บททั้งหมดของ Beneath The Steel And Silk: บทที่ 61 - บทที่ 70

The team didn’t have much time to linger at Lena’s cabin. By the time Damian, Sage, and Maya returned inside, Lena was already dismantling the temporary setup she had created to share her intel. Monitors blinked off, papers were shoved into sealed cases, and every move she made was methodical, almost mechanical.“Bancroft doesn’t wait,” Lena said curtly, gesturing for them to pack their gear. “If he knows you’re onto him, he’ll double down. You’re on a clock now—one that’s ticking faster than you realize.”“What about the fail-safe code?” Damian asked.Lena looked at him sharply, as if assessing whether he was truly up for what lay ahead. “The code is stored in a secure data server at Bancroft’s compound in Iceland. Getting to it won’t be easy. The location is heavily fortified—he trusts no one with something that critical.”“Iceland?” Drake said, his voice laced with disbelief as he entered the room. “What’s next, the moon?”“Close enough,” Lena replied without a trace of humor. “It’

The morning broke in a muted gray, the heavy Icelandic sky threatening snow. The team gathered around the table in the safe house, the tension palpable as they prepared to launch the drone. Damian and Maya worked together, assembling the compact device with practiced precision. Sage monitored the screens, ready to analyze the live feed as soon as the drone was airborne.Drake sipped his coffee, leaning against the counter with an air of forced nonchalance. “Anyone else feel like we’re in a spy movie? All we’re missing is the ominous background music.”“Try to focus,” Damian said sharply, his gaze never leaving the drone.Drake raised his hands in mock surrender but stayed silent. The gravity of their mission was too great for him to push any further.Sage glanced at Damian, noting the tight set of his jaw and the way his shoulders were hunched with tension. She wanted to say something, to reassure him, but she wasn’t sure what words would help.“Drone’s ready,” Maya announced, breakin

The alarm's piercing wail reverberated through the vent system, the sound intensifying with every passing second. Damian led the team forward, his mind racing as he calculated their next move. Behind him, Maya and Drake crawled as quickly as the narrow vent allowed, their breaths coming in short, sharp bursts.“Sage, we’re compromised,” Damian said into his comm. “We need an extraction route.”“I’m working on it,” Sage replied, her voice tense. “The entire compound is locking down. They’re sealing exits faster than I can hack them.”“Then you need to work faster,” Damian snapped, his frustration breaking through his calm exterior.“I don’t think yelling at her will help,” Maya muttered from behind him.Damian ignored the comment, his focus on the map displayed on his wrist device. “We’re heading for the east maintenance tunnel. It’s a long shot, but it’s the only way out.”“Got it,” Sage said. “But you’ve got incoming from multiple angles. I’ll try to reroute them, but you need to mov

Darius Cole stood motionless, his sharp eyes scanning the barrel of Damian’s gun before shifting to his captor’s face. Even surrounded by Damian, Maya, and Drake, his confidence was unshaken. His tailored suit was crisp, out of place in the chaos of the ambush.“Well,” Cole said, his voice smooth and low, “this is quite the welcome party. What can I do for you, Mr. Knight?”Damian’s jaw tightened at Cole’s easy demeanor. “I’m not here to negotiate, Cole. Get in the truck.”Cole’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “Ah, the direct approach. Always your style.”Without waiting for permission, Damian grabbed Cole by the collar, shoving him toward the vehicle they had prepped for extraction. Drake secured Cole’s hands with zip ties while Maya stood guard, her weapon trained on the unconscious guards scattered around the ambush site.“Tick tock,” Maya warned. “We need to move before the backup arrives.”Damian didn’t respond, shoving Cole into the back of the truck before climbing in after

The streets of Manhattan were quiet in the early morning hours, the city caught in the fleeting calm between its nightlife and early risers. Damian, Maya, Drake, and Sage gathered in the safehouse, a sleek loft overlooking the skyline. The tension in the room was palpable, and the dim lighting only heightened the somber mood.“She’s already making moves,” Damian said, tossing his jacket onto the couch. “Elena didn’t even try to deny anything tonight. She’s confident—too confident.”“That’s because she knows her position is still strong,” Sage replied, leaning against the counter. She had traded her evening gown for slim black pants and a leather jacket, her demeanor as sharp as her words. “People like her thrive on fear. As long as she controls the narrative, she thinks she’s untouchable.”Drake crossed his arms, his easygoing nature replaced with the intensity of a man who understood the stakes. “And she’s right to some extent. We got a lot of eyes on us tonight. If we mess up again,