Chapter 333 - Redeeming the Heavy Ones - mdfour
Roland
He asked the agent.
"And you better tell us, otherwise you'll be facing another charge."
"I don't know, those are other people's negotiations, but in the basement, on the left side, there's an entrance."
Everyone present was detained, those found in private rooms with adult women were captured. Any only cared about the children and the treasury agent needed to learn about the manager. They split up.
"Rata and Rasca culo, please hack the cameras in that place and the ones following the treasury agent. I want to see everything."
"Cooper, don't leave Any alone and please send two of your agents to escort Mr. Leopoldo who just arrived, he's entering now, he's the boss of the man who presented himself as a treasury department official. Make sure he's protected," I said. "I smell something rotten."
"Right away, Sombra. Thanks."
"What haven't you told us, or what are we overlooking?"
Aníbal remained attentive to everything. I looked at Cereza, I had asked him to dig deeper into why the treasury department turned a blind eye. Once at the airport, when the worker they sent arrived, I asked him to investigate thoroughly and found out the guy has a house worth a fortune, along with many properties, and lives a lifestyle his salary couldn't possibly cover.
"You'll see."
At that moment the boss of the supposed corrupt agent entered. We already had control of the cameras, the officers escorted the head of the treasury department, an hour ago I had sent him my suspicions on his phone and asked him not to say anything.
Meanwhile, on one screen, we saw Any trying to open the door to the hallway without success, they had to use welding; that would take a while. I looked at the cameras monitored by Cebolla.
Then I looked at the two agents accompanying the head of the treasury department, a tall, gray-haired man, fifty-five years old, and from what I read, with an impeccable record.
He lives on his salary and has educated two children, who are now professionals, with a loan, and now only has his youngest daughter left. His wife had an accident, leaving her in a wheelchair, and despite his situation, he hasn't stolen a single euro. He's a man of integrity.
They stopped.
"Put on the audio, Rata. Cereza, connect to Leopoldo's WhatsApp."
"Let's hope he left it on vibrate," he said.
"Tell him we're recording, that if we see anything, we'll let him know through this."
He did, and when Leopoldo saw the message, he looked around the perimeter and, finding the camera focusing on him, nodded.
"I have no idea who could have reported me!" said a man.
"Look, for now, you need to let yourself be arrested and while I get you out of here, we'll pretend you escaped, but you have to leave me a big hit."
"I like your idea, for now, some of the partners are leaving through the escape route, they can't be seen." I looked at Cebolla, who was already calling the agents watching that exit.
"At least the merchandise is safe."
"I don't like talking about that, I just want my money and that's it. Don't tell me anything about those abominations."
"Alright, get me out." At that moment, the boss entered the office, and the officer's reaction was to turn pale.
"Sir! I already captured him." The man stood at the exit door. "I'm going to take him to be processed."
"Great! The agents will handle that." The men's faces were filled with fear.
"I came in the vehicle..."
"Manuel, Manuel, Manuel. Agents! Take that man away."
"But boss..."
The man adjusted his jacket and the employee moved away from the manager. The police officers read him his rights and took away a man who never stopped staring at the employee.
"You're going to rot in jail," Leopoldo told him.
"Cooper, urgently send more agents to the manager's office."
"Understood, and we're in."
"I'm watching."
The reinforcements didn't take long to arrive, the boss just looked at him disappointed.
"You're also going to rot in jail, not only for accepting bribes but for being an accomplice to what's happening here. Get him out of my sight!" They read him his rights.
"Don't mess with that mafia, sir. You can't deal with them."
I snapped my fingers to analyze the new information. At the same time, I looked at Cherry, and she understood. She texted, and Leopoldo saw his phone.
"I’m not afraid of those people I don’t know, but if I’m going to die, I’ll do it clean."
"If they threaten your daughter, will you let her die?"
"Tell those people, Manuel, that they’ve entered the game. They don’t know that from today, they’ve become pawns in the chess game." I smiled; I already liked this guy.
"Rat, protect Leopoldo and his family for a while."
"This is getting big, Shadow," said my second-in-command.
"I know, but if I have to knock on doors to ask for favors, I will."
They looked at me, which meant that the mafia bosses I had helped would get involved if necessary.
"They’re going to kill me as soon as I step into the jail!"
"Try to talk first so the state will give you protection. Otherwise, you won’t be able to avenge what they do to your family. It’s a shame you never understood the mentality of the bad guys. This will be your last piece of advice.
"If you give in to the threats, you should know they’ll kill your family at some point, whether you serve them or not. But the result will always be the same. If you had stood your ground from the beginning, only you would be dead, your family would be safe, and the bad guys wouldn’t have gotten what they wanted. If we don’t stop them, they’ll always continue." They took Manuel away.
"Cherry, pass me the call." I saw him answer.
"Leopoldo, your whole family will be watched. Just tell me if you want them hidden for a while."
"I need to discuss it with my wife." Now I liked this man even more.
"For a while, you’ll have agents guarding you, and if you agree, you’ll have a personal one, but we need to give them an apparent job. It doesn’t matter if it’s making copies; you decide."
"I’ll send the response to this number."
"Thanks, Leopoldo."
"Thank you, though I don’t know who you are."
"We’re the chess game."
"I suppose you’re the king."
"Annie is the queen." I saw him smile.
"At least an entity has been created with a good, right, and external objective to bureaucracy."
"That’s right." We hung up the call.
"Roland, look."
At that moment, the images of what Cooper was seeing left us speechless. An area that looked like a pavilion was filled with children tied to beds, wearing white gowns and sad faces. I saw Annie take a few breaths before entering.
"Don’t be afraid!" she said to them. "Kids, do you want to go back home?"
The general crying was a crushing wave that reached us, and my whole body shuddered. No one took their eyes off the screens while I looked at each of my companions. When I met Churrusco’s gaze, who had been by my side, he smiled at me.
"You," he pointed at the screens, "Thanks to you." He didn’t control his vowels well. And that felt damn good.
An hour passed. The children were being taken to a special unit. The captives to another, and no sign of the partners.
"Onion, have some agents go in."
They were giving the order when three men came out. Surprised, one reacted by firing his weapon at the agents, who responded and shot him down. The others were detained, and it seemed the police officer was injured.
"I want to know everything about them!" I shouted. "Onion, inform me if the officer survives."
"Shadow." It was Annie’s voice. "Thank you. Children and women secured. Make those bastards piss and shit themselves with fear."
"I didn’t know you used those words." I joked with her.
"Don’t mock me, but screw them."
"Calm down."
I raised my hand. My people were just waiting for my decision to activate the mass emails that would make them scared and run, but they wouldn’t be able to hide. Once we activate the Checkmate protocol, their faces will be visible to the police, army, navy, air force, Interpol.
They’ll have arrest warrants and won’t be able to leave the country. They won’t be accused of being pedophiles until they’re arrested. There won’t be a visual scandal. They have children, and I haven’t saved a hundred just for fifty-eight, who are the children of those bastards, to be traumatized.
I looked at my people. "Lord God, I start to pay my debt." "CHECKMATE." Everyone hit enter. Churrusco pressed the one on my computer.