Chapter 12 - THE TWO MEN BEHIND THE SECRET
Sebastián held a pistol loosely at his side.
He looked exactly like the photograph.
Calm.
Expensive.
Controlled.
Ernesto tightened his grip on Jimena.
“You were supposed to be gone.”
Sebastián smiled.
“You were supposed to keep your phone secure.”
Mateo slowly realized the two men were not partners anymore.
They were competitors.
Each wanted the ledger.
Each feared what the other might do with it.
Sebastián looked at Mateo.
“Your sister became sentimental.”
Mateo’s hands curled into fists.
“You locked my son underground.”
“Rebeca did.”
“You ordered it.”
“I ordered her to find the ledger.”
Sebastián shrugged.
“She improvised.”
The casualness nearly made Mateo lunge at him.
Ernesto pointed his gun.
“Don’t.”
Sebastián walked toward the table.
“Give me the book.”
“No.”
“Ernesto.”
“Your father owes me more than that ledger is worth.”
“My father has been dead for five years.”
“And mine has been cleaning up his mess for thirty.”
Mateo stared between them.
“You’re both insane.”
Sebastián looked almost amused.
“No.”
“Just practical.”
He picked up the blue ledger.
Then frowned.
He flipped through several pages.
His expression changed.
“This is incomplete.”
Mateo said nothing.
Sebastián looked up.
“Where are the photographs?”
“What photographs?”
“Ignacio photographed every signed payment authorization.”
Mateo truly had no idea.
Sebastián believed otherwise.
He raised the gun.
“Ask your daughter.”
Mateo moved immediately between the weapon and Jimena.
“She knows nothing.”
“Children notice everything.”
“So did Emiliano.”
Sebastián’s eyes hardened at the boy’s name.
Then police sirens sounded in the distance.
Ernesto cursed.
“You brought them.”
Mateo looked at him.
“You kidnapped a five-year-old from a hospital.”
“You thought nobody would follow?”
Gunfire erupted outside.
Sebastián grabbed the ledger.
Ernesto pulled Jimena toward a side door.
Mateo ran.
Ernesto fired.
The bullet struck a metal column beside Mateo’s head.
Jimena screamed.
Mateo tackled his uncle.
All three crashed onto the concrete.
The gun skidded away.
Jimena rolled free.
“Run.”
She crawled behind a machine.
Ernesto punched Mateo.
Mateo hit him back.
Decades of family history disappeared.
There was no uncle anymore.
Only the man who had helped destroy his father and endangered his children.
Across the factory, Sebastián disappeared through an emergency exit carrying the ledger.
Salgado’s officers stormed in seconds later.
Ernesto was handcuffed.
Mateo found Jimena hiding beneath a workbench.
She threw herself into his arms.
“I knew you’d come.”
Mateo held her so tightly she squeaked.
Then Salgado approached.
“Sebastián escaped.”
Mateo looked toward the empty doorway.
“And he has the ledger.”
Salgado shook his head.
“Not exactly.”
Mateo frowned.
May you like
The detective reached inside his jacket.
And pulled out the real blue book.
