At the Remote Safehouse – 6:03 AMSunlight filtered through the boarded windows, casting long shadows across the dust-laced floor of the safehouse. Silence hung thick. No one had slept.Ethan Cross stood motionless, eyes fixed on the horizon through a gap in the window. A chipped mug of black coffee trembled slightly in his grip, though not from fear—his body simply refused to calm. The last 48 hours had pushed him beyond the edge. And now, with the data exposed and Raul Delgado’s criminal empire under fire, it was only a matter of time before the bastard retaliated.Behind him, Leo tapped furiously at a laptop. “The package hit every inbox we targeted. Whistleblowers. Journalists. Internal government chains. The files are public now.”“And?” Ethan asked without turning.“Some are panicking. Others are trying to discredit it. But the truth’s out. Raul’s scrambling. Banks are freezing accounts, shell companies unraveling. We hit the foundation.”Clara leaned against the wall, one arm wr

Raul’s laughter echoed as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. “You think ending me ends this war?”Ethan didn’t reply. He surged forward, tackling Raul into the desk. The revolver clattered under the furniture. Raul twisted, pulled a dagger from his belt, and slashed—a clean arc that sliced across Ethan’s arm. He grunted but didn’t fall back.Clara flanked from the side, pistol trained. “Step away from him, Raul.”Raul’s eyes danced with madness. “I gave you all chances to walk away.”“You killed innocent people,” Ethan growled. “Framed me. Took my brother. You don’t get to speak about chances.”“You still don’t know the full game, soldier.”Raul lunged again, but Ethan was faster. He ducked low, wrapped Raul’s wrist, and slammed it down against the metal edge of the desk. The dagger fell. Raul snarled in pain.Clara kicked the weapon away.Footsteps thundered outside—the remaining guards. Clara aimed and dropped two before the third tackled her. They crashed into the minibar.

The air felt thick with anticipation as the team prepared for the mission ahead. Ethan stood in front of the war room’s map, his eyes scanning the locations marked with red Xs, each a target that would take down another piece of the empire that had once belonged to Raul. But as much as his mind was focused on the fight, his instincts kept pulling him back to the warning that Clara had given him earlier—the enemies within. It had been easy to trust Alexei for now, but trust, Ethan knew, was a fragile thing. And every time you think you’ve got it figured out, the world has a way of throwing a curveball.Alexei’s villa had provided a temporary sanctuary, but it wasn’t enough to blind them to the fact that their enemies were still lurking, watching, and waiting. Raul may have been gone, but that didn’t mean the web of power was untangled. If anything, it was more dangerous now than ever. The vultures were circling, and they all wanted a piece of what had been left behind.Alexei moved aro

The chaos that had erupted in the courtyard now felt like a distant nightmare. Ethan’s pulse was still hammering in his chest, and the acrid smell of smoke and blood hung heavy in the air. His knuckles were sore from the confrontation, his hand still gripping the lifeless form of Alexei, the traitor who had once been his ally. But there was no time for victory, no time to savor the bitter end of that chapter. There were still others to save—Clara, Nico, Leo, and the rest of their team.Ethan released his grip on Alexei’s neck, his body sinking to the ground beside the lifeless man. His breath was ragged, but his mind remained sharp. The battle wasn’t over. The war was just beginning.He could hear the distant wail of sirens growing louder. Reinforcements, no doubt, sent by Alexei’s loyalists. They were closing in, and they wouldn’t stop until they had every last one of them. There was no escape if they didn’t act quickly.“Ethan!” Clara’s voice called out from behind him, cutting thro

The sound of the SUV crashing into the tree echoed through the night, the harsh screech of metal on metal filling the silence. Ethan stood still for a moment, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths, his body still tensed for action. The rain was relentless now, soaking him to the bone, but it did little to diminish the sharpness of his senses.Nico and Leo emerged from their cover, their weapons still trained on the wreckage, waiting for any movement. Clara remained low, her wide eyes scanning the surroundings, her breathing steady despite the chaos that had just unfolded. They had managed to neutralize the immediate threat, but Ethan knew this was far from over.He moved cautiously toward the wrecked SUV, keeping his gun raised. The enemy had been too organized, too determined. This was not a random encounter; it was calculated. Whoever was behind this had resources and a plan.“Stay sharp,” Ethan muttered, his voice low but firm. He wasn’t taking any chances.Nico nodded