BREAK THE HANDLER

The Insider

The anonymous message burned in Dante's mind. He'd read it a dozen times, looking for clues. Nothing. Just the threat and the silence.

He spent the next day tracking the number. Dead end. Burner phone. Already disconnected.

Naomi found him staring at the wall. "You've been like this since last night."

"Someone knows what we're doing. They're watching us."

"Then we watch back." She sat beside him. "Lara's contact. Elias. He knows more than he told us."

Dante looked at her. "You think he's holding back?"

"I think he's scared. And scared people lie."

Dante nodded. He stood. "I'll talk to him."

Elias was at his apartment. A small place on the north side. Dante knocked on the door.

Elias opened it. His face was pale. "Cross. I wasn't expecting you."

"I need more information. About the cell. About their allies in the government."

Elias hesitated. Then he stepped aside. "Come in."

The apartment was cluttered. Papers everywhere. Books stacked on every surface. Elias was a man obsessed with information.

He gestured to a chair. "I've been tracking them for months. The cell is connected to a network of operatives inside the government. People in key positions. People who can make things happen."

Dante sat. "Names."

Elias shook his head. "I don't have names. They're too careful. But I've seen patterns. Money moving. Orders being given. People being promoted."

"Where are the patterns leading?"

Elias pulled out a folder. "There's a central hub. A coordinator. Someone who's been orchestrating everything from the shadows."

Dante opened the folder. Photographs. Documents. A name.

"Richard Vance," Dante read aloud.

"Deputy Director of the Federal Security Bureau. He's been in his position for three years. During that time, he's been slowly installing loyalists throughout the government."

Dante studied the photographs. Vance was a nondescript man. Middle-aged. Unassuming. The perfect puppet master.

"Where is he now?"

"His office is in the federal building. The same one you hit yesterday. He's been working closely with the cell's leadership."

Dante closed the folder. "Then I need to talk to him."

"That's suicide. He'll have security everywhere. He'll be expecting you."

"Maybe. But he won't be expecting this."

Dante stood and walked to the door.

---

The federal building was still on high alert. Dante entered through the service entrance. Viktor had disabled the cameras in this section during the bomb operation. They were still offline.

He moved through the corridors. The building was quiet. Most employees had been sent home early.

Vance's office was on the seventh floor. Two guards stood outside.

Dante approached them. "I have a delivery for the Deputy Director."

The guards tensed. "ID."

Dante pulled out a fake badge. One of Viktor's creations. It passed the first glance.

The guard nodded. "Go ahead."

Dante entered the office.

Vance was behind his desk. He looked up as Dante entered. His expression shifted to surprise, then recognition.

"Cross. I was wondering when you'd show up."

Dante's hand moved to his weapon. "You know who I am."

"I've been tracking you for months. Since the attack on Aldrich." Vance stood. "You've been a thorn in our side, Cross. But a useful one. You eliminated our rivals. Consolidated our power. Made our job easier."

Dante's jaw tightened. "You've been using me."

"We've been using everyone. That's how this works." Vance stepped around his desk. "You think this is about bombs and attacks? This is about control. Power. Order. The current system is broken. We're going to fix it."

"By killing innocent people?"

"By making necessary sacrifices." Vance's voice was cold. "History is written by the victors, Cross. And we're going to be the victors."

Dante raised his weapon. "Not today."

Vance smiled. "You think you can stop us? You can't even stop me."

He pressed a button on his desk.

The door burst open. Guards poured in. Weapons drawn.

Dante fired. Dropped one guard. Then another.

The firefight was brief. Brutal. When it was over, Dante stood in the chaos.

Vance was gone.

Dante moved to the window. There was a fire escape. Vance was descending it.

Dante followed.

---

The chase led through the streets. Vance was fast. He knew the city. He'd been planning for this.

Dante pursued him through alleys, across rooftops, through crowds. The Deputy Director was desperate. He was running out of options.

Vance ducked into a subway station. Dante followed.

The platform was crowded. Vance pushed through the crowd, heading for the tracks.

Dante called out. "Stop, or I'll shoot."

Vance turned. His face was pale. His eyes were wild.

"You can't stop us. We're everywhere. We're in your government. Your military. Your financial institutions. You can't kill all of us."

Dante's hand was steady. "I can try."

He fired.

Vance dropped.

The crowd screamed. Dante moved to the body. Checked for a pulse.

Nothing.

He pocketed his weapon and disappeared into the crowd.

---

Naomi was waiting at the safehouse. "I heard the news. Vance is dead."

"He's dead."

"Did he give you any information?"

"He told me enough." Dante sat on the couch. "The cell has infiltrated the government. They have people everywhere. They're planning to take control."

Naomi's expression tightened. "That's huge."

"It's an existential threat." Dante looked at her. "And we're the only ones who can stop it."

Naomi nodded. "Then we stop it."

---

Lara arrived later that night. Her face was pale. "I heard about Vance. You killed him."

"He was the coordinator. The link between the cell and the government."

"Then who's running the operation now?"

Dante shook his head. "I don't know. But there will be someone else. There's always someone else."

Lara was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke. "My father had a backup. A contingency. He always planned for everything."

Dante's eyes narrowed. "What kind of contingency?"

"An insurance policy. A file with all the information about the network. The leadership. The operations. Everything."

"Where is it?"

Lara hesitated. "I don't know. But I know someone who does."

"Who?"

"My father's lawyer. A man named Solomon. He handled all of my father's affairs. If there's a file, he knows where it is."

Dante stood. "Then we need to talk to Solomon."

Lara nodded. "I'll set up a meeting."

---

The meeting was set for the next morning. A café in the business district. Neutral ground.

Dante arrived early. Checked the exits. The patrons. The shadows.

Solomon was a thin man with sharp eyes and a nervous demeanor. He sat across from Dante.

"Ms. Kessler said you'd be coming."

"I need information," Dante said. "A file. Something her father left behind."

Solomon nodded slowly. "I know the file you're talking about. It contains everything. Financial records. Communication logs. Names."

"Where is it?"

Solomon hesitated. "It's in a safe deposit box. The bank on Fifth. Box 247."

Dante stood. "Thank you."

He left the café.

---

The bank was quiet. Dante approached the vault. The clerk checked his ID. Then he was led to the deposit box.

He opened it.

Inside was a folder. Thick. Heavy.

Dante pulled it out. Opened it.

The information was extensive. Detailed. Everything Lara had promised and more.

He read through the documents. The names. The operations. The conspiracy.

And at the center of it all, a name he recognized.

Naomi.

Dante's blood went cold.

He read the entry again. There was a notation. A connection. A relationship he'd never known about.

He closed the folder and walked out of the bank.

The air outside was cold. His mind was racing.

Naomi. The woman he trusted. The woman he loved.

Could it be true?

---

He returned to the safehouse. Naomi was waiting.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." She moved toward him. "What happened?"

Dante pulled out the file. "I found something. Something I need you to explain."

Naomi's expression shifted to confusion. "What is it?"

Dante opened the file. Showed her the page.

Her face went pale.

"Dante, I can explain."

"Then explain." His voice was cold. "Because what I'm seeing makes it look like you've been playing me all along."

Naomi took a step back. Her hands were trembling.

"Please. Just let me explain."

Dante waited.

His hand was on his weapon.

---

When the person you trust most is connected to the enemy, how do you know what to believe?