Chapter 30
last update2024-12-14 14:35:35

The sun was just beginning to climb the sky when James Carter walked into his office at Maple Group. He barely had time to sit when Andrew, his operations head, entered with a look of unease.

“We’ve got a problem, sir,” Andrew began, handing over a tablet. “Three suppliers have pulled out, citing… unusual circumstances.”

James scrolled through the emails, his frown deepening. Each supplier had provided a different excuse: equipment failure, unexpected audits, logistical nightmares. But they all shared one detail—each backed out within hours of each other.

“This isn’t a coincidence,” James muttered.

Andrew nodded. “It gets worse. Two of our shipments are delayed indefinitely, and one of our warehouses reported a sudden shortage of key materials. It’s like someone flipped a switch.”

James’s mind raced. “Find out everything. I want names, contracts, any unusual activity.”

As Andrew rushed out, James leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Maple Group’s supply chain was its lifeline. If this
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  • Chapter 114

    Safehouse Echo – 5 Days LaterClassified Location, Somewhere in Northern EuropeThe snow outside fell in slow spirals. Gentle. Almost peaceful.Emily sat on the edge of the metal steps overlooking the clearing, arms wrapped tightly around her knees. She hadn’t slept much. Not because she couldn’t—but because she wouldn’t. Sleep meant letting her guard down. And the past few years had taught her that peace rarely came without a price.Behind her, the door opened.James stepped out, quiet as ever. He didn’t say anything at first. Just walked over and stood beside her, hands tucked into his coat pockets.“You been out here all night?” he asked finally.Emily shrugged. “Don’t know. I lost track.”He looked at her, carefully. “He’s stable. Heart rate’s back to baseline. Neural readings are slow, but functional. Victor says that’s a good sign.”Emily nodded, but her eyes didn’t move from the trees.James sat down beside her. “You’re not convinced.”“It’s not that.” Her voice was soft. “I ju

  • Chapter 113

    Blackrock Sublevel 6 – Control GalleryLiam’s hand hovered over the manual purge switch.Below, Ethan and Emily stood side by side—battered, defiant. His control systems were compromised. His top operative was no longer his.And for the first time in years, Liam was improvising.“You’re both already dead,” he said through the intercom. “You just haven’t hit the floor yet.”Emily’s eyes locked onto his. “You built this place on pain. You won’t leave it standing.”Liam sneered, tapping a code into the panel. “I’ll bury it with you in it.”Behind them, a blast door slammed shut—trapping them in the chamber. Gas hissed from hidden vents.Ethan stumbled back, eyes burning. “Neuro-gas. Same compound they used at Site 12.”“Then we shut it down,” Emily said, already moving toward the manual override on the wall.Her hands flew over the panel, but the system was encrypted. Liam’s voice came again—cold, amused.“The only thing you’ll override is your last breath.”Then—BANG.A bullet cracked

  • Chapter 112

    Ghost CodeThe air inside the transport hummed with tension.Emily sat across from James, her hands clasped tightly between her knees. The hum of the VTOL engines was loud, but it couldn’t drown out the sound of her heartbeat. Every second that passed brought them closer to Blackrock.Closer to Liam.Closer to the truth.Closer to the chance of losing Ethan all over again.Marissa sat in silence, cuffed to the bench beside Victor. Her face was pale, but her eyes never stopped moving — scanning, calculating.“Once we breach,” James said, “you stick to me. No heroics.”Emily didn’t answer.He leaned closer. “You still think you can bring him back?”She looked up. “I know I can.”Victor snorted quietly. “You’re betting your life on a ghost.”Emily didn’t blink. “No. I’m betting it on my brother.”⸻Blackrock DamSublevel 6The facility’s silence was deceptive. Clean corridors. Gleaming lights. Every inch designed to feel sterile — to erase any trace of the people broken within its walls.

  • Chapter 111

    The lights flickered as the metal doors hissed open.Emily stood frozen at the sight of him.Ethan.But not the brother she remembered—the one who teased her about her cooking, who used to hum old rock songs while fixing the engine on their dad’s truck. This Ethan moved like a shadow. Cold. Precise.His eyes scanned the room with mechanical calculation. When they landed on her, something flickered—but then vanished like mist under sunlight.“Emily Shaw,” he said. Voice monotone. “Target confirmed.”“No—Ethan, it’s me. It’s Em.”She took a shaky step forward. He didn’t move.“I remember the fire,” she said, heart pounding. “Valkyrie base. You told me to run. You covered me with your coat, remember? You burned your arm so I could get out.”His hand twitched.For a second—just a second—his lips parted, confused. But then a sharp, unseen signal surged through him. He straightened like a soldier.“You are a variable,” he said. “You must be neutralized.”She barely dodged the first strike.

  • Chapter 110

    Emergency lights bathed the courtyard in a crimson hue as sirens pierced the night. Faculty scrambled through corridors, ushering students out of their dormitories. Within five minutes of Nash’s call, the school was nearly empty—except for one figure.Emily.She stood in the library’s upper gallery, staring out the window at the chaos unfolding below. Her breath was steady, her hands clenched. She knew Liam was making his move. And she wasn’t going to run.Maple HQ – Tactical Bay – 1:07 AM“We have motion sensors tripped on the Academy’s west perimeter,” Damien reported. “Evacuation’s in progress. No casualties—yet.”Victor’s eyes locked with James’s. “You think he’s bluffing?”James shook his head. “Liam doesn’t bluff. He performs.”Pamela rushed in, phone to her ear. “Emily’s not answering. She’s not on the evac list.”James’s expression hardened. “She stayed behind.”“Why would she—”“Because she wants to end it.”James grabbed his jacket and turned to Victor. “Prep the team. We go

  • Chapter 109

    Liam’s MistakeLocation: Ravencliff – Abandoned Rail YardTime: 9:12 PMThe rain came down hard, slicing through the dark like glass. James stood at the edge of the old Ravencliff rail yard, hidden beneath the overhang of a rusted structure. His breath misted in the cold air, but his mind burned—sharp, focused.This was Liam’s last known meeting point. According to intel extracted from the captured intruder—now rotting in a hidden cell beneath Maple HQ—Liam was scheduled to meet one of his European allies here.Victor’s voice crackled through James’s earpiece.“North tunnel’s clear. No sign of movement.”“Copy,” James replied. “Damien?”“Got eyes on the east. There’s someone approaching.” A beat. “Female. Tall. Blonde. Marissa Vane.”James’s jaw clenched.Time to move.Platform 3 – 9:17 PMMarissa Vane stood beneath a cracked canopy, her designer heels out of place against the gravel and rust. She lit a cigarette, hands trembling slightly. Her eyes scanned the dark. No Liam.Then Jame

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