Shadow Of Kingscity

When the Ghosts Walked In

The 5 Stars Clubhouse stood as one of the biggest and loudest nightspots in Kingscity. Bright neon lights flashed across its sleek black exterior, and heavy bass thumped from inside. The Vancroft family owned the place, and everyone in the city feared them. Everyone except Ethan. Damien served as the current manager, and the club packed full of parties and events every single night.

Ethan pulled up and walked straight toward the entrance. The security guard outside recognized him immediately and stepped forward to block his path.

“Sir, you can only enter with an invitation or a VIP access card,” the guard said firmly. The club catered to the top elite of Kingscity, where they drank, dined, and cut shady business deals in private corners.

Ethan knew all of that, but he did not care. He was ready to tear the whole place down if it meant forcing Damien to confess where he held Mara.

“Sir, you can’t enter,” the guard insisted. He reached out to grab Ethan by the shoulder.

In one smooth motion, Ethan caught the man’s finger instead. He twisted hard. All five fingers bent with a sickening crack. The guard let out a devastated cry, but Ethan quickly shoved his handkerchief into the man’s mouth to silence him.

The rest of the bodyguards froze, then quietly stepped aside. They were the same crew who had delivered the Shelby GT500 last time. None of them wanted their fingers broken too.

As soon as Ethan stepped inside, Damien spotted him from across the crowded floor and exploded with rage. How dare his guards let this man walk into his clubhouse uninvited?

Ethan scanned the chaotic scene. Strobe lights swept over sweaty bodies, drinks flowed freely, and loud music pulsed through the air. He searched for Damien.

Damien stormed toward him, fury burning in his eyes as he walked. He raised his fist, ready to punch Ethan for barging in without permission.

Before the blow could land, Ethan grabbed Damien’s wrist. Damien opened his mouth to shout, “How dare you—”

Ethan slammed his forehead forward in a powerful headbutt. The impact rang out loud. Damien’s eyes rolled back as stars danced across his vision. Blood trickled from a fresh cut on his head.

“Kill him!” Damien roared as he slumped to the floor.

His two men reached for their guns.

Before they could draw, a group of men in sharp black suits burst in with machine guns. They moved fast and caused instant chaos. Screams filled the air as everyone scrambled for the exits, leaving the floor empty except for Damien and his unwanted guests.

“What are you doing, you fools?” Damien shouted at his own men. “Shoot that bastard already!”

Pow… pow.

Two clean gunshots echoed through the now-quiet clubhouse. Damien watched in horror as his two guards dropped dead where they stood.

“Who dares?” he roared, still dizzy from the headbutt. Blood continued to drip down his face.

Both Ethan and Damien turned their heads at the same time.

A woman in high heels stood there, dressed in a sleek black suit similar to the ones her men wore. The tailored jacket hugged her figure, and the pants flowed sharply down to her polished heels. Her dark hair fell neatly around her shoulders, and her expression stayed ice-cold. She held a pointed pistol in a steady hand, showing she had dropped the two guards like they were nothing.

Her men had already taken control of the entire place. Damien’s own guards stood frozen, unable to move a muscle. The heavy aura around the woman made everyone in the room hold their breath.

Something stood out immediately. The woman wore a black beret that Ethan recognized all too well. It carried the sharp crest of the Ghost Elite, a symbol of power and authority that even he had to obey. Only Ghost Elite handlers received those berets, and they always wore masks to hide their faces from agents. Yet here she was, standing openly in a noisy nightclub without any mask.

Who is she? Ethan thought, keeping his face blank. He pretended he knew nothing about the beret on her head.

Before the woman could speak, Damien provoked her. “Who the fuck are you to barge into my nightclub with your men and kill my guards? I will make you—”

“Shhh.” The lady silenced him with a soft sound and placed one finger against her lips.

“Damien Vancroft, also known as the Black Wolf,” she said calmly, “you think because of who your father is, you run this town. But your dad is nobody when it comes to us.”

“You dare speak of my father!” Damien yelled, clearly offended.

The woman’s voice stayed cold. “The Ghost that walks in darkness is not scared to work in light. Death comes at all times.”

The moment Damien heard those words, his legs gave out. He dropped to his knees. That phrase was something his father had drilled into him. Whenever he heard it, he was to beg like his life depended on it, because it did. The words only came from the people who owned them right before they assassinated someone or warned them not to cross the line.

Memories flooded Damien’s mind. His rage melted away, replaced by raw fear. He was fourteen when a Ghost agent assassinated his mother, and those were the exact last words the agent had spoken before ending her life.

“Please spare me,” Damien begged, his voice shaking. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you guys.”

Ethan ignored the sudden shift in power. “Where is Mara?” he demanded.

“Ethan,” the woman called out, “are you blind or are you choosing not to recognize me because you left the organization?”

Damien’s eyes widened in shock. His fear grew even stronger now that he knew Ethan had once been part of this deadly group.

Ethan turned to face the young lady. Her face and attitude showed no fear. “I don’t have any business with you. I’m only here for this bastard.”

The woman walked toward him. Their stares locked, heavy and powerful, like a storm about to break. Then she suddenly smiled. “I never thought I could meet you in person like this.”

Ethan did not smile back. His face stayed firm and unmoving.

“I know where Mara is,” the lady said at last. “But I will need your help if I help you secure her.”

“I don’t have anything to do with you people anymore,” Ethan replied bluntly. He turned to Damien. “And I will be back for you.”

He started walking toward the door, not even flinching at the fact that Ghost guards now surrounded the entire place.

“You are helping us find your brother,” the lady said the moment Ethan reached the exit.

She walked closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “404, we need your help to save him.”

Ethan turned around, surprised she had actually said his old code name. Their eyes met again. She confirmed it with a steady nod.

“Fine,” Ethan replied, still not trusting her. “Take me to her.”

His guard stayed up as he walked out with them. They drove off together in their black SUV cars, leaving Damien alone in his clubhouse, shaking like a chicken caught in the rain.