The next two days were the worst of Alex's life.He set up everything they asked for. Made the arrangements. Coordinated with people whose names he didn't want to know. Whose faces he tried not to remember.Every phone call made him feel dirty. Every email made him hate himself a little more.He worked alone. Told his staff he was handling a private matter. Locked his office door.On the second day, Old Man Cole knocked.Alex almost didn't answer. But Cole had a key. He would come in anyway."Come in," Alex called.Cole entered carrying a tea tray. He set it down on the desk. Then he saw the documents spread everywhere.Shipping manifests. Route maps. Coded messages.Cole's face went pale. "Sir... what is this?"Alex quickly gathered the papers. "Nothing. Just business.""That's not business," Cole said quietly. He pointed at one of the documents. "Those are smuggling routes.""Don't ask questions," Alex said. His voice was sharp.Cole stepped closer. "Alex, please. Talk to me. What'

Leah stood. "So what do we do first?"They started planning immediately.Leah's restaurant became the unofficial headquarters for the alliance. The Covenant wasn't watching her as much as before. That was their mistake.The first meeting with everyone together happened two nights later. Alex, Daniel, Maria, Thomas, Sarah. And now Leah.They gathered after the restaurant closed. Leah locked the doors and pulled the curtains. Then she brought out coffee and food."You didn't have to cook for us," Maria said."I always cook when I'm nervous," Leah replied. "And this way we can work and eat."They spread documents across three tables. Financial records. Photos. Recorded conversations. Email printouts."This is incredible," Thomas said. He was reviewing Alex's recordings. "You got Marcus Sterling admitting to extortion. Multiple times.""Is it enough?" Alex asked."It's a start," Sarah replied. She was making notes. "But we need more. We need to prove the scope. Show that this isn't ju

The warehouse was cold and empty.Alex arrived first. He checked the space. Made sure everything was in position. The lighting was dim. Perfect for hiding details.Sarah's ambulance was parked two blocks away. Ready.Thomas tested the squib charges one final time. "They'll work. I promise."McCarthy arrived with Daniel. He was pale. Shaking."You can do this," Daniel told him. "Just remember what we practiced."McCarthy nodded. He couldn't speak.Leah helped him into position. She attached the blood packs under his shirt. Connected the wires."When Alex fires, I'll trigger these," Thomas explained. "You'll feel the pop. Fall backward. Stay down. Don't move no matter what.""What if they check my pulse?" McCarthy asked."I'll handle that," Daniel said. He pulled out a small device. "This goes in your armpit. It slows your heart rate. Makes it almost undetectable."McCarthy looked at all of them. "If I die today—""You won't," Alex said firmly. "I won't let that happen."They heard cars

Alex couldn't stop thinking about the photograph. Old Man Cole's father standing beside Alex's grandfather fifty years ago.Both men were smiling. Both were part of The Covenant.Alex had stared at that photo for hours. He'd barely slept. His mind kept racing with questions.Did Cole know? Had he been lying this whole time? Was he working for The Covenant?The next morning, Alex made a decision. He needed answers.He called Cole to his study.Old Man Cole arrived carrying a tea tray like always. He set it down on the desk. Then he looked at Alex's face and stopped."Sir? Is something wrong?"Alex pulled out his phone. He showed Cole the screenshot. "Leah found this in the video footage from the Covenant meeting. That's your father. Isn't it?"Cole stared at the image. All the color drained from his face.He sat down heavily in the chair. Like his legs wouldn't hold him anymore."Yes," Cole said quietly. "That's my father."The silence stretched between them. Heavy and uncomfortable.

Fourteen days until exposure.The alliance moved into high gear. Everyone had assignments. Everyone was busy.Senator Maria Rodriguez worked on securing safe houses. She used her political connections to arrange properties in six different states. Places where families could hide when everything went public."We need locations ready by next week," Maria explained at a meeting. "The moment we go public, people will need to disappear fast."Captain Sarah Harris prepared her police contacts. She had three departments ready to raid Covenant properties at the same time. Federal, state, and local working together."We hit them at dawn," Sarah said. "Thirty-two locations at once. They won't have time to destroy evidence."Daniel worked on the legal side. He drafted charges. Prepared warrants. Made sure everything would hold up in court."We can't give them any way out," Daniel said. He looked exhausted. Dark circles under his eyes. "Every charge has to be perfect."Thomas worked on his comp