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Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 187
187Dylan didn’t answer—not right away.He tore around the corner with Lilith on his heels, boots slapping against the wet stone, the scent of ozone still trailing after them like a storm cloud. His jaw was clenched tight, eyes hard with something between fear and fury.“Dylan!” Lilith shouted again, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him to a stop behind a rusted iron gate. Rainwater dripped from her coat. “Talk to me. Who the hell was that?!”He exhaled slowly, chest rising and falling. His eyes darted past her, scanning the alley. “His name’s Veyr.”Lilith’s brow furrowed. “Veyr? That supposed to ring a bell?”“It should.” He wiped blood from a shallow cut across his cheek with the back of his wrist. “He’s not just anyone. He’s a Reaver.”Her eyes widened slightly. “Wait. Reavers? As in those Reavers? You mean those ghost-story assassins we used to joke about during rook rotations?”He nodded grimly. “They were never just stories. I saw one of them tear through an entire outpost onc
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 188
188They barely made it three steps toward the Dustline when the first shot cracked through the rain.Dylan yanked Lilith down behind a stack of broken crates just as a plasma bolt scorched the air where his head had been. Splinters and steam exploded around them.“Ambush!” Lilith shouted, drawing her sidearm.“No kidding!” Dylan snapped back, already scanning for shooters.Three figures in dark tactical gear dropped from the rooftops, their movements too precise to be street thugs. They were Reavers—or trained like them. Their visors glowed a sickly green, marking targets even through the downpour.“They’re not here to ask questions,” Lilith said grimly.“No,” Dylan agreed, a grim set to his jaw. “They’re here to bag me.”He pushed her toward a side alley. “Split up. I’ll draw them off—”“Not a chance,” she hissed, but he was already moving, a blur through the rain.The first attacker lunged, swinging a stun baton crackling with electricity. Dylan sidestepped cleanly, grabbing the ma
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 189
189The rain hadn’t let up as they made their way through the back alleys, the city’s dim glow flickering against the wet pavement. Dylan kept his senses sharp, eyes scanning every corner, every shadow. They couldn’t afford to relax—not yet. The ambush had been too close, and the mention of the Black Mantle made things even more complicated.Lilith stayed close, her footsteps light despite the wet ground. She was quiet, her usual sarcasm absent for the moment. They didn’t stop until they reached a rusted metal door, tucked away behind a decaying warehouse. Dylan knocked twice, the sound sharp against the silence, and the door creaked open.“Mr. Nelson’s place,” he muttered, pulling Lilith inside.The inside of the building was dim, lit only by the faint hum of old fluorescents. It smelled like oil and dust. Dylan wasted no time, heading straight for a back room. Lilith followed, her curiosity piqued despite herself.Once inside, Dylan locked the door and leaned against the cracked wal
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 190
190Lilith shifted uneasily by the door, her fingers tapping against the cracked frame. The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. She watched Dylan move to the old desk, rifling through a drawer until he pulled out a battered phone.“So, uh…” Lilith began, her voice tentative, “have you thought about calling the police? I mean, they’re supposed to deal with kidnappings, right?”Dylan froze for a moment before slowly straightening up. His eyes locked onto hers, hard and cold. “No.”Lilith blinked. “No?”He shook his head once, firm. “Bringing the police into this would be the worst move I could make. If they even catch a whiff of Molly, whoever took her will know we’re onto them. She’ll disappear into a deeper hole—or worse.”“But—” Lilith started to argue, then stopped when she saw the raw fear in his expression, the kind that didn’t come from distrust of law enforcement, but from experience. Dylan wasn’t guessing. He knew.“You have to trust me,” Dylan said quietly. “This
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 191
191They moved quickly, Dylan checking the old safe hidden beneath the desk. He pulled out two pistols, tossing one to Lilith without hesitation. She caught it easily, checking the magazine like a pro.“Not your first gunfight?” Dylan asked, raising an eyebrow.Lilith shrugged. “You pick up a few things living in the gutter.”Dylan loaded his weapon, tucking it under his jacket. His mind was cold and sharp now, all hesitation burned away. If Molly was in that warehouse, he was bringing her home. No matter the cost.They slipped out into the night, the rain still pounding the city in relentless sheets. Dylan led the way through the maze of alleys, sticking to the shadows. Lilith stayed close, matching his movements with surprising fluidity.When they reached Dylan’s car—a battered black Charger parked in a shadowed corner—he slid behind the wheel, and Lilith jumped into the passenger seat.As they drove, Lilith broke the silence. “You think it’s a trap?”“Of course it’s a trap,” Dylan
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 192
192A man barked orders from the catwalk above, his voice crackling through a cheap loudspeaker.“Give it up, Dylan!” the voice jeered. “You’re too late! You’ll never find her!”Dylan stiffened, muscles tensing. He knew that voice—Roth. One of Dragonia’s former enforcers. Brutal, loyal to the highest bidder. It figured he would be working for whoever had taken Molly.He swept his eyes over the warehouse—metal crates, old machinery, dark pools of oil soaking the concrete. It was too open. Too exposed.“Figures it’d be Roth,” Lilith muttered from her cover behind a stack of barrels, exchanging fire with a guard perched behind a forklift. She caught Dylan’s eye and gave a grim nod. “You got a plan?”“Yeah.” Dylan ducked as a bullet whined past. “Smoke.”Lilith didn’t hesitate. She ripped a small canister from inside her jacket, yanked the pin with her teeth, and lobbed it toward the center of the warehouse.The canister exploded with a loud pop, flooding the air with a choking cloud of w
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth A Broken Celebration
Dylan Grenville hummed softly as he arranged the last dish on the dining table.It was their wedding anniversary, and Dylan had spent the day preparing the perfect dinner for his wife, Jane.Dylan casually picked up his phone and noticed a message on it.“Boss, the arrangement for investing one hundred million dollars in your wife's company is all set. We can sign the contract tomorrow.”Dylan gave a faint smile and put down the phone with satisfaction.He had been married to Jane for so many years, yet he had never revealed his true identity. However, he had been secretly helping Jane's company to grow rapidly. In just a few years, the market value of Jane's company had increased more than tenfold and was about to go public.He also planned to take this opportunity to reveal his secret to Jane.Dylan glanced at the clock. Nine p.m. Jane still hadn’t answered any of his calls.He dialed her number again. The line rang, and rang, until her voicemail clicked on. He sighed, setting his p
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth The Calm Before the Storm
The crash of dishes had finally stopped. Jane stormed to her room, slamming the door behind her with a thunderous bang. She grabbed her phone with trembling hands and dialed a number.The person answered on the second ring, their voice smooth and confident. “Jane, darling, what’s wrong? You sound furious.”It was Lisa Powell, her best friend and a sharp-tongued lawyer.“It’s Dylan!” Jane hissed. “He asked for a divorce tonight!”"Dylan? That useless guy?" Lisa was a bit surprised, "Tell me what happened!"Jane recounted the evening, her voice thick with frustration. “Can you believe it? He sat there with his pathetic little dinner, pretending like everything was fine! And when I told him the truth—that he’s been dragging me down—he suddenly wants to walk away!”Hearing Jane's words, Lisa laughed, "Don't worry, Jane, I know exactly what he's up to! He's just trying to use this as an opportunity to threaten you!""Threaten me?" Jane was a little confused."Yes, he thinks you can't live
Latest Chapter
192
192A man barked orders from the catwalk above, his voice crackling through a cheap loudspeaker.“Give it up, Dylan!” the voice jeered. “You’re too late! You’ll never find her!”Dylan stiffened, muscles tensing. He knew that voice—Roth. One of Dragonia’s former enforcers. Brutal, loyal to the highest bidder. It figured he would be working for whoever had taken Molly.He swept his eyes over the warehouse—metal crates, old machinery, dark pools of oil soaking the concrete. It was too open. Too exposed.“Figures it’d be Roth,” Lilith muttered from her cover behind a stack of barrels, exchanging fire with a guard perched behind a forklift. She caught Dylan’s eye and gave a grim nod. “You got a plan?”“Yeah.” Dylan ducked as a bullet whined past. “Smoke.”Lilith didn’t hesitate. She ripped a small canister from inside her jacket, yanked the pin with her teeth, and lobbed it toward the center of the warehouse.The canister exploded with a loud pop, flooding the air with a choking cloud of w
191
191They moved quickly, Dylan checking the old safe hidden beneath the desk. He pulled out two pistols, tossing one to Lilith without hesitation. She caught it easily, checking the magazine like a pro.“Not your first gunfight?” Dylan asked, raising an eyebrow.Lilith shrugged. “You pick up a few things living in the gutter.”Dylan loaded his weapon, tucking it under his jacket. His mind was cold and sharp now, all hesitation burned away. If Molly was in that warehouse, he was bringing her home. No matter the cost.They slipped out into the night, the rain still pounding the city in relentless sheets. Dylan led the way through the maze of alleys, sticking to the shadows. Lilith stayed close, matching his movements with surprising fluidity.When they reached Dylan’s car—a battered black Charger parked in a shadowed corner—he slid behind the wheel, and Lilith jumped into the passenger seat.As they drove, Lilith broke the silence. “You think it’s a trap?”“Of course it’s a trap,” Dylan
190
190Lilith shifted uneasily by the door, her fingers tapping against the cracked frame. The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. She watched Dylan move to the old desk, rifling through a drawer until he pulled out a battered phone.“So, uh…” Lilith began, her voice tentative, “have you thought about calling the police? I mean, they’re supposed to deal with kidnappings, right?”Dylan froze for a moment before slowly straightening up. His eyes locked onto hers, hard and cold. “No.”Lilith blinked. “No?”He shook his head once, firm. “Bringing the police into this would be the worst move I could make. If they even catch a whiff of Molly, whoever took her will know we’re onto them. She’ll disappear into a deeper hole—or worse.”“But—” Lilith started to argue, then stopped when she saw the raw fear in his expression, the kind that didn’t come from distrust of law enforcement, but from experience. Dylan wasn’t guessing. He knew.“You have to trust me,” Dylan said quietly. “This
189
189The rain hadn’t let up as they made their way through the back alleys, the city’s dim glow flickering against the wet pavement. Dylan kept his senses sharp, eyes scanning every corner, every shadow. They couldn’t afford to relax—not yet. The ambush had been too close, and the mention of the Black Mantle made things even more complicated.Lilith stayed close, her footsteps light despite the wet ground. She was quiet, her usual sarcasm absent for the moment. They didn’t stop until they reached a rusted metal door, tucked away behind a decaying warehouse. Dylan knocked twice, the sound sharp against the silence, and the door creaked open.“Mr. Nelson’s place,” he muttered, pulling Lilith inside.The inside of the building was dim, lit only by the faint hum of old fluorescents. It smelled like oil and dust. Dylan wasted no time, heading straight for a back room. Lilith followed, her curiosity piqued despite herself.Once inside, Dylan locked the door and leaned against the cracked wal
188
188They barely made it three steps toward the Dustline when the first shot cracked through the rain.Dylan yanked Lilith down behind a stack of broken crates just as a plasma bolt scorched the air where his head had been. Splinters and steam exploded around them.“Ambush!” Lilith shouted, drawing her sidearm.“No kidding!” Dylan snapped back, already scanning for shooters.Three figures in dark tactical gear dropped from the rooftops, their movements too precise to be street thugs. They were Reavers—or trained like them. Their visors glowed a sickly green, marking targets even through the downpour.“They’re not here to ask questions,” Lilith said grimly.“No,” Dylan agreed, a grim set to his jaw. “They’re here to bag me.”He pushed her toward a side alley. “Split up. I’ll draw them off—”“Not a chance,” she hissed, but he was already moving, a blur through the rain.The first attacker lunged, swinging a stun baton crackling with electricity. Dylan sidestepped cleanly, grabbing the ma
187
187Dylan didn’t answer—not right away.He tore around the corner with Lilith on his heels, boots slapping against the wet stone, the scent of ozone still trailing after them like a storm cloud. His jaw was clenched tight, eyes hard with something between fear and fury.“Dylan!” Lilith shouted again, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him to a stop behind a rusted iron gate. Rainwater dripped from her coat. “Talk to me. Who the hell was that?!”He exhaled slowly, chest rising and falling. His eyes darted past her, scanning the alley. “His name’s Veyr.”Lilith’s brow furrowed. “Veyr? That supposed to ring a bell?”“It should.” He wiped blood from a shallow cut across his cheek with the back of his wrist. “He’s not just anyone. He’s a Reaver.”Her eyes widened slightly. “Wait. Reavers? As in those Reavers? You mean those ghost-story assassins we used to joke about during rook rotations?”He nodded grimly. “They were never just stories. I saw one of them tear through an entire outpost onc
186
186The distant wail of sirens echoed across the cobbled streets, bouncing between ancient stone buildings like the cry of a hunting pack. The scent of smoke and gunpowder lingered in the air—sharp, metallic, and wrong.Lilith’s lips curled into a smirk as she slid a fresh blade into her wrist sheath. “Well, that’s our cue. Watch is on the way. Time to vanish?”Dylan didn’t answer.He stood completely still, his brow furrowed, eyes locked on the shadowed rooftop where the glint had first appeared—too slow to be a scope, too deliberate to be a mistake. His hand hovered near the grip of his sidearm.“Dylan?” Lilith prompted, stepping closer.He held up one hand, silencing her.“There was a sixth,” he said, voice low and hard.Lilith blinked. “What?”“There was a sixth,” he repeated, scanning the rooftops. “The whistle. It was a signal. Five came at us—but six heartbeats were watching.”“Are you sure?” she asked, suddenly serious.He nodded once. “Positive. I felt it. The sixth didn’t en
185
185Outside the Tavern — Moments LaterThe night air hit like a wave—cool, quiet, and heavy with everything that just happened. The door creaked shut behind them, muffling the tavern’s buzz, but it didn’t stop the whispers from bleeding through the cracks. Dylan and Lilith stood under the flickering lantern light, its soft hum the only sound for a heartbeat.Lilith adjusted the collar of her coat, eyes gleaming. “You do realize half the underworld just peed their pants in there, right?”Dylan didn’t answer. She tilted her head, watching him with mild amusement. “So, what now? You just embarrassed the most feared crime boss in the city. He might’ve backed down tonight, but Goliath’s pride? That doesn’t bleed—it explodes.” Just then, a whistle sliced through the silence.Dylan’s head turned slightly, just enough to catch the glint of movement from the rooftop across the street. He didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch.Lilith’s smile faded. “Snipers.”The hiss of a bolt echoed—thunk!—as it embe
184
Ron coughed, blood spattering the wooden floor as Dylan Grenville pressed him hard against the tavern wall. His suit was torn, face swollen from the hits, and the cold steel of Dylan’s gaze was more suffocating than the grip around his collar.“You’re making a mistake,” Ron rasped, spitting blood to the side. “You think I’m the end of the line? You’ve just made an enemy you can’t handle. My boss—he’s Goliath. You hear me? Goliath. The man who eats corpses for breakfast.”That name echoed like a thunderclap.Chairs scraped.A drunk at the bar nearly dropped his mug. “Did… did he say Goliath?”A bald man near the hearth froze mid-laugh. “No damn way. You mean that Goliath?”From the shadows, someone muttered, “The one who blew up an entire casino over a poker insult?”The barmaid behind the counter dropped a glass, shards scattering. “I heard he skinned a man just for calling him ‘big guy.’”A grizzled patron in a tattered coat leaned over his shot. “Burned down three blocks just ‘cause