CHAPTER 72

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 unreadable, but she could see the calculation in his eyes. He wasn’t a man used to being at someone else’s mercy.

“So what’s our next move?” Darwin asked, rubbing his temples. “We’ve hit William. We’ve cut off their money. What’s left?”

Marcus sighed. “Leadership.”

Fiona nodded. “The Echelon doesn’t just operate on money. It’s a network of people, each with their own stake. William was the head, but he wasn’t the only one pulling strings.”

Bella sat forward. “Who steps up now that he’s gone?”

Marcus tapped a few keys, pulling up a list of names on the screen. “These are the most likely candidates. People who worked closely with William, high-ranking members of the organization.”

Fiona’s eyes scanned the list. Some names were familiar, others not. One stood out.

Luther Cain.

A name whispered in the darkest corners of power. A man who had operated behind the scenes for years.

“Cain,” Fiona said. “If there’s anyone left to challenge us, it’s him.”

Darwin frowned. “We’ve barely heard anything about him.”

“Because he makes sure of that,” Marcus replied. “William may have been the face, but Cain? He’s the ghost.”

Bella cracked her knuckles. “Then it’s time we bring him into the light.”

---

The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

Tracking Luther Cain wasn’t easy. Unlike William, he didn’t thrive on attention or control. He worked from the shadows, letting others take the fall while he remained untouchable.

It took Marcus a full day of digging to find his location—a heavily fortified penthouse in the heart of the city.

“Security detail is tight,” Marcus reported, scrolling through surveillance footage. “Armed guards, high-tech defenses, the works.”

Fiona studied the layout. “We need to hit him before he knows we’re coming.”

Bella smirked. “Good thing we don’t play fair.”

Darwin adjusted his holster. “Let’s end this.”

---

Storming the Tower

They moved under the cover of night. The penthouse was on the top floor of a high-rise, guarded by men who looked more like mercenaries than security.

Fiona, Bella, and Darwin took the elevator shaft, bypassing the main entry. Marcus worked from a remote location, disabling cameras and feeding them intel through their earpieces.

“You’ve got three guards outside his office,” Marcus whispered. “Armed, alert, but not expecting you.”

Fiona glanced at Bella and Darwin. They nodded.

Silent and swift, they moved.

The first guard barely had time to react before Bella took him down with a quick strike to the throat. Darwin handled the second, while Fiona put the last one out with a single, suppressed shot.

They stepped inside.

Luther Cain sat behind an elegant black desk, a glass of whiskey in one hand, his face unreadable.

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” he said smoothly.

Fiona kept her gun trained on him. “You’ve lost, Cain.”

Cain chuckled, taking a slow sip of his drink. “Have I?”

Bella’s patience was thinner than Fiona’s. She stepped forward, slamming her hands on the desk. “William’s gone. The Echelon is crumbling. You have nothing left.”

Cain smirked. “You really think cutting off the head kills the body?”

Fiona’s grip tightened on her weapon. “What are you saying?”

Cain leaned forward. “I’m saying that you don’t win by removing one man. The Echelon isn’t just William. It’s not just me. It’s an idea. And ideas don’t die.”

Darwin spoke for the first time, voice low. “Then we burn everything down.”

Cain’s smirk faltered.

For the first time, Fiona saw something flicker in his eyes—concern. He had expected them to come for him, maybe even try to cut a deal. What he hadn’t expected was their resolve.

“We’re not just taking down names,” Fiona continued. “We’re dismantling the system that allowed you to exist. The connections, the money, the influence. Everything.”

Bella grinned. “We’re making sure there’s nothing left.”

Cain exhaled, his fingers tightening around his glass. “You’re making a mistake.”

Fiona tilted her head. “No, we’re fixing one.”

Before he could react, Darwin moved. With a swift motion, he slammed Cain against the desk, locking his arms behind his back.

“You’re coming with us,” Darwin said coldly.

Cain didn’t struggle. But there was something in his expression that unsettled Fiona.

A knowing smile.

As if he still had one last trick up his sleeve.

---

The Final Trap

They transported Cain to a secure location—a warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Marcus had already wiped any digital trace of their movements, ensuring no one could track them.

Cain sat calmly, wrists bound, watching them with an infuriating smirk.

“You think this is over,” he mused. “But you’ve only delayed the inevitable.”

Fiona crossed her arms. “You talk a lot for a man in chains.”

Cain chuckled. “You don’t get it, do you? The Echelon doesn’t need me. Even without William, without me, someone else will rise.”

Bella rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. We’ve heard it before.”

But Fiona wasn’t so sure.

Cain wasn’t bluffing. He wasn’t the type.

Then Marcus’s voice crackled through their earpieces. “Guys… we have a problem.”

Fiona’s stomach tightened. “What is it?”

Marcus’s voice was tense. “Someone just put out a hit.”

Darwin stiffened. “On who?”

A pause.

Then Marcus said two words that made Fiona’s blood run cold.

“On you.”

A silence stretched between them.

Cain’s smirk widened.

“Told you,” he murmured.

Fiona’s fists clenched.

This wasn’t over.

Not yet.