Chapter 10 - The False Victory
They hit the concrete hard, rolling behind the thick cover of a concrete support pillar just as a barrage of rubber bullets peppered the wall.
"What are you doing?" Larkin yelled, struggling against her grip.
"They're shooting non-lethal rounds," Penelope hissed, holding him down.
"If you fire back with live ammunition, they will slaughter us."
Larkin gritted his teeth, pressing his hand against his bleeding side.
"We are trapped," he groaned, defeat finally settling into his sharp features.
"Not yet," Penelope said, pulling a small silver canister from her clutch.
She had purchased it from a highly unsavory contact three days prior for exactly this scenario.
She yanked the pin and hurled the military-grade smoke grenade directly toward the blinding spotlight.
A massive cloud of thick, gray smoke instantly swallowed the exit ramp, plunging the FBI tactical team into temporary blindness.
"Run!" Penelope yelled, hauling Larkin to his feet.
They sprinted blindly through the smoke, veering sharply to the right and slipping through a narrow maintenance door that led to a dark alleyway.
An unmarked black sedan was idling quietly in the shadows.
Larkin yanked the passenger door open, shoved Penelope inside, and collapsed into the back seat.
"Drive," Larkin gasped to the unseen driver.
The sedan peeled out of the alley, tires screeching as they vanished into the chaotic, rain-slicked streets of the city, leaving the FBI and Thomas's mercenaries far behind.
Larkin leaned his head against the leather seat, letting out a long, shuddering breath.
He looked at Penelope, who was staring out the window, her dark reflection illuminated by passing streetlights.
"You saved my empire, my life, and kept me out of federal prison, all in one night," Larkin said, his voice laced with genuine awe.
He reached out and gently placed his hand over hers.
"You are no longer a secretary, Penelope."
"Welcome to the inner circle."
Penelope turned to him and smiled, a soft, seemingly genuine expression.
"Thank you, Larkin," she said quietly.
They had won.
Thomas was exposed, the master ledger was secure, and Larkin trusted her entirely.
It was a flawless victory.
Penelope's encrypted burner phone buzzed softly in her lap.
She glanced down at the screen, shielding it from Larkin's view.
It was a message from the Director of the FBI Organized Crime Division.
"Excellent work, Special Agent Woods; Phase One is complete, and the target trusts you."
Penelope locked the screen, maintaining her warm smile as she looked back at the mob boss she had just been assigned to destroy.
"Now," the driver said, turning around to face them with a chillingly familiar grin.
May you like
Penelope's blood turned to absolute ice as she recognized the face of the man behind the wheel.
It was Thomas.
