2026-03-04 00:20:31The wind on the roof was a violent, screaming thing, tugging at the sharp lines of Zarek’s tuxedo, but the woman standing by the helicopter seemed to cut through the gale like a blade.
Zarek stopped dead, his polished shoes skidding slightly on the concrete.
The Black Box felt heavy in his hand, but for the first time since the factory detonated, his focus wa
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CHAPTER 332
"The Maces were soft because they thought money was a shield," Zarek said.He stood up slowly, empty hands relaxed at his sides. His loose, predatory posture was far more unnerving than if he were leveling a weapon. "You're arrogant because you think those suits make you strong. Let's find out where the machinery ends, and the man begins."The lead Weaver didn't flinch. "Kill the driver. Take the Boss alive.""Try it," Zarek whispered, a cold smile touching his lips. "And I'll make sure the tree isn't the only thing with roots in the dirt tonight."The Weaver lunged. His hydraulic servos hissed as he threw a punch with enough force to shatter a brick wall. Zarek dipped his head by a fraction of an inch, the massive gauntlet whistling past his ear, and countered with a palm strike to the giant’s throat-seal. The armored man wheezed, stumbling back as internal oxygen sensors flared crimson."Shaw! Get back!" Zarek barked, stepping over his lieutenant to intercept a second Weaver sw
CHAPTER 331
Shaw fought the steering wheel, his knuckles white, but his grip kept slipping. "I’ve lost it!" he roared. His boots hammered the floorboards, pumping dead brakes.The SUV careened off a boulder, the impact launching the front end into the air for a terrifying heartbeat. Straight ahead stood an ancient tree, its trunk as thick as a pillbox and its roots gnarled like iron claws. The world dissolved into a blur of grey shale and screaming metal.CRASH.The impact was bone-jarring. The SUV plowed head-first into the tree, the reinforced bumper crumpling to absorb the brunt of the force. Zarek and Shaw snapped forward, straining against their harnesses. The airbags, disabled for tactical reasons, stayed tucked in the dashboard. The sound of the wreck echoed through the ravine like a thunderclap.The engine hissed, a plume of white steam geysering from the mangled hood. Then, a heavy silence.Zarek sat perfectly still, a high-pitched ring whistling in his ears. He blinked, checkin
CHAPTER 330
"We’ll leave a message," Zarek said, his voice flat and final.He climbed back into the SUV, the heavy door thudding shut against the howling wasteland wind. Shaw was already pulling up the holographic map, his eyes scanning the topographical data for the ravine path the guard had mentioned."A background check by execution," Shaw muttered, shifting the car into gear. "And here I was thinking the corporate snakes in the city were cold-blooded. At least they try to bribe you before they let you die.""The city hides its teeth behind contracts, Shaw. Out here, the teeth are just bare." Zarek kept his gaze fixed on the flickering blue light of the console. "Take the west turnout. Let’s see if this ravine is a sanctuary or just a different kind of grave."Shaw cut the steering wheel hard to the left. The tires crunched over the jagged rim of the highway as the vehicle lurched, transitioning from smooth blacktop to the uneven, rocky descent into the gorge. He toggled the lights to 'Bla
CHAPTER 329
"Isn't it better to just keep moving?" Shaw asked, his hands white-knuckled on the wheel. "If we stop, we’re a stationary target. If we keep driving, we’ll outrun whatever piece of junk they’re piloting once we hit the mountain passes.""No," Zarek said, his hand ghosting over the holster at his hip. "Scavengers don't maintain a perfect tactical interval for forty miles. And locals don't drive without a transponder." He looked in the rearview mirror. "If they wanted to pass, they would have. If they wanted to strike, they would have rushed. The fact that they’re just... watching... is why I’m getting out.""You think it's a tail from the Mace Board?" Shaw steered the SUV toward a crumbling turnout overlooking a dry ravine."The Maces are broken," Zarek replied, his gaze cold. "This is someone else. Someone who knows exactly who is in this car and wants to see where we’re going."The heavy vehicle came to a grinding halt on the gravel. Shaw kept the engine idling, his fingers hover
CHAPTER 328
Soren pulled a chair to the side of the bed. He didn’t speak. He didn’t complain about his aching jaw or his night in the cell. He simply reached out and took his father’s hand, the one still stained with the stubborn dirt of the Border Wall.For the first time in twenty-five years, there was no Mace empire. There was no Veldra Network. There were just two men, finally at peace because they had nothing left to lose.***With the Mace affair behind them, the weight of the last few days seemed to lift from Shaw’s shoulders.He looked out over the city skyline, then back at Zarek, who was already checking the encrypted coordinates for their next objective."So, what's the move, Boss?" Shaw asked, cracking his knuckles. "Back to High Command HQ, or straight to the Eastern Sector?"Zarek’s eyes remained fixed on the digital map. "The Eastern Sector. We need to move quietly. The Veldra lockdown caused enough ripples that every intelligence agency from here to the coast will be sniffing
CHAPTER 327
The fire that had been burning in his chest, the one fueled by years of entitlement, was nothing but ash.Soren stared at the heavy steel door at the end of the hall. The hunger for vengeance had been replaced by a hollow, aching exhaustion. He just wanted to go home. He wanted a soft bed, a hot shower, and a world where he didn't have to look at the dirt."I... I agree," Soren whispered, his head hanging low. "I'll stay away. Just get me out of here.""Smartest thing you've said all day," Shaw remarked. He turned to a guard standing ten feet away, frozen in place. "Open it. He’s finished his education."The cell door hissed open with a mechanical groan. Soren stumbled out, eyes fixed on the floor. He didn't look at Shaw, the guards, or the other prisoners."One last thing, Soren," Shaw called out as the younger man reached the exit.Soren stopped but didn't turn around."The next time you look at a man in a uniform, remember the three days your father spent in the mud," Shaw sai
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