Rick stood in the doorway, watching the approaching headlights cut through the darkness, growling louder as the roar of engines got so deafening. The safe house was surrounded by dozens of cars closing in fast. His thoughts went wild, thinking of his next move. This time he had reinforcements, and Mark was here.“Charles!” He snapped into action, Rick barked. “Get Laura and Elvis out the back!” And take Naomi with you and take a safe route through the woods.”Charles nodded and moved toward Laura, who was clutching Elvis tightly, as he always was under pressure. “Come with me, madam. We need to go now.”“Rick, what are you going to do?” Laura's voice was trembling with fear and she asked.Rick's expression was firm. “I’ll hold them off. Elvis and you need to be safe. Right now, that’s all that matters.”Laura’s eyes watered, but she didn’t protest. Rick wouldn’t back down when it came to protecting his family regardless of the cost, so she knew. Turning, she followed Charles to the ba

Mark Eldwolf sat in his private study nursing a drink and staring out at his city as dawn broke. Since the cruiser party where Rick had humiliated him, publicly, his once calm demeanour had become more and more volatile. It haunted him with the memory of being struck in front of his peers, the memory of watching his carefully built business deal collapse. Rick was beneath him, he had worked too hard to be brought down by him.He gripped the glass in his hand and shattered it. The pain didn’t bother him and blood dripped down his knuckles. His thoughts were only of revenge.A voice from behind him said, “Sir.”His bloodshot eyes narrowed at the man who had just come in. Lucas was his right hand man, just as ruthless as Mark, but much more calculating... Without flinching, Lucas took in the sight of Mark’s bleeding hand.His voice was steady, “Rick has aligned himself with the Black Viper Syndicate,” Lucas told him.He looked at Mark’s eyes widen and a cruel smile stretched across his f

Heavens only knew what the blast sounded like, but Rick’s estate was destroyed like a thunderclap, making for chaos in the dark. Glass rained down, furniture went crashing across the room, and the explosion was felt. The breath was knocked out of him, and Rick was thrown against the wall already on high alert. His ears rang, the world spun wildly, for a moment.“Laura!” He shouted and panic seized his chest. Shouting past the haze of smoke and dust, he staggered to his feet. His mind was focused on one goal, and his instincts kicked in, he had to find his family.Charles was already racing down the hallway. “This way, sir!” His old voice strong from the calamity, he called over the chaos, 'I’ll check the east wing, you take the west!'Rick nodded and ran toward the west wing where Laura and Elvis were. A mix of fear and fury had him up and running forward as his heart pounded furiously in his chest. Damian, Mark, The Ghost had crossed a line, and whoever had done this was now at war.

The message on his phone stared back at Rick’s heart, pounding, like a dark omen. He didn't hesitate a moment, taking off to the control room of the bunker where the security monitors were set up. Right behind him came Charles, grim but ready.Laura knew they were in a hurry and scooped Elvis up in her arms and ran after them. Rick was tense and she could tell something terrible was about to happen.Rick’s hands flew across the keyboards, bringing up the live feeds from the estate and around it. They felt safe for the past few hours in the bunker, but the feeling of safety was melting away quickly now.“Where are the other cameras outside?” His anxiety grew with each second and he switched between feeds, muttering to himself.Behind him, Charles stood beside him and his eyes were trained on the monitors. “They’re all intact, sir. No signs of interference. Or is this another way to throw us off balance?”Just as Rick started to respond, one of the screens flickered, and a brief flicker

Rick gritted his teeth at the rumble of collapsing tunnels, and twisted metal, struggling to pry the door open. Every pull strained his muscles, but the door wouldn’t budge. Dust and debris filled the air, each breath became heavier with each passing minute.“We need to move!” He groaned, pressing his hand on the cut on his forehead. “They can’t hold much longer.”Rick was trembling behind Laura, clutching Elvis to his chest. She looked like she was about to start panicking, the seriousness of the situation weighing in on her eyes.Rick tried to force a calm expression and turned to them. “Stay with me. Always, there’s another way out.”Doubt crept into his mind even while he said it. The tunnels had been compromised far worse than he’d expected, and the attackers had them cornered. They knew every inch of the estate’s hidden pathways, whoever was behind this. No, they weren’t just random destruction—they wanted him and his family dead.Charles wincing as he pushed himself up, said, '