The explosion had turned the night into chaos.Smoke curled into the air, thick and acrid, stinging Fiona’s throat as she pushed herself upright. Her body ached from the blast, but she forced herself to move.William was still out there.Darwin was already on his feet, scanning the smoldering wreckage. Bella, coughing, held her injured arm but stayed close.Fiona’s mind raced. William had triggered the explosion to disappear.He had planned for this.Again.Darwin wiped soot from his face. “He’s gone.”Fiona clenched her fists. “He’s hiding.”Bella, still shaken, checked the surrounding area. “No body. No sign of him.”Marcus’s voice crackled over the earpiece. “That explosion just tripped every radar in the region. We have maybe twenty minutes before the authorities arrive.”Fiona barely heard him.She was staring at the ground near the blast site, her brain working faster than her body could react.Something was off.William wasn’t reckless—he didn’t just set off bombs without an es
The silence William left behind was suffocating.Fiona stood motionless, eyes locked on the detonator at her feet. The weight of his escape pressed against her ribs, more suffocating than the smoke curling in the air.Darwin stepped forward, wiping the blood from his brow. His voice was tight. “We can’t let him go.”Bella, still clutching her injured arm, exhaled sharply. “He’s playing us. Again.”Fiona clenched her fists. Every instinct told her to chase him, to hunt him down before he vanished into the night. But the risk—Her mind raced. If the explosives were real, William had just forced their hand.If they ignored the detonator and pursued him, how many innocent people would suffer?Darwin’s gaze burned into her. “Fiona?”She swallowed hard, her voice calm but edged with frustration. “We need to find the bombs first.”Bella cursed under her breath. “You’re kidding.”Darwin exhaled, shaking his head. “She’s right.”Bella took a step forward, anger flashing in her eyes. “No, she’s
The night was far from over.Fiona leaned against a scorched tree, catching her breath as the last bomb lay deactivated at her feet. Her hands were steady, but the tension in her muscles refused to fade.William had slipped away—again.And worse, she wasn’t sure he had been alone.That shadow in the trees. The flicker of movement. Someone had been watching her.Her earpiece crackled.“Fiona?” Marcus’s voice cut through the static. “Tell me you got it.”She inhaled sharply. “It’s done.”A pause. Then—relief. “Good. Because Darwin and Bella just lost him.”Fiona’s stomach tightened.Lost him.She clenched her fists. How many times had they been this close, only for William to pull the rug out from under them?Not this time.She turned, sprinting back toward Darwin and Bella.The hunt wasn’t over.Not even close.---Meanwhile—A Ghost on the RunWilliam adjusted the rearview mirror, smirking as the city lights blurred in the distance.They had underestimated him. Again.The explosives ha
William’s voice crackled through the speakers, thick with amusement.“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.”Fiona’s grip on her weapon tightened. The dimly lit warehouse was silent except for the hum of the old speaker system, but she could feel the weight of unseen eyes.Bella exhaled sharply. “I knew this was a setup.”Darwin’s jaw clenched. “No way out but through.”Fiona scanned the room. The flickering light cast long shadows over rusted crates and broken-down machinery. The walls were lined with metal grates, making it clear—this was no ordinary warehouse. It had been chosen. Prepared.She tapped her earpiece. “Marcus, tell me you’re getting this.”Silence.Then static.Fiona’s stomach dropped.Bella swore under her breath. “Comms are jammed.”William’s chuckle filtered through the speakers. “Clever, aren’t you?” A pause. “But not clever enough.”Fiona exchanged a look with Darwin. They had walked into William’s lair, and he had made sure they were cut off from the out
The city pulsed with a restless energy as Fiona, Bella, and Darwin navigated through the dark alleyways, putting distance between themselves and the warehouse. The faint smell of smoke clung to their clothes, a reminder of the explosion they had barely escaped.Darwin staggered slightly, his wound slowing him down. Fiona instinctively moved to support him, but he waved her off.“I said I’m fine,” he muttered through gritted teeth.Bella scoffed. “Yeah? Because you look like you’re about to keel over.”Fiona ignored them both and focused on her earpiece. “Marcus, say that again. Where is William going?”Marcus’s voice crackled through. “I traced some last-minute financial movements linked to his shell companies. He’s preparing to board a private jet at Blackridge Airfield.”Fiona’s stomach tightened. “That’s too far for him to get there on foot. He’ll have a car waiting.”“Already on it,” Marcus confirmed. “Traffic cams picked up an armored SUV leaving a location near the warehouse rig
The airfield was a flurry of activity—sirens blaring, floodlights casting long shadows across the tarmac, and the distant roar of incoming vehicles. Fiona, Bella, and Darwin stood over William, his face contorted in pain, his breathing shallow but defiant. The weight of everything crashed down on Fiona in that moment. It was over. After all the betrayals, the chases, the fights, they had finally cornered him.But there was still one loose end.Bella, keeping her gun trained on William, sneered. “I should put a bullet in your head right now. Save everyone the trouble.”Fiona tightened her grip on her weapon. “No. He’s going to pay for everything, but not like this.”William chuckled, though the sound was strained. “You think I’m done? This isn’t over.”Darwin’s face hardened. “Yes, it is.”Blue and red lights painted the airfield as the police vehicles skidded to a stop. Armed officers poured out, moving quickly to secure the area. Marcus’s voice crackled over the comms.“Good news. Th
The city was quieter than usual at dawn. The streets were nearly empty, save for a few early commuters, and the air carried the scent of rain from a storm that had passed in the night. Fiona stared out the window of the safehouse, her fingers wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee. Her body ached, exhaustion weighing on her, but her mind wouldn’t slow down.William was gone. Arrested. Exposed.But the fight wasn’t over.Bella sat at the small kitchen table, scrolling through her phone, while Darwin leaned against the counter, still nursing his injured shoulder. Marcus, as usual, was planted in front of his monitors, typing furiously as he sifted through whatever intelligence he had gathered overnight.“I made some calls,” Marcus said, breaking the silence. “William’s arrest is already making waves. Some of his people are scattering. A few were picked up trying to board flights out of the country.”Bella snorted. “Cowards.”Fiona took a sip of her coffee. “Any sign of pushback?”Marcu
The city never slept, and neither did their enemies.Fiona sat at the kitchen table of the safehouse, tapping her fingers against a steaming mug of coffee. The tension in the room was thick. They had William behind bars, Monroe feeding them intel, and the Echelon in disarray. But there was still one thing they couldn’t ignore—power vacuums never stayed empty for long.Darwin leaned against the counter, his injured shoulder stiff but manageable. Bella sat across from Fiona, arms crossed, her sharp gaze flicking between them. Marcus, typing away on his laptop, was the only one who looked at ease, but Fiona knew better. He thrived in chaos.“Alright,” Marcus said, pushing his chair back. “Monroe’s information checks out. Offshore accounts, shell companies, hidden assets. He didn’t lie.”Bella scoffed. “Of course he didn’t. He knows the only thing keeping him breathing is his usefulness.”Fiona glanced at Monroe, who sat in the corner, hands cuffed to the chair. His expression was unreada
The morning dawned with an eerie stillness as if the city itself was holding its breath. Fiona stood at the window of their temporary hideout, watching the street below. The sky was overcast, and the light that filtered through the clouds cast everything in a muted, gray tone. It suited her mood. Today wasn’t a day for joy. It was a day for war. Behind her, the room buzzed with movement. Marcus was finishing up a secure line to their new contact in Interpol. Thalassa sat on the floor with maps and surveillance photos spread out around her like a war general preparing for battle. Darwin, quiet and intense, leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "We’re ready," Marcus finally said, looking up. "The servers have been rigged to release everything if Morrigan tries to interfere with the next stage. Interpol agreed to act once we handed over the package. We just need the final proof—the nail in the coffin." Fiona nodded. "That’s what tonight is for
The morning air was thick with tension as Fiona stood by the window, staring at the gray skyline. Her reflection was barely visible in the glass, ghostlike and distant. It had been hours since Sofia's attempted assassination. The journalist was still in critical condition, but alive. Barely. Darwin entered the room quietly, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. He didn’t speak, just handed her the cup and joined her by the window. “She’s holding on,” he said finally. Fiona nodded. “But for how long?” “She gave us a name. That’s more than most people get before they’re silenced.” “Not good enough.” Fiona turned, her voice sharp. “We need to push harder, faster. Morrigan’s not going to slow down.” Darwin didn’t argue. He knew she was right. Thalassa entered with Marcus trailing behind, a tablet in hand. “We have something,” Marcus announced. “Sofia’s notes—we decrypted some of her files. She was onto a major asset transfer. Morrigan’s been funneling funds to offshore accounts und
The sound of shattering glass echoed through Fiona's memory as she stood in the aftermath of the failed hit on Sofia Laurent. The journalist was still alive, barely, but the attack had escalated the war Morrigan was waging from the shadows. They couldn’t wait any longer. Back at the safe house, the atmosphere was volatile. Darwin paced the room, fists clenched, his jaw tight. Thalassa sat with a map spread across the table, a red marker in her hand, circling key locations tied to Morrigan’s operations. Marcus stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear, coordinating with allies they had been reluctant to involve until now. Fiona broke the silence. “We hit her back. Not just financially. We go after the people that keep her afloat.” Darwin stopped pacing, turning to her. “You’re talking about dismantling her infrastructure.” “Exactly,” Fiona said. “She wants to destroy everything we care about. It’s time we show her we can do the same.” Thalassa nodded. “I’ve been mapping out h
The weight of Sofia’s whispered word—Morrigan—hung heavy in the air. Fiona’s knuckles were white as she clenched her fists, her pulse hammering in her ears. Beside her, Darwin stood rigid, his expression carved from stone. The sight of the journalist, barely clinging to life on that stretcher, was a brutal confirmation that Morrigan had escalated the war. This was no longer a battle fought in the shadows. This was all-out warfare. “We need to move,” Fiona said, her voice tight with anger. Darwin nodded. “Agreed. We’re done playing defense.” Thalassa touched Fiona’s arm, her normally smug expression replaced by something dangerously sharp. “Sofia’s not dead yet. That means we still have a chance to get information from her. But if Morrigan wants her gone, she’ll send someone to finish the job.” “Then we keep her alive,” Fiona said. “We make sure she wakes up, and when she does, we find out everything she knows.” Marcus was already tapping away at his laptop, pulling security foota
The night air was thick with tension as Fiona and Darwin left the hotel, their minds racing with what had just happened. Sofia Laurent was barely clinging to life, a direct victim of Morrigan’s retaliation. It was the wake-up call they needed. They could not afford to stay on the defensive any longer. “We need to retaliate now,” Fiona said, her voice firm. “No more waiting for her to make the next move.” Darwin nodded. “Agreed. We hit her where it hurts.” Thalassa, who had been quiet since they arrived at the scene, finally spoke. “We need to dismantle her network from the inside. Gabriel Foster is the key. If he’s funding her, we cut him off.” Marcus tapped away on his laptop. “I’ve been tracking Foster’s accounts. He’s got shell companies moving money for Morrigan. If we expose them, we can freeze her assets.” Fiona smirked. “Then let’s make sure she has nothing left to fight with.” --- The team split up, each with a critical role to play. Marcus and Thalassa would continue
The silence in the safe house was deceptive. It wasn’t the calm of victory, but the pause before a storm. Fiona sat at the edge of the couch, her mind racing. The operation had been a success—they had struck a critical blow to Morrigan’s media empire. Yet, she knew this wasn’t the end. Morrigan wouldn’t take the attack lying down. Darwin stood by the window, his phone in hand. He had been monitoring news reports since their escape. The hack was making waves. Several major outlets had already begun reporting inconsistencies in Morrigan’s financial records, questioning her sudden rise to power. It was the beginning of the unraveling they had planned. “She’s going to retaliate,” Fiona muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Darwin turned to her, his eyes dark with thought. “She’ll come at us hard. She won’t just defend herself—she’ll want to destroy us.” Thalassa smirked from across the room, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. “Good. Let her come. We’ve been on the
The hum of the hotel elevator was almost deafening as Fiona and Darwin descended from the upper floors, where Morrigan had just issued her chilling warning. The once pristine and composed atmosphere of the meeting had quickly turned sour, leaving them with more questions than answers. Fiona's mind raced, her thoughts heavy with the implications of Morrigan’s offer. "She’s playing us," Darwin said quietly, his voice steady but tinged with an edge of frustration. "She wants us to make a choice—her side, or continue fighting against her. But it’s all a manipulation. She knows how to push our buttons." Fiona nodded, though the uncertainty gnawed at her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Morrigan was holding something back—some crucial piece of the puzzle that could give her the upper hand. Fiona was used to being in control and manipulating situations to her advantage. But Morrigan? She was an entirely different animal. "She won’t stop," Fiona said, her voice firm. "She’s trying to
The safe house was buzzing with activity. The team was fully aware of the dangers that lay ahead, but there was a new edge to their determination—one fueled by the need to outsmart Morrigan at her own game. Fiona stood at the front of the room, flipping through the dossier Marcus had compiled on the latest developments. The intel was invaluable, but it felt like every time they thought they had a grasp on the situation, Morrigan would shift, making the ground beneath them unstable. "You heard her right?" Fiona's voice cut through the low murmurs of the team. "She wants a meeting. And we can’t ignore the implications of that." Darwin was at the map pinned to the wall, tracing the routes they’d use to escape if things went wrong. He turned toward Fiona, his face tight with resolve. "Morrigan doesn’t do anything without purpose. This isn’t just a negotiation—it’s a trap. She wants us to think we have a choice in the matter." Thalassa was examining the blueprint of a luxury hotel in G
The silence in the safe house felt different now—heavier, more suffocating. After their daring mission in Zurich, the team had returned, expecting some form of reprieve. Instead, the weight of their actions pressed on them. Fiona sat on the edge of the couch, her fingers idly tapping her phone, eyes flickering over the reports Marcus had sent. The glow of the screen only illuminated the exhaustion that had settled in her bones. Darwin paced the room, his thoughts elsewhere. He ran his hand through his hair, each step heavy with the knowledge of what was coming. The clock on the wall ticked louder in the quiet room, every second passing with unbearable tension. "We’ve hit her, but we haven’t broken her," Fiona muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. Darwin stopped pacing, turning toward her. "I know," he replied. "But we’re getting closer. That’s what matters." Marcus was at his laptop, the blue light from the screen illuminating his face as he sifted through data. "Morriga