CUBAN HIRE (CARTEL GXG)

CATCHING EL JEFA

Inside the packed club, chaos erupted. People surged in all directions, a wild tangle of bodies clawing for the exits as the air thickened with frantic screams and gunfire echoing off the walls. The pulsing lights of the club transformed into dizzying bursts of red and white, illuminating the panic like a battlefield. Agent Wilson pushed through the throng, her gun raised, her jaw set, every nerve alight with tension. Each step took her deeper into the inferno, where gunfire flashed from both sides, ricocheting off walls and catching in the smoky air. The sharp smell of gunpowder mingled with sweat and fear, clinging to her as she pressed on.

The radio crackled in her ear, a constant hum of tense voices announcing suspects spotted, officers engaging. But to Wilson, there was only one voice she wanted to hear: Ezmeralda's—if only so she could finally silence it. Ezmeralda needed to be captured tonight. And Olivia had to make it out alive.

"Where's Ezmeralda?!" Wilson shouted into her radio, her eyes darting over the sea of bodies, trying to catch even a glimpse of her target. Adrenaline raced through her veins as her gaze scanned the room, catching flashes of guns and desperate faces under the harsh strobe lights.

"Nine o'clock, Wilson!" Garcia's urgent voice crackled in her ear just as Wilson spotted an armed figure shifting toward her in the corner of her vision.

Wilson spun, gun leveled, and fired a single, decisive shot. The man crumpled, and as he fell, her line of sight cleared, revealing Ezmeralda's unmistakable figure. Her pulse quickened as she saw her target slipping toward the back exit, Olivia clutched tightly at her side, her arm around Olivia's waist as she guided her toward the narrow doorway.

"Target suspect! Heading through the west exit!" Wilson's voice cut through the radio, the urgency unmistakable. Her heart thundered as she lunged forward, her boots pounding against the ground, dodging bodies and ignoring the roar of voices around her. Every thought narrowed down to the two figures disappearing into the night, Ezmeralda dragging Olivia into the unknown.

She broke through the crowd just as the parking lot came into view, her gaze sharpening as she spotted Ezmeralda and Olivia hurrying toward a dark sedan.

"Don't move!" Wilson's shout split the night air as she burst through the doorway, her gun aimed at Ezmeralda and Olivia, her hands steady despite her racing pulse. As she stepped into the open, the parking lot's harsh floodlights cast long shadows, isolating them in a tense triangle. Wilson's eyes locked onto Ezmeralda's, the distance between them heavy with history and a mutual understanding of what came next.

"Put the gun down, Ezmeralda!" Wilson's voice was a fierce command, echoing off the nearby walls. "You're surrounded!"

Ezmeralda's only response was a slow, taunting smirk as she turned slowly to face Wilson. Her eyes gleamed with something sharp and dangerous as she tilted her head, her gaze challenging. "No," she replied in a chillingly smooth tone, her voice carrying a dangerous confidence. "You are."

A ripple of confusion and unease spread among the officers. Wilson's eyes darted around, catching the fear beginning to creep into her team as, one by one, they looked down to see red laser dots centered on their chests. Wilson's gaze snapped up to the surrounding buildings, her stomach dropping as she made out the shapes of dark figures perched along the rooftops—Ezmeralda's hidden snipers, rifles trained with deadly precision on her squad.

The entire scene shifted in an instant, the balance of power shifting to Ezmeralda as her shadowy reinforcements trained their sights on each officer. Wilson's face paled as she realized the trap they'd walked into.

For a tense heartbeat, no one moved, the silence deafening as Wilson held Ezmeralda's gaze. The only sound was the steady hum of distant sirens drawing nearer. The air seemed to crackle with the weight of a standoff that could explode at any second.