The sea breeze hit Andrew’s face like a slap, salty and sharp, but he barely noticed. His thoughts churned like the waves beneath the speedboat, dark and restless. He turned his gaze to the intelligence drive in his palm, running a thumb over its smooth surface. Everything they had fought for, bled for, was inside this tiny device.Taylor’s voice crackled through the radio again. “Andrew, you there?”Andrew exhaled through his nose. “Yeah.”“Good. We’ve got a rendezvous point set up just outside Cartagena. We’ll be in international waters within the hour.”Fredrick, still catching his breath, gave a dry chuckle. “Great. Now we just have to pray Muerte doesn’t find us before we find him.”Andrew’s grip tightened. “He won’t. He’s expecting me to walk into his den and beg for Hannah.” He finally turned to face his team. “But we’re flipping the script.”Leon wiped the sweat from his brow. “Meaning?”Andrew’s jaw clenched. “We’re not walking in blind. We’re going to make sure that when we

Andrew's heart pounded as he chased after Hannah through the dimly lit streets. Her shoulders trembled as she ran, her breath uneven.“Hannah, wait!” he called again, but she didn’t stop.She was barely hearing him, barely thinking. The night air felt suffocating, her mind replaying everything.The kidnapping, the torture, Sean’s death, and now Muerte, crippled and screaming in agony.Andrew finally caught up with her, grabbing her wrist gently but firmly.“Hannah, please,” his voice was softer now. “Just stop for a second.”She ripped her hand away, staggering backward. “Don’t touch me!”Andrew took a step back, his eyes clouded with concern. “I...Hannah, I understand what you’re going through...”Her broken laughter cut him off. She hugged her arms, shaking her head furiously.“You DON’T understand, Andrew.”Her voice cracked, raw from the overwhelming pain in her chest.Andrew hesitated, guilt tightening his throat. “I do, Hannah. You went through hell. I know the trauma must be—”

Andrew stepped out of the ICU, his head heavy with exhaustion. Hannah was still alive, but barely.The steady rhythm of the machines monitoring her fragile state echoed in his ears as he took slow steps down the hospital corridor. His body was numb. His thoughts, chaotic.Then, just as he stepped into the open hallway—"Andrew Everest!" A commanding voice rang out.He barely had time to react before uniformed officers swarmed him, their boots echoing against the cold tile floor.Two men grabbed his arms, forcing them behind his back. The sharp click of handcuffs rang in his ears.“You are under arrest for escaping from prison and the attempted murder of your uncle.”Andrew didn't fight, he didn't resist, he simply stood there, letting them restrain him.His body was there, but his mind was still in that ICU room, where Hannah lay unmoving.As the officers started to pull him away, he barely registered the frantic shouts around him.But as they led him out of the hospital, one thought

Andrew sat stiffly in the backseat of the SUV, his fingers gripping the edge of his seat as Taylor worked furiously on his laptop. The rhythmic clacking of the keys was the only sound in the tense silence.Fredrick and Leon sat nearby, waiting. No one spoke.Then, Taylor exhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing at the screen. “I found her.”Andrew’s head snapped up. Fredrick leaned forward. “Where?”Taylor turned the laptop around, showing an address on the screen.A small suburban neighborhood. Andrew frowned. The location was nowhere near the luxurious life Hannah once had. No penthouses, no five-star security.Just a simple, modest apartment complex. Andrew’s hands clenched into fists."Why would she be living here? Drive,” he ordered.Fredrick nodded and started the engine. The SUV pulled away from the curb, the city lights fading behind them.As they pulled up to the neighborhood, Andrew stared at the small apartment building ahead.It was nothing like the world Hannah once belonged

The moment Hannah screamed his name, something inside Andrew snapped. It wasn’t just anger—it was rage. His fists clenched, veins pulsing as his eyes darkened.The memory of Hannah walking away from him, telling him he couldn’t protect her, burned in his mind.Not this time. One of the men, the tallest of the group, sneered at him. “You wanna be a hero, tough guy?”Andrew didn’t answer, he immediately moved. His fist flew forward like a bullet, colliding with the man’s jaw.A loud CRACK echoed through the restaurant.The man’s head snapped back, his body staggering before he crashed into a table, flipping it over.Before the next thug could react, Andrew’s elbow smashed into his ribs, knocking the air out of his lungs.The man choked, doubling over in pain. Andrew grabbed his collar, lifted him off his feet, and slammed him into a chair.Wood shattered as the restaurant erupted into chaos.Customers screamed, dishes crashed to the ground, but Andrew didn’t stop.Another thug swung a p