The Lazarus Job
When Victor Lazarus, the world's most powerful art broker, dies suddenly, the international art scene holds its breath. For decades, Lazarus built an empire not by owning the world's rarest masterpieces, but by exhibiting them—Monet, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Hokusai, and more. These works, entrusted to him by the world's wealthiest collectors, turned his gallery into their stage: where masterpieces drew crowds, prestige, and profit, until the moment the owners chose to sell.
Now, with Lazarus gone, the curtain is rising on the greatest auction of the century. Twelve priceless works, each carrying centuries of history, are set to leave his gallery forever. For the elite, it is a chance to claim cultural immortality. For the press, it is a spectacle without equal. For one crew of six, it is something else entirely.
They see more than paintings under glass. They see a once-in-a-lifetime fortune, one last performance of Lazarus's legacy, only rewritten in their favor. With few months to prepare, outthink security systems, staff rotations, and every eye that will be watching. Few months to pull off a heist that would shatter records and rewrite history.
But art has a way of ensnaring those who covet it. In the chase for fortune, the question is not only whether the heist can succeed, but whether Lazarus's legacy will be honored, betrayed, or reborn in the shadows.
The Lazarus Job is a razor-sharp thriller of art, ambition, power, and the dangerous game played where beauty and power collide.
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Chapter: The UnveilingThe chandeliers dimmed slightly, drawing the crowd’s attention toward the dais. A tall man in a crisp tuxedo stepped forward, Jonathan Harrow, the executor of Lazarus’ estate. His voice rang out, calm and practiced.“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for gracing this preview in honor of the late Vincent Lazarus. A man of vision, of refinement, and above all, of courage in his devotion to art. His collection is not merely a gathering of works but a chronicle of human genius across centuries.”Polite applause rippled across the room.Harrow raised a leather bound booklet, identical to the ones resting in the guests’ hands. “Within these pages lies the true testament of his passion. Tonight, we do not only admire, we begin to understand what Vincent Lazarus stood for. His lifelong pursuit of preserving beauty in its rarest forms.”He gestured, and a second figure emerged, Cassandra, the widow, regal in a black silk gown. Her voice trembled slightly, carrying both grief and pride.“My husba
Last Updated: 2025-09-02
Chapter: A Taste of FortuneThe estate’s gates gleamed in the midday sun, tall wrought iron set into stone pillars. Beyond them stretched Lazarus’ empire, gardens clipped with surgical precision, white gravel drives winding toward the mansion. Security guards in black suits stood like chess pieces at every interval, earpieces glinting as they murmured into radios.One by one, the crew arrived.The first car, a Bentley Continental with deep navy paint, purred up the driveway. Inside, Lex leaned against the leather, a picture of composed elegance. Beside her sat Damien, his beard trimmed, his tuxedo perfectly fitted. He tapped the steering wheel with casual impatience.“Remember,” Lex murmured as they neared the checkpoint, “tonight we’re husband and wife. No slips, no hesitations.”Damien smirked. “Darling, I’ve been waiting years to call you my wife.”Lex shot him a look sharp enough to cut. “Just play the part.”He adjusted his cufflinks for the tenth time.“You’re twitching,” Lex said without looking at him.“
Last Updated: 2025-09-02
Chapter: Waking Up to ChoicesEthan woke to the dull gray light creeping through the blinds, his head heavy with sleep he hadn’t earned. The fog of alcohol clung to him like a second skin. He stayed on the couch, staring at the cracked ceiling, listening to the faint hum of the city. A distant siren wailed, melancholy and sad, but it was just the world moving on, indifferent.He turned onto his side, feeling the faint stickiness on the arm of the couch where he had lain the night before. The room smelled of neglect: old smoke, a hint of sweat, spoiled food, and the sharp tang of cheap liquor. Empty bottles were scattered across the floor like casualties from some forgotten battle. He pulled himself upright slowly, bones complaining, and surveyed the disarray. His apartment was more than messy; it was a reflection of him, abandoned, unloved, left to decay.Dragging himself to the kitchenette, he flicked on the small stove. The flicker of the single burner was almost hypnotic. He cracked eggs into a pan, uneven, wat
Last Updated: 2025-09-02
Chapter: The Death of a King“Help! Fire!”The scream cut through the evening air, sharp and raw, bouncing off the concrete of the marina. Nobody nearby knew whose voice it was, only that it belonged to someone desperate. A cluster of onlookers froze, their drinks halfway to their lips, their laughter dying in the chill of fear. Flames licked the yacht’s hull, black smoke curling into the crimson sunset, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt on its axis.Victor Lazarus’ yacht, the Ophelia, a floating palace of polished teak and glass, rocked violently. The fire on the lower deck flared, sparks dancing across the rigging. A few brave hands jumped into the water, pulling at the slick sides, trying to reach the chaos above. Emergency sirens wailed somewhere in the distance, muffled by the cries and the roar of the flames.Someone shouted, pointing: “The master cabin, he’s inside!”The crowd flinched. A lifeboat splashed against the hull, its occupants straining against the waves. They reached, and for a heartbe
Last Updated: 2025-09-02
