12
The dim motel room smelled like stale cigarettes and cheap air freshener, but Selene barely noticed. She sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at the hard drive in her hands like it held the weight of the world.
Because, in a way, it did.
Elliot paced near the window, peeking through the grimy blinds every few seconds. His hands trembled, a barely concealed panic creeping into his voice. "He's coming for us. You know that, right? Stanton's not the type to let this slide."
Damian, leaned against the door, arms crossed. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by something colder. More dangerous. "Let him come."
Elliot let out a humorless laugh. "That's your plan? Just wait for him to hunt us down?"
Selene finally looked up, her voice steady. "No. We're going to bury him first."
Elliot stopped pacing, frowning. "How?"
Selene turned to Damian. "How fast can we crack this?" She held up the hard drive.
Damian shrugged. "Depends on the encryption. Could take hours, could take days."
"We don't have days," Elliot muttered.
Selene exhaled. "Then we'll do it the hard way. We leak whatever we can, immediately. Enough to put pressure on him, enough to make people question their loyalty."
Elliot hesitated. "You're playing with fire."
Selene's gaze didn't waver. "No. I'm burning the whole house down."
Breaking the Chain
Selene set up her laptop on the rickety motel desk, plugging in the hard drive. Damian stood behind her, watching as she navigated the files. Elliot hovered close, still fidgeting, his nerves shot.
The screen flickered. A folder popped up.
PROJECT BLACKWATER
Selene clicked it open, her breath catching as file after file appeared. Financial records, wire transfers, secret meetings. Stanton's entire network, laid out in cold, undeniable proof.
Damian let out a low whistle. "This… this is bigger than I thought."
Selene scrolled further. A series of names appeared—politicians, CEOs, law enforcement officials. People Stanton owned.
Elliot leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper. "He's got half the city in his pocket."
Selene's jaw clenched. "Not for long."
She grabbed her phone and started typing.
Damian raised an eyebrow. "Who are you texting?"
"An old friend," Selene muttered.
The Leak
Selene's contact worked fast. Within an hour, the first wave of leaks hit the internet.
A journalist with a grudge against Stanton ran the story—"Billionaire Crime Lord's Dirty Secrets Exposed."
Anonymous files spread like wildfire, reaching activists, rogue cops, and every enemy Stanton had ever made.
Phones buzzed. News alerts flashed.
And, in the heart of the city, Stanton himself would be watching his empire crumble in real time.
The Retaliation
They didn't have to wait long for Stanton's response.
Thirty minutes later, Elliot's phone rang. He stared at the screen like it was a bomb. "It's him."
Damian leaned in. "Put it on speaker."
Elliot swallowed hard and answered. "Hello?"
Stanton's voice was calm, but there was ice beneath the surface.
"You really think you've won?" he said.
Selene met Damian's gaze, then spoke. "I think you're bleeding."
A pause. Then a low chuckle. "Cute. But I don't bleed easily, darling."
Damian scoffed. "We'll see about that."
Stanton sighed. "Let's be reasonable. Give me the hard drive, and I might—might—let you live."
Selene leaned forward. "Or we can keep ruining your life."
Silence. Then Stanton's voice turned lethal.
"You just signed your death warrant."
The line went dead.
The Ambush
The moment the call ended, Elliot cursed. "We need to get the hell out of here."
Damian was already moving, checking his gun. "Too late for that."
Selene's instincts screamed at her. Something was coming.
She grabbed the hard drive and shoved it into her pocket. "We move, now."
Elliot opened the door—and froze.
Three men stood outside, guns raised.
The lead thug smirked. "Going somewhere?"
The Fight for Survival
Selene moved first.
She slammed the door shut just as the first shot rang out.
Damian grabbed a chair, wedging it under the handle. "They'll break through in seconds."
Elliot was pale. "We're trapped."
Selene's mind raced. The motel was a dead-end, but there was always a way out. Always.
Her eyes flicked to the bathroom window.
"Out the back," she ordered. "Now!"
Damian didn't hesitate. He kicked open the bathroom door, shattering the cheap lock. Elliot followed, scrambling over the sink to push open the narrow window.
Bang!
The door splintered as the men outside forced their way in.
Selene turned, raised her gun, and fired.
One of the thugs staggered back, cursing. The others lunged.
Damian grabbed Elliot and shoved him through the window. "Go!"
Selene backed toward them, firing again.
Another shot grazed her arm, pain searing through her.
Damian swore. "Move, Selene!"
She didn't hesitate. She turned, jumped onto the sink, and pulled herself through the window just as the men burst into the bathroom.
The trio landed hard on the pavement below, breathless but alive.
No time to recover.
Selene grabbed Elliot and ran.
War Has Begun
They didn't stop running until they reached a stolen car Damian had stashed in a parking garage two blocks away. They piled in, breath ragged.
Elliot slammed his hands against the dashboard. "That was insane."
Damian smirked. "That was fun."
Selene wiped the blood from her arm and exhaled. "This isn't over."
She glanced at the city skyline, knowing Stanton was out there, regrouping.
She had made her move.
Now it was time to end this war.