Kael’s thumb brushed his jaw, voice low and fierce.“I knew you wouldn’t.You’re safe.No one can get to you.Not while I’m here.”
Then, the darkness claimed him.
****
Marcus Vale had alwaysbeen a master at weaponizing truth.He’d built a career convincing men that darkness could be noble if it was dressed in purpose.And now, he was using the same trick on his own people.
He stood at the head of the conference table, flanked by Victor Dane—the Directorate’s strategist—and Lang, a younger operative with restless energy and something to prove.Victor, precise and sharp, had once followed Marcus without question.But lately, his gaze lingered a little too long when their eyes met, and Marcus knew the strategist’s loyalty wasn’t just professional anymore.
Marcus used that.He always did.
“Gentlemen,” Marcus began, the digital projection of the Black Tide compound illuminating the room.“These men are not heroes.They’re mercenaries hiding behind moral codes.Assassins who take contracts from the highest bidder.They’ve destabilized markets, toppled leadership, and now they’ve stolen one of our most valuable assets.”
Victor frowned slightly.“You’re saying they took Hawkins?”
Marcus’s expression softened, something personal glinting behind his eyes.“They didn’t just take him, Victor.They turned him.The same man I trained—the same man we built—is living among killers who call themselves righteous.”
Lang scoffed.“The Black Tide?I’ve read their files.They only hit targets they call ‘corrupt.’Sounds like freelance morality to me.”
Marcus leaned forward, voice calm and persuasive.“A convenient lie.They claim to kill for justice, but every ‘righteous hit’ has benefited their investors.They’ve just rebranded greed as virtue.”He let the words sink in, watching the doubt flicker in Victor’s face.“If Hawkins is with them, he’s compromised.He’s not one of us anymore—he’s a threat.”
Victor hesitated.“You’re sure?”
Marcus nodded once.“I’ve seen the reports myself.They’re expanding operations, consolidating power.If we don’t act now, they’ll become untouchable.”He turned toward Lang.“And that’s where you come in.I want you embedded in the logistics of this retrieval.You’ll coordinate from the field.”
Lang blinked.“Field?Sir, that compound’s heavily guarded.”
Marcus smiled, all charm and menace.“That’s why you’ll go with Victor.He’ll make sure you don’t get lost.”
For a moment, Victor looked surprised.Then he smoothed his expression, nodding.“Eight weeks?”
“Eight weeks,” Marcus confirmed.“That gives us time to study their defenses, exploit their arrogance, and remind the world that the Directorate still controls the narrative.”
Lang shifted uneasily.“And if Hawkins resists?”
Marcus’s voice cooled.“He won’t.He’s still mine, whether he remembers it or not.”
Victor’s gaze flicked toward him, something complicated there—admiration, maybe jealousy.“And if he doesn’t remember?”
Marcus smiled, just a trace of sadness behind the confidence.“Then I’ll remind him why he joined us in the first place.”
He stepped back, clasping his hands behind him as the hologram flickered with images of Black Tide’s land—the cliffs, the forest, the low sprawl of their garage complex.“We go in under the cover of night.Minimal force.Surgical precision.When it’s done, we’ll have our asset back, and the world will believe we saved him from a den of murderers.”
Victor’s lips curved faintly, though his eyes were thoughtful.“And if they’re not murderers?”
Marcus looked at him, voice low.“They are.”
The strategist nodded, though something unreadable passed behind his gaze.Lang looked between them, uncertain whether to feel inspired or afraid.
Marcus smiled again, satisfied.“Gentlemen, the clock starts now.Prepare the team.When we move, it will be swift, clean, and final.”
As they filed out, Victor lingered at the doorway.“You really think Hawkins will come back willingly?”
Marcus’s answer was almost tender.“He will.One way or another.”
When the door closed behind them, Marcus turned back to the darkened glass, the city lights flickering like distant fire.“You were mine first, Drew,” he whispered.“And I always take back what’s mine.”
