Chapter 1 - The Blood On The Table
Ren worked with a speed that defied the terrifying situation in her living room.
She did not ask questions about the dark blood or the expensive tailored suits.
She simply focused entirely on stopping the massive hemorrhage in the older man's chest.
Orion watched her small hands move with absolute precision under the dim oil lamp.
He had seen the best underground doctors panic violently under much less pressure.
Yet this mysterious woman in the middle of nowhere was completely and perfectly calm.
Caesar the mastiff remained by the heavy wooden door like a silent, imposing sentinel.
The massive dog's eyes never left Orion, ensuring the mafia boss made no sudden moves.
Ren finally tied the last medical suture and wiped her bloody hands on a clean towel.
She checked Aldrich's pulse carefully and nodded to herself in quiet satisfaction.
The older man's breathing was still shallow, but it had stabilized significantly.
Ren then turned her sharp, calculating gaze to Orion's torn, blood-soaked left sleeve.
She firmly ordered him to sit on the wooden chair before he collapsed from blood loss.
Orion desperately wanted to argue, but the intense exhaustion in his bones forced him to obey.
She used professional trauma shears to cut away the ruined fabric of his expensive suit jacket.
A high-caliber bullet had grazed his bicep, leaving a nasty, deeply burning gash.
As she cleaned the wound, Orion noticed a silver pendant hanging from her neck.
It was the emblem of a broken raven, a symbol he recognized from the deep criminal underworld.
Before he could ask her about it, Caesar let out a low, incredibly menacing growl.
The dog stood up quickly, the thick hair on his massive back bristling sharply.
Heavy, deliberate footsteps crunched loudly against the dry autumn leaves outside the cabin.
Someone knocked on the thick wooden door in a rhythmic, very specific pattern.
It was the secret knock used exclusively by Orion's own elite personal guard.
Orion felt a massive surge of relief, thinking his loyal men had finally found him.
A familiar, gruff voice called out, claiming they were there to escort the boss to safety.
Orion stood up to open the door, but Ren suddenly grabbed his wrist with surprising strength.
She pointed silently to the bottom crack of the door, where muddy water was seeping in.
The mud was a distinct, bright red clay, found only near the traitor's northern compound.
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The man standing outside was absolutely not there to save the powerful mafia boss.
He was a deadly assassin sent to finish the job.
