SHADOW OF VENGEANCE

Chapter 1 Floor 25 Carlos, a secret soldier in Mexico, had just received a love message from his wife, Maria. It had been a month since they last met. Carlos, standing tall at 185 cm, was on a secret mission to eradicate a drug cartel, ordered by the President of Mexico through the Minister of Defense. Carlos placed his phone to his ear, listening intently to his wife's message amidst exhaustion after infiltrating the notorious cartel's lair. "It's been a month since you left. You promised to be gone for about a week. Are you okay?" Maria asked in a voice message. "Yes, I'm fine. It's just a bit busy here. Sorry if I had to lie," Carlos replied, speaking to himself without responding to the message. "Ana misses you. Remember, your daughter's birthday is in two weeks. Please come home if you can. No need to bring a gift, I'll handle that as long as you return safely." Maria's second message played. The short-haired man then turned off his phone and took a deep breath. He missed his family but had a mission to complete. "Hey, Carlos, have a drink," Juan—Carlos's friend—offered him a soda. "Any news from the government?" Carlos asked. "Not yet. They're still stalling." "Damn. They ordered us to move, and now we're trapped in the cartel's lair, but they won't send help." Carlos expressed his disappointment with the government. "But we have them," Juan pointed to two men they had captured. "Two men I thought were smart turned out to be fools." Carlos approached and patted the cheeks of the two cartel members they had secured. They were the younger brothers of Fernando Torres—the owner of the building where Carlos and Juan were trapped. "Tell me your names again?" Juan stared at the two fierce men tied to chairs. "Damian and Ferdinand. They've already told us since yesterday." Carlos peeked out the window. Outside the building, several cartel members were moving silently. "Let us go. We'll give you the money you want," Damian said, his eyes red. "It's not that easy, buddy. At least you have to go through the judicial process," Carlos replied, squinting his eyes. He saw more cartel members arriving in a short time. It was clear that he and his ten remaining comrades were outnumbered. "Judicial process? You believe in the law in Mexico? Foolish! Even your President still accepts bribes from us! Puih!" Ferdinand spat on Juan's foot, earning a strong slap on his cheek. "Juan, come here," Carlos called. Juan approached. "I still want to attend my daughter's birthday in two weeks, and I miss my wife." Carlos looked straight at his friend. "The problem is we haven't gotten out of here yet." Juan peeked out the window. A car shook, and several armed men emerged. "And it seems we won't get out alive." Carlos had almost lost hope. "But we have them," Juan glanced at Damian and Ferdinand. Shortly after, Juan's phone rang. The shorter man looked at the number calling him. "Who is it?" Carlos asked. "No name.” Juan replied. "Just answer and ask what they want." Juan answered and was momentarily stunned. He looked at Carlos, then Ferdinand and Damian. It was clear from Juan's expression that he couldn't say anything. "This is unfair to us. We've been fighting for almost two months!" Juan then hung up the phone. "Who was it?" "The Minister of Defense." "What did he say?" "Release the hostages and save yourselves. That damn Minister of Defense won't send reinforcements because it's pointless to save us." "Ha ha ha, I told you your government accepts bribes from us. And you, soldiers with meager salaries, try to capture us. How ridiculous." Ferdinand smirked. "Last chance. Release us and join our group. What do you want? Money, beautiful women, luxurious houses, cars—you'll get them like the police who accept bribes from us." Damian tried to negotiate. "What do you think?" Juan glanced at Carlos. "Never! Everyone, gather and plan." Carlos called the other nine soldiers. They all looked focused and listened intently. There was still hope to survive despite being outnumbered. After planning to escape the building alive, Carlos tied Damian and Ferdinand's hands and handcuffed them. "You won't live to reach the door, believe me!" Damian whispered. "I'll live long enough to kill Fernando Torres." Carlos pointed a short-barreled rifle at Damian's head. "Just wait, you bastard. You'll regret it." Carlos and Juan began walking while holding the hostages. A teammate opened the door. So far, the situation was safe and under control, there was no resistance from the enemy. "Keep walking and stay alert." Carlos glanced down the stairs. He saw several men in white clothes starting to climb. "Move, move, move!" Then, eleven soldiers and two hostages began to quicken their pace, climbing stair after stair. When they reached the 20th floor, a door suddenly opened with a low-pressure bomb. Carlos and Juan were thrown along with the others. At the same time, Juan's phone rang. He answered it, breathing heavily. "Damn, who are you?" Juan snapped. "Try to stay alive. I'm waiting for you below with a black truck." The call ended. Carlos stood up and grabbed Ferdinand's hand. He asked Juan to get up quickly. "We have to hurry, there's help waiting below," Juan approached Carlos while pulling Damian's collar. The soldiers ran again, but from the bombed room, several men in white clothes emerged with long-barreled rifles. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of bullets filled the 30th-floor building. A shootout began. Carlos and Juan hid behind a cupboard in another room with their surviving comrades. "Seven, four soldiers dead." Carlos closed his eyes. "No time to retreat, bro. You and he will die soon." "Shut up!" Carlos punched Ferdinand's cheek, knocking out his teeth. "Carlos, we have to keep moving, otherwise, we'll be trapped here forever." Juan stood up, using Damian as a shield. The two friends walked, glancing left and right with their comrades. Fernando's men, sent to save his brothers, lowered their rifles when they saw the hostages. "I know you're confused and scared. Put down your weapons and surrender the hostages. I'll give you some mercy." A man wearing a black vest appeared. Martin was a former police officer who joined Fernando. "Release them, or you die." Martin advanced fearlessly toward Carlos.