Chapter 15 - The Alliance in the Shadows
To beat an international syndicate, we needed leverage that spanned across continents. The next morning, Santiago flew us in a private jet to Monterrey to meet with an unexpected ally: Valeria Morales, the fierce head of the northern rail cartels and a long-standing rival-turned-frenemy of the Vitale family.
We met in a heavily guarded industrial warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Valeria sat atop a stack of steel shipping crates, wearing a tailored leather jacket and sipping black coffee, sizing me up with razor-sharp eyes.
“So, the quiet café girl from Condesa is now the queen holding the Vitale keys,” Valeria said with a dry, knowing smirk. “Impressive upgrade.”
“We aren't here for small talk, Valeria,” Santiago cut in, stepping protectively in front of me. “The Calabrian Syndicate is moving in through the ports. If they take the southern corridors, your northern rail lines are next.”
Valeria’s smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating glare. She hopped down from the crates and walked slowly toward us.
“I know about the Calabrians,” she admitted quietly. “And I know they’re bringing a tech-warfare division to hack the port customs databases. But to stop them, you need a ghost in the machine. Do you know anyone who can crack an encrypted international server before midnight tomorrow?”
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I stepped forward, meeting Valeria’s gaze without flinching.
“Before I worked at the Italian restaurant in Roma Norte, I spent three years studying cyber-security at the National University,” I said calmly. “Try me.”
