Chapter 22 Black Ledger

• The desert swallowed the last trail of smoke as Mateo’s convoy vanished beyond the ridge. The silence left behind wasn’t peace—it was a warning. Valentina stood at the edge of the scorched tarmac, her shirt damp with sweat and blood, the flash drive tight in her fist.
• Dante kept his pistol raised until the final tail light disappeared. Then, slowly, he lowered it. His breath came out in short bursts, like the aftermath of a fight that hadn’t truly ended.
• Camila pocketed a spare mag and crouched beside Emilio’s unconscious body. “What do we do with him?”