Despite Faye's desperate struggles and attempts to break free, Joseph Ultra's men dragged her through the museum's service exit and forced her into a black limousine waiting in the shadows. Her screams were muffled by one of the thugs' massive hands as they shoved her into the backseat."Please! Someone help me!" Faye cried as the car doors slammed shut, trapping her between two enormous bodyguards."Save your breath, sweetheart," one of the men said with cruel amusement. "No one's coming to rescue you now.""Where are you taking me? What does that monster want with me?""You'll find out soon enough. Mr. Ultra has very specific plans for beautiful women like you."The limousine drove through the city's winding streets for nearly an hour before reaching the old money district, where massive estates hid behind iron gates and towering walls. They passed through an imposing entrance and up a long driveway to a Gothic mansion that looked like something from a horror movie."Welcome to your

Yemin stared at Chief Morrison with a mixture of disbelief and rage, his hands clenching into fists as the full implications of what he had just heard sank in."Are you seriously telling me that there are people in this city who can kidnap innocent women in broad daylight and face absolutely no consequences?""That's exactly what I'm telling you, Yemin. People like Joseph Ultra operate above the law.""Above the law? This is America, not some third-world dictatorship!""Wake up, Yemin! Money talks, and when you have enough of it, it drowns out everything else - including justice.""So Faye is just supposed to disappear? Become another missing person case that gets buried in paperwork?""I'm sorry, but that's the reality of the situation. Joseph Ultra is untouchable."This is the true power of Sphinx, Yemin realized with growing fury. Not just criminal operations, but complete immunity from legal consequences. No wonder they've been operating for decades."Chief, this only strengthens

Yemin moved through the mansion's opulent corridors with predatory stealth, his trained senses mapping every sound and shadow as he searched for any clue to Faye's location.The building was enormous, with dozens of rooms spread across multiple floors, making his task seem nearly impossible.Where would someone like Joseph Ultra keep his victims?Yemin calculated as he moved through the darkness. Somewhere isolated, soundproof, where screams wouldn't be heard.As he rounded a corner near the service areas, Yemin spotted a lone security guard making his rounds.The man was large but complacent, clearly not expecting any threats within the supposedly secure mansion.Within seconds, Yemin had rendered the guard unconscious and was stripping off his uniform.The disguise would give him crucial mobility within the building while he searched for Faye.Now I need intelligence about the layout, Yemin thought as he adjusted the guard's radio and weapon. And the best source of information is al

As the alarm continued to wail throughout the mansion, Faye rubbed her raw wrists where the shackles had been and looked at Yemin with a mixture of gratitude and lingering anger."I can't believe you actually came for me," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "But I'm still furious with you for what happened at the museum!""Faye, I—""No, let me finish! You asked me to that event, made me think it was finally happening between us, and then you just disappeared the moment we walked through the doors!""I know how it looked—""How it looked? Yemin, you abandoned me! You left me standing there like an idiot while you vanished into thin air! Do you have any idea how humiliated I felt?""I'm sorry," Yemin replied with genuine remorse. "I'm truly sorry that my actions put you in danger."If I hadn't brought her to that museum event, she never would have been spotted by Joseph Ultra, Yemin thought grimly. My investigation into Sphinx nearly got her killed.Faye's expression softened

"This skinny little punk thinks he's going to take on fifty-seven professional killers?""Maybe he's got superpowers!" mocked another guard."Maybe he thinks he's some kind of superhero!""Superhero? More like super stupid!" another voice called out."Look at him - he's not even armed!""One man against fifty-seven! This is going to be the shortest fight in history!""I almost feel sorry for him. Almost."The leader stepped forward with his weapon raised."Your one chance just expired, hero. Time to die."But Yemin had heard enough. Without warning, he moved.What happened next defied every law of physics and human capability that Faye thought she understood.Yemin flowed through the packed corridor like water through a broken dam, his hands and feet finding targets with impossible precision and devastating effect.The first guard fell before he could even register that Yemin had moved.The second and third went down simultaneously as Yemin struck pressure points that dropped them ins