All Chapters of Faking My Death to Escape the Cartel King : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Xitllali "You can't go out there, Guillermo."The words came out before I even realized I was speaking. I stepped out of the hallway, my heart was already pounding hard in my chest.He didn't stop walking. He grabbed a heavy black tactical vest from the wooden dining chair and slipped his uninjured arm through it. When he moved his injured shoulder to pull the strap tight, his jaw tightened from the pain, but he didn't make a sound."Guillermo, stop and listen to me," I said, moving closer. My voice shook, but I couldn't stop it. "You had a high fever just hours ago. Your shoulder is badly hurt. You can barely lift your arm, and you want to climb a mountain to fight an armed group?"He ignored me. He picked up an ammo clip from the table and pushed it into the bottom of his handgun with a sharp click.Valdo and Mateo were already by the front door, pulling dark rain jackets over their gear. They didn't look at me. In their world, when the boss gave an order, you followed it. There w

Xitllali I pulled the trigger and the gun kicked back so hard that a sharp pain shot up both my arms.BANG.The gunshot broke through the morning air. A bright flash lit up the wet ferns, and the smell of gunpowder filled my nose.My ears started ringing, drowning out the rain and shouting around me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even blink. I just stared through the wet leaves at the muddy ditch below.The sniper didn't even have time to pull the trigger.The bullet hit him in the side, throwing him backward into the wet grass. His gun slipped from his hand and landed in the muddy puddle beside him. He didn't move again, he's dead.My hands were shaking so badly that I dropped my own gun. It fell into the mud with a dull thud.I had just shot a man. I had killed someone.My stomach twisted painfully. I covered my mouth with my dirty hands, trying to hold back a sob. I was a florist. I spent my days trimming roses and tying ribbons. Now my hands smelled like gunpowder.Down by the r

Xitllali Those thirty minutes felt like a lifetime.Guillermo lay completely still on the heavy wooden dining table. His breathing was shallow and his chest was rising and falling in weak stutters.I stood frozen right beside him, my fingers instinctively gripping the edge of the wood.The room smelled terrible. The sharp, metallic scent of fresh blood hung heavily in the air, mixing with the damp, earthy odor of our wet, muddy clothes. It made my stomach churn, but I refused to step away.My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird."Stay with me," I whispered, my voice trembling as I reached out to brush a damp lock of hair from his forehead. "Just hold on."Then, I heard the crunch of tires on the gravel outside, followed by doors slamming.The front door opened, and an older man rushed inside with two younger medics carrying large silver medical cases. He didn't stop to greet anyone. He walked straight to Guillermo, checked his pale face and the blood covering the table

Xitllali"Boss. It's good to see you awake," Valdo said, stepping further into the room, but he still looked worried.Guillermo nodded and asked, "What's the situation?" His voice was no longer soft. It had returned to the cold, firm tone he used when giving orders."The men who died on the ridge have been buried, and we've hidden the trucks. But Severo didn't just send that first group to look for us. My contacts in the valley have sent word that he's bringing in his main force. Three large armored vehicles and at least twenty armed men crossed the southern checkpoint an hour ago."My stomach twisted. "Are they close?""They're searching the lower roads, checking one area at a time," Valdo said, his eyes fixed on Guillermo. "They know roughly where we went, and they'll search every cabin and trail on this mountain before nightfall."Guillermo's jaw tightened. He threw off the blanket and started to sit up. "Then tell Mateo to get the truck ready. We're leaving now.""Guillermo, stop!

XitllaliThe air was freezing against my skin. The cold was sharp and hard to bear.Once we were inside the truck, Valdo kept the headlights off as we slowly drove down the mountain road. He relied on the faint gray light of the coming dawn and his knowledge of the road to guide us.Thick white mist covered the trees around us, making everything feel quiet, lonely, and dangerous.I sat in the back seat, staring straight ahead through the windshield. Guillermo sat right beside me.Even though he was still recovering from losing a lot of blood and injuring his shoulder, he sat upright, his dark eyes watching the trees outside.His right hand rested on his thigh, close enough that our knuckles almost touched.No one spoke. The only sound was the steady hum of the engine and the tires sliding slightly over the wet road.My heart felt heavy. We were heading straight back into danger. Severo's men had searched San Cristóbal for us, and although Guillermo believed they wouldn't expect us to