Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: The Hunter’s Trap

Lila stood in Caspian Thorn's office, the files on Marcus Reed spread across his desk like a map to a war zone—emails, payout receipts, a trail of threats buried in corporate doublespeak. The air was thick with the scent of ink and his cologne, a mix that grounded her as she traced a finger over a line: Neutralize the liability. Caspian's hand rested on her shoulder, warm and steady, his breath a quiet rhythm behind her. They'd kissed minutes ago—a quick, fierce pact to take down Eric Kane—and now the hunt was on, a shared fire driving them forward."This is it," she said, voice low, tapping the payout receipt—$500,000 to Marcus, dated a week before he vanished. "Kane paid him to shut up, then made him disappear."Caspian nodded, jaw tight, eyes scanning the page. "Victor signed off—his style, clean on the surface, rotten underneath. I was in London, closing a deal. Didn't see it."She turned, meeting his gaze—gray, stormy, laced with guilt he couldn't hide. "You didn't know," she said, softer than she meant, hand brushing his arm. "But you're here now."He caught her wrist, pulling her closer, voice rough. "Because of you." His lips grazed hers, a spark that flared and faded as he stepped back, refocusing. "We need more—something current, something Kane can't bury."Lila nodded, mind racing. "Tara said he threatened her—family leverage. If we find Marcus, dead or alive, it ties Kane directly.""Or Eric's books," Caspian said, pulling a laptop from a drawer. "Offshore's his playground—I've got partial access. If we crack it, we've got him."She smirked, leaning over his shoulder as he logged in. "You're turning into quite the rebel, Thorn.""Had a good teacher," he shot back, fingers flying over keys. The screen glowed—accounts, transfers, names. E. Kane dominated, millions flowing to Apex, Brooklyn, shell companies. A new entry caught her eye: $2M, yesterday, tagged Contingency—L.H.Her stomach dropped. "L.H. Me?"Caspian froze, eyes narrowing. "No. Can't be." He scrolled, digging deeper—metadata showed an IP trace, Kane Industries. "He's framing you—or warning you.""Son of a bitch," she muttered, pacing. "He knows I'm close."Caspian stood, pulling her into his arms, voice low. "He's scared, Lila. We're rattling him."She leaned into him, just for a second, then pulled back. "Then let's rattle harder. I'll hit Tara again—details, dates. You dig Kane's books."He nodded, kissing her forehead—a rare softness that lingered as she left. The subway to Queens was a blur, her mind on that $2M tag, on Eric's cold smile. Tara answered the door, eyes red, a glass of wine trembling in her hand."He called," Tara said, voice a whisper, before Lila could speak. "Last night. Said if I talked, my kid's next."Lila's blood ran cold. "Kane?"Tara nodded, sinking onto a sagging couch. "Didn't say his name—just 'you know who.' Marcus warned me—he'd do anything to protect his empire.""What else?" Lila sat, voice firm, coaxing. "Dates, places—anything Marcus left?"Tara hesitated, then pulled a shoebox from under the couch—letters, photos, a scratched CD. "He sent this, right before. Said burn it if he didn't come back."Lila took the CD, heart pounding. "You didn't?""Couldn't," Tara said, tears spilling. "It's all I've got left."Back in Bushwick, Lila plugged the CD into her laptop—audio, garbled at first, then Marcus's voice, tense, hurried: "—Kane's orders. Brooklyn's rigged—shoddy steel, fake inspections. If it goes up, it'll collapse. I've got proof—files, photos. Eric said shut up or I'm done. Tell Tara I—" Static cut him off.She replayed it, transcribing every word, then texted Caspian: Marcus audio—Brooklyn's a death trap. Kane's hit list. Meet me. His reply: Penthouse. Now.At the 49th, he waited, face grim, a stack of printouts on the bar—Kane's accounts, decrypted. "You were right," he said, handing her a sheet. "Brooklyn's materials—substandard, swapped out. Eric's pocketing the difference."She scanned it, then played the audio. Caspian's fists clenched, eyes darkening. "He knew," he said, voice a growl. "Marcus tried to stop it, and Eric killed him.""We've got him," Lila said, adrenaline surging. "This, the money, Tara—enough to bury him."Caspian pulled her close, hands framing her face. "Not yet. He'll fight—dirty. You're a target now.""Let him try," she said, defiant, kissing him—hard, hungry, a fire stoked by rage and need. He lifted her onto the bar, hands sliding under her shirt, her legs hooking around him. It was fast, fierce—clothes half-off, skin slick, a release of everything boiling over. His mouth on her neck, her nails in his shoulders, they moved together, desperate, until the world blurred and broke. After, she stayed in his arms, breathless, the audio looping in her head."We go public," she said, later, dressed, resolute. "Daily Pulse. Tomorrow."He nodded, pulling her back for a slower kiss. "Together."Morning hit like a freight train—she met Jamie at the office, dumping the CD, files, everything. Jamie's eyes widened, scrolling. "Holy shit, Hart. This is nuclear.""Run it," Lila said, voice steel. "Front page."By noon, the story was live—Thorn Empire's Deadly Secret: Kane's Conspiracy Exposed. Phones rang off the hook, the newsroom a chaos of triumph. Lila's phone buzzed—Caspian: Kane's raging. Stay sharp.She grinned, texting back: Let him burn.But dusk brought a chill—her apartment door ajar, lock picked. Inside, a note on the table, scrawled in black: You're next. Her pulse spiked, and she called Caspian, voice steady despite the fear. "He's here.""On my way," he said, and the line went dead.She grabbed the USB, the CD, and waited, heart hammering, the city a roar outside. Footsteps echoed in the hall—slow, deliberate. The door creaked, and a shadow loomed—Eric Kane, gun in hand, eyes cold as death."Buzz too loud, gnat?" he said, stepping in, smile a slash of menace.Lila backed up, hands raised, mind racing. "You're done, Eric. It's out.""Not yet," he said, raising the gun—and the window shattered, Caspian bursting through, tackling him. The shot went wide, glass raining, and Lila dove, grabbing the USB as they grappled. Caspian pinned him, fist crashing into Eric's jaw, blood splattering."Enough!" Caspian roared, wrenching the gun free. Eric laughed, wild, broken, as sirens wailed below.Cops stormed in, cuffing Eric, dragging him out. Caspian pulled Lila into his arms, both shaking, glass crunching underfoot. "You okay?" he whispered, hands in her hair."Yeah," she lied, clinging to him, the USB a lifeline in her pocket. "We got him."He kissed her, fierce, a vow in the chaos. "We did."