Chapter 3 - THE MILLION-DOLLAR SECRET
The basement of Tavo’s makeshift computer repair shop smelled of burnt solder, stale coffee, and energy drinks. Computer screens flickered in the dark, casting an eerie blue light over Tavo’s pale face as his fingers flew across his keyboard.
Mateo stood over his shoulder, pacing like a caged panther.
"Come on, Tavo. There has to be something," Mateo urged.
"Hold your horses, man," Tavo grunted. "This guy Arthur Vance has heavy-duty security on his personal data. He's the Vice President of Vance Global Logistics... but wait a minute." Tavo stopped typing. His eyes widened. "That's weird."
"What is it?"
"Arthur Vance’s biological son, Julian Vance. Age nine," Tavo said, pulling up a medical file from an encrypted hospital database in Houston. "Diagnosed eight months ago with acute End-Stage Renal Disease. Both kidneys are failing. He’s been on the top of the international organ transplant emergency list, but his rare blood type—AB Negative—makes finding a match almost impossible."
Mateo stared at the screen. "AB Negative...?"
A cold sweat broke out across Mateo’s neck. He remembered the yellowed medical booklet he kept in his coffee can. The one from the public clinic where Santiago was born.
Santiago’s blood type was AB Negative.
"Tavo..." Mateo’s voice was barely an audible squeak. "Look up Elena's marriage settlement. Look up any trust funds or medical consent forms."
Tavo slammed a few key combinations. He bypassed an offshore bank account ledger and pulled up a private legal contract signed six months ago in Texas.
The title of the document read: SURROGACY & PARENTAL RIGHTS TRANSFER AGREEMENT.
As Mateo read the clauses, the world around him seemed to shatter into a million jagged pieces.
Elena hadn't come back out of motherly love. She hadn't even come back to spite Mateo.
Six months ago, Elena had met Arthur Vance in Houston. When Arthur's rich, spoiled heir fell deathly ill, Elena discovered that her abandoned son in Mexico shared the ultra-rare blood type. She made a deal with the billionaire: In exchange for $2 million dollars and a lifetime marriage settlement, Elena promised to retrieve her biological son from Mexico and consent to an illegal, off-the-books kidney transplant for Arthur's son.
Because Mexican and US laws prohibited living organ donation from minors without parental consent, Elena had to legally regain full custody of Santiago to sign the medical authorization forms!
"They... they didn't adopt him," Mateo whispered, tears of pure horror streaming down his cheeks. "They bought him. They bought my brother like a spare part for a broken toy!"
"Mateo, look at the date on the surgical prep order," Tavo said, pointing at a red flag on the screen. "The private procedure isn't happening in a hospital. It's scheduled for tomorrow night at a private surgical clinic in Cuernavaca! Once they take the kidney, they’re flying the kid to Switzerland. You’ll never see him again. And an off-the-books surgery like this on an eight-year-old? The risk of mortality is over 40%!"
"They're going to kill him," Mateo choked out. "They're going to butcher my little brother for two million dollars."
Mateo slammed his fists onto the desk, smashing a monitor screen. The pain in his knuckles was nothing compared to the fiery rage exploding inside his chest.
For six years, he had played by the rules. He had worked three jobs. He had trusted the social workers. He had trusted the judges. He had trusted the law. And the law had handed his little brother directly to a monster with a scalpels.
"No more rules," Mateo growled, his eyes turning cold, hard, and ruthless. "No more courts. No more waiting."
He grabbed Tavo by the shoulder. "I need weapons. I need a car. And I need to know the exact address of that clinic in Cuernavaca."
"Mateo, are you crazy?!" Tavo gasped. "Arthur Vance has armed private security guards! You're just a kid who washes cars!"
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Mateo looked Tavo dead in the eye. The timid, desperate 14-year-old boy was gone. In his place stood a young man who had survived six years in the brutal underbelly of Mexico City with only one promise keeping him alive.
"I promised Santiago I would never leave him," Mateo said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "If I have to burn this whole city down to get him back... then hand me the match."
