Frank stared at the documents in his hands, each line of text unraveling the threads of the life he thought he knew. His real name. His real father.His connection to the very company he’d been cleaning floors in.Adrian peered over his shoulder. “Wait… is that saying what I think it’s saying?”Frank didn’t answer. His eyes were locked on the signature one he recognized from company plaques, newspaper articles, and annual reports.Edward Callahan.Founder and late CEO of Callahan Enterprises.Declared dead in a yacht explosion ten years ago.Also listed as: Frank’s biological father.“No…” Frank whispered.Dalton folded his arms. “Edward didn’t die in that explosion. He faked his death to escape the people trying to kill him people Corbin was working with.”Frank looked up sharply. “What?”“Edward was onto something,” Dalton continued.“He discovered what Corbin was planning a shadow network of off-the-books deals, using Callahan’s subsidiaries to funnel money into arms trades and pol

The tension was razor-sharp as Frank stared down the mysterious woman blocking their path. Her cold smile and unreadable eyes revealed nothing, but her voice carried a dangerous edge. “I’m not here to kill you. Not yet.”Frank didn’t lower his guard. Neither did Adrian, who stood behind him with his gun raised, finger tight on the trigger. “Then why the hell are you here?” Frank asked, voice firm.She tilted her head slightly. “To deliver a message.” “From Corbin?” Adrian snarled. “Tell that coward we’re coming for him.”But she shook her head. “Not Corbin,” she said. “From someone who once trusted your father.”That froze Frank in place. His father.Edward Callahan. The name now carried weight heritage, betrayal, danger. He stepped forward cautiously.“Who are you?”The woman holstered her weapon, an act that made her even more dangerous.“My name is Cassandra Vale. I used to work for Edward Callahan in Blackridge Intelligence. I was part of the ori

The gunshot tore through the night like a lightning strike.Frank’s instinct kicked in he dove over Adrian, shielding him with his own body as sparks flew from the metal door behind them. The guards scattered, raising their weapons toward the source of the shot.Cassandra ducked and rolled behind the SUV, shouting, “Sniper!”Chaos erupted.Another shot cracked this one grazing the shoulder of one of the guards, sending him spiraling to the ground. Blood sprayed the pavement.The other fired blindly toward the rooftops, but it was useless. Whoever was up there had the high ground, and the aim of a professional killer.Frank dragged Adrian toward cover behind a dumpster, every muscle screaming. His mind was racing Who the hell was shooting at them now? Corbin’s men? Someone else? Had Cassandra double-crossed him again, leading him into a kill zone?Cassandra crawled toward him, clutching a small black device in her palm a remote detonator.“What is that?” Frank demanded, his breath ragg

Frank froze.It couldn’t be.“Malik?” he whispered.The man stepped forward, boots echoing on the concrete. He looked leaner, harder his jaw sharper, eyes colder. A long scar now ran from his temple to his cheekbone.“Miss me, Frankie?” Malik said, grinning.Frank's throat tightened. “You died. In the explosion. Everyone said”“I know what they said.” Malik circled them slowly, his gaze flicking to Cassandra, then Adrian.“They also said Holt could be trusted.”Cassandra’s fingers hovered over her sidearm.“Don’t,” Malik warned. “You’re fast. I’m faster.”Frank took a cautious step forward. “How the hell did you survive?”“Same way you did. Dumb luck and a gas leak.” His grin faded. “Holt left me for dead.Then he erased me from every system labeled me ‘collateral damage.’ But I didn’t die. I watched from the shadows as he rebuilt everything without me.”Cassandra's voice was quiet. “We thought you were dead, Malik. So did Holt.”“No,” Malik snapped. “Holt hoped I was dead. Because

The jet shuddered as a missile whizzed past the wing, missing by inches.Frank lurched forward, gripping the control panel. “Tell me that wasn’t what I think it was.”“It was,” Cassandra growled, eyes locked on the radar. “Malik’s in that jet. He’s not done with us yet.”“Why is he chasing us? We gave him the fake drive!”“Because he’s not stupid, Frank. He realized it was a decoy and he wants revenge.”The second missile streaked past, narrowly avoiding their tail.Frank spun toward Cassandra. “Can we outfly him?”“We’re in a stealth courier plane built for speed, not combat. But if I reroute power from the transponder and dump all non-essentials”“English?”“We might not die immediately.”Frank nodded. “Good enough for me.”Cassandra slammed a fist into the emergency override. Panels shifted. Lights dimmed. The hum of the engines rose into a violent whine.“Hold on!” she shouted.The plane plunged into a nosedive.Malik watched the scene unfold from the cockpit of his jet, jaw tight