Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE CAPTAIN AND THE KILLER: Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

I sat frozen in the press box high above the ice while the Blades battled Boston without me and Kade pushed through hell with every stride. "What the hell is going on down there?" I muttered to the reporter next to me, gripping the edge of the table. The guy glanced over. "Ryder, you should be out there, man. Coach really bench you for that flu bug?" "Doctor orders," I lied through my teeth. "But look at Kade. He is moving different. Tell me I am not seeing things." The reporter leaned closer to the glass. "He looks fired up. Boston is hitting hard though. Score is tied at two two late in the third." I grabbed my phone and texted Kade quick even though I knew he would not see it. Come on. You got this. But do not be stupid. Down on the ice Kade won a faceoff clean. I stood up halfway. "Yes! Go, go, go!" I yelled even though he could not hear me. The Boston defender smashed into h

Kade slammed Viktor against the wall in the dark hallway and the knife was at his throat before either of them could speak. The corridor lights were low. Empty. Late. Viktor’s phone was already in his hand. One button away from calling Vance. Kade’s voice came out flat and cold. “Drop the phone.” Viktor froze. Eyes wide. “You are crazy. Put that away.” “Drop it,” Kade repeated. The blade stayed pressed firm against Viktor’s skin. “Now.” The phone clattered to the floor. Evan rounded the corner fast. He stopped short when he saw them. “Kade. Stop. Right now.” Kade did not look away from Viktor. “He was about to call Vance. He was going to end us. I end him first.” Evan moved closer slow. Hands up. “No. You do not. Put the knife down. Look at me.” Viktor swallowed hard. The blade moved with the motion. “Your boyfriend is going to kill me. Talk sense into him.” Kade pressed a fr

The emergency meeting started at midnight and the prosecutor’s first words stopped everything cold. Clara’s father sat behind a plain wooden desk in a quiet federal office on the edge of the city. Evan and Kade stood across from him. Clara stayed near the closed door. The half-ledger and the small audio file rested on the desk between them under a single desk lamp. The prosecutor looked up from the papers. “You have half of what I need. That is not enough for any arrests.” Evan leaned forward with both hands on the desk. “We brought the audio file. Christian Ryder’s voice is clear on it. He ordered the killing of a twenty year old. We also brought the half-ledger that shows the money moving out.” The prosecutor tapped the open folder with one finger. “The audio is strong evidence. The ledger is incomplete. Without the second half I cannot prove the full chain of money. No judge will sign warrants on this alone.” Kade’s voice sta

Evan’s suspension ended the morning of the Philadelphia game and the arena already felt ready to explode. Fans lined up outside Scotiabank Arena hours before the doors opened. Blue and white jerseys filled the sidewalks. When the gates finally let people in the seats filled fast. Music pounded through the speakers. The crowd noise rose with every passing minute until the whole building seemed to shake. Evan walked into the locker room with his equipment bag on one shoulder. Kade looked up from the bench where he was taping his stick. “You cleared?” Kade asked. Evan set the bag down. “Doctor signed the papers this morning. Coach put me back on the top line. I play tonight.” Kade nodded once. “Good. We need you out there. Philadelphia is going to come out flying.” A teammate walked by and slapped Evan on the shoulder. “Captain is back. About time. Let’s go take care of these guys.” Evan gave a small smile. “T

Kade slipped back into the locker room with less than two minutes left in the intermission and the whole team still packing up for the second period. Coach Harlan looked up from the whiteboard. “Volkov. Cutting it close. Skate fixed?” Kade dropped onto the bench and grabbed his backup pair. “Fixed enough. I am ready.” Evan sat two stalls down and caught his eye right away. The question was clear on his face. Kade gave a tiny shake of the head. No. Evan’s jaw tightened but he said nothing in front of the others. A defenseman across the room called over. “You almost missed the start. What took so long?” Kade laced the fresh skate fast. “Equipment room was a mess. Had to dig for the right size.” Coach clapped his hands once. “Enough talk. On the ice. Second period. We need the first goal. Top line stays together. Move.” The players stood and he