All Chapters of The Beggar’s Throne: Chapter 121
- Chapter 130
630 chapters
Chapter One hundred and twenty one
The soldiers poured into the chamber, their boots striking in unison, their beams slashing across the space. Reeva opened fire first, her shots sparking against the tunnel walls and forcing the front line to scatter. Elena followed, the rusted console shielding her as she fired short, precise bursts.Jake stood firm in the center, weapon steady, directing their fire with calm gestures. “Left flank, push them back!” he called. Reeva shifted, unleashing a controlled volley that pinned two soldiers against the wall.Lina covered her ears as the gunfire roared through the chamber, her body pressed low to the ground. She could feel the vibrations of each shot echoing through the concrete floor.The Council soldiers advanced regardless, disciplined and unshaken. Their return fire rattled against the old steel, sparks showering down as bullets chewed through decades of decay.“They’re spreading!” Elena shouted. “Trying to encircle us!”Jake’s eyes darted across the chamber. He could see it t
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Two
The tunnel stretched on, damp and silent, their breaths the only sound as they pressed forward. Dust clung to their faces and clothes, still thick from the collapse behind them as Jake led the way.Elena kept glancing back, listening for pursuit that never came. “We bought time, but not much,” she murmured.“They’ll dig through eventually,” Reeva said, wiping grit from her eyes. “Council doesn’t leave bodies buried for long.”Jake slowed only enough to check Lina, who was limping but keeping up. “How bad?”“Just twisted it when we ran,” Lina admitted. “I can move.”“You will,” Jake said, not unkindly but firm. “No stopping.”The tunnel finally widened into a forgotten maintenance chamber. Broken machinery and collapsed beams littered the floor. Jake raised his hand, signaling a halt. They dropped into place, breathing heavy, backs pressed to the cold walls.Reeva slid to the ground with a groan. “That was close. Too close.”Jake didn’t answer right away. He stared at the dirt-streaked
Chapter one hundred and twenty three
Reeva spread a scavenged map across the floor, weighed down at the corners by broken pieces of machinery. “Sector Nine relay hub is here,” she said, tapping a dark smudge at the center. “They’ve got four guard rotations, heavily armed. The perimeter fence is electrified, and the tower’s reinforced with Council-grade plating. No one’s touched it in years for a reason.”“That’s why it’s perfect,” Jake said. “If we can cut the signal even for a night, the Council loses its leash. Messages won’t get through. Their grip will loosen.”Elena crouched low beside him, eyes fixed on the map. “So what’s the entry point?”Reeva traced a line from the southern sewer channel. “Here. It feeds under the perimeter. The Council doesn’t bother guarding it because it collapsed years ago. But if we clear the blockage, we can get close without being seen.”Lina shifted uncomfortably. “And once we’re inside? They’ll swarm us the second we hit the tower.”“That’s why we split the job,” Jake said. “Reeva and
Chapter one hundred and twenty four
Reeva tightened the last line and stepped back, her voice low but sharp. “Charges armed. On your word.”Jake crouched beside her, scanning the shadows. “Wait until I say.”Lina swallowed hard, clutching the detonator. “The guards are rotating. If they spot us before—”“They won’t,” Elena cut in, her rifle steady against her shoulder. Her eyes didn’t leave the perimeter.For a few tense seconds, the only sound was the low hum of the relay tower above them. Jake counted the patrol’s steps in his head, measuring the rhythm. He waited for the moment when the guards turned their backs, when their lines of sight overlapped just enough.“Now,” he ordered.Reeva tapped Lina’s arm. Lina pressed the trigger.A thunderous crack ripped through the night as fire tore along the tower’s foundation. The ground shook. Metal screamed and groaned. Then, with a violent crash, the lower half of the relay buckled. Sparks burst across the sky, raining down in arcs of burning light.The patrols shouted in pa
Chapter one hundred and twenty five
Word spread faster than fire. By midday the blackout in Sector Nine had reached every corner of the city. No signals, no broadcasts, no Council surveillance for hours. People whispered in markets, in alleys, in workshops, their voices carrying a charge that hadn’t been heard in years.Jake sat with the others in the maintenance chamber, listening as runners came in one after another with updates.“They’re saying the Council lost control of two whole districts this morning.”“Shops opened their doors without permits. No one paid taxes at the checkpoints.”“Kids painted the Twelve symbol across the relay wreckage. Broad daylight.”Each report landed like fuel on an already burning fire. Reeva leaned over the map, eyes sharp. “This is bigger than I expected. They’re not just noticing the blackout. They’re testing the edges, seeing how much ground they can take.”Lina shifted nervously. “That’s dangerous. If they push too far, the Council will crush them. They’ll use this as an excuse for
Chapter one hundred and twenty six
Jake didn’t sit down again. The decision had already been made the moment the runner spoke of Southbank. He turned back to the table and dragged the map toward him, his fingers leaving smears of soot across the paper.“Sector Nine’s relay is gone. That gave people a taste of freedom. Southbank just paid the price for it. If we let that stand without response, the Council wins the story. We can’t let them.”Reeva leaned over the map. “You’re talking about another strike? We just pulled off one miracle. Do you think we can do it again without losing half our people?”Jake’s eyes were steady. “We don’t need another miracle. We need precision. One hit, targeted, not just to hurt them but to show people that Southbank wasn’t abandoned.”Elena moved around to his side, arms folded, gaze sharp. “You want to link the two. Blackout and Southbank. Make them one story.”“Yes,” Jake said. “They hit Southbank because they’re afraid of what the blackout meant. We answer so everyone knows their fear
Chapter one hundred and twenty seven
News of the depot’s destruction spread faster than fire. By morning, the whole city was humming with it.Jake sat at the rough table in the safehouse, bruises on his arms, dirt caked in every crease of his skin. He hadn’t slept, but he didn’t need to—word kept coming in, carried by runners who slipped through alleys and ruins. Every voice told the same story, though colored by wonder, fear, or defiance.“The depot’s gone.”“The Council’s weapons burned.”“They couldn’t stop it.”Lina read the messages as they came in, her voice trembling with disbelief. “Sector Four lit bonfires last night. People came out of hiding, Jake. They’re saying Southbank didn’t die in silence after all.”Reeva grinned, arms folded. “They thought we’d scatter. Instead, the city’s catching fire.”Jake leaned back in his chair, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Not fire. Hope. And that’s harder to control.”Elena pushed through the door then, tossing a rolled-up sheet onto the table. It unfurled with a slap of
Chapter one hundred and twenty eight
Jake stood at the edge of Sector Twelve, his boots scraping against the broken concrete as he surveyed the scene. Elena, Reeva, and Lina stood nearby, their expressions unreadable, but Jake knew what they were thinking. This was it. The next move could either break them—or push them over the edge of something bigger than they had imagined.The education hub loomed ahead—a hollow, decaying structure that had once been a place of innovation and learning. Now, it was nothing more than an echo of what it used to be, its once-pristine walls now scarred by years of neglect and misuse. The building had become something else entirely, a symbol of how the Council had twisted everything it had touched.Jake’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the crumbling structure. He knew they weren’t there to play games. This wasn’t about reclaiming something for the people, but about stealing the one thing Amanda used to control them all—her voice. It was the printing presses they were after. The words that ke
Chapter one hundred and twenty nine
The sun was beginning to rise as they made their way through the back alleys of Sector Twelve, their pace quickening as the sound of approaching vehicles echoed through the streets. Jake couldn’t shake the feeling that they hadn’t done enough—that it was too small a blow for such a big target. But as he looked around at his team, he could see the signs of something more. They weren’t just surviving anymore. They were changing the game.Lina looked back at him, her eyes narrowed. “We need to keep moving,” she said. “We’ve drawn attention. The Council won’t let this slide.”Jake didn’t need her to tell him that. The sounds of engines grew louder as the convoy of Council vehicles neared. They were fast, efficient, but Jake had lived long enough to know the city better than most. They weren’t going to get caught. Not now.“Stick together,” Jake said, his voice steady but sharp. “We’re heading toward the old maintenance tunnels. They’ll be watching the main streets, but they won’t expect u
Chapter one hundred and thirty
Jake led the way through the dim streets, his footsteps steady and purposeful. The weight of the moment hung heavily on his shoulders. South Ridge was close now, the area where they had been gathering intelligence about the Council's latest sweep. His gut churned with the knowledge that they were walking into a trap—there was no way the Council would let their interference slide without retaliation.“We need to stay sharp,” Jake said, his voice low. The shadows swallowed them whole as they moved further into the derelict area. Broken buildings and empty storefronts lined the narrow streets, the city’s decay more pronounced here than in other sectors. “Stay close. No distractions.”Lina was the first to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. “How do you know they haven’t already moved everyone out?” She adjusted her gear as they neared the corner of the street. “What if they’ve caught on to us?”Jake didn’t flinch. “Because we haven’t been that careless. They’re still looking for us