’s voice crackled through Victor’s earpiece. "Victor, we’ve got a problem. The silver sedans at the corner just pulled up. They’ve blocked the north exit. There are more men than we expected."
Garza’s smile turned cold. "You thought you were setting a trap, Victor? I’ve been playing this game since you were running errands for local developers. You don't have the stomach for what comes next. Now, open the vault, or we start with the children on the swings."
