2025-08-15 17:39:34
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Chapter Thirty-Six: The Woman in Grey
The Immediate TestWithout warning, she pulled a silver coin from her pocket and flicked it high into the air. Ella’s eyes tracked it out of reflex By the time it hit the dock with a dull clink, the woman had closed the distance knife pressed lightly against Frank’s side.“You hesitated,” she murmured. “Ledger should’ve told you better.”Ella’s gun was up in an instant, but the woman didn’t flinch.“You’ll want to lower that. Your man here is the only one who knows where the key is and I only need him alive.”Her TermsThe woman eased the blade back, stepping away “My name is Mara Quinn. Ledger trusts me That means you can trust me for now.”“For now?” Frank echoed.Mara’s gaze was icy. “The people coming after you don’t send second chances. If you want the shard, you follow me without questions. If you don’t ” She gestured toward the fog-choked horizon “You can swim.”A Silent AgreementFrank looked at Ella. Her jaw was set, but she gave the smallest nod, They had no leverage here no
Chapter Thirty-Five: The Man with the Ledger
A Moving Safehouse – 6:02 a.m.The craft carved through the fog, finally breaking into open water. The sky ahead blushed faintly with dawn, but the air stayed sharp with salt and tension.Frank sat opposite the stranger, every muscle taut. Ella perched beside him, arms folded, gaze locked on the man like she could peel answers off his skin.The Name Game“You still haven’t told us your name,” Frank said.The man wiped condensation from his brow and finally met Frank’s eyes.“You can call me Ledger.“Ledger?” Ella arched an eyebrow. “That’s a nickname, not an introduction.”“Names can be liabilities,” he said. “Ledger is safer for all of us.”The OfferLedger leaned forward, elbows on knees.“Frank, I know what you’ve found, I know what it means And I know who wants it gone.”Frank’s heartbeat quickened. “Then you also know it’s not with me anymore.”Ledger’s lips twitched into something between a smirk and a grimace. “I know it’s with her,” he said, tilting his head toward Ella, “but
Chapter Thirty-Four: Hunter’s Wake
Bay Waters – 5:04 a.m.The motor screamed against the morning fog, spraying saltwater over Frank’s face as Ella pushed the throttle to its limit. Behind them, the pursuing boat cut through the mist like a predator’s fin.“They’re faster!” Frank yelled, gripping the railing.“They’re heavier. If I can hit the shoals” Ella’s words cut short as a bullet zipped past her head, tearing a chunk of fiberglass from the hull. Frank ducked, his mind racing.“They’re not aiming to sink us. They want us alive.”“That makes two of us in this boat with bad news,” Ella muttered.Frank’s eyes darted to the dashboard, Fuel: 12%. If the chase lasted much longer, they’d be stranded and easy prey.The DistractionFrank dug into his hoodie pocket, pulling out the decoy USB. He leaned over the stern, waving it like a taunt. The pursuing boat’s pilot face obscured by a tactical mask visibly stiffened.A subtle tilt of the head told Frank what he needed to know they could see him. Frank tossed the USB into t
Chapter Thirty-Three: Zurich’s Hand
4:17 a.m. – Ella’s ApartmentElla awoke to the sound of her phone vibrating violently on the nightstand.Caller ID: Unknown.Half-asleep, she answered.“Ella Ashford?”A male voice, calm and deliberate.“Your friend Frank has something that belongs to us.”She sat upright.“Who is this?”“Someone who can keep him alive if you convince him to cooperate.”Before she could respond, the line went dead.Frank’s ArrivalThree minutes later, the buzzer rang. Ella peered through the peephole and saw Frank sweat-soaked, breathing hard, eyes darting like he’d just escaped a war zone. She yanked the door open, “Frank what the hell happened?”He didn’t answer just stepped inside, bolted the lock, and scanned the room like he was expecting snipers outside the window.The Revelation“Ella,” he finally said, voice low.“Dominion isn’t just a tech company, Lockbox what I found it’s global. Military-level It’s not just data, it’s leverage.”“Leverage for what?”Frank hesitated.“Wars, Coups, Market c
Chapter Thirty-Two: Ghost in the System
The EscapeFrank limped down the hall with the masked man leading the way,Every corner they turned, the hospital seemed emptier. Too empty, They reached the service elevator, The man jabbed the button for the basement.“Who are you?” Frank asked.The man didn’t look at him.“Call me Ghost.”Basement SurpriseThe elevator doors opened to darkness. A lone laptop sat on a folding table, its screen on, On the screen a live feed of Ella’s apartment. She was there, asleep on the couch. Frank’s pulse spiked.“What is this?”“Insurance,” Ghost said.“If you walk away from this fight, she disappears.”Frank took a step toward him, fists clenched.“You’re threatening me?”Ghost shook his head slowly.“I’m warning you. The people upstairs Zurich already voted. You’re either their weapon… or their corpse.”Final Words, Before Frank could speak, Ghost typed something,The laptop’s feed cut out, replaced with a flashing line of code.“Find me when you’re ready,” Ghost said.“But understand once you
Chapter Thirty-One: The Architects’ Table
9:15 a.m. — ZurichThe room was circular No windows, No phones. Just one table carved from a single block of black stone,its surface polished so perfectly that it reflected the faces of those who sat around it. Seven chairs, Seven people,Seven shadows that could topple governments with a phone call.The Chairwoman was the first to speak, Her voice was measured, without accent, as if she’d practiced speaking for centuries.“Dominion served its purpose. It distracted the world While they watched the puppet, we rearranged the stage.”A man in a dove-gray suit his eyes pale and unblinking leaned forward.“And Ashford?”“An anomaly,” she replied. “One we can still use.” Across the Ocean — FrankFrank came into a hospital bed, IV in his arm, a monitor beeping steadily beside him. Ella was asleep in the chair next to him, head resting on her arms, a cup of untouched coffee cooling by her elbow. He tried to speak, The words scraped out “Ella…”Her eyes snapped open.“You’re alive,” she bre
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