DAMIAN.

The metallic tang of gun oil lingered in the air of the Atlas basement beneath our downtown HQ that doubled as a fortress when shit hit the fan. I paced the worn carpet, my boots thudding rhythmically, each step a futile attempt to bleed off the frustration boiling inside me.

Ava was gone. Every second without her felt like a blade twisting deeper, carving out pieces of me I couldn't afford to lose.

Zane sat at the head of the oak table, his broad frame hunched over a laptop, fingers drumming impatiently on the edge. His jaw was set in that unyielding line I knew too well, the one that said he was holding the world together by sheer will.

Sienna perched on the arm of his chair, her lithe form pressed close, one hand resting possessively on his shoulder. As Zane's fiancée and co-leader, she was the blade in his shadow, the one who'd orchestrated hits with a smile and expanded our territory through ruthless precision.

We had put our differences aside, Zane and I, at least for this. The bruise on my jaw from his earlier punch throbbed as a reminder of our fractured bond, but Ava's disappearance had forged a brittle truce. No more accusations about my "betrayal" with his sister; no more lectures on loyalty. We were brothers in arms again, united by our desperation.

Rico hunched over a console in the corner, his fingers flying across keyboards, pulling strings from our network of informants and hackers. The guy's leather jacket creaked as he shifted, his scarred face illuminated by the glow of multiple screens. He had been at it for hours, chasing digital flight manifests from LAX, CCTV from Ava's building, pings from her last known location. Nothing solid yet, just dead ends.

"Anything?" I snapped, stopping my pacing to loom over Rico's shoulder. The monitors showed a grid of feeds: Ava's penthouse lobby, empty; Paris airport arrivals, no match for her face in the facial rec scans; her social media, dormant since last night.

Rico shook his head, not looking up. "Still digging, boss. Her phone's offline, but I got a hit on a burner signal near her place around the time she vanished. Could be nothing, or a delivery person and a neighbor. Running it through the database now."

Frustration clawed at me, I raked a hand through my hair, feeling the stubble on my scalp prickle under my fingers. Ava, my Ava with her fierce laugh and unyielding spirit, was reduced to a puzzle we couldn't solve. I had replayed our last night a thousand times, her body arching under mine.

Zane's voice cut through my thoughts. "We'll find her. She's a Calloway too. We are tough as nails."

I met his gaze across the table, the ice-blue eyes mirroring Ava's own. "Tough doesn't stop bullets or blades. We need leads, not platitudes."

Sienna's hand tightened on Zane's shoulder, "Watch your tone, Damian. We're all on edge, but sniping won't bring her back." She leaned forward, her perfume wafting toward me. "Rico's the best. Give him time."

Time. The word mocked me. Every tick of the clock was a step closer to whatever hell Ava was in. I resumed pacing, my mind racing through scenarios. Vanessa's death should have bought us breathing room, but kidnappings didn't happen in vacuums. This felt personal and targeted.

Rico's console beeped, and he straightened. "Got something. Partial plate from a van near her building it has no markings. Registered to a shell company. I am tracing ownership now."

Zane nodded, his expression granite. "Good. Cross-reference with known associates. Anyone tied to Vanessa."

I stopped pacing, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. The cool concrete grounded me, but inside, turmoil churned.

Sienna's phone buzzed, and she glanced at it, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Update from our crews. No chatter on Ava yet, but we have talks about a new player moving in after Vanessa's hit."

"New player?" I pushed off the wall, "Who? We need names, not rumors."

Before she could respond, Zane's phone vibrated on the table, followed by a shrill ring that sliced through the room. He snatched it up, his eyes narrowing at the unknown number. "This could be it."

I moved to his side in two strides, close enough to hear every word. Sienna leaned in too, Zane signaled Rico with a sharp gesture "track it" before answering on speaker.

"Calloway," Zane said,

A distorted voice crackled through, mechanical and ominous, "Zane. Good, you're prompt. We have your sister. Pretty thing, feisty too."

Ava was alive, but in their hands. I clenched my fists, forcing silence. Zane's jaw ticked, but his tone remained even. "Proof of life. Now."

"Demanding. Fine." A muffled sound followed before Ava's voice. "Zane? I'm okay. Don't..."

Cut off. She was alive and fighting.

"Satisfied?" the voice continued. "Now, the deal. We want two things. first the drive. The one your fiancée holds dear from her late father. Leverage, they call it. Two, we want a share, a big share of the cartel pie. We want to control territories. Bring it to the coordinates we'll send. Two hours. No tricks or Ava learns what pain really means."

The drive.

Sienna's old locket flashed in my mind. the silver chain she'd worn since her father's death. The innocuous pendant hiding a micro-drive with encrypted files of cartel secrets, blackmail material, the kind that could topple empires or build new ones.

Zane's eyes flicked to Sienna, conflict etching his features. She stiffened, her hand dropping from his shoulder, eyes widening in realization.

"You have two hours," the voice repeated. "Tick-tock." The line went dead.

Rico's fingers blurred over his keyboard. "Tracing... got a bounce signal routed through proxies, but I pinned the origin. Warehouse district, east side. Abandoned auto plant."

Zane stared at the phone, his face a mask cracking at the edges. He stood slowly, turning to Sienna. "The drive..."

She shook her head, stepping back. "No. Zane, you know what it is. My father's legacy. It is proof against half the players in this game. Give it up, and we're exposed. Everything crumbles."

Zane's shoulders tensed, "It's Ava, Sienna. My sister."

"And it's our future!" she shot back, eyes blazing. "The drive keeps us safe. We have it as blackmail on rivals. Should we hand it over, and we're their targets? You think I don't care about Ava? But sacrificing everything?"

I couldn't stay silent. "We don't have time for this!" I exploded, slamming a fist on the table. The wood vibrated under the impact. "Ava's out there, tied up, scared, and you're debating? Give them a fake, buy time. Rico traced it, and we hit them hard."

Zane rounded on me, his eyes thunderous. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one choosing between family and empire."

"Choosing?" I stepped closer, our faces inches apart, heat radiating between us. "Ava is family! The empire means nothing without her. Sienna, give it up. We rebuild. We've done it before."

Sienna crossed her arms, her posture defiant. "Rebuild? With what? The drive has dirt on everyone: feds, rivals, and even our allies. It's my insurance, Zane. Mine."

Zane ran a hand over his face, the tension visible in the lines etching his brow. "Sienna... please. For Ava."

She hesitated, conflict warring in her eyes. "I... can't. Not yet. Let me think."

Frustration surged through me like a tide, hot and suffocating. I paced again, faster, my mind spinning. We had just two hours, freaking 120 minutes to save her. Rico's trace was good, but without the drive as bait? Risky. "We don't need the real one," I growled. "Fake it. USB with dummy files. We go in armed, extract her."

Zane nodded slowly. "Possible. But if they check..."

"They won't have time," I insisted, grabbing a tablet from the table, pulling up schematics of the warehouse. "Rico, pull blueprints. Entry points, blind spots."

Rico complied, screens updating with floor plans. "The south entrance is weak. Loading dock. I can loop cams if they are wired."

Sienna watched, her resolve cracking. "Fine. Use a dupe. But if this goes south..."

"It won't," Zane said, pulling her close. "We get Ava back. Together."

I met his gaze, the truce holding by threads. "For Ava," I echoed. The clock ticked on, each second a hammer blow. Hold on, Ava. We're coming.

AVA.

The blindfold dug into my skin like a persistent itch I couldn't scratch, its rough fabric a constant reminder of my vulnerability. I sat there in that creaky metal chair, wrists raw from the ropes, ankles numb from the bindings, every muscle in my body coiled tight like a spring ready to snap.

The air hung heavy with dust seeping into my lungs with each shallow breath I took. How long had it been? Hours? Days? The time blurred in the darkness, but my mind raced, piecing together every scrap of information Echo had let slip during our chat.

He was a former military man, now a freelance, working for someone driven by a personal grudge against Zane. He was predictable in his arrogance and ran solo operations with no cams and a reinforced door. He thought he had me cornered, but I had been probing him like a puzzle, noting the cracks in his modulated voice, the way he had stiffened at my questions about loss. Men like him always had a weak spot, their ego. And their egos let them make mistakes.

A distant thud echoed through the concrete walls, pulling me from my thoughts. My heart stuttered. Was that a door? Footsteps? I strained against the blindfold, tilting my head, and prickling my ears for more. Nothing at first, just the drip-drip from that leaky pipe in the corner, mocking my isolation.

Then I heard a muffled shout, followed by the sharp crack of gunfire. Pop-pop-pop, like fireworks gone wrong. My pulse hammered in my throat, adrenaline flooding my veins. This was it. Either a rescue or my execution.

Please, let it be Zane. Let it be Damian.

The sounds grew closer and got more chaotic, with grunts, crashes, and more shots. Glass shattered somewhere, maybe through the barred window on the door. I twisted in my chair, making the ropes bite deeper into my skin, and I let out a deep hiss.

"Come on," I whispered to myself, fierce determination bubbling up inside me. I was Ava Sinclair-Calloway, raised in shadows and spotlights. I would fight if I had to, blind or not.

The door to my prison burst open with a metallic screech, and the hinges gave off a groaning in protest. Instantly, cool air rushed in, carrying the acrid scent of gunpowder.

"Where is she?" a voice barked with fury.

Damian.

My chest tightened as relief crashed over me. He was here to save me.

But. Echo's modulated growl cut through, reminding me that the chaos wasn't over. "You shouldn't have come."

Then the real fight erupted.

I couldn't see, but I felt the air vibrating with the intensity of their violence. I listened as their bodies slammed into walls, and the concrete cracked under the impact. That was followed by a grunt, the wet thud of fists meeting flesh.

Gunshots rang out closer now, deafening in the confined space just as something warm splattered across my cheek...was that blood? My stomach churned, but I forced myself to stay still, to listen.

"Flank him!" Another voice yelled through in a commanding tone.

Zane. My brother was there too.

More footsteps pounded while a table overturned with a crash, tools scattering like metallic rain. Echo fired back, and someone yelped in pain.

Not Damian, please not him.

What if they got hurt because of me? I tugged at the ropes again, ignoring the burning sensation since I was desperate to help out. "Damian!" I shouted,

A body hit the floor nearby, the impact sending vibrations up my chair legs. Echo's labored breathing filled the room, it was closer now.

"You think this ends here?" he snarled, his modulator glitching from damage. Then I heard a savage crack of bone breaking and he howled.

"It ends now." Damian replied. I heard more blow exchanges than the slick sound of a knife slicing skin. The air thickened with the fresh blood smell, making me gag. This was cartel life, the bloody underbelly I had glimpsed but never touched.

And now it was spilling out for me.

Finally, silence descended, broken only by heavy breathing and a groan from the floor. I felt gentle hands on me as it tugged at my blindfold. Pulling it off my eyes, light flooded in, blinding me at first. I blinked rapidly, as tears filled up.

Damian's face hovered inches from mine, bruised and blood-stained, his dark eyes were filled with relief.

"Ava," he breathed, cupping my cheek, thumb wiping away the splatter. His touch sent sparks through me and silenced the chaos in my mind. I had missed him.

"I'm okay," I whispered,

But my eyes darted past him to the carnage. Echo lay crumpled against the wall, his mask was torn and blood was pooling from a gash on his forehead. He had a bullet wound in his shoulder. His chest rose and fell unevenly.

He was alive, but barely.

Zane stood over him, gun trained, his suit torn, a cut above his eye dripping red. Sienna was next to him. Two of our men, Rico and another guarded the door, one clutching a bleeding arm.

Zane holstered his weapon and knelt to bind Echo's hands with zip ties from the scattered tools.

"Secure him," he ordered Rico, who nodded and dragged the semi-conscious man to a corner.

Sienna's eyes scanning me with concern. "You held up well," she said, almost approvingly.

Damian worked on my ropes, his fingers deft despite the tremor I felt in them. As the bindings fell away, I rubbed my wrists, wincing at my raw skin. He pulled me to my feet, wrapping me in a tight hug.

His heart pounded against mine, I soak in his cologne.

"I thought I'd lost you," he murmured into my hair.

Zane approached us, his expression softening as he pulled me from Damian into his own embrace. "Ava," he said, voice rough. "Good to see you."

I hugged him back, feeling the tension in his frame.

"Who is he working for and what do they want?" I asked, nodding at Echo as I pulled away.

Zane replied, giving Damian a glance, "Good call on the dupe drive. Bought us time."

Dupe Drive?

I frowned, piecing it together. Echo had demanded Sienna's locket drive, full of secrets. But dupe?

"You faked it?" I asked, turning to Sienna. She nodded, her lips curving slightly. "Couldn't risk the real one. Not with the cartel under fire."

"Under fire?" My mind sharpened, curiosity overriding the ache in my body. "What do you mean?"

Zane exchanged a look with Damian, then sighed. "Some journalists dropped an exposé. Tied Atlas to... everything. Drugs, laundering, hits. Our stocks are dipping, and feds sniffing around. The drive Echo wanted has got evidence that could flip the narrative about Atlas."

My thoughts raced ahead, connecting dots I had picked on Echo's psychology. He was a professional and had mentioned a "new player" with a grudge against Zane, wanting territory. That made him predictable. Echo would have planned his movement. After the drop, he would bolt to his employer for payout, because his ego would demand that he deliver it in person.

"Set him up," I said, cutting through Zane's explanation. "Use him to take the heat off Atlas."

They all stared at me.

Zane tilted his head. "Explain."

I straightened, ignoring the throb in my head, adrenaline to help was fueling me. "Echo's ex-military freelancer. He works for pay; he hinted that Zane was stepping on toes. After you 'drop' the drive, he'll grab it and run straight to whoever hired him. Trail him. Let him lead you to the boss. Then tip the feds anonymously. Plant the narrative that the hirer and Echo are behind the cartel stuff in the exposé. Frame them with the drive's contents. It solves your press problem, clears Atlas."

Sienna's eyes narrowed, assessing. "Bold. But risky. If he spots the tail..."

"He won't," I countered, "He's arrogant, thinks solo means untouchable. I have studied him; he doesn't use proxies. I got that from our talk."

Zane rubbed his chin, considering. "And the feds? We can't just hand over the drive."

"Fake the drop with a tracker in the dupe first," I pressed, my mind whirring. "But switch to real, having edited out ones that could harm us if needed. No, wait. Use the real drive as bait, but rig it with a virus or something to corrupt after access. Noah can handle that." I glanced at Damian, who nodded slowly, a grin tugging at his lips.

Zane's gaze bored into mine, weighing. "This isn't your world, Ava. You've been through hell. Let us handle..."

"No," I snapped, "This is my world now. They took me because of you, because of Atlas. I'm not sitting out. I read him, Zane. Let me help end this."

Damian stepped forward, his hand on my shoulder, "She's right. Sharp as hell. We could use her brain on this."

Zane's eyes flashed between us, the old protectiveness showing again. "Fine," he said finally, voice grudging. "But you stay back during the op. Observation only."

"Deal," I agreed, though internally I seethed at the leash. I would prove myself.

The team moved fast after that.

֍

Rico patched Noah in via secure line, hidden in the locket pendant. "It will ping the location every thirty seconds, and a backdoor virus to fry it if accessed wrong," he explained over speaker,"

Sienna handed it over reluctantly, her fingers lingering. "This better work."

Zane nodded at Rico. "Revive him enough to talk."

Rico hauled Echo up, slapping his face lightly. The man groaned, his eyes fluttering open behind the torn mask. Blood crusted his lip. "What...?"

Zane loomed over him. "Deal's on. Here is the drive in exchange for the girl. I have the coordinates sent." He tossed a burner phone at Echo's feet. "Two hours. No tricks."

Echo's laugh was weak, a modulated voice crackling. "You first."

We left him bound but loose enough to escape as part of the setup. As we piled into SUVs outside, I slid into the back with Damian. His hand found mine, squeezing. "You were brilliant back there," he murmured, lips brushing my ear. Shivers raced down my spine, mixing with the adrenaline.

"I had to be," I whispered back. "For us."

The convoy rolled out, Rico monitoring the tracker from a laptop. Echo broke free twenty minutes later, as predicted. We tailed from afar, with drones overhead courtesy of Noah's hacks. The signal led east, through to a nondescript office building on the city's edge.

Rico noted. "Shell corp ties, wait, linked to an old rival. Marcus Hale. Vanessa's silent partner."

We parked blocks away, watching via feed as Echo entered, drive in hand. Inside, grainy CAM hacks showed him handing it to a man in a suit. Hale, surrounded by goons.

Once they plugged it in. Zane ordered, "Tip the feds,"

Noah handled the anonymous drop using the altered exposé files rerouted to Hale's servers, timestamps faked. Feds swarmed minutes later. We watched from afar as they busted in and gunfire erupted briefly, as Hale's men resisted. Echo bolted out a side door, but the feds cut him off, tackling him in a brutal takedown. Hale emerged in cuffs, cursing.

It was over. Atlas had been cleared.

As the feds hauled them away, I exhaled, leaning into Damian. "Told you he would lead straight there."

He kissed my temple with pride. "Damn right."

Damian clapped my shoulder. "Thanks to Ava. She nailed his psyche, predicted every move." He turned to Zane, "We could use a brain like hers. Stop holding her back from ops. She's proven it."

Zane stopped, eyes on me. "You're right. Welcome to the family business, sis."

I smiled. There were no more sidelines. This was my world now.

HARVEY.

The cabin smelled of mildew, its wooden walls groaning under the weight of years. I dropped my backpack by the door, the thud echoing in the empty space, and fumbled with the spare key Ben had described as being tucked under a loose porch board, crusted with dirt. My fingers shook as I turned it in the lock, the door creaked open to reveal a plush-decorated living room. Ben's family home, a hideout outside LA.

I sank onto the couch, and the springs protested against my weight. I pressed my palms against my eyes. The exposé I had written on Atlas played on a loop in my head. I had thought it was my ticket to the big leagues, a Pulitzer-worthy scoop. But now, there I was, hiding out here. I saw Noah's face instead; his eyes had been hollowed on that PR broadcast that I watched in the car. He had stood there, deflecting questions about drugs, money laundering, hits, while the reporters swarmed like vultures. I had done that to him. Noah had sounded angry the last time we spoke. I had hurt him.

I shuffled to the kitchen, while the floorboards creaked under my boots, until I stopped at the fridge. I pulled it open and found it empty, save for a jar of pickles and a can of beer.

"Ugh" I sighed as I grabbed the chilled beer, and cracked it open.

I walked back to the couch in the living room, staring at my bag, contemplating getting my phone. I had powered it off for the last 48 hours. I had been too paranoid to turn it on, imagining trackers or bugs by the cartel trying to pinpoint my every move. But I needed to know what was happening. I sank back onto the couch, forgetting about the beer in my hand for that moment and flipped on the TV.

The screen flickered, static giving way to a news channel. "Breaking: Ruz Cartel Exposed as True Culprits Behind Atlas Allegations."

The anchor's voice was crisp, authoritative, as footage rolled of the feds storming a building, bringing out men in cuffs. There was also footage of Marcus Hale and others, all bloodied but alive. My beer slipped from my hand, hitting the floor with a dull clang. The foam seeped into the rug.

"That was a ruse." I sighed as my anger surged, drowning my initial guilt. My story was true. I had triple-checked every lead and every document. Atlas men were chess masters, flipping the board when cornered. They must have framed Hale to spin the narrative and left my exposé in tatters. Their genius team could rewrite reality itself. I had been played. Again.

My hands trembled as I fished my phone from the bag. It powered on with a chime. Notifications flooded in texts, emails and voicemails. My publisher's number was at the top with three messages waiting. Before I could listen, the phone buzzed, and the screen flashed his name.

I sighed, bracing myself as I answered it. "Hi."

"Harvey, what the fuck?" His voice was a snarl, the kind he reserved for interns who missed deadlines. "You've tanked us."

I sat up, spine rigid. "Tanked? The story was airtight. You approved it!"

"Airtight?" he screamed, and I could hear him pacing, "It's a shitshow! Feds raided Hale's operation, found your 'evidence' planted there. Everyone's screaming that our site publishes fake news. And the board's livid. Your contract's done, Harvey. Done."

The words hit like a slap, my breath catching. "Done? But the advance and the cheque..."

"Clawed back. You think we can pay for lies? You've cost us credibility, which is everything to a news channel, not to mention how we are hemorrhaging revenue. That exposé is the death of us."

"Lies?" My voice rose in my defense, "Atlas spurned this. They must have hacked, planted, framed Hale. My sources were solid..."

"Your sources were played!" he roared. "Or you were. Doesn't matter. Don't call back."

The line went dead. I stared at the phone, feeling my heart racing so fast. The cheque wouldn't clear. That means that my mortgage payment would be in default again, I was already three months behind. Not to mention my other bills, which had all been piling up; eviction notices would come, followed by repossession. I would lose everything. My apartment and my name. All because I had dared to challenge Atlas,. who had been obliterated. I had poked the wrong empire, and now I was their prey.

I paced the room, my boots thudding on the floor. My phone buzzed again, jolting me. Audrey.

My stomach twisted reading her name on the screen. I answered, "Hey."

"Harvey, thank God. We need to meet. Coffee shop on Elm, one hour. As friends. If we ever were."

I laughed softly. "So you can set me up? Finish what your empire started?"

"Neutral ground, just us."

My curiosity gnawed, wondering if Audrey knew something or anything that could help me fight back. "Fine," I snapped.

"See you there."

The call ended.

I grabbed my jacket, weighing my decision. If Atlas wanted me, they would get me. I couldn't hide from such a powerful empire even if I tried.

֍֍

I got to Elm Street's coffee shop, a few blocks away from the banquet hall, where I had met Audrey for the first time, and I stepped inside. Audrey sat in a corner booth, sitting stylishly in her fancy navy blazer.

I slid in across from her, arms crossed tight. "Talk."

She pushed a latte my way, steam curling up. "I'm glad you're safe. Noah's been a wreck, Harvey."

"A wreck?" My voice came off a bit loud, it drew glances from other patrons. "After burying my story? And framing Hale? Don't play me, Audrey. You're Atlas's fixer."

"You are the one to talk, no. You dropped a nuke on us. All mere accusations of murders and illegal drugs that could've ruined good people. Noah's not what you think."

"Good people?" I leaned forward, "Cartel deals and blood money, that's your 'good people'? I had proof, Audrey. Emails, photos, names."

"Proof?" She matched my lean, her whisper fierce. "It is all half-truths, cherry-picked leaks from rivals like Hale. Admit it, that you used me and Noah for a headline, and we fought back. In the end, we all were just doing our jobs."

"Your jobs?" My clenched fist hit the table, rattling the mugs, "You destroyed me! My writing contract is gone, no pay. Doing your job will cost me my home and career. Audrey, my life. Because Atlas can't handle the truth."

Her face softened, "Your story was a weapon and it aimed wrong. Hale was the real threat who tried to frame us. We just redirected the heat."

"Redirected?" I scoffed despite myself. "Tell me, knowing Noah handles your hacks, did he laugh while screwing me over?"

She flinched, looking away, "He cares. More than you'll admit. But you have to know why I'm here. I want to help you quietly. Give you some money, get a new start. But you have to stop digging."

Rage boiled over, "No, Audrey. I'm not stopping. Atlas is dirty, and I'll prove it again."

"You'll die, Harvey," she hissed, leaning closer, "Hale's down, but others are circling. Drop it, Harvey. For old times' sake."

I stood, chair scraping, "We were never friends. Just pawns in your game. Tell Noah I'm sorry for nothing."

I stormed out, guilt and anger tangled inside me, but one thing was clear: Atlas had won this round. But I wasn't done. Not yet.