Chapter 6 - The Broken Alliance
The drive back to the estate was a blur of high-speed maneuvers through the rain-slicked city streets. When Maddox burst through the front doors of the safehouse, his hand was already inside his jacket, fingers curled around the grip of his firearm.
He found Elena in the kitchen, standing between Nora and Detective Carver. Carver looked haggard, his coat soaked with rain, his hands raised in a posture of surrender.
"Hale, don't shoot," Carver said quickly, his voice cracking. "If I wanted to hurt them, I wouldn't have come alone. I’m running out of time."
Maddox stepped between Carver and Elena, his body a living shield. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't bury you in the woods behind this house, Carver."
"Because Roark has my daughter," Carver broke down, his shoulders slumping as the professional veneer of the detective shattered completely. "They took her from her university dorm two hours ago. Roark called me. He knows I was investigating Marco’s death. He told me if I don't deliver Elena and the flash drive to the shipping yards by midnight on Friday, he’s going to send my daughter back to me in pieces."
Elena gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. She looked at Carver’s devastated face and then up at Maddox. She knew the agony of a parent’s terror. She had felt it in the alley. She had felt it when Nora was targeted at school.
"Maddox," Elena whispered, tugging at his sleeve. "We can't let him kill a girl."
Maddox kept his eyes locked on Carver. "How did he find out about your investigation?"
"There’s a mole in your organization, Hale," Carver said, wiping his face with a trembling hand. "Someone told Roark that you found Marco’s ledger. Someone high up. Roark knows every move you’re making."
Maddox’s mind raced, eliminating names until only one remained. A man who had been unusually quiet during the Dons' meeting. Don Altieri. He had been playing both sides, playing Maddox against Roark to see who would emerge victorious while protecting his own profits.
Maddox slowly lowered his hand from his weapon. He turned to Elena, seeing the fierce, beautiful determination in her dark eyes. She wasn't just a victim anymore; she was a woman fighting for the soul of her city.
"Marcus," Maddox called out into the hallway.
May you like
Marcus stepped into the room. "Yes, Boss?"
"Assemble the vanguard," Maddox ordered, his voice taking on the chilling cadence of a commander preparing for total war. "We change the timeline. We don't wait for Friday. We hit Roark’s primary facility tonight. Carver, you’re coming with us. You want your daughter back? You’re going to help us tear down the man who took her."
