Chapter 7 - THE BROTHER'S BETRAYAL"They're here," Clara said, staring at the exterior cameras on the monitor.
Dozens of heavily armed mercenaries poured out of the SUVs, securing the perimeter of the mansion. At the front walked Mateo Barrera—tall, impeccably dressed in a white linen suit, holding a silver-handled cane, wearing a calm, predatory smile.
Octavio gently set Emiliano behind Clara. He stood up, wiping the blood and sweat from his hands, and walked over to the weapons locker in the corner of the panic room. He pulled out a customized tactical shotgun and a heavy bandolier of shells.
"Stay here," Octavio told Clara, his voice returning to its absolute, chilling authority. "Lock the steel inner bulkhead. Do not open it for anyone—not even if you hear my voice—unless I give you the specific passcode we used when Mili was a baby: Azul-99."
"Mr. Barrera, you can't go out there alone. There are twenty of them!" Clara cried out, grabbing his arm.
Octavio looked down at her, a grim, melancholic smile touching his lips. "Clara, my brother thinks I'm a soft old man because I spent five years grieving a ghost. He doesn't know that the monster he helped create is about to wake up."
He turned and stepped out of the panic room into the secret corridor, sliding the heavy steel door shut behind him. The internal locking mechanism engaged with a heavy thud.
Upstairs, in the grand foyer, the front mahogany doors splintered into kindling under a barrage of heavy breaching charges.
Mateo Barrera stepped into the mansion, his polished leather shoes crunching on the glass and debris. He inhaled deeply, smiling.
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"Octavio!" Mateo called out, his voice echoing through the opulent halls. "Come out, brother! Ofelia failed, but the family business still needs to be settled. You can't protect the deaf boy forever!"
From the grand staircase above, a single shot rang out, shattering the crystal chandelier directly above Mateo's head.
