Page 3 of Set Up By the Cartel

We entered with cautious steps, senses straining for any hint of threat lurking just beyond sight. As expected given the sheer isolation surrounding us, no immediate danger presented itself though an inexplicable sense of heaviness pressed against my skull with each measured footstep carrying me further from the relative safety offered by the open sky above.

Minutes later, we entered a vast cavern, dimly illuminated by patches of phosphorescent lichen scattered along the walls. In the center, a raised dais dominated the space, and atop it stood an altar made entirely of polished obsidian.

And upon that surface rested another scroll, the material as though it was calling to me.

My breath hitched audibly as I took a tentative step closer, half-expecting the ground beneath my feet to give way and send me plummeting into the darkness below. But nothing happened; silence reigned supreme save for the distant dripping of water somewhere unseen echoing through the vast expanse surrounding us.

"Mateo..."Santiago breathed from where he hung back several paces, uncertainty etched plainly across his normally stoic features.

Ignoring him, I continued moving forward until I reached the edge of the platform upon which the mysterious scroll resided, almost mockingly inviting me to touch it.

With trembling fingers, I reached out to grasp the rolled edges gingerly between my thumb and forefinger. Even without unrolling it fully, I knew this was indeed the same text bearing witness to my impending destiny whether I liked it or not.

Santiago stepped up beside me then, placing one restraining hand atop my wrist."Think carefully before you proceed,"hecautioned."You can still walk away. Nothing of this means anything..."

I met his concerned gaze head-on, jaw clenched tight against the sudden swell of emotions threatening to overwhelm me should I allow them to reign. For a heartbeat suspended between one moment and the next, temptation tugged at my fraying control to abandon this fool's errand forthwith and flee back to the familiar comforts of cold calculation and ruthless pragmatism.

But no... Somewhere deep down, beyond reason and logic alike, a small spark of desperate hope refused to die. Hope for something more than endless cycles of violence and betrayal stretching endlessly into a bleak future devoid of meaning or connection whatsoever.

With careful fingers, I peeled Santiago's fingers away from my arm and lifted the scroll clear of its resting place. The weight felt immense, pulling against my grip as if trying to drag me under along with everything I thought I understood about existence thus far.

Bracing myself, I unfurled the aged parchment until it hovered in the air, revealing intricate swirls of script and illustrations, crafted centuries ago by long-dead hands wielding quills dipped in blood-red ink.

The moment those words registered, a wave of dizziness hit me so hard I almost lost my balance in the claustrophobic confines of the subterranean sepulcher. Printed for all eternity were the names Mateo Sanchez and Kael Morales — someone I may or may not have heard of before.

As realization sank in alongside dawning understanding, a strange sensation began spreading outward from the pit of my stomach: equal parts anxiety and exhilaration braided together into a dizzying spiral of anticipation. Could it really be true? Wasfate truly so cruel as to decree my salvation through the very act most likely to damn me utterly?

"Fuck..."Santiago exhaled, struggling to reconcile the implications himself even as he studied the document over my shoulder."There is more truth to this than we'd thought."

I didn't say anything, too busy grappling with the enormity of the decision facing me. Embrace my destiny wholeheartedly and risk everything on the slender chance of finding redemption through love alone... or cling to the illusion of control and watch helplessly as the sands of opportunity slipped ever further from my grasp?

Tightening my grip on the scroll, I turned to face my men, gathered in the shadows cast by flickering torchlight that danced across the rough-hewn stone walls, surrounding us like accusing eyes staring from the abyss.

"We're done here,"I declared, voice emerging hoarse yet filled with newfound conviction resonating deep inside my bones."Let's go home."

Chapter 2

Kael

The bass thumped through my body as I worked behind the bar, mixing drinks and wiping down counters. It was another typical Friday night shift at Club Nocturne, the hottest underground wolf den in Mexico City. It was quite an achievement, to be honest.

I glanced over at Lila, my bartending partner tonight. She flashed me an exaggerated wink before leaning over the counter to flirt with some guy who looked barely old enough to drink. Classic Lila — always playing games.

My attention drifted around the dimly lit space packed wall-to-wall with writhing bodies moving to the pulsing beat. Strobe lights flashed off polished chrome fixtures and mirrored surfaces lining every wall. In one shadowy corner, I spotted Javier, our resident troublemaker, making out sloppily with some random omega while his girlfriend glared daggers from across the room. Classic Javier, I thought.

Rolling my eyes, I focused back on polishing the glasses, determined to ignore Javier's antics. It was difficult to do that, but not impossible. Then I noticed him sauntering over towardsme, a cocky smirk plastered across his stupid face. Uh-oh. I wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Hey there, pretty boy!"Javier called out, loud enough to draw stares."How 'bout you make me your special cocktail?"

"I'm gonna need ID first,"I shot back with sarcasm in my voice, knowing full well he was already wasted."And maybe a breath mint."

Javier scoffed, reaching past me to snag a bottle of top-shelf tequila. Before I could stop him, he had popped the cork and started chugging straight from the neck. I just hoped that my boss wasn't anywhere around here.

"Dude! Put that back!"I hissed, glancing around. If the manager caught him stealing booze again...

But Javier just laughed, spraying droplets everywhere as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand."Relax, Kae-Kae. Live a little!"

Gritting my teeth, I snatched the half-empty bottle away and shoved it under the counter."Not worth losing my job over, man."

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