Raven's POV
The plane can't fly fast enough.
Raven paces the cabin like a caged animal, checking her phone every thirty seconds. No updates from Adrian. No word about Luna. Just silence—the worst kind.
"Sit down," Dante says quietly. "Pacing won't help."
"Neither will sitting!" Her voice cracks. "Luna is out there, terrified, because of me. Because I trusted Benjamin. Because I'm an idiot who—"
"Stop." Dante grabs her wrists, forcing her to look at him. "Benjamin is a psychopath who's been planning this for twenty years. You didn't fail. He's just better at this game than anyone expected."
"She's my best friend. The only person who believed in me when everyone else turned away. If she dies—"
"She won't." But Dante's eyes betray his uncertainty. "Adrian is good. The best. If anyone can save her, it's him."
Raven's phone suddenly rings—Adrian's number. She answers on speaker, hands shaking.
"Talk to me," Dante commands.
Adrian's voice is tight, professional. "Found Luna's location. Benjamin was sloppy—left a digital trail through the kidnapper's phone. She's at an abandoned meatpacking plant on the south side. I'm ten minutes out with three of Luca's men."
"Is she alive?" Raven can barely breathe.
"Unknown. But boss—we've got another problem. Voss sent a kill team to the same location. They're planning to execute Luna and make it look like the Reaper's work. Pin another murder on you, Raven."
"How many men?" Dante asks.
"At least eight. Maybe more. We're outnumbered." Adrian's voice hardens. "I need you to tell me—do we abort? Save our people and let Luna die? Or risk everything for one person?"
The question hangs in the air like poison.
Raven's entire body goes cold. "We save her. Whatever it takes."
"Even if it means losing everyone else? Luca's men, me, anyone who goes in there?" Adrian's tone is brutal but honest. "I need you to understand what you're asking, Raven. This could be a suicide mission."
"I don't care!" Tears stream down her face. "Luna wouldn't abandon me. I won't abandon her."
Silence. Then Adrian sighs. "Alright. We go in hot. Expect casualties."
"Adrian—" Dante starts.
"I know, boss. But she's right. Luna saved both of us more than once. Time to return the favor." The sound of weapons being loaded. "Going dark in sixty seconds. If you don't hear from me in twenty minutes, assume we're dead and run."
The call ends.
Raven collapses into a seat, sobbing. Dante sits beside her, pulling her close. She should push him away—he's a killer, a criminal, everything she used to fight against. But right now, he's the only solid thing in her crumbling world.
"Tell me about Luna," Dante says softly. "What's she like?"
The question surprises her. "Why?"
"Because if she dies, I want to know who we lost. And if she lives, I want to know who's worth dying for."
Raven takes a shaking breath. "She's brilliant. Genius-level hacker who could work for any tech company but chose to help people instead. When I was destroyed, homeless, drinking myself to death—she took me in. Fed me. Held me while I cried. Never once made me feel like a burden."
"She sounds like a good friend."
"She's the best friend. She's sarcastic and reckless and makes terrible jokes at the worst times. She dyes her hair purple because 'life's too short for boring colors.' She believes in second chances even when people don't deserve them." Raven's voice breaks. "She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. If she dies because I dragged her into this nightmare—"
"Then we make Benjamin pay. Slowly. Painfully. Forever." Dante's voice is ice and fire. "I promise you, Raven. If Luna dies, The Architect won't make it to tomorrow."
His phone buzzes. Text from an unknown number:
Tick tock, Dante. Your friend Adrian just walked into my trap with four men. By now, they're probably all dead. Along with Luna Park. Shame, really. She had such spirit. But don't worry—Raven will join her soon enough. Sweet dreams from 30,000 feet. - The Architect
Raven's world stops. "No. No no no—"
Her phone rings. Unknown number. With trembling hands, she answers.
"Hello, Raven." Benjamin's voice is smooth, victorious. "I assume you got my message. By now, Adrian and his men have triggered the explosives I planted in the meatpacking plant. The whole building is about to become a tomb."
"You BASTARD!" Raven screams.
"Such language. And here I thought detectives were professional." Benjamin laughs. "But here's the fun part—Luna isn't actually in the building. That was a decoy to draw out your rescue team. She's somewhere else entirely. Somewhere you'll never find her in time."
"Where is she?!"
"That depends. How badly do you want her back?" His voice turns calculating. "I'll make you a deal, Raven. One you can't refuse. Are you listening?"
Dante grabs the phone, puts it on speaker. "We're listening."
"Ah, cousin. Still breathing, I see. Good. You'll want to hear this too." Benjamin's smile is audible. "Here's the deal: Raven turns herself in to Commissioner Voss. Confesses to being the Reaper. Takes the fall for all twelve murders. In exchange, I'll tell you where Luna is before she runs out of air."
Raven's blood turns to ice. "Runs out of air?"
"Did I forget to mention? Luna is locked in a storage container. Soundproof. Airtight. She has maybe six hours of oxygen left. Tick tock, detective. Your choice: save your friend or save yourself. But you can't have both."
"You're bluffing," Dante snarls.
"Am I?" Sound of typing. Suddenly, video fills Raven's phone screen—Luna in a metal box, pounding on the walls, mouth open in silent screams. A timer in the corner: 5:47:23. Counting down.
"LUNA!" Raven sobs.
"She can't hear you. But she knows what's happening. I told her before I sealed the container—her best friend has to choose between saving her or saving herself. Imagine her terror, Raven. Imagine her realizing you might let her die." Benjamin's voice is poison. "So? What's your answer? Sacrifice yourself for her? Or let her suffocate alone in the dark?"
Raven looks at Dante with tears streaming. "I have to do it. I have to turn myself in."
"No." Dante's voice is absolute. "If you confess, Voss will kill you. There's no trial, no mercy. Just execution."
"I don't care! I can't let Luna die!"
"We'll find her another way. We'll—"
"There is no other way!" Raven's scream echoes through the plane. "Benjamin has her hidden somewhere we'll never find in six hours! This is the only chance!"
"Then we're both going down." Dante's eyes burn into hers. "If you confess, I confess. If you die, I die. Partners, remember? We don't leave each other behind."
"Dante—"
"How touching," Benjamin interrupts. "Romeo and Juliet, criminal edition. But here's the thing—I don't want Dante dead. I want him alive and suffering. So here's my final offer: Raven confesses alone. Dante lives to watch her die. That's the deal. Take it or Luna suffocates."
The cabin goes silent except for Raven's ragged breathing.
On the screen, Luna's timer ticks down: 5:45:11.
Every second is stolen air. Stolen life.
Raven stands, voice steady despite her tears. "I'll do it. Tell me where to go."
"NO!" Dante grabs her. "Raven, don't—"
"I have to." She cups his face with shaking hands. "Luna saved my life. This is me saving hers. Let me be a hero one last time."
"You'll die."
"Then I die knowing I saved someone I love." She kisses him—desperate and final and full of everything they'll never have. "Find Benjamin. Make him pay. Promise me."
Dante's tears mix with hers. "I promise."
Benjamin's voice crackles through the phone: "Smart choice, detective. Land in Chicago. Go directly to police headquarters. Confess to everything. The moment you're in custody, I'll send coordinates for Luna's location. Break the deal, try to run, or bring Dante—Luna dies."
"How do I know you'll keep your word?" Raven asks.
"You don't. But it's the only chance you have." Benjamin hangs up.
The plane begins its descent toward Chicago.
Raven stares out the window at the city lights below—the place where her life ended and is about to end again.
Dante sits beside her, holding her hand like he's afraid she'll disappear.
"There has to be another way," he whispers.
"There isn't." She squeezes his hand. "But you can still stop him. Expose The Architect. Destroy his empire. Make sure my sacrifice means something."
"Your sacrifice means I lose the only real thing in my life." His voice breaks. "I can't let you do this."
"You don't have a choice. Neither do I." She looks at him with all the love and regret she can't speak aloud. "Promise me one more thing."
"Anything."
"Find Luna after I'm gone. Protect her. She's going to blame herself, think she should've died instead of me. Don't let her destroy herself. Please."
Dante nods, unable to speak.
The plane lands.
As they taxi toward the terminal, Raven's phone buzzes. One final text from Benjamin:
Police are waiting at the terminal. Walk toward them with your hands up. Confess to being the Reaper. Once you're arrested, Luna's coordinates will be sent to Dante. Break protocol in any way, Luna dies. You have 10 minutes. Clock starts now.
Raven stands. Smooths her clothes. Takes a deep breath.
"Raven, wait—" Dante grabs her hand one last time. "I love you. I need you to know that. I've been falling for you since the moment you walked into that gala, and I'm sorry I won't get to tell you every day for the rest of our lives."
The words shatter and heal her simultaneously.
"I love you too," she whispers. "In another life, maybe we could've been happy."
She walks toward the plane door.
Steps outside into cold Chicago air.
Police cars everywhere. Fifty cops with guns drawn. Commissioner Voss himself stands at the front, smiling like he's already won.
"Raven Blackwell!" Voss's voice booms. "You're under arrest for twelve counts of murder as the Reaper killer! Get on the ground! Now!"
Raven raises her hands slowly.
Takes one step forward.
And then—
Gunfire explodes from everywhere at once.
Not from police. From the shadows. From rooftops. From hidden positions all around the terminal.
Assassins pour out like demons from hell—at least twenty of them, all armed, all firing at the police with military precision.
"IT'S AN AMBUSH!" Voss screams. "RETURN FIRE!"
Chaos erupts. Cops die. Assassins die. The terminal becomes a war zone.
Dante appears beside Raven, tackling her behind a concrete barrier as bullets shred the air where she stood.
"What's happening?!" she screams.
"I called in reinforcements!" He fires back at the assassins. "Luca's entire army! They're creating a distraction!"
"But Benjamin said—"
"FUCK Benjamin's rules!" Dante pulls her toward an armored car screeching to a stop. "I'm not letting you die! Get in!"
They dive into the car. Adrian is driving, blood streaming from his shoulder but alive.
"Adrian!" Raven sobs with relief. "The explosion—"
"Hit the building after we got out. Benjamin's trap failed. Luna wasn't there like he said, but we're tracking her real location now!" Adrian floors it, tires screaming as they escape the massacre behind them.
Raven's phone buzzes. Benjamin's voice, no longer smooth—furious:
You broke the deal. Luna dies. Right now. While you listen.
Video feed appears—Luna's container, timer at 2:17:43.
And then gas starts filling the box.
Luna's face twists in terror as she realizes she's about to die.