Chapter 12: The Lake Escape
The cold mountain wind swept across the dark, churning surface of the lake, whipping the pine trees into a chaotic frenzy.
Marisol stood on the wooden boarding dock of the subterranean boathouse, her knuckles white as she clutched little Valentina against her chest.
Mateo stood beside the sleek, armored speedboat, frantically punching the ignition code into the vessel's digital console.
“The engine is locked into autonomous mode, Señora Marisol,” Mateo shouted over the roar of the wind.
“Once we clear the cove, the navigation system will pilot us directly to the secondary safehouse in Toluca.”
“Where is Diego?” Marisol asked, her voice cracking with terror as she stared back up toward the burning mansion on the cliff.
“He’s right behind us,” Mateo insisted, though the sound of distant automatic gunfire echoing through the woods suggested otherwise.
Suddenly, a bright beam of a high-powered searchlight pierced the mist from across the lake.
A second, larger patrol boat was cutting through the black water at high speed, bearing down on their location with a terrifying roar of engines.
Senator Robles’s backup had arrived.
“Get in the boat, now!” Mateo yelled, pushing Marisol and Valentina into the rear cabin of the speedboat just as the first wave of bullets splintered the wooden beams above their heads.
Glass shattered into the dark water.
Marisol pulled Valentina down onto the floorboards, shielding the little girl with her own body while tears streamed down her face.
Mateo scrambled into the driver's seat, slammed the throttle forward, and the speedboat surged out of the boathouse like a rocket, leaving a boiling wake behind them.
The pursuing boat opened fire with heavy caliber rounds, chewing up the water inches from their stern.
Just as it looked like they would be intercepted in the middle of the open lake, a massive shadow detached itself from the cliffside above.
It was Diego’s private attack helicopter, piloted by his lead security officer.
The aircraft dropped out of the fog with its landing lights blazing, hovering directly over the pursuing boat and unleashing a deafening roar of tactical flash-bangs and suppression fire.
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Blinded and disoriented, the enemy boat veered sharply off course, crashing violently into a cluster of rocky outcroppings near the shore.
Marisol looked back through the rear window of the speeding cabin, her breath catching in her throat as she saw Diego standing alone on the end of the wooden pier, watching them escape into the safety of the night.
