Chapter 33: The Calm Before The Storm

The safe house was quiet now, but the tension was palpable. 

Emily stood by the large windows of the operations room, staring out into the night, her mind racing through the next steps. 

Outside, the city was alive with lights and distant sounds, but inside, the air was thick with anticipation.

The intel they'd extracted from Rook had shaken her to her core. 

The Black Hand's network stretched far beyond anything they had anticipated, its influence embedded in governments, corporations, and underground movements. 

It wasn't just a criminal empire—it was a system, a machine built to withstand any external assault. 

But that didn't make it invincible. They had Rook, and that was a leverage point they couldn't afford to waste.

Damien entered the room, his footsteps heavy on the cold concrete floor. 

He was carrying a tablet, his eyes scanning its contents as he approached Emily.