Chapter 9 - The First Son
Nicolás had another son.
For three seconds, Sofía thought she misunderstood.
Valeria did too.
“What first son?”
Nicolás sat.
Ten years earlier, before Valeria, before the arranged engagement, Nicolás had been involved with a woman named Elena Cruz.
She became pregnant.
Nicolás was twenty-eight.
His father was alive.
The family was in the middle of a violent territorial war.
Elena disappeared before the child was born.
Nicolás was told she left the country.
Later, he received a death certificate.
Car accident.
No child listed.
He believed the baby died too.
Why had he never investigated?
He had.
For years.
Nothing.
Then Tomás told him Elena had been using him for money.
Nicolás eventually stopped.
Valeria stared.
“You never told me.”
“I thought they were dead.”
Then Rafael searched the archive.
ELENA CRUZ.
File locked.
Tomás biometric required.
Another folder:
SUBJECT A.
Photos.
A boy.
Nine years old.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
Nicolás stopped breathing.
“Mateo.”
No.
Older.
The boy looked like Nicolás.
The file said:
Name: Daniel Cruz.
School: Querétaro.
Guardian: Lucía Ferrer.
Everyone stared.
Dr. Ferrer’s sister.
Lucía.
The nurse who had just injected Mateo.
Nicolás whispered:
“My son.”
Tomás had hidden Daniel for years.
Why?
Leverage.
Insurance.
Maybe something worse.
Then the message:
YOU SAVED THE WRONG CHILD.
Lucía was telling them Mateo was not the only hostage.
Nicolás called the school.
Daniel had not attended in three days.
Guardian number disconnected.
Rafael mobilized another team.
Sofía looked at Nicolás.
He seemed unable to breathe.
For the first time, the mafia boss was not dangerous.
Just broken.
“I left him.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have known.”
Sofía answered:
“Guilt is not information.”
He looked at her.
“Use what you know now.”
That steadied him.
Then police found Lucía’s car near Cuernavaca.
Empty.
Inside:
Children’s clothes.
Two passports.
One for Daniel Cruz.
One fake passport for Mateo Velasco.
The plan had included taking Mateo too.
Maybe after the trust transfer.
Maybe as permanent leverage.
Then one audio file on Lucía’s phone backup.
Adriana Ferrer:
Tomás promised Daniel would be safe if we followed instructions.
Lucía:
And Mateo?
Adriana:
He is not supposed to die.
Lucía:
That is not an answer.
Adriana:
We finish this and disappear.
The Ferrer sisters were not loyal ideologues.
They were trapped too.
Maybe.
Then another recording.
Tomás:
Daniel belongs to me until Nicolás signs.
Nicolás’s face became ice.
Then Rafael’s team reached the hidden house in Valle de Bravo.
Empty.
But warm food.
Fresh tire marks.
And one drawing on the table.
A child’s drawing.
A man.
A baby.
A woman in a nurse uniform.
Sofía stared.
Why would Daniel draw a nurse?
On the back, one sentence:
SHE SAID SOFIA WOULD COME.
Who told Daniel about Sofía?
Then a GPS unit in the house pinged.
Route saved.
Destination:
Bosques de las Lomas.
The Velasco mansion.
They were heading back.
May you like
Not running away.
Back into the place everyone thought had been secured.
