Leo stepped out of the elevator and into the penthouse, the door closing with a soft click behind him. He dropped his backpack on the floor and walked straight to the kitchen counter. His arm burned where the fresh cut from the fight had split open again. Blood had soaked through the sleeve of his gray hoodie. He pulled the hoodie off, wincing as the fabric stuck to the wound, and tossed it aside.He grabbed a clean towel from the drawer, ran it under cold water, and pressed it hard against the cut. The sting made his jaw clench tight. Next he checked his ankle. The bandage was dark with dried blood and fresh seepage. He sat on one of the stools, rolled up his jeans leg, and started unwrapping it slowly. Each turn of the fabric sent a sharp jolt up his leg. His ribs felt like someone had taken a hammer to them every time he breathed too deep.“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath, face tight with pain.Once the old bandage was off, he cleaned the cut on his ankle with antiseptic fro

Leo drove through the quiet industrial zone on the south side of the city, keeping his speed steady and his eyes on the road. The black SUV blended in with the few other vehicles moving at this hour. He had changed into simple dark clothes and a cap, the kind of outfit that made him look like any young guy heading to a late shift. No one would look twice.He pulled into a dimly lit lot behind an old warehouse and parked next to a plain white van. The side door slid open as he approached. Inside sat Victor, the former cybersecurity expert Leo had quietly brought on board months ago. Victor was in his late thirties, sharp eyes behind glasses, and a no-nonsense face that rarely smiled.“Get in,” Victor said, moving over to make space.Leo climbed into the van and closed the door behind him. The interior was set up like a mobile command center with laptops, screens, and secure routers. He sat on the narrow bench and leaned forward.“Show me what you found,” Leo said.Victor turned one of

Leo pulled up to the old storage facility on the outskirts of the industrial park and killed the engine. The place looked forgotten from the outside, with faded signs and chained gates, but that was exactly why he chose it. He stepped out of the SUV, adjusted his cap, and walked toward the side entrance. Victor was already waiting, holding the door open with a serious look on his face.“Inside,” Victor said quietly. “We need to move fast.”Leo followed him into a dimly lit unit filled with stacked crates and a folding table set up with laptops. The air smelled of dust and old cardboard. He sat on one of the metal chairs while Victor pulled up the logs on the main screen.“Tell me what we’re dealing with,” Leo said, leaning forward.Victor pointed at the screen, his expression tight. “The attempt on the dead-man’s switch files came from inside the data center. We traced it to a mid-level technician named Harris. He used credentials that were supposed to be locked down. The access was c

Leo parked the black SUV behind the mid-tier business park building and killed the engine. The place looked ordinary from the outside, just another office block with faded signs and empty parking spots. He stepped out, adjusted his jacket, and walked toward the side entrance. Victor was already waiting near the glass door, holding it open with a quick nod.“Third floor,” Victor said. “We set up in an empty suite. No one uses this wing after six.”Leo followed him up the stairs without a word. His steps stayed steady even though his body still carried the ache from earlier fights. They entered a plain office space with bare desks and a few laptops already running. Victor closed the door and locked it.“Show me the latest,” Leo said, pulling up a chair.Victor turned one of the screens toward him. “The fake trails worked better than expected. Maya took the bait and shared everything with the loyalist group. They’re moving on the false locations right now, wasting time and resources. But

Leo read the message one more time, his eyes narrowing as he sat in the driver’s seat of the SUV. The words looked clean and urgent. The silent ally wanted a face-to-face meeting tonight. Alone. He claimed he was ready to turn completely and hand over real details that could shut down the last of the threats. Leo stared at the screen for a long moment, fingers tapping lightly on the wheel. Something in his gut told him to be careful, but the information lined up too well to ignore. If this could end the loose ends quietly, he had to take the chance.“Alright,” he muttered under his breath. “One last meeting.”He typed a short reply agreeing to the location and started the engine. The abandoned construction site on the east edge of the city was a twenty-minute drive. Leo kept his speed steady, eyes on the road, but his mind stayed sharp. He still felt the deep ache in his shoulder and side from earlier fights, but he pushed it down. This had to be handled tonight, clean and final.The