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BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 46
The air in the city was thick with tension, the kind that clung to every whispered conversation, every careful glance over the shoulder. Samuel had been walking a tightrope, balancing between survival and the relentless pursuit of those who wanted him destroyed. He had grown used to being hunted, to schemes woven in the shadows.But he had not expected this.The doors to the dimly lit lounge swung open with a force that silenced the room. The usual hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses came to an abrupt halt as all eyes turned toward the figure standing in the doorway.A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped inside, the glow of the streetlamp behind him casting his face into shadow. His presence alone carried an unmistakable weight, as if the city itself had been holding its breath for his return.Samuel, seated in the corner with a glass of whiskey in hand, slowly lowered the drink. His fingers tightened around the glass. He hadn’t seen that face in years—had convinced himself
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 47
They had entered Samuel’s world like a shadow slipping through cracks in the pavement—silent, sudden, and impossible to ignore.Their name was Vincent Hale, a fixer, a broker of secrets. No allegiance except to the highest bidder, no history that could be traced without running into dead ends. They were the kind of person who could make or break men like Samuel, and they knew it.Vincent exhaled slowly, letting the tension settle in the room before finally speaking. “I have something you need.”Samuel lifted his gaze, eyes dark and unreadable. “That so?”Vincent slid a small USB drive across the table. It stopped just before Samuel’s fingers. “On there is everything you need to rip Arthur apart from the inside. Connections he’s kept hidden, favors he’s traded with men who would burn if their names were ever tied to him. Corrupt politicians, CEOs, judges—every dirty deal, every handshake in the dark.”Samuel stared at the drive but didn’t reach for it. He had learned long ago that noth
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 48
Samuel had changed everything. He wasn’t just a powerful man—he was a force, a presence that made the ground shift under your feet. The moment Joey had stepped into his world, he had felt it, the pull of something bigger, something darker. And yet, even knowing the weight of the choices ahead, he was still here.A knock on the passenger window snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Vincent Hale, Samuel’s newest ally, smirking at him through the glass. Joey hesitated, then unlocked the door.Vincent slid in, his movements smooth, casual. “You look like a man about to make a very bad decision.”Joey exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing anymore.”Vincent chuckled, lighting a cigarette and taking a slow drag before responding. “That’s the first honest thing I’ve heard all night.”Joey turned to face him fully. “Why are you here?”Vincent exhaled smoke toward the windshield. “Samuel sent me to make sure you don’t do anything… regre
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 49
Arthur knew this was his last chance. He sat at his desk, the dim light of his office casting long shadows over stacks of documents, news clippings, and confidential reports. His campaign against Samuel had been going on for months, but he had underestimated the man. Every attempt to expose him had backfired. Every whisper campaign, every investigative piece he had leaked to the media had only strengthened Samuel’s hold.That was going to change.Arthur leaned forward, watching the news anchor on the screen in front of him."New allegations have surfaced against businessman Samuel Caine, with sources claiming ties to illicit financial dealings and political corruption."The reporter’s voice was calm, professional, but Arthur could hear the tension behind it. The media had been cautious about taking him on, but Arthur had forced their hand. He had supplied them with carefully curated evidence, enough to create doubt, to plant the seeds of Samuel’s downfall.It wasn’t enough.Arthur gra
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 50
Arthur’s sword swung toward Samuel with a lethal arc, but Samuel, ever the patient strategist, didn’t flinch. He allowed the attack to come closer, just close enough that Arthur would believe victory was in his grasp. At the last possible moment, Samuel moved with the grace of a dancer, sidestepping the blow and using Arthur’s momentum against him. Arthur stumbled forward, caught off guard by the unexpected ease with which Samuel had countered."You're getting slow, Arthur," Samuel said, his voice a smooth murmur in the midst of the tension. "Is it age? Or something else weighing on you?"Arthur’s face flushed with anger. He straightened himself, glaring at Samuel. "You think you're clever, don’t you? Always playing your games, always one step ahead. But this ends now."With a growl, Arthur surged forward again, faster this time, his sword aimed straight for Samuel’s chest. But once again, Samuel moved like water, flowing around the strike with barely a shift in posture. Samuel’s eye
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 51
At the heart of this division stood Joey. His uniform, a deep shade of blue with the emblem of the state emblazoned on his chest, symbolized everything he had once believed in—order, control, and loyalty to the system. But that loyalty was beginning to waver, and with it, everything he had ever known.Joey had always thought he knew where his allegiance lay. He was a soldier, part of the system, bound to uphold the state’s rule and maintain the fragile peace that held Aletra together. For years, he had followed orders without question, believing the ideal of a unified city. That was, until he met Samuel.Samuel had come into his life at the most unexpected of times—a time when Joey’s faith in the state was beginning to crack. He had watched Samuel for weeks from the shadows, a man who seemed to move through the streets of Aletra with a quiet power, someone who wasn’t bound by the state’s rules, but who could navigate the city's darkest alleys with ease. At first, Joey had seen him as
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 52
There had been whispers of a betrayal, rumors that certain allies had already begun to distance themselves. The state’s forces had infiltrated nearly every corner of Aletra, making it nearly impossible to trust anyone. Samuel’s trust in his inner circle was faltering, his thoughts clouded by doubt. He had led them this far, but now it seemed like the walls were closing in.His position was precarious. The political forces within Aletra had already sided with the state, pressuring Samuel’s few remaining allies to withdraw. The underworld, once a dark web of support, was now splintered into competing factions, each more concerned with survival than loyalty. Samuel was on the brink of losing everything.And then, when it seemed like hope was fading, a figure stepped from the shadows.It was a presence that Samuel had not expected, a figure whose reputation preceded him like a storm—The Falcon.Known to most as a shadow, a ghost in the city's underworld, The Falcon had managed to stay out
BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES 53
The tension in Aletra had been building for weeks. Samuel could feel it in the air, thick and suffocating, like the city itself was holding its breath. His rebellion had been gaining momentum, stirring up fear and uncertainty in the state’s leadership. Samuel’s plan was working, but as with every move he made, there were risks—risks he had learned to live with.What he hadn’t anticipated was that one of his own allies would be the one to deliver the blow. It came swiftly, in the dead of night, like a dagger to the heart.Samuel had always trusted Aaron. The man had been a loyal companion, one of the few people Samuel could count on. Together, they had built the resistance from the ground up, fighting against an oppressive government that had no regard for the people. Samuel had shared his darkest secrets with Aaron, confided in him when the weight of the world became too much. He had believed in him, trusted him as much as anyone could.But that trust was shattered in an instant.It h
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The aftermath of William Brook’s fall left an eerie silence in the grand hall. Smoke curled from the scorched remnants of his body, his power having disintegrated beneath Samuel’s attack. But despite the victory, the tension in the air remained thick, as though the battle had only scratched the surface of something much bigger.Evelyn stepped beside Samuel, her expression unreadable. “You look like you’re expecting another ghost to jump out of the shadows.”Samuel didn’t respond immediately. His senses were on high alert, his instincts telling him this wasn’t over. The Brook family wouldn’t take William’s downfall lightly. If anything, they’d retaliate with fury.“We need to move,” Samuel said, voice firm. “Now.”Evelyn smirked but followed as he strode out of the ruined hall. The moment they stepped into the corridor, the weight of their situation settled. The estate, once a stronghold of wealth and power, now felt like a battlefield.As they walked, Evelyn broke the silence. “So, wh
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Samuel stood at the center, his eyes dark with unreadable emotions, while the Brook family loomed over the negotiation table like vultures circling a fresh kill.“I don’t think you understand the weight of what you’re asking, Mr. Brook,” Samuel said, voice calm but edged with steel.Across from him, William Brook smirked, fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest of his chair. “Oh, I understand perfectly,” he mused. “What I don’t understand is why you’re hesitating. A merger between our companies would be beneficial for both sides. And yet, you seem... resistant.”Samuel’s jaw tightened. This wasn’t just a business deal. The Brook family had been subtly moving against him for months, and now, they were making their power play. He wasn’t going to let them win.“I have no interest in merging with a family that has done everything in its power to sabotage mine,” Samuel said coldly.“You wound me,” William chuckled, leaning back. “This isn’t about the past, Samuel. It’s about the f
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Vincent, still clutching his gun, scanned the perimeter of the room before finally lowering it. "We should be safe here for now."Evelyn rubbed her temples, her fingers trembling. "For now? That's not exactly reassuring. Those echoes... that wasn’t normal. Not even for this."Thorne stood near the doorway, his gaze distant. "It was an aftershock. The Devourer may be bound, but its influence lingers. The echoes were proof of that."Sophia crossed her arms. "Great. So what do we do? Just sit here and wait for another nightmare to show up?""No," Thorne said simply. "We need to sever the last ties."Samuel looked up. "Ties? You mean, there’s still something linking this place to the Devourer?"Thorne nodded. "The remnants of its presence don’t just vanish. The echoes were drawn to us because we disrupted something ancient. If we don’t finish what we started, this will happen again. And next time, we might not be able to outrun it."A heavy silence settled over the room.Vincent finally s
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The group moved quickly through the desolate landscape, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on them. The air still held the remnants of the Devourer’s presence, thick and suffocating. Samuel kept a firm grip on Mercer’s arm, making sure he stayed steady.Mercer, though exhausted, still managed to crack a weak smile. “You planning to hold onto me forever?”Samuel scoffed but didn’t let go. “You can barely stand.”Mercer sighed but didn’t argue. His body was covered in bruises, his clothes tattered, and his skin was still marked with faint traces of the dark tendrils that had bound him to the Devourer.Vincent led the way, his gun still drawn, eyes sharp and scanning the area for any threats. Evelyn walked beside him, her hands trembling slightly, though she tried to hide it. Sophia was a few steps ahead of Samuel and Mercer, her grip still tight on the dagger, ready for anything.Thorne, as always, was eerily calm, his presence steady. “We need to move faster,” he said.
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The second eye blinked open, followed by a third, then a fourth. The Devourer’s presence spread, a suffocating force pressing down on Samuel’s chest. The symbols on the ground pulsed in response, flickering like a heartbeat.Sophia’s grip tightened on the dagger she held, ready to intervene if things went wrong. Vincent and Marcus stood at the edge of the ritual circle, their eyes locked on Samuel, prepared for anything.The Devourer’s voice slithered through the air. “You… are tethered to the one we hold.”Samuel swallowed hard. “Yes.”The entity’s gaze burned through him, its presence creeping into the depths of his mind, sifting through his memories, his emotions, his very essence. A wave of nausea rolled through him as the connection strengthened.“You offer yourself?”Samuel’s fingers curled into fists. “I do.”Evelyn’s chanting shifted, the cadence growing sharper, more forceful. The mimic ritual had to remain convincing, and that meant making the Devourer believe it was getting
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The weight of Thorne’s words settled over them like a suffocating fog. A willing sacrifice.Samuel’s fingers curled into fists as he stared at the page in front of him. The ancient symbols meant nothing to him, but the implications were clear. To sever the Devourer’s connection to its feeding ground, someone had to die.“That’s not an option,” Sophia said, shaking her head. “There has to be another way.”Thorne leaned back in his chair, watching them with a measured gaze. “If there was, I would tell you. But Devourers are ancient creatures, bound by deep-rooted laws of existence. To break their hold, something of equal value must be given in return.”Vincent scoffed. “So you’re saying the only way to save Mercer is for one of us to die? Not happening.”Thorne sighed. “I understand your reluctance. But this is not a simple monster you can kill with bullets or fire. Devourers are entities of hunger and power. If you go in unprepared, you won’t just lose Mercer—you’ll all become part of
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Marcus kept one hand on the wheel while his other gripped his phone tightly. “We need to move fast,” he muttered. “The Brook family won’t just sit back and let us find Mercer first.”Samuel exhaled slowly. “Then we beat them to it. Whatever’s up there in that village, it’s dangerous. But Mercer is still alive. I can feel it.”Vincent scoffed from the backseat. “Feel it? Or just hoping?”Samuel ignored him. He wasn’t about to explain the gnawing pull in his chest, the unshakable certainty that Mercer was still out there, barely clinging to life.Sophia shifted uncomfortably beside him. “That thing in the village… It wasn’t human, was it?”Evelyn, who had been silent the entire drive, finally spoke. “No. It wasn’t.” Her voice was unusually quiet. “I’ve read about things like this before, but seeing it in person is something else.”Marcus frowned. “Read about it? What was it?”Evelyn hesitated before answering. “There are stories of ancient beings bound to certain places, creatures that
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The wind howled through the ruins, carrying an eerie whisper that sent a chill down Samuel’s spine. The inhuman eye within the darkness remained fixed on them, unblinking, filled with a hunger that made the air itself tremble.Sophia gripped Samuel’s arm, her breath shallow. “Samuel… what is that?”Vincent stepped forward, drawing his gun. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”Marcus cursed under his breath. “We need to get out of here. Now.”The trembling man on the ground clutched at Samuel’s sleeve. “You can’t fight it,” he rasped. “You can only run.”Evelyn narrowed her eyes at the shifting darkness. “No. We don’t run. We face it.”As if responding to her defiance, the shadows coiled like living tendrils, stretching toward them. Samuel barely had time to pull Sophia back before the darkness lashed out, striking the ground where she had just been standing. The impact left a deep crack in the earth, radiating an unnatural heat.“That’s not normal,” Vincent muttered.The villagers had
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The moment they stepped onto the tarmac, a biting cold wind greeted them, carrying the scent of damp earth and something else—something older, almost metallic, like the air before a storm.Samuel adjusted the collar of his coat, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar terrain. He wasn’t the only one on edge. Sophia wrapped her arms around herself, glancing toward Marcus."Are you sure your contact knows where Mercer is?" she asked, her voice hushed.Marcus checked his phone, his fingers typing rapidly. “He says Mercer was last seen near a village deep in the mountains. But it won’t be easy to reach. The roads are dangerous, and the locals avoid that area.”Vincent scoffed. “Of course they do. Let me guess—ghost stories? Cursed land?”Evelyn, standing slightly apart from the group, tilted her head. “It’s not just stories,” she murmured. “There are things in these mountains older than any of us.”Vincent rolled his eyes. “Great. More cryptic warnings. Love that.”Marcus ignored him and motione
