The fog came in low that morning, rolling across the forest road with the slow intention of something that had been waiting for the right moment.

The glaring lights made it impossible to see the exact number of shooters standing in the tunnel ahead, but Ramon didn't need to see them to know they were surrounded.

"Director Miller," Ramon said smoothly, his eyes slowly adjusting to the intense light. He didn't drop his weapon, nor did his men. "I must admit, your dramatics are improving. Leaving a woman hanging from an oak tree is a bit theatrical for a federal agent, isn't it?"

A tall, silver-haired man in a immaculate tactical trench coat stepped into the ring of light. His face was sharp, arrogant, and devoid of any human empathy. This was Director Thomas Miller.

"Desperate times call for creative measures, Ramon," Miller said, resting his hand on his hip-holstered weapon. "Your father’s three billion dollars has been sitting in this vault for six long years, earning zero interest while my political backers demand results. Today, we close the book on the Ortega legacy."

Four heavily armed mercenaries stepped forward, pointing tactical rifles at Diego, Victor, and Matteo.

"Here's how this works," Miller continued, raising a hand-held biometric scanner linked to a massive, circular steel door built into the cavern wall behind him. The vault door looked like something pulled from a nuclear bunker, equipped with heavy locking bolts and digital displays. "You and Miss Vance step up to the scanner. You give me your blood samples, we open the vault, and I allow your men and the child to walk out of these woods alive."

"You're lying," little Sophia spoke up unexpectedly from behind Ramon’s leg, her small voice echoing with shocking clarity. "You told the other men in the cabin that you were going to burn everyone when the door opened!"

Miller’s jaw twitched slightly, a subtle sign of irritation breaking through his cool facade. "Quiet, child."

"She’s right, isn't she, Thomas?" Ramon said, taking a slow step forward, placing himself directly between Miller's rifles and the girls. "You can't leave witnesses to an illegal three-billion-dollar federal seizure. The moment that steel door opens, your snipers clear the room."

"You don't have a choice, Ramon!" Miller snapped, his composure slipping. "Look around you! You're eighty feet underground, outnumbered, and outgunned!"

"I always have a choice," Ramon replied softly.

With lightning speed, Ramon pulled a small metal detonator from his pocket—the secondary remote for the breach charges Diego had set in the tunnel ceiling behind them.

"Victor, NOW!" Ramon roared.

Ramon slammed his thumb down on the button. A deafening explosion ripped through the ceiling twenty feet behind Miller’s mercenaries, bringing down thousands of pounds of rock and iron ore directly onto their rear ranks.

Chaos erupted. Dust, rock, and screams filled the narrow cavern as the spotlights were crushed under falling debris.