2025-11-06 04:32:29The tavern on Capitol Hill smelled like desperation, cigar ash, and bourbon. Over worn wood, neon beer signs buzzed. Victoria Langford, her silk blouse unbuttoned and one step beyond professional, slid onto a stool. Her red sole flashed warningly as she crossed her legs.
With his Senate badge gleaming and his tie relaxed, Michael Richards sipped whiskey at the end of the counter. Soft in the middle, eyes already hazy, mid-forties.
Victoria's breath warmed his ear as she leaned in close. "Senator, buy a drink for a girl?"
His focus sharpened as he blinked. "Am I acquainted with you?"
"You'll." She gave the bartender a signal. Two things that he is consuming. top shelf.
Michael's eyes shifted to her throat's hollow. "You are not employees."
"Consultant." She clattered her glass on his. "To power."
He took a deep breath. “What sort of consulting?”
"The type that keeps young girls alive." She went down his sleeve with a fingernail. Mira Harrington. Do you recognize this?
He froze his hand on the glass. "Who are you in the hell?"
"A person who is aware that you stole $5 million from Benjamin's war chest." After taking out her phone, she pressed play. The speaker let out his own voice, which had been taped two nights prior and featured slurred numbers and offshore accounts.
Michael went pale. "Switch that off."
Victoria put the phone in her pocket. "First, coordinates. Next, we remove.
He looked about, perspiring. "A safe haven. Anacostia's old textile factory. She's in the basement with Harrison. sedative.
Her lips touched his earlobe as she drew closer. "Well done, boy."
Her slow, deliberate, lipstick-laced, paralytic kiss was poison. Michael's eyes rolled back after widening. His forehead struck the bar as he sagged downward.
Victoria dropped a fifty and wiped her mouth. "Dreams of sweetness."
Entering the alley, she called Alexander. "Textile mill." The basement. Harrison is erratic.
"Copy," he said in a strained voice. "Grayson is on his way."
Forward the file. loyalty was purchased. She sent Michael's confession along. "Either I disappear with the girl, or ten million dollars are wired by dawn."
Alexander's chuckle was cold. “When Mira is in my arms, you will be paid.”
Victoria clicked her heels toward her Jaguar and hung up. Behind her, headlights blazed. One of the black Suburbans screamed to a stop.
With an AR-15 resting on his lap, Grayson leaned out the window. "Climb in. We're running late.
Slipping into the passenger seat, she did so. "Drive."
Tires kissing curbs, the Suburban blasted past red lights. On the wheel, Grayson's knuckles turned white. "Lucy is inside." Verified.
Victoria examined her small, retouched lip color. "She'll sing."
They killed the engine and parked two blocks away from the mill. Broken windows were silvered by moonlight. Grayson gave her goggles for night vision. There are four heat signatures displayed by Thermal. One tiny one. "Basement."
Victoria repositioned the strap. "Harrison?"
"The top floor. smoking while walking the catwalk.
They glided silently across fractured pavement, like shadows. Grayson used bolt cutters to sever the chain link. The mill smelled like machine oil and mold.
With bouncing hips, Victoria ascended the stairs first. With his cigarette blazing, Harrison leaned against the railing.
"Cinder, good evening," she purred.
Startled, he let go of the smoke. "Vick? Benjamin claimed that you had passed away.
"Sorries." Her fingertips followed his collar as she moved closer. "Where is the child?"
Harrison reached for his knife. "Basement. Why?
"Because I'm making money." She caught the knife mid-draw and gave him a hard knee. He felt the sword at his throat. "Keys."
He spewed blood. "Lucy will always be there for you."
Victoria grinned. "Observe me."
Grayson kicked in the basement door downstairs. The wood broke. Lucy Martin whirled, holding a syringe, while Mira lay motionless on a cot.
"Drop it," growled Grayson.
Lucy's gaze flitted. "It's too late. She has been dosed. Her respiration ceases after ten minutes.
With the knife still at Harrison's throat, Victoria went down the stairs. "Antidote."
Manic laughter escaped Lucy's lips. "In my pocket. However, you'll never,
She was interrupted by Grayson's fist. With the syringe sliding, she fell to the ground. He snatched the antidote vial free and zip-tied her wrists.
Mira felt a knot in her chest. The needle was shoved into her thigh by Grayson. The girl's eyes fluttered as she gasped.
Harrison was pushed forward by Victoria. "Open the cage."
He made a mess of the keys. The lock swung. Glock lifted as Tatiana rushed through the side door.
"Where is she?"
Mira was raised by Grayson. "I got her."
Tatiana's knees gave out. She took her daughter and held her in her arms. "Mommy is here, baby."
Harrison sprinted toward the staircase. With a knife to his back, Victoria tripped him. "Are you going somewhere?"
With his mask pulled up and his scar enraged, Alexander emerged in the doorway. "Everyone goes cold."
Lucy cried on the ground. "I once had a son. He was taken by Benjamin. claimed that it was collateral.
Death was Alexander's voice. "Where?"
Encourage the system. Maryland. All I wanted was for him to return.
Tatiana had fire in her eyes. "You bought a ghost with my daughter?"
Lucy shattered her laugh. "All of us are ghosts."
She was yanked up by Grayson. "Now, metro tunnel."
They left with Lucy bleeding from her lip, Harrison zip-tied, and Mira in Tatiana's arms. The Suburban waited.
Alexander got behind the wheel. Harrison and Victoria slid in behind. "Drive."
Mira was rocked by Tatiana. "She is on fire."
Grayson felt her heartbeat. "The antidote is effective. She'll go to sleep.
It buzzed on Victoria's phone. Benjamin: The package is safe. Forward the bonus.
She held out the screen to Alexander.
He tightened his jaw. "Lucy's phone."
Grayson flung it aside. Under his boot, Alexander crushed it.
City lights smeared past as the Suburban rushed toward the tunnel.
With his pistols blazing, Grayson kicked in the safehouse door.
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Chapter 13: Radiation Confession
The air was heavy with the sterile smell of antiseptic. The heart monitor's steady beeping reverberated across the otherwise quiet room as Grayson lay in the hospital bed. Every breath seemed to be an extraordinary effort, and his body felt heavier than usual. He could feel it, the poison was working its way through his veins, his every cell screaming in pain. His mind was as sharp as ever, but his body was shutting down. Tatiana was standing next to him, staring at him with a mix of worry and something more intense flitting in her eyes. She had supported him through more difficult times, watched him fight in conflicts, and stood by him through innumerable crises, but now there was a strange weight between them. Both of them were aware that time was running out. A new wave of sickness struck Grayson, causing his face to twist in agony and his fingers to twitch feebly. He tried to sit up, but his body revolted, and he sank back into the pillows with a groan. "Stop, Grayson
Chapter 12: Ledger Ghosts
Isabella Montgomery's fingers sped over the keyboard like lightening. Each instruction and keystroke was a deliberate blow, a direct assault on Benjamin Whitaker's kingdom. She wasn't merely breaking into the system; she was destroying the basis of his fortune. "Done," she whispered to herself as the final upload concluded. Her screen came to life, verifying that all of the major outlets were now using the altered financial information. The world was about to discover Benjamin's dark secret—his money-laundering schemes masquerading as charitable organizations for kids. Breathing deeply, she slumped back in her chair as the moment's truth set in. It was finished. The evidence was visible. The world would be aware of Benjamin's actions. A crystal decanter broke against the wall in Benjamin Whitaker's luxury suite across town. The piercing boom reverberated throughout the opulent room as glass fragments were strewn all over the floor. With his fist gripped so tightly that it
Chapter 11: Hospital Shadows
The gentle hum of equipment blended with the sterile fragrance of the intensive care unit. Grayson's body was in ruins, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths, and the cardiac monitor's constant beeping abruptly stopped. A nurse's hands were shaking as she rushed for the defibrillator, and the seconds flew by. He froze. The air seemed to hold its breath, and his chest froze. After a few stressful moments, his heart was brought back to life by a powerful electrical surge that surged through his body. Fighting the pressure in his head, his eyelids flickered open, albeit unfocused. His senses were dull, his limbs were weak, and the room appeared to be a blur. The voice said, "Come on, Grayson, stay with us," above the mist. It belonged to Victoria Langford; it was sleek and dominant. Always in charge. With his teeth clinched, Grayson said, "Don't think... you can get rid of me yet," She whispered, "Get a grip," as she smoothed his wet hair back. Even when a man she
Chapter 10: Knife in the Dark
Like a tomb, the warehouse doors yawned open. Alexander coasted on momentum until gravel crunched beneath the tires after killing the Suburban's engine two blocks out. With his mask tight and his scar aching, he ventured out into the darkness. With Mira's weight pressing heavily against her chest in the sling, Tatiana trailed behind, Glock lifted. Lucy's zip-ties were rattling with each stumble, and Cole and Victoria were at her sides. Despite the pain, Grayson brought up the rear with his AR-15 solid and his side bandaged tightly.Alexander had a buzzing burner. Bring the patents, Harrison. She may also bleed.He smashed the phone and threw away the pieces. "No bargain."When Tatiana noticed the ink leaking through his shirt, her gaze shifted. "You're on fire.""Later." He gestured ahead.Boots silent on crumbling concrete, they crept through a side door. Broken skylights striped the floor with moonlight. The smell of rat droppings and grease filled the air.On his wrist tablet, Gray
Chapter 9: Nanny’s Lie
Headlights carved golden tunnels through dripping darkness as the Suburban was completely engulfed by the subway tube. Overhead, corroded pipes plinked with water. Alexander killed the engine next to a platform covered with graffiti. The air tasted of old pennies and mold.The girl's head lolled on Tatiana's shoulder as she carried her down the stairs. Cole soaked the former Ranger's side with blood as he supported Grayson. The woman staggered, her face swelling, as Victoria pulled her by the zip-ties.A maintenance door was kicked open by Alexander. Inside are monitors flickering with city feeds, folding tables, and buzzing generators. He strapped Lucy's ankles and threw her onto a metal chair."Speak," he said in a flat voice.Lucy's lip broke, gushing blood. Benjamin first appeared at the shelter three years ago. claimed that if I monitored Tatiana, he would locate Jacob. fed him every bedtime tale and every word from his "daddy."Mira's blanket caused Tatiana's knuckles to turn wh
Chapter 8: Safehouse Siege
The safehouse door blew inward, sending shrapnel-like splinters flying. Barking from his AR-15, Grayson charged through the smoke. Flashes of muzzles swept through the dark living room. Before they cleared leather, two of Harrison's guards fell; one was shot three times in the chest, while the other was shot in the eye."Leave clear!" Grayson let out a yell.Alexander, Glock spraying fire, leaped the couch. With his knife out, a third guard sprang from the corridor. Alexander swerved and pushed the man's throat with his elbow. The cartilage crunched. The guard fell and gurgled.Mira gripped tightly as Tatiana ran past. "Basement!"Victoria kept her weapon steady and covered the back. "The stairs are really hot!"The drywall over her head was eaten by an automatic fire. She rolled and fired back two accurate rounds. With a lurch, the gunman on the landing fell down the stairs.The basement door was kicked open by Grayson. The air was stale, with bleach, mildew, and fear. Lucy Martin wa
