All Chapters of Black Network: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

"Yes," Dominic said."They found me.""You got the audio?""Everything. Valentina and Victor have a deal.""Where’s the drive?""In my pocket.""Get out of there."Lina turned the key. The van shook. "Three minutes. Maybe four. They’ll come up the cliff path.""Take the coast road," Dominic said. "Drive fast.""There’s no cover.""There’s no traffic. Go."Lina hit the gas. The tires spun on the gravel and then they caught. The road was black. Her headlights cut a hole in the night. She drove a mile and the phone rang."Yeah," Lina said."You move fast," a woman said."Who is this?""Jane Sweet. I want the drive, Lina.""It’s just a box.""Victor wants his privacy," Jane said. "Pull over.""No.""Look in the mirror."Lina looked. Two white lights clicked on in the dark. They were closing."I see you," Lina said."Throw the drive out the window. You can keep driving.""Victor doesn't leave witnesses.""It’s your only move," Jane said.Lina dropped the phone. She gripped the wheel with b

Valentina Moretti stood behind the marble pillar on the second floor. She was in the shadows. Below, the guards dragged Marco across the stone. His boots made a dry sound. She watched until the iron gates slammed. She walked to the study. Her heels clicked. She did not hurry.She knocked twice."Come in," Dominic said.He was at the desk with the ledger. The room smelled of paper and dust."It was clean," Valentina said.Dominic looked up. "He’s gone.""He was slow," she said. "Being slow gets you killed. You did the right thing.""The elders said nothing.""They like to breathe," Valentina said. "What about the perimeter?""Hugo is changing the guard. New schedules at midnight. Nothing moves.""I’ll handle the staff," Valentina said. "I’ll keep them in the west wing.""Do that.""Anything else?""No."Valentina left. She pulled the door until it clicked.In the hall, she stopped. She let her face go slack. She walked to the window and looked at the trees. The glass was cold.She tho

The square was full by two o’clock. By four, the crowd had pushed over the curbs and onto the avenue. People were honking their horns and the noise stayed trapped between the stone buildings. The cops stood behind the metal barricades. They wore their helmets and held their wooden batons low."They're going to break the line, Sarge," a patrolman said. "There are just too many of them out there.""They aren't breaking anything," the sergeant said. "Just keep your eyes front and don't look them in the face. You look at them, you give them something to fight."A man in a canvas coat stood at the very front of the crowd. He held a printed report in his hand like a weapon."You should read these names!" the man yelled. "Read them out loud so everyone hears!""We already know what's in there," the patrolman said, trying to keep his voice steady."Then step aside and let us through. You're protecting the wrong people.""I've got a job to do, Mac. That’s all there is to it.""Your boss is at

The audio hissed. The bug on the yacht was still alive. It was two days past the time the battery should have died. Lina leaned over the monitor. The headphones were tight.Marvin stood by the wall. "The signal is dropping fast, Lina. It is mostly garbage now.""I have him," Lina said. "He is starting to talk to someone."Sophia walked over. "Is that Victor on the line?""Yeah. It is him.""What are you hearing over all that noise?""Just wait." Lina closed her eyes. The voice was deep under the static. It was in pieces. Then one word came through. It was clear and cold. Subway.Lina pulled the headphones off and dropped them on the desk."You get a location or a street name?" Sophia asked."He said subway," Lina said. "He was very specific about that.""He gave you just the one word and nothing else?" Marvin asked."One word is enough if you know where to look."Lina grabbed her coat."Dominic said we should wait for the estate to clear first," Sophia said."Dominic is busy bleeding

The flashlights cut through the dark, showing the dust thick in the air.Dominic led the way. Hugo was on his right. They reached the third junction. The gate was there, heavy and rusted through. Dominic grabbed the handle.Victor was waiting on the other side. Two men stood with him, rifles up. The light hit Victor’s face. He looked thin. There were lines around his mouth that were new. He wore a damp canvas jacket."Hold it," Dominic said.Victor looked at the beams. "You found the back door.""The map was right," Dominic said."The city’s burning up there," Victor said. "I can hear the sirens.""Let it burn," Dominic said. "It’s cold enough down here."Victor shifted his weight. His boots scraped the grit. "Ten years, Dominic. We built the machine. We bought the ports and the guys in the suits.""The machine's dead, Victor. The plates are clean. Everyone’s gone home.""Because you killed it," Victor said. "You put on that suit and thought you could wash the blood off. You thought y