By the time Ethan stepped into the rain-slicked streets of Queens, the city had transformed into a blur of neon and mist. Streetlights reflected in puddles like fractured glass, casting the alleys in shadows that moved as if they were alive. He pulled his coat tighter, eyes scanning every corner. Every step could be watched. Every shadow could be a gunman.
His phone vibrated. Unknown number.
"Ethan Cole," he said, pressing it to his ear.
"Detective," a familiar, calm voice said. "It's Tari."
Tari Monroe. Her voice was steady, but he could hear the tension beneath it.
"You're late," he said. "Where are you?"
"Not where I should be," she replied. "They're onto me. Apex. They know I accessed the files. I can't stay at my apartment. Can you meet me?"
"Where?" he asked.
"Pier 42. The north dock. Midnight. Alone."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "No. You're not going alone. Tessa and I will come."
"I can't risk it," Tari said sharply. "If they see anyone else with me, they'll know. You have to trust me."
The line went dead before he could respond.
---
The pier was quiet, almost eerily so. Rusted cargo containers loomed like giant tombstones. Waves crashed against the hulls of docked ships, sending sprays of brine into the cold night air. Ethan and Tessa approached cautiously, their footsteps muffled by wet wooden planks.
A figure stepped out from behind a stack of crates. Tari. Her leather jacket glistened from the drizzle. She held a laptop tightly against her chest.
"You made it," she whispered, her green eyes scanning the darkness.
"And you're still alive," Ethan said, keeping his voice low.
"I told you, I've been careful," she replied, though the strain in her voice betrayed her fear. "But time's short. Look at this."
She opened the laptop, revealing lines of code, server addresses, and encrypted folders. "This is the Apex Systems' surveillance network. Level 3 security. This is where the raw data is stored. Every movement, every target, every kill… logged."
Tessa leaned in, eyes wide. "And you can access it?"
Tari nodded. "I can, but it's temporary. They'll trace the breach fast. We have maybe… thirty minutes."
Ethan frowned. "Thirty minutes? That's not enough time to get what we need and get out safely."
"Then we move fast," Tari said. Her hands flew across the keyboard. "First, we download the Project Vortex files. After that, we find out who ordered Ryan's execution."
Ethan's stomach twisted. "And Shaw?"
Her jaw tightened. "I have a bad feeling he's not just a bystander."
A sudden noise echoed from the shadows. Metal scraping against metal. Ethan froze, signaling Tessa to cover him. A tall man in a dark hoodie emerged from behind a container.
"Step away from the laptop," he said, voice calm but menacing.
Ethan instinctively reached for his gun, but Tari slammed it shut. "Don't!"
The man tilted his head, studying them. "You shouldn't have come here."
"Who are you?" Ethan demanded.
The man didn't answer. Instead, he pulled a flash drive from his pocket — the same engraving Ethan had seen before: R.
"Ryan sent me," he said softly. "He knew someone would need this if he didn't make it. But be careful — Apex doesn't forgive mistakes."
Before Ethan could react, the man melted into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as he appeared.
Tari's hands were shaking slightly as she took the drive. "That… that just happened."
Ethan exhaled sharply. "Yeah. And we're not out of danger yet."
---
Back at a safehouse Tessa had secured, they plugged the new flash drive into a laptop. A series of files opened — dozens of encrypted messages, surveillance photos, and financial transactions linking Apex Systems to politicians, law enforcement, and contractors like Ryan and Tari's brother.
"This… this is massive," Tessa murmured.
Ethan leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "And the bigger it is, the more people will die to keep it buried."
Tari swallowed hard. "I didn't know Ryan was this deep. He said he had evidence, but… I didn't think it would be enough to topple the entire system."
Ethan's eyes darkened. "Evidence isn't enough if the wrong people see it first."
Suddenly, a ping from the laptop drew their attention — a new email, subject line: "Stop digging."
Tari froze. "Not again."
Ethan opened it. Inside, a single image: their safehouse. The front door ajar, rain leaking in.
A message followed: "You should have stayed away. Next time, there won't be a warning."
Tessa slammed the laptop shut. "We need a plan. We can't keep running like this."
Ethan nodded slowly. "We're not running. We're going to finish this. Project Vortex ends tonight. We find out who's behind Ryan's death and Tari's brother… and we make sure the city sees the truth."
Tari looked between them, determination flickering through her fear. "And if we get caught?"
Ethan's gaze hardened. "Then we make sure Apex pays for every secret they've buried."
Thunder rumbled outside. Rain lashed against the windows. The city, oblivious to the lives teetering on the edge, continued its endless pulse.
Ethan stared at the files on the screen. Every name, every transaction, every kill — a line in a ledger that demanded justice.
And for the first time since Ryan's death, he felt something he hadn't in years: a glimmer of hope.
This isn't just about revenge.
It's about the truth.
And truth, Ethan knew, had a price.