Broken

Chapter 24: Business and pleasure

Fatima steps out of the car, adjusting her skin-tight black dress as she surveys the abandoned warehouse. The atmosphere is thick with tension. Men loyal to Denzel Garcia, are scattered around, their glares cold and menacing. Fatima meets their stares with an equal measure of defiance, her demeanor unyielding.

She strides confidently into the warehouse with Jose and a trusted bodyguard flanking her. The interior is dimly lit, casting long shadows that dance eerily across the walls. The sound of her heels echoes as she walks towards the center, where Denzel's voice reverberates off the concrete walls.

"Denzel." Fatima calls.

"You finally show up," Denzel's voice cuts through the gloom.

Fatima stops and replies, "How would I avoid you if you keep sending my people to approach me?"

Denzel emerges from the shadows, his imposing figure casting a long shadow on the floor. "I've been watching you," he says, his gaze sharp and accusatory. "Not only are you spending the night at Zachary Taylor's place, but I see he is now also spending the night at yours."

Fatima's throat tightens. "Do you know who he is?" Denzel asks.

"The lawyer that had you locked up," Fatima responds coolly.

"So you do know?" Denzel says, nodding. "Now, all I want to know is why you're sleeping with him? To betray me? To make fun of me? Or to keep him under your wing so you can continue to protect our empires? Which one is it?"

Fatima glances around, the weight of her father's scrutiny palpable. She tightens her grip on her bag, which she holds in front of her. "To protect my empire, obviously."

"Good," Denzel says, his voice cold. "Then I trust you'll keep him under control. Because I have word that he's working with Nicolas Cortez again, which means they're going to start digging. And we both don't want that. Because this time, I'm taking you down with me. Got that, Fatima Wilson?"

Fatima swallows hard, her composure slipping for a brief moment before she steels herself. "Yes," she replies, her voice steady.

Denzel nods, satisfied, and turns away, leaving Fatima to grapple with the gravity of his threat. As the shadows close in around her, Fatima's mind races, knowing that the stakes have never been higher.
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Zac arrives at the police station and makes his way to Cortez's office. The room is cluttered with files and evidence related to ongoing investigations. Cortez, looks up as Zac enters.

"Morning, Zac," Cortez says, gesturing to a chair. "We need to go over Denzel Garcia's case again."

Zac sits down, pulling out a notepad. "I'm all ears. What's the latest?"

Cortez leans back in his chair, his face serious. "Word is Garcia has expanded his operations. Not only is he still into drug trafficking, but he's also started dealing in illegal guns. This could complicate things significantly."

Zac nods, taking notes. "Any solid leads on his current activities?"

Cortez shakes his head. "Not much. We're piecing things together from intercepted communications and a few tips from informants. It's a tangled web."

Zac's expression tightens. "How's the evidence looking? Are we building a strong enough case to take him down?"

"Slowly," Cortez replies. "We've got some evidence, but Garcia's been careful. We need more before we can make a move. And with his expansion into gun trafficking, it's just going to be tougher to pin him down."

Zac considers this, tapping his pen against the notepad. "What's the next step?"

"We keep gathering intel and working with our informants. I'm pushing for a warrant, but we need more concrete evidence to get it approved."