Elena sought refuge inside a luxurious vehicle that smelled of polished leather and expensive cologne after fleeing a terrifying ordeal. Rain pounded against the reinforced glass of the tinted windows as the powerful twelve cylinder engine purred steadily. She sat beside Matthew Carranza who kept his dark eyes focused entirely on the road illuminated by the dim dashboard light. His sharp features and slicked back hair projected the cold authority of a man accustomed to having absolute control over everything around him.
Without a single word of introduction Matthew picked up a satellite phone and contacted his associate Marcus with clear and ruthless instructions. He ordered Marcus to intercept Patricia Salgado at the intersection of Route 9 and Blackwood Lane where she was standing with a leather belt. Matthew casually threatened Patricia with a logistics company audit if she contacted the authorities and issued a strict twenty four hour liquidation ultimatum for Oscar Becerra. Elena listened with growing terror as she realized this intimidating stranger already knew the exact identities of the people who had abused her.
Matthew finally ended his call and turned his sharp gaze toward her ruined dress and the dark purple bruise covering her cheek. He recognized her immediately as the daughter of the late Arthur Vargas rather than asking for her identity. Elena tearfully confirmed her name and explained how her stepmother Patricia had turned her into a captive pawn after her father died two years ago. She described how Patricia tried to force her into a room with the cruel Oscar Becerra to pay off massive gambling debts by threatening to sell her childhood home.
Instead of offering any soft words of emotional comfort Matthew handed her a thick wool blanket from his coat. He coldly instructed her to dry herself so her tears and mud would not ruin his expensive car upholstery. Elena wrapped the warm blanket around her shaking shoulders as the vehicle sped swiftly away from Seattle and into the rainy night. Two hours later they passed through enormous iron gates and arrived at his massive modern estate overlooking the dark waters of Puget Sound where a silent driver waited with an umbrella.
