Chapter 10: The Devil's Parley**
The meeting took place at the very riverbank where Aurelio had pulled Mateo from the murky water ten years prior. Rain poured from a slate-grey sky, turning the dirt into the same thick mud that had once almost claimed Mateo’s life.
Mateo stood alone under the massive concrete highway bridge, his black overcoat drenched, his hands visible and empty.
Three SUVs arrived, headlights cutting through the storm. Dante Ramos stepped out, flanked by a dozen heavily armed men carrying automatic rifles.
"The great Mateo Vance," Ramos mocked, his face scarred and wild with desperation. "Look at you. Unarmed, broken, begging for mercy for a stray dog you picked up from the gutter."
"Let the boy go, Dante," Mateo said calmly, his heartbeat steady in the cold air. "I've transferred fifty million dollars into an offshore escrow account. The codes unlock the moment your plane clears international airspace. Take the money and leave. This city has outgrown you."
May you like
Ramos laughed, a shrill, manic sound. "I don't want your money, Mateo. I want your legacy turned to ash."
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