Page 40 of Brick's Retribution

The air smells different—cleaner, thinner.

"How long was I out?" I ask, stretching as much as the cab allows.

"Four hours," Brick replies. "We're making good time."

Carlos glances at me. "Checkpoint's coming up in about an hour. Might want to think about your story."

I nod, my mind already working through stories.

The truth is obviously out—we can't tell them we're fleeing assassins.

But, the cover story needs to be believable enough to pass.

"Business trip," I decide. "I'm a consultant, Brick's my security. We're heading to Chihuahua to meet with potential clients."

"What kind of consulting?" Carlos asks.

"Import/export," I reply. It's close enough to the truth to be believable, and vague enough to discourage follow-up questions.

Brick nods his approval. "I'll be the strong, silent type. Let you do the talking."

"That's probably best," I agree with a slight smile. "Your Spanish is terrible."

"Hey," he protests, but there's amusement in his voice. "It's not that bad."

"It really is," Carlos chimes in, grinning. "Sounds like a gringo trying to order tacos."

The checkpoint appears ahead—a small building beside the highway, several official vehicles parked nearby.

Carlos slows, joining the short line of trucks waiting for inspection.

"Documentos," Carlos says, holding out his hand.

I pass him our identification, my heart hammering as I see uniformed officers approaching each vehicle.

This is it—the moment of truth.

If they're looking for us specifically, if our photos have been circulated...

"Stay calm," Brick murmurs from behind me. "Just another routine stop."

The officer who approaches our truck is young, maybe mid-twenties, with the kind of authority that comes with the badge.

He glances at Carlos's papers, then at us.

"Purpose of travel?" he asks in Spanish.

"Business," I reply smoothly. "Import/export consulting. Meeting with clients in Chihuahua."

He nods, checking our identification against some kind of list.

My breath catches as I see him pause, studying my ID more carefully.

Does he recognize the name?

Is Torres on some kind of watch list?

"Imani Torres," he reads aloud. "Any relation to Mateo Torres?"

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