They have lawyers, they have cops, and they have shooters who don't miss. "She saved Jimmy," Frank said, his voice low and dangerous. She stood tall when the heat came. She didn't run. "She's the reason the heat came.
Mercerer slammed his fist on the table. We lost the bar. Our revenue stream is gone. And now you brought her here to the sanctuary. If they track her here, Frank, it's a siege.
We have wives and kids on this property. Sarah stood in the doorway, unseen for a moment. Her heart sank. Mercerer was right. She was a cancer to them.
"So, what do you want to do, Mercerer? " Frank asked. "Throw her to the wolves. Let them put a bullet in her head to balance a spreadsheet. " "I say we take the drive," Mercerer hissed, leaning in.
"We contact Apex. We trade the drive for a ceasefire and a payout to rebuild the bar. We give them the girl as a gesture of good faith. Sarah gasped. The sound was involuntary.
A sharp intake of breath. Three heads snapped towards the doorway. Mercerer straightened up. A sneer curling his lip. "Speak of the devil.
" Frank's expression didn't change, but his eyes softened slightly when he looked at her. "Sarah, step out. This is club business. " "I'm the business you're discussing, Sarah said, stepping into the room instead of out. Her legs were shaking, but she forced herself to walk to the table.
You want to trade me? "It's simple math," Mercerer said coldly. One life versus the club. "It's not simple math," Sarah counted, her voice gaining strength. It's suicide.
Mercerer laughed. "Excuse me. " "I looked at the drive," Sarah lied. She hadn't looked at the new files yet, but she had to bluff. I saw the names.
Apex isn't just a property management firm. "They're a shell company for the Vargas Cartel. The room went deathly silent. Even Mercerer looked stunned. The Vargas Cartel was a heavy hitter.
Mexican organized crime with reach deep into California. If you give them the drive, Sarah continued, improvising rapidly based on what she knew of Gary's terrified notes. They won't pay you. They'll kill you. You don't leave witnesses when you're laundering cartel money.
Gary knew that. That's why he ran. If you try to deal with them, you're just gathering everyone in one place for them to wipe out. Frank looked at her, studying her face. "Is that true?