Flashback
The plan had set into motion moments earlier at a busy intersection.
A loud crash echoed through the air. Mark slammed on his brakes as a man named Ernest stepped carelessly into the street, his side mirror clipping the pedestrian. Ernest collapsed, his belongings scattering across the asphalt. Driven by a conscience he couldn't suppress, Mark rushed out of his car to help.
"I am so sorry! Are you alright?" Mark asked, his voice laced with panic.
"I am fine. It was my own fault. I wasn't looking," Ernest replied, grimacing. He intentionally dropped his phone, the screen still glowing, right at Mark's feet.
When Mark picked up the device, his eyes widened. The screen displayed a selfie of Ernest, but in the blurred background, he saw a face he knew all too well. It was Leah. She looked pale, flanked by two large men in an industrial setting.
"Wait! This photo. Where was this taken?" Mark asked, his voice trembling as he gripped Ernest's collar.
Ernest looked confused, playing his part to perfection. "That? That was at the Red Hook Industrial Area. It was just taken. Why?"
Without a word, Mark handed the phone back and scrambled into his car. He had to report this to the FBI field office immediately. He grabbed his own phone and tried to call dispatch, but his brow furrowed in frustration. No Service.
Mark pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at the screen in confusion. Not a single bar of signal appeared. He tried to restart the device repeatedly, but it was useless. His internet was completely dead.
Mark did not notice the small black box with a faint blue light hidden beneath his car. It was a portable signal jammer, planted by another of Fabio's men while he had been distracted with Ernest. The device emitted constant waves that severed the connection between Mark's electronics and the outside world.
Impatience and a hero complex overrode his logic. Unable to reach anyone, Mark floored the accelerator. He decided to head to Red Hook alone, unaware that he was jumping straight into the lion's den.
***
Mark arrived at the Red Hook docks, where the silence was deafening. His gaze was sharp, scanning every shadowed corner of the pier while his right hand hovered over the sidearm holstered at his hip, ready to draw in a split second.
He moved with agility, weaving through rows of giant shipping containers that seemed to watch him from the darkness. Suddenly, a vibration in his pocket broke his concentration. Mark flinched slightly.
A gunshot rang out.
Before he could reach for his phone, a bullet whistled from above, striking the asphalt inches from his feet. Mark ducked instantly, rolling behind a steel container.
"Dammit! It's a trap," he growled. He realized too late that he had walked right into Fabio's territory.
While looking up to locate the sniper's position, Mark pulled out his phone with trembling hands. He immediately called his partner.
"Eric! I need backup. I am pinned down. The Casso group is attacking!" Mark shouted, his breath coming in heavy gasps.
"What is your position?" Eric's voice crackled through the line, sounding frantic.
"Red Hook! Get a tactical team down here now!" Mark commanded, his eyes darting around to monitor his surroundings.
A blunt force struck the back of his neck. Mark had no time to react. His world went black instantly, and his body slumped unconscious to the ground.
Mark's limp body was dragged away by two of Fabio's hulking men. They handled him like a worthless piece of meat.
Fabio stepped forward, his eyes cold as he looked down at his unconscious rival. He reached into Mark's jacket pocket and pulled out the phone. Reaching into another pocket, Fabio produced a portable signal jammer and pressed it until the indicator light blinked blue.
Fabio forcibly grabbed Mark's limp hand, pressing the man's thumb against the scanner. As soon as the screen unlocked, Fabio activated airplane mode as a double security measure.
"Let us see what information you have gathered, Mark," Fabio muttered, beginning to scroll through the incoming messages and call logs. A thin smile touched his lips. The phone was now entirely under his control, shielded from any tracking by Eric or the FBI tech team.
"Take him," Fabio ordered his men, his eyes never leaving the screen. "We still need him alive."
Another man ran toward them, clutching a bag filled with items scavenged from Mark's car.
"Boss, I have everything," he reported, breathless.
Fabio looked up, his eyes narrowing. "Are you certain you didn't leave a single thing behind?"
"It is clean, Boss. I have secured everything."
Fabio gave a short, cold nod before issuing a final command with absolute authority. "Good. Now, sink the car in the harbor."
Mark's bound body was tossed into the dark trunk of a car. Meanwhile, Fabio sat comfortably in the passenger seat, leaning back against the leather upholstery.
Fabio's face radiated a chilling satisfaction. He continued to scroll through Mark's phone, meticulously searching every folder for any leaked secrets regarding his organization.
However, his composure faltered. Fabio's focus sharpened the moment he entered the photo gallery. There, he found a series of photos of Leah in various poses. Some were candid, capturing her natural beauty.
Fabio kept scrolling rapidly, his breathing turning heavy. Jealousy scorched his chest as he saw just how many memories of Leah Mark had preserved.
His thumb stopped abruptly on a photo that was far more shocking.
"This is..." Fabio whispered, his voice catching in his throat. His jaw tightened instantly, the veins in his neck straining. His eyes widened as he stared at the screen.