The flashbang detonated with a blinding burst, its shockwave rattling the shed’s flimsy walls. Walker blinked through the disorienting haze, his body instinctively rolling behind a rusted metal cabinet. His back pressed against the cold steel, each breath steadying him against the chaos. Splinters and glass rained down as bullets ripped through wood and sheet metal, each shot a percussion in the orchestrated mayhem."Hold your fire!" Ramirez’s voice strained against the cacophony, but the command dissolved into the roar of gunfire.Walker’s mind raced. He needed to buy Sarah, Elizabeth, and Ethan enough time. His fingers found the smoke grenade at his vest. He pulled the pin and lobbed it into the room’s center. Thick gray smoke curled out, swallowing the dim light and wrapping everything in a heavy shroud.He moved like a shadow, slipping between crates, his form merging with the shifting mist. He fired three shots—not to kill but to draw attention. The bullets pinged off metal, send

The television screen flickered with the unsettling image of a woman’s mangled body. Her face was almost unrecognizable, her skin a pallid hue against the harsh streetlights. The reporter's voice cut through the silence in Jett’s apartment.“...vital organs, including her kidney, were missing. Authorities are yet to identify the victim or determine the motive behind this gruesome act. An investigation is ongoing.”Jett's knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip on the phone. His mind raced, connecting the dots, but dread clouded his logic. He knew it was Nina. He felt it. And he was sure Dr. Graham had something to do with it.He dialed Walker’s number. No answer. His fingers drummed anxiously against the armrest. He tried again. Still nothing.“What the hell is going on?” he muttered, pacing the room.When his phone finally rang, Walker's name flashed on the screen. Relief mingled with a fresh wave of anxiety.“Hey, Walker—”Before he could finish, the sound of hurried footsteps an

Oscar sat at a small, round table near the back. His chair was tilted against the wall, fingers tapping a slow rhythm on his glass. His mind was somewhere else—stuck on Ramirez and the danger he couldn't seem to avoid.The bar sat hidden in the city's underbelly, buried behind an unmarked door in a narrow alley. Streetlights barely touched this place, where shadows moved like whispers. Graffiti sprawled over the brick walls, a tangled script of defiance and secrets. The air was thick with the smell of damp concrete and old trash, a scent that lingered like regret.Inside, it was darker. The ceiling hung low, beams stained with smoke. A broken speaker murmured old jazz, the saxophone's notes winding through the room like a story no one wanted to tell. Dirty girls flooded everywhere. The dim light barely reached the corners, leaving most of the bar in shadow. Heavy curtains covered the windows, trapping the place in a twilight that never changed.Across from him, Moreno sat with the kin

The rain hammered down, turning the industrial district into a maze of shimmering asphalt and darkened alleys. The decoy SUV rolled slowly through the deserted street, its nondescript black exterior blending seamlessly into the night. Sarah gripped the wheel, her knuckles white beneath the leather gloves, sunglasses masking the fear in her eyes."Hold your position," Walker’s voice crackled through her earpiece. "We’re right behind you."From his vantage point in the second car, Walker's eyes never left the convoy of black sedans sliding into place. No headlights. No sirens. Just shadows moving in calculated precision."Jett, give me eyes on the bridge," he whispered."Already on it," Jett’s calm voice came through. "They’ve got at least four vehicles. Private security and police, all under Kane’s command. I’m in their comms. She just gave the order for radio silence."Walker’s jaw tightened. "It’s not a police op. It’s a hit."The decoy SUV neared the ambush site. Walker’s pulse thum

The night shattered with clashing commands. Kane’s voice thundered through the radios:"Lock down the area. He’s close!"But Detective Ramirez’s voice cut through the static, steady and defiant:"All units—stand down. This is not an authorized operation. Repeat, stand down!"Confusion spread like wildfire. Officers hesitated, trapped between loyalty and orders. Some froze, others obeyed Kane’s barked directives, their movements erratic. Walker’s lips curled into a tight smile as he watched from the shadows.Back at the precinct, Ramirez moved with purpose. He closed his office door, nodding to Lee, whose fingers flew over the keyboard."I need a full financial analysis on the hospital’s accounts," Ramirez said. "Focus on research grants, donations—anything that smells of money laundering."Lee’s screen filled with data streams, the digital veins of corruption. "There’s definitely something here. Payments to shell companies, funds shuffled through third-party contractors. And look—"A