The warehouse district looked dead. Abandoned buildings. Broken windows. Streetlights that hadn't worked in years. Davis drove slowly through empty streets.
"This is a bad idea," he said for the tenth time. "You've made that clear," Nickey replied. Trina sat in the back seat. Silent. Her hand rested on her stomach. The baby. Their baby. Growing inside her while they drove toward possible death. "You should have stayed at the safe house," Nickey told her. "And wait to hear you died? No. We're in this together. That's what we said." Davis pulled over two blocks from the coordinates. Cut the engine. Darkness surrounded them. "The FBI is on their way," he said. "ETA thirty minutes. We should wait." "We don't have thirty minutes. These people know we found the tattoo. They're probably moving operations right now." "Or setting a trap." "Probably that too." Davis opened the trunk.Nickey woke to cold concrete and complete darkness. His head pounded where they'd hit him."Trina?""I'm here." Her voice trembled from nearby. "The baby's okay."His eyes adjusted. Small room. Metal door. No windows. Their wrists were zip-tied.He tested the door. Locked solid. "How long was I out?""Maybe an hour. Davis is gone. They took him somewhere else."The door opened. Light flooded in. Two men dragged Nickey down a hallway into a larger room.Victor sat at a desk. James was there. Tied to a chair. Alive."James!" Nickey lunged forward. The men held him back."Hey brother," James said weakly. "Long time.""I thought you died in the fire.""Almost did. Michael kept me alive. Used me as leverage." James's voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I should've found a way to contact you."Victor stood. "Touching. Now let's talk business. You're making a delivery tonight. Drive a truck across town. Simple.""What's in it?""Nothing you need to know about." Victor pulled a gun. Walked to James. P
Nickey woke to cold concrete and complete darkness. His head pounded where they'd hit him."Trina?""I'm here." Her voice trembled from nearby. "The baby's okay."His eyes adjusted. Small room. Metal door. No windows. Their wrists were zip-tied.He tested the door. Locked solid. "How long was I out?""Maybe an hour. Davis is gone. They took him somewhere else."The door opened. Light flooded in. Two men dragged Nickey down a hallway into a larger room.Victor sat at a desk. James was there. Tied to a chair. Alive."James!" Nickey lunged forward. The men held him back."Hey brother," James said weakly. "Long time.""I thought you died in the fire.""Almost did. Michael kept me alive. Used me as leverage." James's voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I should've found a way to contact you."Victor stood. "Touching. Now let's talk business. You're making a delivery tonight. Drive a truck across town. Simple.""What's in it?""Nothing you need to know about." Victor pulled a gun. Walked to James. P
Nickey woke to cold concrete and complete darkness. His head pounded where they'd hit him."Trina?""I'm here." Her voice trembled from nearby. "The baby's okay."His eyes adjusted. Small room. Metal door. No windows. Their wrists were zip-tied.He tested the door. Locked solid. "How long was I out?""Maybe an hour. Davis is gone. They took him somewhere else."The door opened. Light flooded in. Two men dragged Nickey down a hallway into a larger room.Victor sat at a desk. James was there. Tied to a chair. Alive."James!" Nickey lunged forward. The men held him back."Hey brother," James said weakly. "Long time.""I thought you died in the fire.""Almost did. Michael kept me alive. Used me as leverage." James's voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I should've found a way to contact you."Victor stood. "Touching. Now let's talk business. You're making a delivery tonight. Drive a truck across town. Simple.""What's in it?""Nothing you need to know about." Victor pulled a gun. Walked to James. P
Nickey played the video again. And again. James's face filled the screen each time. Scarred but alive. Real."We need to verify this is current," Davis said. He'd followed Nickey inside. "Could be old footage. Deepfake technology.""That's my brother. I know him.""You knew him two years ago. People change."Trina sat beside Nickey on the hospital bed. Touched his arm gently. "Even if it's real, we can't get three million dollars in three days. It's physically impossible.""Then I'll find another way.""What way? Rob a bank? There is no way."Davis's phone rang. He stepped into the hallway to answer.Nickey stared at the empty room. The note mocking him from the pillow. Three days."Michael's life insurance," Trina said suddenly. "It's five million. I'm the beneficiary.""That takes weeks to process. Maybe months.""Not if we have a lawyer expedite it. Angela could help. Emergency circumstances.""Insurance companies don't work that fast. Especially with a suspicious death.""We have
The warehouse district looked dead. Abandoned buildings. Broken windows. Streetlights that hadn't worked in years. Davis drove slowly through empty streets. "This is a bad idea," he said for the tenth time. "You've made that clear," Nickey replied. Trina sat in the back seat. Silent. Her hand rested on her stomach. The baby. Their baby. Growing inside her while they drove toward possible death. "You should have stayed at the safe house," Nickey told her. "And wait to hear you died? No. We're in this together. That's what we said." Davis pulled over two blocks from the coordinates. Cut the engine. Darkness surrounded them. "The FBI is on their way," he said. "ETA thirty minutes. We should wait." "We don't have thirty minutes. These people know we found the tattoo. They're probably moving operations right now." "Or setting a trap." "Probably that too." Davis opened the trunk.
Nickey kissed Trina's forehead. Stood slowly. Hands raised above his head."I'm coming out," he called toward the broken window."Nickey, no!" Trina grabbed his leg desperately. He pulled free gently but firmly.Davis blocked his path. His face was hard. "This is suicide.""Maybe. But it's my choice to make."He walked carefully to the broken window. Glass crunched under his shoes with every step. Moonlight spilled through the jagged opening. Outside, shadows moved. Shifted. Waited.Michael stood in the center of the yard. Gun raised and steady. Three men flanked him on both sides. All armed. All watching with cold professional eyes."Finally," Michael said. His voice was calm. Almost pleased. "Just you and me, cousin. The way this should have ended from the very start.""Let everyone else go. This is between us. Nobody else needs to die.""Is it though? Because it seems you involved a lot of people in your little revenge fantasy. Catherine. The police. My wife. All of them suffering