CHAPTER FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR – A FIGHTING CHANCE

The meeting point was an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town – remote enough to avoid prying eyes, but with enough escape routes to give Jasmine and Raquel a fighting chance if things went south. As they approached, Jasmine's keen eyes spotted multiple armed men concealed around the perimeter. "At least six hostiles," she murmured to Raquel. "Probably more inside." Raquel nodded imperceptibly, her hand brushing against the hidden weapon at her side. They had come too far to turn back now. Inside the warehouse, they were met by a group of hard-faced men, led by a figure Jasmine recognized from their intelligence briefings – Carlos Mendoza, one of the cartel's top lieutenants. "So," Mendoza said, his eyes cold and calculating. "You claim to have information about Operation Sandstorm. Prove it." Jasmine steeled herself, launching into the carefully crafted story they had prepared. She sprinkled in just enough verifiable facts to make it believable, watching as Mendoza's expr