Baiting the Predator

Chapter 5

A storm brewed over Orion. The city skyline was painted in ominous shades of gray, the distant rumble of thunder vibrating through the streets. Rain drizzled onto the towering glass structures, streaking down like the silent tears of the forgotten.

Damien Xander stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of his private penthouse, staring out at the empire he was about to dismantle. The dim light from the city reflected off the sharp lines of his face, his obsidian eyes unyielding.

Behind him, Reed sat on the leather couch, boots propped up on the coffee table, sipping from a whiskey glass. "So, let's go over this one more time," he said, swirling the amber liquid. "Victor thinks he's playing you. He thinks Holt fed you just enough dirt to make you reckless."

Damien nodded slightly.

Reed smirked. "Which means he's got an ambush waiting for you."

"He does," Damien confirmed, his voice like cold steel. "And I'm going to walk straight into it."

Reed let out a low whistle. "Damn, you really are insane, aren't you?"

Damien turned away from the window, walking toward a sleek black laptop resting on the coffee table. He tapped a key, and the screen flickered to life. A live satellite feed displayed a warehouse near the city docks. A familiar one.

"Their trap is being set here," Damien said, gesturing to the screen. "It's an old Xander Conglomerate shipping facility. Officially shut down two years ago. Unofficially? It's a black site. They use it for off-the-record business."

Reed leaned forward, his grin widening. "And let me guess. You've been watching it for a while."

"Long enough," Damien said smoothly. "They've got hired guns posted at every entrance. Motion sensors. Heat trackers. But they're making one fatal mistake."

Reed raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"They think I'll come alone."

Reed chuckled. "Poor bastards."

Damien's phone vibrated on the table. He picked it up, glancing at the encrypted message that had just arrived.

[The pieces are in place. We move in one hour.]

Damien's jaw tightened. "Good. Let's give my dear uncle his false sense of victory."

---

Xander Black Site - The Trap is Set

Victor Xander stood inside the dimly lit warehouse, his hands resting on the edge of a steel table as he reviewed the final ambush plan. Around him, a dozen of his best men prepped their weapons, loading high-caliber rifles and securing their body armor.

Lucas Vance, head of security, checked his watch. "Holt's bait worked. Damien took the information and started moving. If our sources are right, he should be here soon."

Victor's sharp blue eyes gleamed. "Then we finish this tonight."

Lucas smirked, tapping the butt of his pistol against his palm. "You sure you don't want to negotiate? Maybe invite him back into the family?"

Victor's face hardened. "Damien is not family. He is a threat. And threats must be eliminated."

Lucas chuckled. "Cold. I like it."

The warehouse was rigged with hidden snipers on the rafters, armed guards positioned behind shipping crates, and an escape-proof perimeter. The moment Damien stepped inside, he'd be outgunned and outnumbered.

Victory was already in their grasp.

Or so they thought.

---

The Ghost Walks Into the Lion's Den

An SUV rolled to a stop just outside the warehouse gates. The rain had picked up now, pelting against the metal exterior as the vehicle's engine hummed in the silence.

A single figure stepped out.

Damien Xander.

Dressed in a black tactical coat, his presence alone sent a ripple through the air. He moved with calm precision, his boots crunching against the wet pavement as he walked toward the main entrance.

The moment he crossed the threshold, red laser sights snapped onto his chest.

They were waiting.

Damien stopped in the center of the vast warehouse, his expression unreadable. Around him, shadows moved—men stepping from the darkness, weapons aimed.

And then, from the elevated catwalk above, Victor's voice rang out.

"Brave of you to come alone," he said smoothly, stepping forward with Lucas beside him. "Foolish, but brave."

Damien slowly looked up, meeting his uncle's gaze. "I was wondering when we'd finally get to this part."

Victor smirked. "The part where I end you?"

Damien tilted his head slightly. "No."

Victor frowned. "Then what?"

A gunshot rang out.

One of Victor's snipers dropped from the rafters, a bullet clean through his skull.

Before the others could react, the entire warehouse went dark.

BOOM.

A small explosion erupted at the far end of the facility, sending flames licking up the walls.

And then came the shadows.

Damien's men.

From hidden vantage points, from the ceiling, from behind crates, his people moved in perfect synchronization. Silenced gunfire cracked through the chaos, dropping Victor's men like flies before they even knew what was happening.

Reed's voice rang through the comms. "I count six down. They're in full panic mode."

Damien took a step forward, his hands still in his coat pockets.

Victor's face twisted in shock and rage. "You—"

"You thought I'd walk into an ambush unprepared?" Damien asked, his tone almost amused.

Lucas, snarling, lifted his gun—

But Damien moved first.

A single, precise motion.

His knife flashed through the dim light, embedding itself directly in Lucas's wrist. The man screamed, his gun clattering to the floor as blood poured from the wound.

"Make a move," Damien said calmly, "and the next one goes through your throat."

Victor's hands clenched into fists. He was losing. His perfect ambush had been flipped against him.

And now, Damien was in control.

"You…" Victor seethed, his voice shaking with fury. "You think this is over?"

Damien stepped closer, his black eyes gleaming. "Oh, no, Uncle," he murmured. "This is just the beginning."

Victor's breath hitched.

Because for the first time in his life… he was afraid.