Chapter 12 - The Mountain Fortress.The flight to the jagged peaks of the northern mountain range took less than an hour.
Lightning flashed across the blackened sky, illuminating the treacherous, snow-covered terrain below us.
The Navarro compound was a modern fortress carved directly into the side of a massive cliff.
It was surrounded by high-voltage electrified fencing and guarded by dozens of seasoned cartel sicarios.
"Thermal imaging shows forty hostiles patrolling the outer perimeter," the tactical commander announced over the radio.
"They have anti-aircraft batteries mounted on the main compound roof, Ms. Escalante."
I leaned forward in my seat, staring at the glowing tactical monitor in the center of the cabin.
"Disable their grid with an EMP strike before we cross the engagement threshold," I commanded smoothly.
The commander relayed the order, and the second gunship launched a specialized drone into the storm.
A few seconds later, a silent, invisible pulse washed over the mountain fortress.
Every single light, sensor, and defense system in the Navarro compound instantly went pitch black.
"Grid neutralized," the commander confirmed, racking the slide of his assault rifle.
"Take us down," I ordered the pilot, feeling the familiar rush of combat adrenaline flooding my veins.
The Blackhawks descended rapidly, deploying thick, fast-ropes onto the snowy ridge overlooking the compound.
Victor and I slid down the ropes, our boots hitting the frozen ground in perfect unison.
Fifty heavily armed Escalante operatives fanned out around us, moving silently through the dense pine trees.
We approached the outer wall, utilizing the darkness to mask our lethal advance.
The cartel guards were in absolute panic, frantically trying to reboot their fried communication radios.
"Execute," I whispered into my tactical headset.
My snipers fired simultaneously from the tree line, their suppressed rifles emitting a chorus of deadly whispers.
The perimeter guards dropped into the snow before they even realized they were under attack.
Victor attached a breaching charge to the heavy steel gates of the fortress.
The explosion ripped through the silent mountain air, blowing the reinforced doors completely inward.
"Move, move, move!" Victor shouted, leading the charge into the heavily fortified courtyard.
A massive firefight erupted instantly as the surviving Navarro sicarios scrambled from their barracks.
Tracer rounds lit up the dark courtyard like deadly fireworks, ricocheting off the stone walls.
I advanced alongside my men, firing my weapon with cold, mechanical precision.
This was not a battle; it was a highly orchestrated slaughter.
The Escalante syndicate had not survived for a century by fighting fair.
We overwhelmed their defenses in less than five minutes, pushing directly toward the main mansion.
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I kicked the heavy oak doors open, stepping over the shattered glass and ruined luxury furniture.
Andrew was hiding in here somewhere, and I was going to drag him out by his throat.
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