Page 33 of Set Up By the Cartel

Mateo

Under the cover of darkness, I crept without making much noise down the hallway leading to Santiago's private office. It was in his house, not in mine, of course. I had to be careful when coming here.

My footsteps were muffled by the plush carpeting, allowing me to approach undetected. I paused outside the door, listening for any signs of occupancy. There should be no one, according to my own information. I wouldn't have come here otherwise.

Hearing nothing, I carefully picked the lock and slipped inside, closing the door behind me with a soft click. So far, so good.

Moonlight filtering through the curtains cast an ethereal glow across the room, illuminating the desk where Santiago spent countless hours scheming and manipulating. Maybe he'd been manipulating me too? I was going to find out soon enough.

I wasted no time setting up the bugging devices, placing miniature cameras and microphones in strategic locations to capture audio and visual data. Santiago wasn't stupid, but he would never suspect I would consider doing this.

As I worked, my mind raced with thoughts of Santiago's potential betrayal. The very idea that my most trusted advisor could turn against me and threaten the man I loved most filled me with a cocktail of anger and despair. How could someone I considered a friend for so long harbor such deceit? I wished I was questioning him right now about that.

With the devices in place, I began a meticulous search of the office, rifling through drawers and cabinets in search of anything incriminating. To my disappointment, I found nothing out of the ordinary — just mundane paperwork related to cartel business.

I was about to give up when a creak sounded from the direction of the door. Freezing, I held my breath, praying it was just the building settling. But then the handle began to turn, and I knew I had mere seconds before discovery.

I was counting on no one coming inside, but I knew I would be lucky if nobody came.

Heart pounding, I dove under the desk just as the door swung open. I looked ridiculous doing this, but brushed the thought aside for now.

Peeking through the gap between the legs of the chair, I spotted Santiago's shoes entering the room. He moved towards the desk, humming softly to himself. He was enjoying himself, most likely thinking he was untouchable.

This was it. If he noticed anything amiss, he would raise the alarm, and everything would be lost. Even then, though, I’d still have the upper hand. I just didn’t want it to come to that.

Sweat beaded on my brow as I strained to hear his movements over the pounding of blood in my ears. I was nervous. Never in my life did I think I would have to do this. I didn’t trust anyone else to handle it for me.

Santiago circled the desk, coming closer to my hiding spot with each step. I shrank back, praying the shadows wouldconceal me. Just as he reached to sit in his chair, a floorboard beneath my foot creaked in the silence. The noise was too loud.

Time seemed to slow as Santiago's head swiveled in my direction. Still, he didn't see me. Thank goodness he didn't. The shadows kept me hidden.

I released the breath I'd been holding, dizzy with the rush of adrenaline. That had been too close. One wrong move and everything would've been over. As he began flipping through papers on his desk, I silently vowed to redouble my efforts in uncovering his plots.

I remained motionless beneath the desk for what felt like an eternity, scarcely daring to breathe as I listened to the sounds of Santiago moving around the office. Was he not going to leave soon? I asked myself.

Papers rustled, drawers opened and closed — the everyday noises of someone settled into their work. It seemed he was going to stay there for longer than I thought — not a good sign at all.

Minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. Each passing second stretched taut with tension, my muscles cramping from prolonged immobility. Sweat dampened my skin, stinging my eyes. The urge to shift position grew stronger with every passing moment, but I dared not risk giving away my hiding spot. After doing everything right, I couldn't let him see me.

Just when I began to fear Santiago might settle in for the night — would he really sleep in his own office? — his chair creaked as he rose to his feet. I tensed, heart hammering against my ribcage as I braced for discovery. With some luck, though, he wasn't going to find me.

Instead of moving towards my location, Santiago strode to the door."Damned back pain,"he muttered, voice laced with irritation."All this sitting around is killing me." In other circumstances, I would be sympathizing with him right now.

Relief crashed over me as I realized he meant to leave. Counting off the seconds in my head, I waited until the outer office door clicked shut before extricating myself from my hiding place.

Rising to my feet, I stretched my aching limbs, working out the kinks. My gaze fell upon the bugging equipment, satisfaction swelling in my chest. With any luck, those devices would yield invaluable intelligence on Santiago's machinations, if there were any.

I quickly checked to ensure everything was functioning properly before making my way to the window. Peering through a crack in the curtains, I spied Santiago's silhouette climbing into his waiting vehicle parked outside. It appeared he was going somewhere. I didn't know where, but wished I did.

Timing my exit, I slipped out the same door mere moments after he drove away. My own car was parked down the block, concealed by the night's darkness.

Hurrying forward, I slid behind the wheel and cranked the ignition. The engine roared to life, ready for action. I needed to get home posthaste to start monitoring the feed from the bugs.

As I pulled away from the curb, my thoughts raced ahead to the potential revelations to come. Was Santiago really hiding something from me? If he was, what could it be?

Lost in thought as I navigated the darkened streets, the sudden blare of a horn jolted me back to reality. Swerving sharply, I almost didn't avoid colliding with an oncoming vehicle. Heart pounding, I righted the wheel and glanced up to find none other than Santiago glaring at me from the driver's seat of his SUV. Did he do that on purpose?

Cursing under my breath, I rolled down my window as he brought his vehicle alongside mine.What did he want right now?

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