2025-08-12 00:15:09The image burned into Adrian’s mind long after the phone screen went dark.
It wasn’t just the card. It was the reflection. They were watching him close enough to catch his face without him noticing. That meant eyes—possibly cameras—had been on him for hours, maybe longer. He slipped the phone back into his pocket, careful not to let Mara see the tremor in his fingers. “We’re done here,” he told her. “Done?” She straightened, brows narrowing. “We barely—” “Trust me.” He was already walking out of the building, leaving Beck blinking in the doorway. Outside, the cold air hit like a slap, but it didn’t clear his head. He scanned the street—every window, every parked car, every camera on a lamppost felt like a potential set of eyes. Mara caught up, matching his pace. “You’re acting like someone just put a gun to your head.” He didn’t answer. The less she knew, the safer she’d be—at least for now. Back at the precinct, the captain called them into his office. Captain Ross was a square-shouldered man with the patience of a caffeine-deprived saint. His desk was stacked with case files like leaning towers. “I’m moving you two onto this full-time,” Ross said. “Denton’s death is officially a priority. The mayor’s office is sniffing around.” “That means?” Mara asked. “That means somebody important is nervous. And when they’re nervous, I’m nervous.” Ross eyed Adrian. “Whatever ghosts you’ve got rattling in this case, Cross, keep them in check. I don’t need you going rogue.” Adrian bit back the urge to laugh. Going rogue was the only reason this case ever moved forward last time. But he nodded. “Good. Now get out of my office.” --- Hours later, they were buried in the evidence room. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a pale glow on metal shelving stacked with boxes. Mara sat at a long table, Denton’s personal effects spread before her like a dissected body: his watch, wallet, house keys, a stack of notebooks. She flipped through one, pausing at a page near the back. “This is weird.” Adrian leaned in. The handwriting was cramped and frantic, as if Denton had been writing fast. The words weren’t full sentences—just fragments: Black Sun… Yards… 11:47… Watchers… 7130. Mara tapped the last number. “Could be a code. Or an address.” “Or both.” Before they could dig deeper, Adrian’s phone rang. The caller ID showed Private. He hesitated, then answered. “Cross.” A woman’s voice this time—low, urgent. “If you want to live, don’t go to the yards.” The line went dead. --- 9:43 PM — Black Sun Freight Yards Adrian was there anyway. The yards stretched like a steel graveyard under the moonlight, shipping containers stacked in towering rows. The air smelled faintly of rust and diesel. Mara trailed behind him, her flashlight slicing through the shadows. “You do realize this is the exact opposite of what that mystery caller told you?” she whispered. “Which is exactly why we’re here,” Adrian murmured. “If someone’s willing to warn me off, it means they’re hiding something.” They moved deeper between the containers until Mara stopped abruptly, her beam catching something on the ground. A body. The man’s throat was slit, eyes wide in a frozen expression of terror. In his stiffened hand was a crumpled photograph—a blurry shot of Adrian and Mara standing outside Ferris & Cole earlier that day. “Jesus,” Mara breathed. From somewhere in the darkness, a metallic clang echoed—footsteps on steel. Adrian pulled his gun. “We’re not alone.” A shadow moved at the far end of the aisle between containers. Tall. Fast. Gone before he could shout. Mara crouched beside the body. “This wasn’t random. This was a message.” The wind shifted, carrying the faint sound of something scraping against metal. Adrian turned, and his blood ran cold. Dangling from the side of a container, swinging gently in the night breeze, was another king of spades. Pinned to it, by a single knife, was a strip of paper with four words in red ink: WE’RE NOT FINISHED YET.
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CHAPTER 106
The Europa building stood in the heart of Brussels' business district, a monument to European optimism and continental cooperation. Adrian found the irony sharp—Kessler had chosen to meet in a building that symbolized the institutions he planned to overthrow. It suggested a certain confidence in his position, or perhaps a desire to demonstrate his contempt for the symbols of the old order.Adrian entered through the main lobby, moving with the casual confidence of someone who belonged there. He'd dressed in business attire—tailored suit, leather shoes, the appearance of a corporate executive rather than a fugitive. The security checkpoint noted his presence but waved him through without issue. Kessler wanted him to arrive unimpeded, wanted him in that twentieth floor conference room.The elevator rose through the building's core, and Adrian used the time to center himself, to prepare mentally for what was coming. He'd faced danger dozens of times in the past months, had survived situa
CHAPTER 105
Berlin revealed itself gradually as their train descended from the northern outskirts—first the industrial zones and residential sprawl, then the distinctive architecture that marked the city's turbulent history. Adrian watched the landscape pass, thinking about how many empires had tried to control this city, how many had failed. He wondered if Dominic Kessler understood the symbolism of choosing Berlin as his headquarters.They'd booked separate hotel rooms across three different districts, maintaining operational security while staying close enough to coordinate movements. The plan was simple in concept but terrifyingly complex in execution: locate Kessler's headquarters, establish surveillance, identify weaknesses in his security protocols, and somehow find a way to stop Phase Three from activating in less than three weeks."It's impossible," Coleman said bluntly as they gathered in the safe house they'd established in Kreuzberg. "Kessler has had years to build security infrastruc
CHAPTER 104
The safe house in Liège became their operational center for the next forty-eight hours while they processed everything Vandermeer had revealed and planned their next move. Coleman worked his contacts, trying to locate any information about Mikael Petrov's whereabouts. Mara analyzed financial records from Prometheus Energy, attempting to trace money flows that might reveal patterns in the organization's operations. Adrian maintained security, monitoring communications and watching for signs that the cleanup teams had located their position.Vandermeer spent most of the time staring out windows or sleeping fitfully, clearly traumatized by his sudden break from the protection detail he'd been living under. The engineer had traded one form of captivity for another, though at least this one offered the possibility of fighting back."I found something," Martinez's voice came through the secure line late on the second evening. She was still in Prague, maintaining the secondary safe house and
CHAPTER 103
Brussels revealed itself slowly through the train windows as they approached the city—first the industrial outskirts with their warehouses and cargo facilities, then the gradual transition into residential neighborhoods with their distinctive European architecture. Adrian watched the landscape pass, his mind already mapping potential safe locations, escape routes, contingency plans.They'd taken the overnight train from Prague, settling into separate compartments to avoid drawing attention. Coleman had arranged everything through his network of contacts—false tickets purchased with cash, a hotel reservation under assumed names, transportation waiting for them at the station. It was the kind of operational security that came from years of working outside official authority.The Brussels train station was crowded with early morning commuters, providing excellent cover for three people trying to move through the city undetected. Adrian kept Mara close, maintaining awareness of Coleman's
CHAPTER 102
Coleman moved to the storage unit's back wall, examining it carefully. "Metal construction, no other exits. We're trapped if they decide to seal us in here." "Then we don't let them," Mara said, her hand already moving to the weapon concealed under her jacket. "Wait," Coleman held up a hand. He moved to the filing cabinet, pulling out several documents and photographs. "These are yours?" Adrian checked quickly—financial records, hotel registrations, engineer names. Everything Viktor had described. "Yes. We have what we came for." "Then we need to move before they coordinate a proper perimeter." Coleman was already assessing the situation with the clarity that came from years of military training. "They think we don't know they're here yet. If we move now while they're still positioning, we might slip through." "How many exits from this facility?" Adrian asked. "One main gate we used. Probably one service exit on the other side of the complex." Coleman moved to the storage
CHAPTER 101
The morning after the extraction, Adrian woke to find Martinez already at work, her laptop surrounded by printouts and handwritten notes that covered most of the safe house's dining table. She'd been up all night, he realized, tracking the financial threads Sokolov had provided."Coffee's fresh," she said without looking up from her screen. "There's bread and cheese in the kitchen if you're hungry."Adrian poured himself a cup, noting the slight tremor in Martinez's hands that suggested too much caffeine and not enough sleep. "You should rest. We can't afford to have you collapse from exhaustion.""I'll rest when we have something concrete. Right now, I'm chasing patterns that keep disappearing the moment I think I've found them."He moved to look over her shoulder, seeing spreadsheets filled with account numbers, dates, and transaction amounts. "What are you finding?""Ghosts. That's the only way to describe it. Viktor's information is accurate—the account numbers exist, the transact
