Chapter 14
The rain hammered against the narrow service balcony on the 50th floor, the siren wails from below dissolving into a distant hum. James pressed his knee into Victor Dans's chest with all his might, forcing the last remnants of air from Victor's lungs. One hand gripped the man's jaw like a vice, while the other pressed the cold tip of the Ironfang baton against his throat.
In a distorted, mechanical voice, James whispered into Victor's ear: "The police won't hear your screams up here, Victor. When I toss you off this balcony, no one is going to ask 'why.' They'll just see one less kingpin on the streets and go about their day. You have one chance to speak. Where is Kagemura's major shipment?"
James slightly loosened his grip on Victor's mouth. Victor gasped for air, choking out the words through a sob: "Fine! Stop... Tomorrow night... 03:00. District Docks, Hangar 12. Kagemura will be there personally. What they're bringing in... it's not just contraband. It's technology designed to crash the city's entire data grid. They're going to take control of everything!"
Behind the mask, James's eyes narrowed. He had what he needed. But letting a snake like Victor live meant Kagemura would be tipped off before the move was even made. James activated the high-voltage charge at the tip of the Ironfang.
"You gave me what I needed, Victor," James said, his voice cold and synthetic. "But what this city needs is for someone like you to stop breathing."
Without a moment's hesitation, James delivered a series of brutal, crushing blows to Victor's skull with the baton, ending his life instantly.
Right then, his earpiece exploded with Eva's frantic voice:
"James! Rear entrance is clear! Cameras confirm Blueshade is on the 50th-floor balcony. We're moving in! Ten seconds out!"
James didn't waste a heartbeat. He deactivated the voice module on his smart-watch and vaulted over the railing, dropping to the fire escape window of the floor below. He slipped inside silently, stripped off his mask and armor in seconds, stuffed them into his tactical bag, and threw on his police jacket.
He took the stairs two at a time, reaching the 50th-floor balcony door just as Eva and the tactical team rounded the corner. James dropped to his knees in front of the door, appearing breathless and struggling with the lock.
"Eva! Over here!" James shouted, wiping sweat from his brow. "The door's jammed! I heard blunt impacts from inside, but it just went quiet!"
Eva and her team surged past him, blowing the door open with a battering ram. They stormed onto the balcony, finding Victor Dans's lifeless body amidst the heavy mist and driving rain. Eva rushed to the edge, peering down into the dark abyss; there was nothing but shadows and rain.
Eva turned back to James, who stood silhouetted in the doorway. "We missed him again," she said, her teeth clenched in frustration. "But Victor is dead. Blueshade crossed the line, James. This isn't a capture mission anymore. This is a manhunt."
James nodded, masking his guilt with an expression of sheer exhaustion. "I tried to get the door open in time to stop him, Eva. Everything happened in seconds."
As crime scene investigators swarmed the balcony, camera flashes flooded the rainy night with momentary bursts of white. James leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest to hide his trembling hands. The shaking wasn't just from the cold; it was the lingering sensation in his fingertips from that dull, heavy thud Victor's skull had made just moments ago.
Eva snapped her radio onto her belt and approached James. Her face was pale, but her eyes burned with pure fury. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice more distant than usual.
James swallowed hard. "I just... I didn't make it in time, Eva. I heard those sounds coming from inside while I was forcing the door. I've never felt so helpless in my life."
Eva nodded, staring down at the pool of blood on the floor. "This isn't helplessness, James; this is an execution. Blueshade isn't guarding a line anymore they're erasing it. Victor Dans was a piece of filth, but he belonged in front of a judge. Now, everything he knew about Kagemura's financial network has gone to the grave with him."
As James brushed past her, he muttered, "Maybe it's safer this way." Eva froze. "Safer? A killer playing judge in the streets is safer?" James didn't answer; he just walked toward the elevators.
Two hours later, James reached his hideout. The heavy steel door shut with a solid thud after the biometric scan. He tossed his backpack onto the metal table and headed straight for the bathroom. Splashing cold water on his face, he saw his reflection in the mirror rain droplets clinging to his stubble and a dark resolve in his eyes.
"Your time was up, Victor," he whispered. His voice echoed off the cold walls of the bunker.
He returned to the table and began unpacking the blood-stained gear from his bag. The intel Victor had given him flickered across the bunker's massive screens: Tomorrow night, 03:00, Hangar 12. The moment he had waited his entire life for the chance to take down Kagemura was now only a day away. James plugged his Ironfang batons into the charging unit and listened to the storm raging outside. Tomorrow night at those docks, he would either have his revenge or vanish forever into those dark waters.