Chapter 19

Hartwell was a slippery fish. He slithered out of his chair, knocking it back with a clatter. "You think you have me?" he laughed, a sound that made my skin crawl. "You're just two kids playing in the big leagues."

The room went still, the air thick with tension. I could feel the anticipation, the desire for blood, pulsating in the air. But Hartwell was right. He had slipped through our grasp again, leaving us with nothing but a trail of breadcrumbs leading to nowhere.

"You're going to regret this," he said, his voice low and deadly. "You've no idea what you're dealing with."

Alex stepped closer to Hartwell, his hand on the knife tucked into the back of my slacks. "Is that a threat, Mayor?"

He sneered, his eyes on the knife. "Just a promise," he said, and then he was gone, the door slamming shut behind him.

The room was left in silence, the echo of his words ringing in our ears. Alex looked at me, his eyes filled with a rage that mirrored my own. "We're not done with him," he said, hi