BREAK THE HANDLER

The Hunted

Dante moved through the service corridor, his footsteps silent on the concrete floor. Behind him, the ballroom was chaos. Screams. Sirens. The distant wail of approaching police.

He'd killed fifteen people in less than two minutes. Fifteen names from the list. Fifteen people who had conspired to murder his family.

But the list wasn't complete. There were eight more names. Eight more targets. Eight more people who needed to die.

He reached the service stairs. Descended quickly. The loading bay was ahead. His escape route.

He pushed through the door and froze.

Naomi was there. Pale. Blood trickling from her arm. Viktor stood beside her, his weapon drawn.

"What happened?" Dante crossed to her.

"The guards. They found me." Naomi winced. "I handled it."

Dante checked her wound. A graze. Not fatal. But it needed attention.

"We need to move," Viktor said. "Police are on their way. They'll have the building surrounded in five minutes."

Dante nodded. He helped Naomi to the car. Viktor drove.

They sped through the city streets. The lights of the hotel faded behind them.

Naomi leaned against the window, her face pale. "You killed them all?"

"All the ones in the room." Dante's voice was flat. "There are eight more."

"Eight more?" Naomi's eyes widened. "Dante, you can't. They'll be expecting you. They'll have security. They'll—"

"I don't care." He cut her off. "They deserve to die. Every single one."

Naomi shook her head. "This isn't you. This isn't who you are."

"This is exactly who I am." He met her eyes. "This is who they made me. And now I'm using that to destroy them."

Viktor glanced in the rearview mirror. "He's right. We're in this now. No going back."

Naomi was silent. Her jaw tightened.

They reached the motel. Dante helped Naomi inside. He cleaned her wound and bandaged it. Her face was pale, but her eyes were steady.

"What's next?" she asked.

Dante pulled out the list. "Eight names. Eight targets. We start tomorrow."

Naomi grabbed his arm. "Wait. There's something you need to know."

Dante's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"One of the names on that list. The last one." She hesitated. "It's me."

Dante's blood went cold. "What?"

"My name. It's on the list. I didn't know until I saw the files tonight. Someone added me. Someone who wanted you to find it."

Dante stared at her. "You're lying."

"I swear I'm not." She pulled out her phone. "I took a photo. Look."

She showed him the screen. Her name. Naomi Chen. At the bottom of the list.

Dante's mind raced. Someone had added her name. Someone who wanted him to kill her. Someone who wanted to destroy the last person he trusted.

"Sasha," he said. "She did this."

Naomi nodded. "It has to be. She's the only one who could."

Dante's jaw tightened. "Then Sasha just moved to the top of the list."

He stood and walked to the door.

"Dante, wait." Naomi followed him. "You can't just go after her. She'll be prepared. She'll have security. She'll—"

"I don't care." He grabbed his weapon. "She's been playing me from the start. Using me. Manipulating me. And now she's trying to destroy the only person I have left."

Naomi grabbed his arm. "Then let me come with you."

"No. You're injured. You're staying here."

"Dante—"

"That's an order." He pulled free. "I'll be back."

He left the motel and drove to Sasha's factory.

The building was dark. Silent. But lights glowed from the office above.

Dante entered through the loading bay. Moved through the shadows. Climbed the stairs.

The door was open. Sasha was waiting.

"I knew you'd come," she said. "I knew you'd find the name."

"Her name. On the list. You added it."

"Of course I did." Sasha smiled. "I needed to test you. To see how far you'd go. To see if you'd kill the one person who actually cares about you."

Dante's hand moved to his weapon. "You're going to die for this."

"You think I care?" Sasha stood. "I've been planning this for years. I've been manipulating everyone around me. You. Viktor. Aldrich. Webb. They were all pawns. All tools. And now, I'm the one in control."

"You're insane."

"Maybe. But I'm also right. The network needs to survive. It needs someone strong enough to lead it. And that person is me."

Dante raised his weapon. "The network dies with you."

Sasha laughed. "You think I'm the only one? There are others, Cross. Others who will take my place. You can't kill all of us. You can't destroy the network. It's too big. Too deep. Too entrenched."

"Then I'll kill enough of you to make it matter."

Sasha's smile faded. "You're a fool, Cross. A brilliant fool. But still a fool."

Dante's finger tightened on the trigger.

Sasha held up her hand. "Before you shoot, consider this. I know the location of the remaining eight names. I know where they're hiding. I know their security protocols. Kill me, and you'll never find them."

Dante hesitated. "You're lying."

"I'm telling the truth. For once." Her eyes were steady. "You want to destroy the network? I can help you. I can give you the names. The locations. Everything you need."

"And what do you want in return?"

Sasha smiled. "I want to survive. I want to walk away. I want you to forget I exist."

Dante stared at her. The woman who'd been playing him from the start. The woman who'd manipulated everyone around her.

He wanted to kill her. Wanted to end it.

But he needed the information. Needed to find the remaining targets.

"Fine," he said. "You have your deal."

Sasha reached into her pocket. Pulled out a small drive. Tossed it to him.

"Everything you need is on there. The names. The locations. The security details."

Dante caught the drive. Pocketed it.

"You'll leave now," Sasha said. "You'll forget about me. You'll forget about the network. You'll start a new life."

Dante's jaw tightened. "I'll walk away. But I'll never forget."

Sasha smiled. "That's good enough for me."

Dante turned and walked out of the office.

Outside, the night was cold. His phone buzzed.

Naomi. "What happened?"

He typed a reply. "Sasha gave me the information. I'm coming back."

He got in his car and drove.

The rest of the targets. The ones who had orchestrated his parents' murder. The ones who had manipulated him. They would die.

He would make sure of it.

---

He reached the motel. Naomi was waiting.

"Dante, what did you do?"

"I made a deal. I got the information."

Naomi's eyes widened. "You let her go?"

"For now." He pulled out the drive. "But I'm going to come back for her. After I'm done with the rest."

Naomi shook her head. "You can't. You're too deep in this. It's consuming you."

"This is all I have." His voice was quiet. "This is who I am."

Naomi stepped closer. "Then let me help you. Let me be there for you. Don't push me away."

Dante stared at her. The fear in her eyes was real. The love was real.

But he couldn't give her what she wanted. He was too far gone.

"You can't help me," he said. "No one can."

He walked to the door.

"Dante, wait."

He stopped but didn't turn around.

"I love you." Her voice cracked. "I don't care if you can't say it back. I don't care if you think you're too broken. I love you."

Dante stood in the doorway. His heart pounded.

He wanted to turn around. To hold her. To tell her everything would be okay.

But it wouldn't be. Nothing would ever be okay again.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I can't."

He walked out the door.

Her cries followed him.

He walked into the night.

---

Can a broken man ever learn to love again, or is he destined to destroy everything he touches?