Adam picked up the mop and walked.He moved through the hallways, his steps slow, his shoulders bent, his face hidden beneath the old man's beard. He pushed the mop ahead of him, the wet head slapping against the stone, leaving a trail of gray water. The guards watched him pass, then looked away.The first door was locked. The second was locked. The third opened.Adam slipped inside.The room was small, dark, stacked with boxes. He pulled one open. Papers. Records. Names he didn't recognize. He moved to the next box. Ledgers. Numbers. Dates. He tucked a handful of pages into his jacket and stepped back into the hallway.The fourth door was an office. Desk. Computer. Shelves of files. Adam closed the door behind him and began to search.He found a folder marked "Accounts." Inside, lists of payments, names of buyers, names of suppliers. He flipped through it, his eyes moving fast, his mind cataloging. A name repeated. A man named Victor Kane. Payments every month. Large amounts.“Hm

Adam walked behind Joe, his steps slow, his mind racing. The notepad was in Joe's hand. The pen was in Joe's hand. In thirty seconds, the guard would write his name, write what happened, write everything. Adam's eyes swept the hallway. A cart against the wall. A stack of boxes. And against the far wall, two metal drums.He looked at the drums. He looked at Joe's back. He looked at the open door ahead, where Logan waited.He focused his power.The drums groaned. Metal scraping against stone. Joe stopped. He turned his head. The drums shuddered, lifted, crashed together.BANG!!!Joe spun around. "Holy shit!"He dropped the notepad, the pen clattered to the floor. He ran toward the drums, his footsteps echoing, his voice calling for help. Adam bent, scooped up the notepad and the pen, tucked them into his jacket. He was standing in the doorway, his face old, his shoulders bent, when Logan appeared."What's happening?" Logan's voice was sharp.Adam shook his head. "I don't know, sir.

Adam pushed the mop past Logan's office. The door was closed. He walked to the supply closet, stepped inside, and closed the door. He stood in the dark for a moment, letting his mind work, Joe was the key. The one Logan trusted above all others. If Joe fell, Logan would have no one.Adam pulled the key card from his pocket. He had taken it from the young guard two days ago, slipped it into his jacket, forgotten it. Now he looked at it, turned it over in his fingers. Logan's office. Private. Locked at night.He waited until the building was quiet. The guards made their rounds. The lights dimmed. Adam moved through the shadows, silent, invisible, nothing like the old man who shuffled through the halls with a mop.Logan's office door clicked open. Adam slipped inside.He moved fast. The desk drawers were locked. He worked the paperclip from the notepad, felt for the pins, pressed, turned. The drawer opened. Inside, a black ledger. Thick. Heavy. Bound in leather.Adam opened it. Names.

Logan paced the office, back and forth. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets. His jaw was tight. His eyes kept darting to the phone, to the window.Adam pushed the mop into the corner, leaned on the handle. He watched Logan circle the room. The man needed someone to talk to, like Joe. But Joe was gone. Adam knew this is where he needed to step up.Adam stepped forward. "Something troubling you, sir?"Logan stopped. His eyes landed on Adam, then slid away. "What did I tell you about asking questions?""Just an old man concerned, sir. You seem troubled."Logan laughed, bitter. "Get the fuck out of my sight, what do you know?"Adam nodded. "Old people have the best advice. We've seen things. Made mistakes, learned from them."Logan stared at him. His face was tired. His eyes were bloodshot. "You think I need advice from a man who cleans floors for a living?"Adam shrugged. "Everyone needs someone to talk to. Even kings had fools."Logan's jaw tightened. He walked to his desk,

Kai stepped through the front door and closed it behind him. The house was quiet. He moved down the hallway, his footsteps soft, his eyes scanning.The security system was active. Cameras at every corner, sensors on every window. Guards outside, hidden, watching. He had set it up himself. He heard the voice before he reached the living room. Vicky. Her voice was low, trembling."Please don't harm me. I will send money. I promise. Just don't…."Kai stopped at the doorway. Vicky sat on the couch, her back to him, her phone pressed against her ear. Her shoulders were shaking. Her voice was cracking."My brother is not out of town. He's here, I don’t know who the fuck is spreading rumors."She stopped. Her hand tightened on the phone. Her breath came fast.Kai moved closer, still remaining quite."He's not, believe me." Her voice broke. "Please. I'll do anything. Just don't hurt them."A pause, she listened and then her face went white. Her hand dropped to her side. The call ended.She