Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 51 - Chapitre 60

THE NET TIGHTENS

President Powell’s POV“Mr. President,” Chen said, his face appearing on the secure screen in my private study. “We have a problem.”Raising an eyebrow. “Go ahead.”He hesitated. “Our contact is no longer… viable.”I stood, my blood cooling. “What does that mean, Agent Chen?”“He’s dead, sir. Suicide by overdose. In his hotel room. Local police are calling it an accident, but..”“But you’re not convinced,” I finished for him. “Who else knew about this contact?”“No one, sir. Just me and you.”I studied his face. If he was lying, he was very good at it. But I didn’t think he was. He was too smart for that. “So how did he end up dead?”Chen’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know, sir. But his death is… suspicious.”I walked to the window, looking out over the city. This was bad. Very bad. “Where are the files?” I asked without turning around.“They’re missing, sir. Our tech team is working on recovering the data from his cloud backups, but…”“But it’s going to take time,” I finished. “Time we d

NIGHT LOADS

Rico’s POVThe moon hung low and heavy over the dark water as I stepped out of the car. The sound of waves breaking against the shore carried on the salty air.I hated the coast. But this was where the shipment was coming in, so this was where I had to be.My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, checking the screen. Dante.“Anything?” his voice was all business, even at this hour.I watched as the crew began to unload the containers, their movements efficient but cautious.“Nothing yet,” I replied. “But it’s here. I’m watching them unload now.”There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Keep me posted,” Dante finally said. “And Rico?”“Yeah?”“Watch your back.”I snorted. “When do I not?”The line went dead, and I tucked the phone away, turning my attention back to the scene unfolding before me.I slipped down the gangway with a flashlight tucked into my jacket and a badge in a pocket I didn’t want anyone seeing. Boxes came down one by one; men with work gloves stacke

THE LINEUP

Dante’s POVThe city lights blurred past me in a smear of neon and darkness. My grip tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles whitening as I pushed the speedometer higher.Dante, where are you? My phone buzzed with Rico's text, and I glanced at the screen. Algeciras Port. East end. The cargo's moving.Fuck. I hit the gas, weaving through traffic with a precision born of desperation. The clock on the dashboard glared at me: 02:47. Too much time had passed.I knew what they were capable of. The images that flashed through my mind — girls bound and gagged, shoved into trucks like cattle — made my stomach twist with rage.I skidded around a corner, tires screeching in protest. My phone buzzed again.Dante, we've got footage. Plates. GPS coordinates. Sending you everything now.Rico. Thank God. I opened the files, scanning them quickly. The grainy video showed men in dark clothes, faces obscured, hauling crates from a ship. Then a glimpse of a girl, no more than fifteen, her eyes wide wit

WHEN HANDS FALL

President Powell's POVThe television wakes before I do. The anchors’ voices are bright and practiced, a dark feed, a grainy clip of a dock at night, men moving boxes, a face turned toward the light.I stared at the TV screen, my blood running cold.Breaking news flashed across the bottom, and there, in grainy footage, was Dunne. My right-hand man, being led away in handcuffs.“No,” I whispered, my hand clenching the remote. “No, no, no.”The footage showed him at his house, surrounded by police.Next the video moved to children, our latest shipment. Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!!If Dunne was busted, it was only a matter of time before I got exposed.The camera lingered on their tear-stained faces before cutting back to Dunne.“This morning,” the anchor’s voice was grave, “authorities intercepted a human trafficking ring in Algeciras, Spain. Among those arrested was a man known to be Robert Dunne.”I felt sick. Physically ill. How could this have happened? How could he be so stupid?The footag

THE FEAST OF EVIDENCE

Dante's POVThe call came at 3 a.m. local time, just as I was about to fall asleep. My heart raced as I saw the caller ID, knowing it could only mean one thing.“Dante. He's been arrested.”I sat up in bed, my body tense. “Are you sure?”“Yes. They got him at the docks, trying to smuggle more girls out. We've got footage, Dante. Clear as day. Him, the girls, the drugs… everything.”I let out a long breath, relief and anger warring inside me. “Good. That's fucking good. Now we just need to make sure he talks.”“You think he will?,” the voice on the other end assured me. “Not if he knows what's good for him. But we need to move fast, Dante. The President will try to shut this down before it gets out of hand.”“I know,” I said, already thinking several steps ahead. “Get me everything you can on Dunne's operation. Bank records, shipping manifests, everything.”“You got it. And Dante?”“Yeah?”A pause. “Be careful. Powell is going to come after you with everything he's got.”“I'm ready for

THE DEAD MAN'S SILENCE

Dante’s POVMy phone buzzed with a news alert. I frowned, reading the headline.I read the text again, unable to believe it.“Breaking News: Suspected Kingpin in Child Trafficking Ring Found Dead in Prison. Sources close to the investigation confirm that Paul Dunne, the businessman accused of masterminding a global trafficking operation, has been killed in a prison fight. Details are still coming in, but officials say he was attacked by another inmate and died shortly after arrival at the hospital.”I felt sick to my stomach as I read the article. Dunne dead. The one man who could link Powell to the trafficking operation, silenced before he could talk.“Fuck,” I muttered, throwing my phone onto the table. How the hell had this happened? We had him. We finally had the evidence we needed, and now he was gone. Dead before he could implicate Powell. Before he could bring down the President.I stood up, pacing the room in agitation. This couldn't be a coincidence. Powell had to be behind t

THE THEATRE OF TRUTH

President Powell’s POVThe cameras clicked like insects in the bright glare of the briefing room. Rows of reporters filled the seats, eyes hungry, pens poised. I stood behind the podium, the presidential seal gleaming beneath the lights. Every word I said now had to be perfect.“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” I began, my voice steady and authoritative. “I stand before you today to address the recent developments in the ongoing investigation into the heinous crimes committed by Robert Dunne.”The room erupted into a flurry of raised hands and shouted questions, but I held up a hand, silencing them.“I understand the public's concern and outrage over these atrocities,” I continued. “Rest assured, my administration has been working tirelessly to ensure that those responsible face the full weight of justice.”I paused, surveying the crowd. “Unfortunately, in our pursuit of truth and accountability, we have faced unexpected challenges. The death of Robert Dunne, while tragic, has n

THE TRAIL OF SECRETS

President Powell’s POV It was past midnight when I finally made it back to my apartment. The day had been a whirlwind of meetings and press briefings, as we worked tirelessly to contain the fallout from Dunne's arrest.I poured myself a glass of whiskey, taking a long sip as I looked out over the city. The lights of Washington twinkled below, a stark contrast to the darkness that had unfolded in the last few days.I thought about Dante, wondering what he was doing at that very moment. Was he also staring out at the city, his mind racing with thoughts of revenge? Or was he already planning his next move, determined to bring me down no matter the cost?I took another sip of my drink, feeling the burn all the way down. I knew that this wasn't over, not by a long shot. Dante would keep coming, keep pushing, until he had what he wanted.But I wasn't going to let that happen. I had come too far, sacrificed too much, to let some rogue Italian take me down. I would fight with every weapon in

THE PRICE OF SHADE

Lorenzo’s POVPowell had the look of a man trying on a new mask and discovering it did not fit. I set the folder down, pushed it toward him, and let the silence work for me. I had seen him strong and dangerous and petty. All of those faces were useful. Tonight I wanted the one that smelled of fear.“You read it,” I said.He did not look up. “How did you get this?”“How matters less than who keeps breathing when the papers find it,” I replied. I let the words land where they would. He swallowed, finally forcing himself to meet my eyes. That small, human crack in him tasted like advantage.He said, “You could ruin me.”I smiled without joy. “I could. Or I could make you useful.”He laughed, but it was a strained thing. “Useful to whom?”“To me.” I leaned in. “You want control of the narrative. You want to survive. I want a place at the table you think only you own. I want protection for people who matter to me. I want pieces of the map you still think you draw alone. I want a cut that

LINES IN THE DARK

Dante’s POVThe television’s glow filled the room, washing over the faces gathered around the table. Powell’s voice carried from the screen.Franco muted it halfway through. “I can’t listen to this bastard pretend he’s Saint America.”Genci leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “He’s good, though. You’ve got to give him that. If I didn’t know better, I’d believe every word.”I sat back in my chair, eyes fixed on the frozen frame of Powell’s smirk. Rico crossed his arms. “So what’s our move now? Dunne’s dead. The trail’s cold, and Powell’s turned the whole mess into a press victory.”I rubbed a hand over my face. The air smelled like burnt coffee and fatigue. “We meet. Everyone we trust. No one else.”Franco frowned. “You mean us, or the network too?”“The network,” I said. “But carefully. Half of them still think we’re ghosts. Let’s keep it that way until we need them.”Genci stood, pacing the room. “We’ve lost our in. Dunne was the link to Powell’s offshore accounts. Without him, we’

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