Upon seeing Pierce, his rescuer, Rafe’s strained willpower suddenly crumbled. His eyelids drooped heavily. The arm holding the pistol shook violently beyond his control, his breath shallow and ragged. “Tell him… thank the driver for me… I would never have made it out without him.”Pierce’s heart sank at the sight. He spun around and roared. “Everyone get over here! Move in for backup now!”Operatives from both SUVs poured out in response.Pierce holstered his side‑arm, hauled the exhausted Rafe out of the truck compartment with both arms, and propped up his faltering body. He pressed on in a low, urgent voice. “Where are you hurt? Talk to me!”Rafe hung his head without a word, shivering uncontrollably from the cold.Pierce pressed his palm against Rafe’s forehead. The burning‑hot temperature was a stark, alarming contrast to the frigid surroundings. He glanced down at the ground and his eyes went wide — a pool of dark red blood had soaked through the snow, glaring against the pure‑wh

He could have pulled out and fled that night at the welfare home. Yet the suffering of the children before his eyes shattered his breaking point. Polished, high‑ranking figures were committing acts worse than beasts. He pulled the trigger and executed the two old men—not for pay, but simply because he could not stand to watch.To the world, he was a vicious criminal, yet he clung to the conscience so many elites had cast aside. That was Brown.Out in the hallway, Kane stared at his smile, weighed down by a foreboding sense of doom. Brown would most likely never walk out of this place alive.“Take care, brother.” Brown waved, a hint of reckless nonchalance in his tone. “If fate allows, we’ll meet again over our graves.”Kane held his gaze, then turned and hurried away.……Minutes later, Kane’s phone rang. It was Raven.“There was nothing more I could do for those men.”“Thank you.”Raven softened her voice. “I’m coming to get you.”……Elsewhere.Pierce and his crew had slipped back to

Money was only the most superficial benefit. The true core lay in power‑for‑sex exchanges and intelligence recruitment.Using children as bargaining chips, the welfare home catered to various high‑ranking officials and powerful figures in return for resource favors and capital backing. Meanwhile, it served as Military Intelligence’s most secret training ground for new operatives.Children trafficked in from outside the district had no family, no official records, and no ties to hold them back. They made the most controllable and loyal low‑level intelligence recruits. Military Intelligence constantly picked promising candidates from among them, trained them in secret, and placed them across all walks of life to build an invisible intelligence network.Those who failed selection and showed mediocre aptitude lost welfare support upon reaching adulthood and were left with nowhere to turn. Most ended up as street enforcers, workers in shadow industries, or employees in entertainment venues

Kane quickly reined in his emotions, pushing down his inner frustration and restlessness. He sought out Cole right away. The two settled on Brown’s fate, then met up with Ingram and the rest of the group who had been waiting for updates. They drove back to Novara through the night.No one got any sleep.By noon the next day, Kane had rested in his quarters at the precinct. He headed alone straight for the Dreg Street warehouse.Up on the warehouse’s second floor, Rafe stood up the second Kane walked in and pressed for answers. “What happened to Brown?”“He escaped the death penalty, but he’s still facing hard time.” Kane spoke plainly, his tone steady.The tension Rafe had carried for days melted away. He let out a long breath. “As long as he’s alive. I can live with that outcome.”“Focus on recovering.” Kane clapped him on the shoulder and made a quiet promise. “Once things cool down, I’ll work behind the scenes and find a way to get him out.”Rafe cracked a grin, looking much more r

Jason’s panicked voice carried over the line. “He struck right after getting back from Southspire. He must have gotten hold of damning evidence! Is he coming for us next?”Oakley fought to contain his surging alarm. His legs gave way and he sank back onto the sofa. He fired off orders rapidly, his tone trembling uncontrollably. “Tell everyone to go into hiding at once. Cut all traces. No showing yourselves, no contacting one another!”Jason pressed him. “When are you coming? I’ll wait for you downstairs!”Oakley cut him off sharply. “Don’t wait for me. Get out on your own. I’ll reach you later!”Jason’s voice shook, edged with desperation. “Oakley, don’t abandon me!”“Just do it!” Oakley hung up without hesitation.Wade watched his expression closely and spoke immediately. “What’s the situation?”Oakley’s voice turned hoarse, raw terror in his eyes. “Kane is taking down my crew. While he was in Southspire, he definitely cut a deal with Military Intelligence and brought back rock‑solid