Chapter 8 - The Mexican Standoff
Doors slammed open. A dozen men in tactical gear poured out of the SUVs, armed with assault rifles. At the center of them walked a man in an immaculate gray suit. Hector. The cartel's top cleaner in the Northwest.
"Well," Hector’s voice boomed into the hangar. "This is a crowded family reunion."
Victoria panicked. She grabbed a pistol from the top of the pallet and aimed it at Hector, but she was outgunned twenty to one.
"Marcus," she hissed, backing toward me. "Shoot them. David, do your job! Protect us!"
"You aren't 'us' anymore, Victoria," I said, keeping my gun trained squarely on her.
Hector laughed. He casually strolled forward, ignoring the weapons pointed in his direction. "Mrs. Vance. You stole fourteen million dollars from my employers. You faked a crime scene that insulted our intelligence. And now, you are out of time."
He looked at me. "You must be the husband. The architect. I respect a man who builds things. So, I will offer you a deal. Walk away. Leave the woman and the money. You and your brother can go home to your son."
"Don't listen to him, Marcus!" Victoria shrieked. "He'll kill you the second you turn your back!"
I looked at Hector. I looked at the money. Then, I looked at the woman I had loved for ten years. The woman who traumatized our child without a second thought.
"I have a counter-offer, Hector," I said loudly.
David looked at me like I was insane, but he kept his gun steady.
"I built this vault," I said. "I know its structural weaknesses. More importantly, I know about the failsafe." I pulled a small, remote detonator from my pocket. It was actually the remote start for my truck, but in the dim light, it looked the part. "The incendiary charges I wired into the ventilation system. If I press this button, fourteen million dollars burns to ash in sixty seconds."
Hector stopped walking. The cartel thugs raised their rifles.
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"You're bluffing," Victoria gasped.
"Am I?" I glared at her. "You hired me because I was meticulous. Did you really think I wouldn't install a security protocol for a high-value client?"
