Chapter 651
Chapter 651:
“Let him go,” Skye said, putting a hand on Liam’s arm.
Liam looked at her, shocked. “What p>
“Look at him,” Skye said quietly. “He has nothing. No money. No allies. The police are closing in. Let him run. Let him live in the fear he tried to inflict on us p>
Lucian got the engine started. He cast a look of pure hatred back at them before speeding off into the dark tunnel.
“He’s a ghost,” Skye whispered. “And ghosts fade p>
The police raided the Ironworks bunker an hour later.
Tessa sat on the steps of the dilapidated structure, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She watched a video on a tablet Alistair had given her—a live feed of her son, playing in a safe-house garden with a puppy.
Skye and Liam pulled up in the lead SUV. They had come straight from the Cement Works. Skye jumped out and ran to Tessa.
“You did it,” Skye said, crouching in front of her.
Tessa looked up. Her eyes were dry. “Is he dead p>
“He’s gone,” Skye said. “And he’s ruined. You took everything from him p>
Tessa nodded slowly. “Good p>
Alistair walked over. He looked tired, but relieved.
“We swept the bunker,” Alistair said. “We found the servers wiped clean. The ‘Pandora’ worm was thorough. Even the backups are corrupted p>
“What about the staff?” Liam asked, his hand resting on Skye’s shoulder.
“Arrested,” Alistair said. “Except Tessa. She’s a cooperating witness. We’ll get her and her son new identities p>
“Thank you,” Tessa whispered.
“We also found something else,” Alistair said, his expression darkening. “In Lucian’s personal safe in the command room. Intel p>
He handed Skye a folder.
𝖲𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖿𝖺𝗏𝗈𝗋𝗂𝗍𝖾𝗌 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖻𝖾.𝖼𝗈𝗆
Skye opened it. It wasn’t money. It was a list—names, dates, locations. The Syndicate.
“He was keeping insurance,” Skye realized. “This is the entire network. The people who funded him. The people above him p>
“This is dangerous,” Liam said, reading over her shoulder. “If these people know we have this p>
“Then we’re the targets,” Skye finished. She closed the folder. “Lucian didn’t just leave us a victory. He left us a war p>
“We’ll be ready,” Liam said, his voice hard. “I’m the Chairman of Hayes now. I have resources Lucian could only dream of p>
Alistair lit a cigarette, the flame illuminating his sharp features. “We should go. The press is swarming p>
They walked back to the cars. Skye looked back at the gloomy industrial park one last time.
“It’s not over,” she said softly.
“No,” Liam agreed, taking her hand and squeezing it. “But the balance has shifted p>
Far away, in the damp darkness of a sewer outlet, Lucian Graves dragged himself onto a concrete bank. He was shivering, bleeding, and covered in filth.