Slowly.
Every step felt like betrayal of your own survival.
When you reached Elena, you crouched carefully.
“Hi,” you whispered. “I’m Sofia.”
Elena’s lower lip trembled.
“My mom said nurses are safe.”
You almost broke.
“Your mom is right.”
You touched her wrist.
Fast pulse.
Cold fingers.
Terrified, but not badly injured.
“You’re doing great,” you whispered. “When I say now, you drop flat, okay?”
Her eyes widened.
You kept your face calm.
Julian said, “What are you whispering?”
You looked up.
“I said she needs water.”
“No,” Julian said. “What you need is to tell Mateo to hand me the drive.”
You stood slowly.
“Or what?”
His smile vanished.
“Or you become another woman he failed to save.”
That was when the warehouse doors exploded open.
Federal agents poured in from three sides.
“FBI! Drop your weapons!”
Chaos erupted.
You grabbed Elena and pulled her down hard.
Gunfire cracked above you.
Mateo moved like something unleashed.
Elias shouted.
Julian cursed.
You covered Elena’s body with yours, pressing her face against your coat.
“Don’t move,” you whispered. “Don’t move.”
A bullet hit the crate behind you.
Elena screamed.
You held tighter.
Then a body fell near your feet.
Not Mateo.
One of Julian’s men.
The gunfire stopped in fragments, like a storm breaking apart.
Then you heard Mateo’s voice.
“Julian, don’t.”
You looked up.
Julian stood near the back exit with his gun aimed at Mateo.
Mateo was bleeding badly now, one hand pressed to his side, the other holding his weapon low.
Agents shouted commands.
Julian looked around and realized there was nowhere left to go.
So he smiled.
“You always wanted to be better than us,” he said.
Mateo said nothing.
“But you’re still our father’s son.”
Julian raised the gun.
You did not think.
You moved.
A metal tray from a nearby workbench was in your hand before you fully registered grabbing it. You threw it with every ounce of panic in your body.
It struck Julian’s wrist.
The shot went wide.
Mateo fired once.
Julian dropped.
The warehouse went still.
Elena sobbed into your coat.
Agents rushed forward.
Elias grabbed Julian’s weapon away.
Mateo staggered.
You saw the color leave his face.
Then he collapsed.
For the second time in less than twelve hours, Mateo Lujan was bleeding in front of you.
And once again, your hands moved before your heart decided whether he deserved them.
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