Chapter 1 - The Midnight Hunt
Nico stared at the glowing security monitor in absolute silence.
The grainy black-and-white footage showed Norah walking out into the freezing rain.
She was carrying nothing but a cheap canvas duffel bag.
The timestamp on the corner of the screen read exactly twelve forty-five.
She had heard every single arrogant word he had said to his underboss.
Nico felt a sudden, violent tightening in his chest that completely erased his exhaustion.
He turned away from the monitors and slammed his fist into the concrete wall.
The impact fractured his knuckles, but he barely registered the pain.
He grabbed his custom pistol from the desk and chambered a round.
He ordered Luca to lock down the entire building and assemble the hunting team.
Nico sprinted toward the private garage, his heart hammering against his ribs.
He tore out into the wet city streets in his armored black sports car.
The rain was falling in heavy, blinding sheets across the dark asphalt.
He dialed Norah's phone number repeatedly, but the automated voice mocked him every time.
Ten miles away, Norah was shivering violently under the awning of a closed diner.
Her clothes were completely soaked, and her feet were blistered from walking.
She pulled a prepaid burner phone from her pocket and dialed a number she had memorized years ago.
It was the number for Marcus, an old friend who specialized in forging passports for desperate people.
The phone rang three times before the line finally clicked open.
Norah held her breath and whispered his name into the receiver.
May you like
A deep, unfamiliar voice chuckled darkly on the other end of the line.
The man told her that Marcus could not come to the phone because he was currently bleeding to death on the floor.
