All Chapters of THE HAND OF VENGEANCE: Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
175 chapters
Chapter 21 — Three Strikes
Frank crouched in the shadow of a overturned pallet, breath even, flashlight steady. A rusted metal door stood a few yards away.Inside: one subject, name listed on the drive, location verified two hours earlier. “Status,” he whispered into the mic.Paige’s voice came tinny, precise. “North team green. Lisa on diversion. Cole rerouting traffic two blocks over to keep cameras occupied. You’re clear for entry in ten.”“Copy.” Frank slid a slate across his palm and tapped the override. “In three, two, now.”The door gave with a sickening groan. They flowed inside: Frank, two volunteers, former med students he’d convinced to help, and a stretcher.The subject lay half-covered, cords braided into his arms, shallow breathing. “Quiet,” Frank said. “Paige, I need pump cut, sedation countered, slow infusion of the antagonist, now.”A whir from the monitors. Paige answered, calm: “I’m on it. Overriding sedation protocol. Give me thirty seconds.”“Thirty seconds is a lifetime,” Frank muttered, h
Chapter 22 — Fallout and Fractures
The storm broke fully over Chicago, sheets of rain sliding down skyscrapers. Below, in the labyrinth of abandoned warehouses and alleys, Frank, Lisa, and Paige regrouped, drenched and silent.Frank’s eyes scanned every shadow. “Status.”Paige pulled a tablet from her coat. “Files uploaded. Partially. Enough to create chaos in Roth’s network, but he’s already isolating the nodes. Cole’s units are swarming downtown.”Lisa groaned. “Partially? That’s… dangerous. He could still recover everything.”Frank clenched his jaw. “He will recover some, yes. But not the subjects we extracted. That’s leverage. That’s power.”Paige swiped through feeds. “Media’s alive. Roth is spinning the story. Calling you a violent saboteur. Cole’s framing this as terrorism now. They’re using live feeds from the lab raid, cutting out all context of the rescues.”Lisa froze. “So… everyone thinks we’re criminals?”Frank’s lips tightened. “For now. That’s part of the game. Public perception is irrelevant to our miss
Chapter 23 — Phase Three
Rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the streets of Chicago gleamed like wet glass, reflecting neon signs and blinking traffic lights.Shadows pooled in alleys, and the smell of ozone from distant transformers hung in the damp air.Frank crouched behind a dumpster, scanning rooftops with a compact drone. Beside him, Lisa adjusted the strap of her bag, gripping a metal pipe almost as if it were an extension of her arm.Paige was hunched over a tablet, fingers flying, running scans of Roth’s communications and security feeds. “Roth’s entire west annex sector is on high alert,” Paige said, voice low.“He’s flooding corridors with drones, automated turrets, and live patrols. Cole is coordinating their movements.”Frank’s jaw tightened. “Then we split the risk. Two teams, simultaneous strike. I’ll take Evelyn and the pediatric subjects. Lisa, you create diversions. Paige, you remain our eyes in the network. We do this fast, precise, and without error.”Lisa’s lips pressed together. “Fast and
Chapter 24 — Retaliation
Chicago’s skyline glowed under a storm-dark sky. Rain slicked streets reflected neon lights in fractured patterns. Somewhere above, helicopters patrolled like predators, their searchlights slicing through fog.Frank crouched atop a derelict rooftop, Evelyn beside him, wrapped in a thin coat. Lisa and Paige had taken separate exits, disappearing into the urban sprawl. “Status?” Frank muttered into the comm.Paige’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “North and west extractions are secure. But Cole has deployed rapid-response teams downtown. Roth’s gone public, broadcasting a warning that you’re a dangerous saboteur. Media frenzy is escalating.”Lisa’s voice followed, tense: “I’ve been shadowing one of Cole’s patrols. They’re dividing the city into quadrants. They’re hunting us like animals.”Frank’s jaw tightened. “Good. Let them chase. We don’t fight them where they want. We dictate the battlefield.”Evelyn looked up, eyes wide. “Professor… they’re everywhere. How can we survive?”F
Chapter 25 — Urban Counterstrike
Night had fallen again, heavier this time. Chicago’s streets glistened under rain-slicked neon, alleys curling like veins between towering skyscrapers.Helicopters hummed overhead, slicing through the mist. Every street corner could conceal a patrol, a drone, or worse, Cole himself.Frank perched atop a fire escape, Evelyn beside him. Lisa and Paige had scouted separate zones; their rendezvous points were preplanned, precise, and precarious.“Status,” Frank whispered into the comm.Paige’s voice crackled. “North diversion successful. South tunnels clear. Roth is consolidating his units downtown. Cole’s units are regrouping after the Phase Three failure.”Lisa’s voice followed, tense. “I’ve mapped the likely choke points. They’re trying to herd us toward a containment grid near the river. Drones, patrols, automated turrets, you name it. All active.”Frank’s jaw clenched. “Then we dictate the battlefield. They’ll funnel us into one path, but we’ll fracture it first. Dispersed targets, d
Chapter 26 — Citywide Counterstrike
Rain had stopped, but Chicago’s streets glimmered like slick mirrors. The city felt alive, watching, breathing, a predator waiting for prey.Frank crouched atop a fire escape, Evelyn at his side. Below, the river reflected fractured neon lights, and alleyways twisted into shadowed traps.Paige’s voice crackled over the comm: “Cole has activated Phase Four. Entire city sectors are on lockdown. Drones, patrols, automated turrets, even civilian traffic is being manipulated. You’re in hostile territory.”Lisa’s voice followed, tense: “I’ve got north quadrant. They’re tracking thermal signatures, controlling exits, using choke points. They’re trying to funnel us into the river tunnels.”Frank’s jaw tightened. “Exactly. They want a trap. We give them chaos instead. Split into three teams. Overwatch, extraction, and diversions. Timing is everything.”Evelyn whispered, voice small: “Professor… they’re going to catch us.”Frank’s eyes softened for a moment before hardening. “No. We make them c
Chapter 27 — The Lockdown
Rain had ceased, leaving Chicago drenched and reflective, every street a mirror of neon chaos. Helicopters droned overhead, drones buzzed through alleyways, and sirens pulsed like the city’s heartbeat. Roth had escalated. Cole had activated the lockdown.Frank crouched atop a fire escape, Evelyn and two rescued subjects behind him. Lisa and Paige had split off again, scouting alternate routes.Paige’s voice crackled through the comm. “Citywide lockdown is active. Automated checkpoints, roadblocks, drone patrols, even pedestrian tracking via public cameras. Cole has full control. They’re anticipating your every move.”Lisa’s voice followed, tense. “North and west quadrants are sealed. Any attempt to move there triggers alarms. They’re forcing us into a trap.”Frank’s jaw tightened. “Then we make the trap theirs. We’ll fracture the control grid. Every system they use against us, we’ll turn against them.”Evelyn’s voice was small, trembling. “Professor… how do we fight a city?”Frank’s g
Chapter 28 — Phase Five: Assault
The storm had returned, drumming rain against the city’s steel and glass. Chicago shivered under a gray sky, the streets reflecting neon signs in fractured puddles.Helicopters droned overhead, drones buzzed through alleyways, sirens echoed. Roth’s grip on the city was tight, but Frank’s plan was tighter.Frank crouched atop a derelict rooftop, Evelyn beside him. Below, the west annex sprawled like a fortress, its windows glowing ominously, automated turrets lining the perimeter.Paige’s voice came through the comm: “Cole’s units are concentrating on the north and river quadrants. Roth’s live feeds are broadcasting. He’s framing you as a terrorist targeting medical facilities.”Lisa’s voice followed, tense: “I’ve got the northern diversion in place. They’re chasing shadows. Thermal scans, drones, everything misdirected. They think you’re in multiple places at once.”Frank’s jaw tightened. “Good. Now we strike where they least expect. Phase Five begins. Precision, speed, no mistakes.”
Chapter 29 — The Reckoning
Chicago awoke to chaos. Floodlights cut across rain-slick streets, drones buzzed overhead, and sirens screamed in a chorus of panic. Roth’s retaliation had begun.Frank crouched in the shadows of a rooftop, Evelyn at his side, the rescued subjects silent behind crates and stairwells. Lisa and Paige had split to manage diversions and tech disruption.Paige’s voice crackled through the comm: “Roth’s gone full lockdown. Automated gates, drones in thermal sweep, urban checkpoints activated. He’s framing you as the mastermind of multiple attacks. Public perception is already shifting against us.”Lisa’s voice came tense. “They’re corralling civilians into areas we need to move through. Heat signatures everywhere. Every exit, every alley, every rooftop covered. They’ve turned the city into a cage.”Frank’s jaw tightened. “Then we fracture it. We make the cage ours. Diversions, alternate routes, and control of the narrative. Every move we make will confuse, divide, and destabilize them.”Eve
Chapter 30 — Fire in the Veins
Rain hammered the glass walls of the safehouse. Inside, the air buzzed with low electric hums and the nervous breathing of the rescued subjects.Frank stood before a cracked map projected on the wall, streets, power grids, and Roth Biotech’s network nodes glowing in red.Lisa paced behind him, restless. “You realize what this is, right? A full-on declaration of war. Roth’s not just retaliating, he’s closing every escape we have.”Frank’s reflection flickered in the screen’s glow. “Then we stop running.”Paige’s eyes lifted from her tablet. “You mean attack?”“Not just attack,” Frank said. “We bleed the system. Phase Six begins now, total data purge, coordinated strikes on Roth’s supply lines, and exposure of his experiments.”Evelyn, pale but resolute, stepped forward. “Professor, you said saving lives came first. If we do this… people could get caught in the crossfire.”Frank looked at her, the flicker of compassion buried beneath exhaustion. “Every war has collateral, Evelyn. The di