CHAPTER 71

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?”

Marcus exhaled through his nose. “Nothing direct yet, but I wouldn’t get comfortable. The Echelon’s remaining players are keeping their heads down, which means they’re either regrouping or waiting to see how bad the fallout is.”

Darwin rubbed his forehead. “They’re waiting for a way out. They won’t go down with him unless they have to.”

Bella smirked. “Then we make sure they don’t have a choice.”

Fiona turned to Marcus. “Who’s the next biggest threat?”

Marcus clicked a few keys, pulling up a profile on one of the screens. “Julius Monroe. He handled most of the Echelon’s offshore assets. With William out of the picture, he’s probably trying to cut his losses and disappear.”

Darwin frowned. “Where is he now?”

“Last spotted at a private estate outside the city,” Marcus said. “Security is tight, but nothing we can’t handle.”

Fiona set down her coffee. “Then we move before he has a chance to vanish.”

---

Breaking Down the Walls

The drive to Monroe’s estate was tense. The sun had fully risen by the time they reached the outskirts of the city, where sprawling mansions sat hidden behind high walls and security gates. Fiona pulled the car to a stop a block away, scanning the property through a pair of binoculars.

“Looks like a fortress,” Darwin muttered from the backseat.

“Which means he’s scared,” Bella said.

Marcus’s voice came through their earpieces. “There’s a security team—six, maybe more. Cameras at every entrance. But I found a blind spot near the back fence. That’s your best way in.”

Fiona nodded. “Then we go in quiet.”

They moved fast, sticking to the shadows as they slipped past the perimeter. Bella took out one of the guards with a swift, silent strike, dragging him out of sight before they pressed forward. Darwin disabled the security feed at a side panel, giving them a few minutes of cover.

Inside, the house was eerily quiet. Expensive furniture, dim lighting, and the faint scent of cigar smoke filled the air. Fiona led the way down a hallway, her gun steady in her grip.

Then they found him.

Julius Monroe sat in a leather chair, a tumbler of whiskey in his hand, his expression tense but composed. A single bodyguard stood near the window, one hand resting on his holstered weapon.

“I was expecting you,” Monroe said, swirling his drink. “William’s downfall was inevitable, but I didn’t think you’d be so quick to clean up the rest.”

Bella smirked. “We don’t waste time.”

Fiona stepped forward. “You’re going to tell us everything you know about the Echelon’s remaining assets. Every offshore account, every safe house.”

Monroe chuckled. “And if I don’t?”

Darwin locked the door behind them. “Then you go down with the rest of them.”

There was a pause. Monroe set his glass down, exhaling slowly. “Fine,” he said. “But I want a deal.”

Fiona’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t get to negotiate.”

Monroe smirked. “I beg to differ. I have information you need. You could kill me, sure. But that won’t get you the full picture.”

Fiona clenched her jaw. He wasn’t wrong. William may have been the mastermind, but Monroe knew the details—the money, the backups, the names they hadn’t uncovered yet.

Bella crossed her arms. “You think we’re just going to let you walk away?”

Monroe leaned back. “Not walk. Just survive.”

Fiona studied him for a long moment, then nodded. “Talk.”

---

The Final Pieces

Back at the safehouse, Monroe sat in front of Marcus’s screens, feeding them details—bank accounts, aliases, hidden files. The sheer scope of the Echelon’s reach was staggering.

“This is bigger than we thought,” Marcus muttered, scrolling through the data. “William was just one piece of the puzzle.”

Fiona crossed her arms. “Then we keep going.”

Bella glanced at Monroe. “And him?”

Monroe raised his hands. “I gave you what you wanted. I’m not your enemy.”

Darwin scoffed. “You profited off of everything William did. That makes you guilty.”

Monroe sighed. “And yet, if you kill me, you lose your last advantage.”

Fiona exchanged a look with Bella and Darwin. As much as they hated it, he had a point.

“We’ll deal with him later,” Fiona said.

Monroe smirked. “Smart choice.”

Darwin clenched his fists but didn’t argue.

Fiona turned to Marcus. “Put the pieces together. We end this.”

Marcus nodded. “We’re close.”

The Echelon was crumbling.

But they weren’t done yet.

---

The Road Ahead

As night fell, Fiona stood on the balcony, staring out over the city. The skyline shimmered with lights, the hum of life carrying on as if nothing had changed. But for her, everything had.

Darwin stepped beside her. “You okay?”

She exhaled. “Almost.”

He nodded. “We did good today.”

Bella joined them, leaning against the railing. “And we’re not stopping now.”

Fiona smirked. “No, we’re not.”

They weren’t just survivors anymore.

They were the ones pulling the strings now.

And they were just getting started.