2026-01-06 21:16:58I stepped into the bar and the smell of old cigarettes hit me like a punch in the face. It was one of those places where the sun never seemed to reach.
I spotted him in a corner booth, hunched over a glass of something that looked like jet fuel. Thomas. In the old life, he was the sharpest mind I knew. Now, he looked like a man who was just waiting for the lights to go out. I slid into the seat across from him. He did not even look up from his drink. "We are closed for business, pal. Move along," he grunted. His voice was gravelly and dry. "I am not here for business, Thomas. I am here for justice," I said. I kept my voice low so the regulars would not hear. He finally looked at me. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with a bitterness that made my chest ache. "Justice? That is a funny word coming from a St. Claire," he spat. He took a long pull of his drink. "I know about the offshore accounts, Thomas. I know Marcus put your digital signature on those wire transfers," I said. He froze. The glass stopped halfway to his mouth. For a second, the only sound was the buzzing of a neon sign. "How the hell do you know that?" he whispered. The anger in his eyes was being replaced by pure shock. "Because I am the only one who can help you fix it," I replied. I leaned forward, letting him see the fire in my eyes. I activated the System. A blue window hovered over his head. ≈Loyalty: ninety five percent. Talent: Genius level. Status: Broken but Ready. Seeing that loyalty score made my heart race. He did not hate me. He hated the lie that destroyed his life. "Marcus took everything from you," I said. "Your reputation, your career, your dignity." He slammed his glass down on the table. A bit of the cheap whiskey splashed onto his hand. "He turned me into a thief, Victor! Nobody will even look at my resume now," he hissed. "I am looking at it," I said. I pulled a thick envelope from my jacket and set it on the sticky table. "What is this? A bribe to keep me quiet?" he asked. He looked at the envelope like it was a snake. "It is a contract. And a signing bonus that will pay off all your debts," I told him. He opened the envelope and his eyes went wide. He stared at the check inside like it was a ghost. "Why are you doing this? You are his brother," Thomas said. He looked at me like I was a puzzle he could not solve. "He is not my brother. He is a parasite. And I am going to burn his world down," I said. I saw the moment his spirit flickered back to life. It was like watching a cold engine finally catch a spark. "You want me to help you take him out?" he asked. He sat up a little straighter. "I want you to be the most powerful CFO in this city. I want you to find every cent he has ever stolen," I said. He looked at the contract again. Then he looked at me and gave a slow, jagged nod. "If we do this, we go all the way. No mercy," Thomas said. His voice was suddenly sharp and professional. "Mercy is for people who have not died yet," I replied. I held out my hand across the table. He took it. His grip was firm and steady. The deal was done. [Ally Recruited: Thomas Reed] the System flashed. [Reward: ten thousand dollars]. "Get cleaned up. Meet me at the office at eight tomorrow," I said. I stood up and felt a surge of confidence. "I will be there, Victor. I will bring the shovels," he said. He did not touch his drink again. I walked out of the bar and into the cool night air. I felt like a general gathering his army. Marcus thought he was safe because he had cleared the board of everyone who could stop him. He had no idea I was just putting the real players back in their spots. With Thomas by my side, Marcus’s financial tricks would not stand a chance. We were going to bleed him dry. I got into my car and smiled. The pieces were finally moving. Tomorrow, the real fun would begin. And I could not wait to see the look on Marcus's face when Thomas walked through that door. I drove away from the dive bar. The city lights looked brighter than they had in years. I was not alone anymore. I had a genius on my side who had nothing left to lose. That was the most dangerous kind of ally. And together, we were going to make history.
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CHAPTER 160
I wake up just before dawn.My body is stiff and my bruised shoulder throbs with a dull ache.I slept in my clothes, keeping the heavy shotgun resting on the floor right next to the bed.I walk into the small bathroom and splash freezing water on my face.I look at my tired reflection in the dusty mirror.The dark circles under my eyes have returned violently.I look like a man running out of time.I dry my face with a rough towel and walk back into the main room.I turn on the small television in the corner and mute the volume.I tune it to the primary financial news network.I sit on the edge of the bed and wait for the morning markets to open.At exactly nine o'clock, the opening bell rings on the screen.Instantly, the news ticker at the bottom of the screen flashes a bright, urgent red.ST. CLAIRE GROUP ENACTS EMERGENCY FREEZE.ALL LIQUID ASSETS SECURED PENDING INTERNAL REVIEW.Diane did exactly what I asked. She
CHAPTER 159
I drive aimlessly through the dark city streets for twenty minutes.I need to put distance between myself and the meatpacking district.I need to make sure Alice is not actively tracking my vehicle.My left shoulder aches terribly from the brutal recoil of the shotgun.My clothes are soaked with cold sweat and freezing rain.I pull into an empty, poorly lit parking lot behind a closed grocery store.I turn off the engine and lean my head against the steering wheel.I pull up the interface in my mind.I am still alive.But I am running out of time, and I am running out of resources.I open my glove compartment and grab my cheap burner phone.I dial Adekunle's private number. He answers on the first ring."Did you do it?" he asks urgently. "Did you blow up the server farm?""I triggered a massive blackout and destroyed their local cooling systems," I tell him, breathing heavily."But it did not blind her completely. She is s
CHAPTER 151
The warehouse is pitch black except for the narrow beam of my tactical flashlight.Alice Vane does not hesitate.She raises her sleek, suppressed pistol and fires three rapid shots.The bullets hit the heavy metal server rack right next to my head.Sparks shower down into the dark aisle.I drop to the dirty concrete floor immediately.I pump the heavy shotgun and fire a blind shot toward her position.The loud blast is deafening in the enclosed space.The heavy steel slug rips through the dark.I hear it smash into a row of dead computer monitors behind her.Glass shatters and rains down onto the floor."You missed, Victor," Alice calls out.Her voice echoes strangely off the high metal ceiling.She sounds entirely calm. She sounds like she is enjoying this.I roll sideways under a heavy metal table.I turn off my flashlight.Total darkness swallows the massive room again.I try to slow my breathing.The air smells strongly of burned ozone and fresh gunpowder.I read the glowing red t
CHAPTER 157
I park my car exactly six blocks away from the abandoned meatpacking district. It is eleven-thirty at night. The city air is freezing and thick with fog.I leave my cell phone locked inside the glove compartment. I do not want any active signals broadcasting my location.I open the dark trunk and pull out the heavy black duffel bag. I sling the strap over my shoulder. The weight of the weapon inside feels strangely comforting.I walk slowly through the dark, empty streets. The old brick buildings here look like massive, decaying teeth against the night sky. There are no civilians around. The streets are completely dead.I approach the target warehouse from the rear alleyway. Adekunle was right. The building looks totally abandoned from the outside. The windows are boarded up with thick rotting wood. The loading dock doors are covered in heavy graffiti.But I can hear a low, steady humming sound vibrating through the wet brick walls.
CHAPTER 156
I drive deep into the forgotten industrial sector near the old shipyards. The roads here are heavily cracked and full of deep potholes. The streetlights were smashed years ago and never replaced. I park my car in front of a rusty chain-link fence. Behind the fence sits a massive, crumbling auto salvage yard. Stacks of crushed cars rise into the dark sky like metal mountains. I walk up to the heavy metal gate and press the dirty intercom button. Static buzzes loudly for a few seconds. "We are closed," a rough voice grunts through the speaker. "I am Elias St. Claire's son," I say clearly into the metal box. "I am looking for Silas." The intercom goes completely dead. I wait in the cold air for two long minutes. Finally, a heavy electric lock clanks loudly. The metal gate slides open a few feet. I slip inside the dark salvage yard. A huge man is waiting for me near a rust
CHAPTER 155
I drive to a cheap, rundown motel on the far industrial edge of the city. The paint on the building is peeling badly. The neon sign out front is buzzing and missing three letters. It is the exact kind of place where people go when they want to be invisible.I walk up the exterior concrete stairs to room number four. I knock on the door using the specific, heavy pattern Adekunle and I agreed on.I hear a deadbolt slide back. The door opens an inch. Adekunle looks through the crack. He looks exhausted and furious. He pulls the door open wider and gestures for me to step inside quickly.The small motel room smells like stale smoke and cheap cleaning chemicals. Adekunle has a thick burner laptop set up on the wobbly wooden desk. There are empty coffee cups scattered everywhere."This is an absolute nightmare, Victor," he says, pacing the short length of the stained carpet. "I spent five years building that news platform. Five years of bleeding for every single subscriber." He waves his ha
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