Chapter 8 - The Tarmac Interrogation.The rain had intensified, washing the neon-soaked streets in a cold, unforgiving downpour.
Our armored SUV tore through the city limits, breaking every speed limit known to man.
I sat in the back seat, calmly loading a fresh magazine into my sidearm.
The adrenaline from the penthouse shootout had faded, replaced by a cold, calculating rage.
We crashed through the chain-link gates of the private airfield without even slowing down.
Ahead of us, a sleek Gulfstream jet sat on the wet tarmac, its engines already whining in preparation for takeoff.
Richard was standing near the boarding stairs, holding a silver briefcase to his chest.
When he saw our black SUV rocketing toward him, sheer panic contorted his sweaty face.
He abandoned his luggage and scrambled frantically up the metal stairs.
Victor slammed on the brakes, sending our vehicle into a violent, controlled slide that blocked the aircraft's path.
I kicked the car door open and stepped out into the freezing rain.
"Stop right there, Richard!" I shouted, aiming my weapon directly at his back.
He froze on the top step, slowly turning around with his hands raised in surrender.
"Mariana, please, you have to understand!" Richard begged, his voice cracking with terror.
"Andrew forced me to do this, he threatened my entire family!" he lied through chattering teeth.
I walked slowly toward the stairs, the rain plastering my hair to my face.
"You chose to play a deadly game for a man who considers you entirely disposable," I stated coldly.
I walked up the metal steps until I was standing face-to-face with the trembling executive.
"Where is Andrew hiding?" I demanded, pressing the barrel of my gun against his expensive silk tie.
"I don't know, I swear to God!" Richard cried, tears mixing with the rain on his cheeks.
"He never tells anyone his exact location, he is completely paranoid!" he sobbed pitifully.
I stared into his terrified eyes, searching for any trace of deception.
He was telling the truth; he was nothing more than a useful pawn in Andrew's desperate scheme.
"You failed to secure the money, Richard," I whispered softly.
"What do you think a man like Andrew will do to you now?"
Richard's eyes widened as the horrific realization washed over him.
He was no longer useful to Andrew, which meant he was now a massive liability.
"He will have me killed," Richard whispered, his entire body shaking violently.
"Exactly," I agreed, slowly lowering my weapon.
"But if you give me something I can use, I will put you on a secure Escalante jet and make you disappear."
Richard swallowed hard, his mind racing to find any valuable piece of information.
"Brenda," Richard gasped out suddenly.
"Brenda did not flee the city with him; she stayed behind to coordinate the mercenary payouts."
My eyes narrowed at the mention of Andrew's arrogant mistress.
"Where is she?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm.
"She is hiding at the abandoned shipyard in the industrial district," Richard revealed eagerly.
"She is waiting for a shipment of illegal weaponry to arm Andrew's remaining loyalists."
I stepped back down the metal stairs, leaving Richard shivering in the storm.
"Victor, put him on a cargo plane to our facility in Siberia," I ordered without looking back.
"Let him spend the rest of his life managing an ice mine."
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I climbed back into the warm SUV, a sinister smile creeping across my face.
If Andrew wanted to hide in the shadows, I would drag his precious mistress out into the light.
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