Chapter 35 - The Garage AmbushMateo didn't wait for Hector to raise the gun.
Survival instinct, honed sharp by months of running, took over instantly.
Mateo swung the heavy steel tire iron with all his strength, not aiming for Hector, but for the heavy hydraulic lift control box bolted to the wall directly beside him.
The iron smashed into the casing, shattering the plastic cover and crushing the internal relays.
The hydraulic system shrieked in protest. The massive, two-ton steel lift in the center of the bay, which was currently elevated to the ceiling holding a rusted sedan, instantly suffered a catastrophic pressure failure.
The lock gave out. The sedan plummeted downward with terrifying speed.
Hector jumped backward, firing a wild, silenced shot that shattered the passenger window of the Impala.
The falling sedan crashed into the concrete floor with a deafening, earth-shaking crunch, sending a massive cloud of dust, rust, and debris violently into the air.
The garage was instantly plunged into chaos. The single fluorescent light above shattered from the shockwave.
Mateo dove under the Impala, rolling across the grease-stained concrete into the pitch-black shadows near the tool racks.
"Mateo!" Hector roared, his voice echoing in the dark, dusty garage. "There is nowhere to run! I have men outside!"
Mateo lay flat on his stomach, his heart hammering against the cold floor. He knew the layout of his garage perfectly, even in absolute darkness.
He crawled silently toward the rear wall, his fingers brushing against the heavy, industrial air compressor used for power tools.
He found the main pressure valve.
Hector's footsteps echoed slowly across the concrete, the beam of a tactical flashlight attached to his pistol cutting through the dust, searching for a target.
"Your wife is very beautiful, Mateo," Hector taunted, stepping closer. "It would be a shame if my men had to visit her tonight."
Mateo’s blood ran cold, turning instantly to pure, blinding rage.
He grabbed a heavy wrench from the floor, aimed carefully in the dark, and threw it as hard as he could toward the far corner of the garage.
It hit a stack of empty oil drums with a loud clang.
Hector spun toward the noise, his flashlight beam sweeping away.
Mateo instantly reached up and violently snapped the main pressure valve off the industrial air compressor.
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A deafening, high-pitched scream of compressed air exploded into the garage. The heavy, thick rubber hose whipped wildly across the floor like an angry snake, completely disorienting Hector.
Mateo didn't hesitate. He scrambled to his feet, sprinted to the rear emergency exit, kicked the bar open, and vanished into the Guadalajara night.
