The grand State Capital building was normally a place of quiet laws and polite whispers, but tonight, the high walls were shaking with pure political rage. Up on the top floor, inside the massive penthouse office that overlooked the entire blinking skyline of Cresthaven Metropolis, the local Governor was pacing back and forth across his thick red rug. His expensive silk robe was flying behind him, and his face was bright purple with anger.He had just watched the live security feed of his chief secretary, Mr. Donald, getting dragged away into the back of an Internal Affairs van like a common street thief."Stupid fool!" the Governor roared, throwing a heavy crystal glass across the room. It smashed against a marble pillar, splashing dark gold whiskey all over the wall. "I told him to erase the Vance bloodline, not to get caught with a brick of street powder in his own personal car! Now the Internal Affairs detectives are looking into my executive budget!"A thin man in a dark gray mi

The massive leader of the Iron Hook Syndicate let out another loud, ugly laugh that echoed against the giant metal shipping containers. Fifty armed thugs watched their boss swing the heavy iron pipe, their eyes full of cruel joy. They expected this young guy in the simple black cotton jacket to drop to his knees, weep for mercy, and offer them millions of dollars to let him go.But Ethan did not move an inch. He did not blink. His dark eyes remained perfectly still, looking at the giant brute like he was staring at a piece of dead wood."I am going to give you exactly ten seconds to open that iron gate, remove your men from my shipping lanes, and leave this port," Ethan said. His voice was incredibly quiet, but it cut through the freezing ocean wind like a sharp steel razor. "If you are still standing on my concrete pier when I finish counting, none of you will ever walk again."The bald leader stopped laughing, his yellow teeth grinding together in sudden, furious anger. "You arroga

The wet asphalt of pier nine was totally silent now, except for the splashing sound of the cold sea waves hitting the concrete walls. The thick gray fog rolled over the ground, covering the abandoned pickup trucks and the broken iron chains left behind by the fleeing gang.Ethan stood completely still in the center of the yard. His simple black cotton jacket was barely wet from the thin rain, and his hair was perfectly in place. He looked down at the ground where the bald leader of the Iron Hook Syndicate was struggling like a crushed worm.The giant man was crying from the intense physical pain in his shattered knee, his thick tattooed arms scraping against the rough floor as he tried to drag his heavy body away into the dark shadows. He was panting heavily, his face covered in yellow mud and cold sweat. He thought if he could just reach the edge of the large crane, he could hide from the monster in the black jacket.He did not make it even two feet.Ethan took one slow, heavy step

The thick smell of burning paper and hot gray ash filled the Dock Master's private office, making the air heavy and hard to breathe. The orange flames roared inside the metal trash can as the older man frantically destroyed the secret records of his betrayal. His eyes were wide with a crazy, frantic panic under his dirty captain's hat. The moment the wooden door flew off its hinges, his shaking right hand slid instantly toward the cold metal of the loaded double barreled shotgun sitting on the desk."Stay back! I will blast anyone who comes near me!" the Dock Master screamed, his old voice cracking with pure desperation. He began to lift the heavy steel barrels, aiming the weapon straight at the chest of the lead mercenary.But Ethan Vance was much faster than an old traitor's reflexes.Before the Dock Master could even wrap his thick index finger around the silver trigger, Ethan lunged forward across the small room like a flash of dark lightning. He did not give the old man a chance