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Chapter 35: Rescued but Betrayed
Jacob crouched on the rooftop across from the warehouse where Henry Keaton was holding Anna. Two hours had passed since he received the coordinates—two hours spent treating Roseline's gunshot wound, contacting his remaining allies, and formulating a rescue plan that had any chance of success."The building has twelve visible guards on the perimeter," Leo reported through the encrypted radio. Despite his earlier compromise, Leo had returned the moment he learned Anna had been taken. His family was safe now, hidden by Roseline's contacts, freeing him to help. "Thermal imaging shows at least eight more inside, plus Henry Keaton and two unknowns in the basement level where Anna is being held."Jacob studied the warehouse through high-powered binoculars. The structure was older than the one where they had been ambushed, with fewer exits and more vulnerable entry points. Henry had chosen this location quickly, which meant his security arrangements would be less comprehensive than his usual
Chapter 34: Anna's Education
Anna woke to the sound of metal scraping against concrete. Her head throbbed with a dull ache, and when she tried to move, she discovered her wrists were bound to the arms of a heavy chair.The room was small and windowless, lit by harsh fluorescent lights that hurt her eyes. Concrete walls, a steel door with no handle on the inside, and a large monitor mounted on the wall directly in front of her. The air smelled of dampness and old machinery."You are awake. Good."Anna's head snapped toward the voice. A woman stood in the corner—the same operative who had replaced her during the escape. Up close, Anna could see the professional coldness in her eyes, the kind that came from years of doing terrible things without remorse."Where am I?" Anna demanded, testing the restraints. They were professional-grade, designed to hold even someone with combat training. "What do you want?""You are exactly where you need to be," the woman replied. "As for what we want, you will understand soon enoug
Chapter 33: Fighting for Survival
"Wait—what do you mean 'we have your wife'?" Jacob's voice cut through the warehouse like a blade. "She is standing right there!"Henry Keaton's smile widened into something predatory. "Is she? Look more carefully, Jacob Krigg."The woman the soldiers held—the one Jacob had thought was Anna—suddenly laughed. Her entire posture changed, becoming more relaxed, more confident. She reached up and pulled off what Jacob now realized was an expertly crafted mask, revealing a completely different face beneath.Another operative. Another replacement."The switch happened earlier than you think," Henry explained, clearly savoring every moment of Jacob's confusion. "During the rooftop escape, you were so focused on reaching the fire escape that you never verified who was actually following you. My people extracted your real wife before you even left the Keaton mansion grounds."Jacob's mind raced backward through the escape sequence. The jump across buildings, the fire escape, the dark alley—the
Chapter 32: The Expected Guest
"Welcome, Jacob Krigg. I have been waiting for you."Henry Keaton's voice echoed through the warehouse with smug satisfaction. The old man stepped closer, his soldiers maintaining their defensive positions around him like a human shield.Jacob stood perfectly still, his mind racing through tactical calculations. Twenty visible soldiers, probably ten more hidden in elevated positions. Anna pressed against his back, her breathing quick and shallow. Roseline remained to his left, her hand hovering near her concealed weapon despite the hopeless odds."You seem surprised," Henry continued, his weathered face splitting into a wider smile. "Did you truly believe you could infiltrate my home without my knowledge? That I would simply leave valuable artifacts lying about for thieves to steal?""How long have you known?" Jacob asked, his voice carefully neutral despite the rage building in his chest."Known what?" Henry spread his hands in mock confusion. "That the legendary Dark Blade had retur
Chapter 31: The Trap
Jacob led Anna and Roseline down the fire escape of the neighboring building, his mind racing with the implications of what he had just witnessed. Henry Keaton now had Anna's face, her identity, and worst of all—proof of her connection to Jacob."We need to move faster," Jacob urged, dropping down the last section of the ladder. "They will be mobilizing every resource to track us."They hit the ground in a dark alley between buildings. Leo's car should have been waiting at the end of the street, but the narrow passage stretched empty before them."Where is Leo?" Anna asked, breathing hard from the escape.Roseline checked her phone, frowning. "No signal. They are jamming communications in this entire district."Jacob's instincts screamed danger. Everything about this felt wrong. The alarm that had been too easily triggered, the guards that had arrived too quickly, Henry Keaton's satisfied smile—none of it added up to a simple security breach."The artifact," Jacob said suddenly, looki
Chapter 30: Seven Days
mJacob stood over Anna's hospital bed, his hands clenched into fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. Seven days. That was all the time he had to save his wife from having her consciousness completely destroyed and her body stolen by Diana Tate.The hospital room felt suffocating despite its size. Medical equipment beeped and hummed around Anna's motionless form, monitoring vital signs that showed her body was alive even as her mind was under siege. Jacob had not slept properly since Diana's message, surviving on brief intervals of unconsciousness that could barely be called rest.Roseline stood by the window, arms crossed, her expression grim. "It is obviously a trap, Jacob. Diana wants you to bring the artifacts directly to her. She will take them and kill you both.""I know it is a trap," Jacob replied without taking his eyes off Anna. "But what choice do I have? I cannot sit here and watch her disappear."The door opened and Leo entered, followed by Carl and three other s
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