Chapter 701
Chapter 701:
Lucian laughed. It was a dry, rattling sound. “You think prison scares me? If I talk, I’m dead before arraignment p>
“The Syndicate abandoned you,” I said, leaning forward. “That phone call? We know they hung up. You’re disposable to them. But not to us. We can put you in witness protection. Deep cover p>
Lucian looked at me. I saw the flicker of hope in his eyes.
“I never met K,” Lucian whispered. “No one has. We deal with an intermediary. The Architect p>
“Who is The Architect p>
“I don’t know a name,” Lucian said. “We communicate via encrypted chat. But…” He hesitated. “One time, during a voice call, I heard something in the background p>
“What p>
“A sound,” Lucian said. “Specific. A deep, iron bell tolling. And immediately after… a train whistle. But not a modern one. A steam whistle p>
Liam and I exchanged a look. It meant nothing to me at first, just random noise.
“Anything else?” Liam pressed.
“The Architect was obsessed with the Hayes family,” Lucian said. “Specifically Parker p>
“Parker?” I frowned. “Why p>
“Because Parker is the only one with ‘Legacy Access,’” Lucian said. “Whatever that means. They wanted him alive. That’s why they didn’t kill him in the arcade p>
We left the room.
“A bell and a steam whistle,” Liam said as we walked down the corridor. “It sounds like a riddle p>
“Or a location,” I said. “Where in this city would you hear an iron bell and a steam train p>
Liam stopped. His eyes widened. “The Heritage Line. The tourist train that runs on weekends through the northern hills. It uses a restored 1920s steam engine p>
C𝘰𝘮р𝘭𝗲𝗍𝗲 𝘀𝗍o𝗋𝘪е𝘀 𝗈𝗻 𝗯𝗲.𝖼o𝗆
“And the bell?” I asked.
“There’s only one estate close enough to the tracks with a working bell tower,” Liam said, his voice dropping.
“The Hayes Estate,” I whispered. The realization settled not as a surprise, but as confirmation of a suspicion I hadn’t dared to voice. “Parker’s home p>
I pulled out my phone. I dialed Parker.
It went straight to voicemail.
“Alistair,” I called out as he joined us. “Track Parker. Now p>
Alistair checked his phone. “He left the safe house twenty minutes ago. He said he got a text from his father about his mother being sick p>
“It’s a trap,” I said. “He’s heading right into the Architect’s lair p>
“Signal shows him arriving at the Hayes Estate now,” Alistair said, his face grim. “He’s stationary p>
“He’s in danger,” I said. “We have to go p>
The drive to the Hayes Estate was a blur of speed and anxiety.
“Why Parker?” Liam asked from the passenger seat. “He’s a gamer. He doesn’t know anything about the business p>