RISE OF THE MORTE CONGLOMERATE HEIR

Chapter 5

Ice's grip on the steering wheel tightened, but his expression remained blank. The insult wasn't just fueling his revenge; it was triggering fragmented memories of a passionate, driven Zander Morte who would never have considered himself weak. 

Merk, using a subtle code they had pre-arranged, cleared his throat and nudged the rearview mirror slightly. The action subtly drew Sable's eyes away from Ice's reflection. Merk was signaling that the lie was dangerous, and Ice should proceed with caution. 

Sable arrived at the restaurant, feeling invincible. As he stepped out, he threw his car keys directly at Ice's face, caught it without flinching. 

Sable: "Wait here. Don't move. Don't speak. Just be a good driver, for once."

Ice watched Sable enter the restaurant. He pulled out the burner phone. Sable just gave me everything I need for the final attack, he thought. The driver is gone; only Zander, the strategist, remained. 

Later that night, Zander/Ice has been ordered to clean the Bentley interior before his shift ended. A meticulous, unnecessary task assigned by a spiteful manager. He is alone in the quiet, cavernous garage. 

Suddenly, a massive, muscular figure stepped out from behind a concrete pillar. It wasn't one of the Morte employees. This was a true assassin hired by Sable, a brute sent to "clean up loose ends" (the driver who knew too much). 

The hitman moved fast, but Zander's amnesia was a physical veil, not a permanent block. The moment the hitman swung a heavy wrench, Zander's body reacted with muscle memory he didn't know he possessed. He ducked, the wrench whistling past his head. 

Zander fought back instinctively, using fast, precise, almost lethal movements. He was using the combat skills of Onyx Blade’s academy, skills Zander Morte had mastered years ago. He was clumsy as Ice, but lethal as Zander. 

The fight was fast, brutal, and silent. Zander disarmed the hitman, slammed him against a car, and knocked him unconscious. 

A second later, Onyx Blade, still in his Morte security uniform, rounded the corner. He ran to the scene, checking the unconscious assassin. 

Onyx: (Whispering, his voice shaking with relief) "You used the Black Water defense, Zander. You remembered."

Zander, breathing hard, looked at the fallen assassin. The memory was not fully there, but the ability was. He realized he wasn't just fighting for his money; he was fighting for his life. 

Ice: (His voice deeper, steadier than before) "He was clumsy". He looked at Onyx. "I need your access card, Onyx. I need access to the Grand Ballroom cameras. Now."

Onyx didn't hesitate. He stripped his security badge and handed it to Zander. The driver Ice was gone, the master Zander is back.

Later, after Zander/Ice's encounter with the assassin in the garage, he and Onyx talked about the necessity of the Grand Ballroom cameras. It was 9 PM, and all the Property Specialists and managers in the grand model unit office were packing things up to leave. River made a show of packing his documents but swiftly proceeded to the parking lot, his anxiety a sharp current beneath his calm exterior.

River found Ice waiting by the chauffeur’s entrance, still vibrating slightly from the fight, though he hid it well. River approached, leaning in with intense scrutiny.

River: "What are the things you get on the Grand Ballroom cameras, man?"

Zander/Ice was still operating in his cautious, amnesiac "Ice" persona, prioritizing self-preservation and company rules.

Ice: "It's prohibited."

River rolled his eyes and quickly turned his back, deeply frustrated. He sensed that he is talking to Ice, the polite driver, not his friend Zander, the ruthless strategist.

Ice called out to his retreating back, maintaining the required deference. "You know, Sir River. It's really an honor that you're talking to me."

River froze. He forced a smile, but his eyes widened when he saw Onyx, entering the parking lot through a different entrance, moving discreetly. Onyx was coming to check on Zander/Ice. Onyx reached Ice and reached out to tap his back. A comforting, familiar gesture between allies. River violently intercepted the action, removing Onyx’s hand and warning him sharply.

River: "Why you follow here? This is not what we plan. You should not follow Ice and~"

Onyx: "I know, I'm just here to ask Zander~"

River: "He's not Zander tonight, man. He's Ice. Look!!!"

River gestured with his right hand from Ice's head to his toe, emphasizing the driver’s uniform and the generic face. He was making a sense check for Onyx, subtly communicating that if Ice were Zander tonight, he would recognize them both. Onyx immediately understood the danger of Zander's shifting memory. River concluded, his voice trembling slightly. "See? Not 110% good but we're ok. He's Ice."

Zander/Ice tilted his head back to Onyx, confusion clouding his new face. He asked simply, "You really followed me? For what?"

Onyx knew he was compromised. He nodded, left the parking lot quickly, and melted back into the shadows. River returned to the seller's lounge, frantically packing his things. He told himself, Oh boy. I need Zander to wake up... but how?!

Back in the parking lot, one of the Morte security guards, not Onyx, approached Ice. "You know Onyx?"

Ice: "No."

The guard left Ice. Ice waited for his boss, Sable Morte. As an in-house driver, his protocol dictated he wait until 10 PM. If Sable didn't show, he would drive the in-house car home to his parents’ place in Marfa, Texas.

Ice leaned against the car, asking himself the question that drove his daily terror. This is weird. Sometimes I know River, sometimes not. Sometimes, I know Onyx, sometimes not.

It was a new day, lunchtime. Merk sat with Sable in an expensive, hushed restaurant favored by the Morte elite. Sable abruptly excused himself to the comfort room. Merk immediately checked his secondary, commercial phone, the one he used to communicate with Zander/Ice.

Merk: "Zander, what's the plan?"

Merk waited for three minutes. No reply. The silence confirmed it: Zander is Ice today.

Sable returned to their table. Unexpectedly, Teggo the rival, Teggo the demolitions expert, came up and sat down beside Merk.

Sable: "Teggo, are you following me?"