Chapter 9 - THE RECKONING AT THE MAIN GATES
Instead of handing over the children, Alejandro lunged sideways, kicking a massive stack of heavy wooden horse jumps directly into the path of Salazar’s guards. The barrier collapsed with a thunderous crash, kicking up a thick cloud of dust and hay. "Run!" Alejandro shouted to the girls, steering them toward the rear pasture gate that led into the dense mountain forest. He fired two warning shots into the rafters above, sending the guards scrambling for cover. But as Alejandro sprinted out into the courtyard with Sofía and Lucía, the main iron gates of the estate blew open with a deafening screech of twisted metal. Three black SUVs roared up the drive, cutting off their escape route. Men poured out, surrounding the courtyard. But they weren't Salazar’s men. Stepping out of the lead vehicle was a phalanx of federal police officers led by a fierce, no-nonsense commander in a bulletproof vest—and right behind her was a familiar face: Valeria Montes, the sharp-eyed former cartel nurse who had recently dismantled a syndicate in Monterrey, now working alongside federal investigators tracking high-level corporate corruption. Valeria scanned the chaotic scene, her eyes locking onto Alejandro and the two terrified little girls. "Drop your weapons!" Valeria commanded through a bullhorn, pointing directly at Salazar and his corporate mercenaries. The standoff was absolute. The private army and the federal authorities locked eyes across the wet gravel, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Salazar slowly lowered his hands, realizing he had been outmaneuvered. The federal agents swarmed the courtyard, pinning the mercenaries to the ground in a matter of seconds. Valeria walked straight up to Alejandro, her expression a mix of stern warning and deep empathy. "You should have called me before you played hero, Garza," she said, her voice sharp. "But... you found them."
