Inside the interrogation room, Hale stared across the table at Ray Donovan, barely holding back his anger.
"What have you done?" Hale demanded.
Ray leaned back with a cold grin. "You'll find out soon enough. The boy I handed control to—you've no idea what he's capable of." He gave a dry, bitter laugh. "And neither do your men."
Inside the bank, the air was heavy. The hostages were silent. The gang members tense.
A.D., standing tall now, finally in command, gave his first clear order.
"Don't panic," he said to the gang. His voice was calm, but sharp as steel.
He turned to Logan Vincent. "Go check the delivery box. Look for anything suspicious."
Then to the hostages—his tone turned cold.
"I'm not like Ethan. If anyone disobeys, I'll kill without hesitation."
The room froze.
Lena Moore, the team's medic, looked up from Ethan's slumped body.
"We need a real doctor, A.D. He's losing blood fast. We need equipment, transfusion—everything."
A.D. nodded. "Noted."
He turned to Marcus Cole, the gang's muscle.
"Manage the hostages. Keep them controlled. I've got other work."
Seconds later, Logan returned, eyes wide.
"A.D.—there's a camera hidden in the box."
Before A.D. could react, Dylan Ford, the getaway driver, rushed forward and smashed the camera with the butt of his pistol.
"Gone." Dylan muttered.
Jackson Reed, explosives expert, stepped closer. "They've seen our faces. What now?"
A.D. didn't flinch. Instead, he turned to Logan. "Open the box fully."
Inside was a sleek set of weapons unlike anything they'd ever used, along with a small black electronic device and a series of compact gadget pods.
"Chloe," A.D. said without delay. "Hook this device into their network."
Chloe Carter, the group's hacker, sat at the terminal and began typing fast.
"Jade," A.D. said, handing her the gadgets. "Come with me."
A.D. and Jade Summer, the decoy, walked toward the front entrance. As they opened the doors and stepped out, armed and composed, the police raised weapons.
But Hale, watching closely, lifted his hand. "Hold fire."
Outside, A.D. ordered Jade: "Place the gadgets in a row—ten meters apart. Form a perimeter."
Jade followed precisely, setting the small devices across the street and sidewalks.
Back inside, Chloe gave the signal: "Device linked."
"Now step away," A.D. instructed.
Moments later, laser beams erupted from each gadget, connecting in a glowing red wall that formed a full circular barrier around the bank—a defense the police hadn't expected.
Minutes earlier, before A.D. had stepped outside:
He had turned to Jackson over radio.
"Are the weapons in position?"
"All set." came the reply.
A.D. loaded his pistol, aimed toward the sky, and fired a single shot through the laser field.
In response, hidden turrets—built into the bank rooftop and interior corners—activated and fired a synchronized volley of bullets into the air. The sound was deafening.
But not a single person was harmed.
It was a show of force. A warning.
And now, for the first time, the police realized they were not dealing with ordinary criminals.
They were dealing with something far more calculated—and far more dangerous.