2025-11-06 04:33:06The 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 was kneeling next to a cot, holding a syringe above Mira's small arm. The girl's chest was twitching and her eyes were hazy.
“Get out of here,” Grayson growled.
Lucy's hand shook. She is a source of leverage. Benjamin assured my boy, " Lucy's temple was cooled by Tatiana's Glock. "Leave it."
The needle rattled. Lucy broke the silence with a sob. "All I have is him."
Alexander pulled her to her feet and zip-tied her wrists. My daughter was sold by you. Engage in conversation.
Lean, tall, and sporting Benjamin's hawk nose on a youthful face, Harrison Whitmore burst out of a side door. The knife flashed. The former Ranger's clothing was soaked in hot blood after he cut Grayson's flank.
Grayson whirled and groaned. Harrison ran to the rear exit.
Victoria made one firing. Harrison was hit in the calf by the round. Crashing through the door, he screamed.
After placing Mira on the cot, Tatiana took a look at her pulse. "She is collapsing."
With blood dripping between his fingers, Grayson pushed a palm to his side. The medicine pack has an antidote. top shelf.
Vials clinking, Alexander tore open the cabinet. The needle was shoved into Mira's thigh by him. The girl's cheeks flushed as she gasped.
While wearing the zip-ties, Lucy thrashed. Jacob, my son, fosters a home in Baltimore. Benjamin stated that if I gave birth to the child,
Tatiana gave her the backhand. "You handed her off to a monster."
Harrison's knife wound in Victoria's shoulder was leaking as she hobbled down the stairs. He is no longer there. took the van.
Grayson tapped his communications. "Intercept, Cole. Whiskey-Hotel-six plate on a black panel truck.
Not moving. Cole then said, "On it." Two miles away.
Mira's little body was limp yet breathing when Alexander lifted her. "We are extracting." Right now.
With Grayson's weight sinking, Tatiana held him up. "You're heavily bleeding."
"A wound made of flesh." Continue to move.
They went up the steps. The smell of copper and gunpowder filled the living room. The bodies were twisted. Victoria cleared the entrance door and kicked a corpse aside.
The night closed in outside. In the distant, sirens cried out. Cole was driving the Suburban as it idled at the curb.
"Get loaded!" Cole shouted.
Mira was placed into the rear seat by Alexander. After that, Tatiana climbed in with her daughter in her arms. Grayson fell down next to them, his clothing drenched and red.
Victoria grabbed the shotgun and shut the door. "Drive."
Cole blew it away. The tires screeched. With flames licking from a damaged window, Grayson's parting grenade, the safehouse appeared smaller in the rearview mirror.
Tatiana applied bandages to Grayson's side after tearing open a trauma kit. "Remain motionless."
He flinched. "Had been worse."
Alexander's cell rang. Not sure. He replied.
Harrison's gasping voice. Phantom, tick-tock. Before the sedative burns her heart, she may have an hour.
The plastic was cracked by Alexander's grip. "Where are you?"
"A place you'll never locate." Inform Benjamin that his bonus has doubled.
The call went dead.
In the mirror, Tatiana's gaze locked with Alexander's. "He is telling lies. Mira's stable.
Alexander smashed the phone. It doesn't matter. Tonight, we come to an end.
Cole took a detour to the parkway. "Tunnel metro in five."
With blood streaming from her shoulder, Victoria reloaded. "Lucy speaks, and we locate Jacob." Exchange the boy for Harrison's address.
With her wrists severed by zip-ties, Lucy wailed from the floorboards. "He'll murder him."
Tatiana had a steely voice. "So you'd better hope we're quicker."
With its headlights slicing through the darkness, the Suburban rushed into the tunnel opening.
Dark and spreading, blood gathered beneath Grayson.
With taillights that winked like dying stars, Harrison's van drove off in the distance.
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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
