We rushed past without a word. Soon we found another elevator. I pressed the call button, forcing a calm expression I didn’t feel. My entire body shook with adrenaline. Mira kept watch, her eyes darting behind us. The door opened with a ding. We rushed in, scanned the staff ID, and hammered the button for the ground floor.

  Anxious seconds ticked by as the elevator ascended. My heart pounded. Any second, the doors could open and a squad of goons might be waiting. But we had no better option. Mira clutched my arm, trembling. “That was insane,” she whispered. “We actually did it.”

  We stumbled out onto the ground floor corridor, scanning for trouble. Staff and guests alike were in disarray, many confused by the ongoing alarm. The rigging meltdown might be localized to the basement, but the entire building’s security seemed in alert mode. I led Mira through the swirling chaos of strobe lights and frantic shouting until we found a staff exit leading to a side alley.

  We burst out into the cool night air, lungs burning. A few bystanders stared, but otherwise, no one tried to stop us. I slammed the door behind us, hearing muffled sirens inside. We kept running down the alley until it emptied onto a busy cross street. My chest felt ready to explode. Mira clung to my hand until we finally slowed, blending into the city crowd that was out at 4 AM, half of them drunk or looking for after-hours fun. They paid us little mind.

  Only then did we stop, panting for breath, the adrenaline gradually subsiding. We exchanged a look. Sweat beaded on Mira’s brow, tears of relief shining in her eyes. I pulled her into a quick embrace, ignoring the curious stares of passersby. “We did it,” I murmured. “You okay?”

  She nodded against my chest, voice shaky. “Yeah.”

  I fished out my phone, called a taxi. We had to get away fast, and we didn’t want to lead gun-wielding security back to my car. Then I texted Selene with one hand: Anchor sabotaged. We’re okay. Meeting place #2?

  She replied instantly: Yes. On my way now.

  I guided Mira to a safer spot by a closed storefront. Within a few minutes, a battered sedan pulled up, and Selene was at the wheel, the engine idling. She must have borrowed a random car to keep anonymity. Lana, in the passenger seat, beckoned us in. Mira and I scrambled into the back, hearts still thumping.

  Selene gunned the engine, merging into traffic. “I saw the alerts on the security feed. So many errors. You did it?”

  “Sure did,” I said, slumping back. “Mission accomplished. The sub-basement anchor is toast.”

  Lana glanced over her shoulder, relief bright in her eyes. “That’s incredible. The place is in total chaos right now. Security there is going insane.”

  I leaned my head back, letting out a faint, triumphant laugh. “They’ll be losing fortunes in rigged earnings. Maybe it’ll force the House Council to the bargaining table.”

  Selene gave a ghost of a smile as she navigated the streets. “They might try something else, though. You know they have more nodes out there.”

  Mira exhaled. “At least we crippled their daily siphon. That’s a huge win.”

  We lapsed into silence, the adrenaline crash hitting hard. My rib twinged something fierce, but inside, I felt a sense of satisfaction. We might still be under threat from the House Council and the Neon Knives, but we’d proven we could fight back and land real blows.

  As we neared my penthouse tower, I wondered how far I could push this war before the Council unleashed their full fury. But with each anchor destroyed, each sabotage orchestrated, we came closer to unraveling the rigged tyranny that had claimed so many souls. I gazed at Mira, Lana, and Selene—the three of them who had cast their lot in with me. We were forging a new path. And I refused to let them down.

  We pulled into the underground parking ramp. I sat up, rolling my shoulders. “Let’s get inside, debrief, then rest,” I said. “Tonight was a step forward, but the real fight’s just begun.”

  They nodded. As I climbed out of the car, a wave of exhaustion hit me, but it was tempered by growing resolve. With each anchor we shattered, the city’s invisible chains loosed a bit more. Maybe we could actually break this system wide open and emerge victorious. It was a long shot—but so is every worthwhile gamble. And I never shied from a challenge.

  Chapter 9

  I spent the next day and a half dealing with the fallout from our sabotage. From my penthouse vantage point, I tracked news reports of sudden “technical difficulties” at multiple casinos. Rumors spread among gamblers that the house edge had vanished in certain games, leading to a surge in actual winners. Meanwhile, city officials publicly denied any issues with the system. Classic cover-up. But I knew better—our infiltration had delivered a serious blow.

  That evening, I was in the living area with Mira, Lana, and Selene, discussing next steps. Lana was perched on the arm of a chair, her raven hair pinned up in a messy bun. Mira sat cross-legged on the couch, scanning the ledger’s blank pages. Selene paced with her laptop, nibbling her lip thoughtfully.

  Finally, Selene stopped. “The House Council is meeting tomorrow night in a closed-session board meeting at the top of the Redwood Tower. That’s a sister property to this hotel, apparently. If we could intercept their communications, you might glean how they plan to retaliate.”

  I nodded. “A direct infiltration would be impossible. Security there is top-tier. But maybe we can glean something from the outside.” I turned to Lana. “Any chance you know who’s in charge of the Council behind the scenes?”

  She shrugged. “Only rumors. After I became a conduit, I heard names like “The Big Five,” or “Council Elders,” but never saw their faces. The Neon Knives answered to an intermediary, not the Council directly.”

  Mira sighed, closing the ledger. “None of these pages are updating anymore. Probably because we severed the sub-basement anchor. The ledger has no active feed. I can’t glean more until it re-syncs with another anchor.”

  Selene’s eyes flicked to me. “We might try to intercept that Redwood Tower meeting. If we could hijack an interior data node or an arcane link, we might eavesdrop. Of course, it’s risky.”

  I rubbed my chin. “We’re short on time. If they finalize a plan tomorrow night while we sit idle—” A sudden chime from my phone interrupted me. I checked the screen, saw an unknown number. My heart jumped. Could be the Knives again. I answered, “Hello?”

  A feminine voice replied. “Collin. Long time no see.”

  I froze. I recognized the voice: Nova, the woman from the vault meltdown. “Nova. Why are you calling me?”

  A bitter laugh. “You messed up a lot for me. Management wants my head because I failed to secure that anchor. But if you want the House Council’s hold on the city broken, we might actually share a goal. I’m prepared to offer you a name—the Council member who orchestrated these deadly player brandings. In exchange, you let me walk away from all this.”

  I paused, glancing at the others. They stared back, tension crackling. “Why should I trust you?” I asked.

  “You shouldn’t. But do you want the name or not? If you do, meet me at the old Boardwalk station at midnight. I’ll be alone. Bring no one else.”

  My mind raced. This could be a genuine lead—someone high-level behind the entire brand scheme. Or it could be a trap. “Fine,” I said at last, “I’ll consider it.”

  Nova snorted. “Midnight. Don’t be late.” She hung up.

  I exhaled, lowering the phone. “Nova wants to parley. Claims she’ll give me the name of the Council bigwig. Big potential if it’s real. Or big trap.”

  Lana frowned. “You can’t go alone. That’s exactly what they want.”

  “I can at least scout,” I said, weighing my options. “I’ll have you three on standby. If it’s a trap, we’ll respond. But if it’s real… having a name could be a huge advantage.”

  A quiet settled. Then Selene nodded. “Boardwalk station’s mostly abandoned. We can hide nearby, set up a vantage. If trouble hits, we intervene.”

  Mira gripped the ledger. “Are you sure about this?”

  I gave a faint smile. “No. But it’s progress. Let’s do it.”

  We arrived near the Boardwalk station around midnight. The place was a relic from the city’s older days: a deserted train platform that once brought tourists to the waterfront. Now it was overshadowed by towering modern structures, half of it boarded up, with only a flickering lamp lighting the cracked concrete. I told the others to wait at a safe distance in my car, with Selene monitoring on a phone-based scanning spell.

  I walked onto the station platform, scanning the darkness. My sidearm was concealed beneath my jacket, though my main weapon tonight was my ability to read spells. If Nova had set wards or illusions, I might pick them up. A faint ocean breeze drifted in, carrying the scent of salt and rotting fish. It wasn’t pleasant.

  A figure stepped out from behind a chipped column. Nova. She wore a leather jacket, hair pulled into a tight bun. Her gaze flicked around suspiciously. She appeared alone, but that proved nothing. I approached slowly, hands out. “I came alone,” I said softly, “just like you asked.”

  She smirked. “We’ll see.” She let her eyes roam the shadows, probably suspecting my allies were nearby. Then she turned her attention back to me. “Here we are again, Collin. It seems you have a knack for surviving.”

  I shrugged. “I prefer it that way.”

  She paced a few steps, boots crunching on broken glass. “I don’t have much time before the House Council notices I’m missing. They’re paranoid since you destroyed the anchor.”

  “And you said you’d give me a name.”

  Nova’s expression turned serious. “Yes. The one behind the carefully worded brand clauses and lethal default triggers is Councilor Jericho Vale. He’s the one who proposed the crackdown on big winners, ordering them forced into contract slavery. I have the documents linking him to the ledger expansions.”

  I let that sink in. Jericho Vale. A few times I’d heard the name whispered as a major power broker but never saw him in person. “What’s your angle?” I asked. “Why betray him now?”

  Nova’s lips curled in a wry smile. “Because once you hammered the anchor, he decided I was expendable. He wants a scapegoat for the fiasco, and guess who ranks first?” She tapped her own chest. “I’d rather turn the tables and watch him burn.”

  I measured her words. “That’s a juicy name. Any physical evidence?”

  She reached into her jacket slowly, pulling out a small flash drive. “Copies of key documents, meeting transcripts, magical contract drafts. Enough for blackmail or a legal nuke if you want to go that route. Vale’s face is on multiple signatories.”

  My pulse quickened. A direct link to a Council member could be the break I needed. “And in return… you want me to let you walk?”

  She nodded. “Yes. This city’s about to implode. I have enough stashed money to vanish, start fresh. All I want is your promise not to come after me or hand me over to the House. Let me board a plane in peace. In the meantime, I send you these files. Deal?”

  I glanced at the flash drive. If it was real, it could blow the lid off Vale’s involvement. “Deal,” I said cautiously. “Give me the drive.”

  Nova held it out. The entire station felt pregnant with tension. I stepped forward and reached for it. The second my fingertips touched the drive, I felt a strange ripple of magic. Alarm bells rang in my mind. Nova’s eyes flickered with triumph. I yanked my hand back, but too late.

  A swirling sigil flared to life behind her, etched on the columns, invisible until that moment. I recognized it—a binding glyph set to trigger on contact. Nova had set a trap. She threw herself backward out of range, a victorious sneer on her lips. “Fool,” she spat.

  I flung myself sideways as a pulse of energy slammed into the ground where I’d been standing. Rubble flew, and I grunted, rolling across the cracked concrete. The drive clattered away, out of reach. My side burned where I’d skidded. Nova whirled, producing a sleek pistol. She fired two shots that pinged off the station’s metal siding near me.

  My adrenaline rocketed. I scrambled behind a column, cursing under my breath. She’d never intended to let me have that evidence easily. Maybe it really existed, but she’d used it as bait to kill or capture me. I could only hope the others heard the shots.

  I read the flicker of wards around the platform. She must have prepared them in advance. The station was layered with illusions that confused vantage points. If my allies tried to pinpoint me, they might struggle. That meant I was on my own for a moment.

  Nova’s voice echoed. “Did you really think I’d hand over the Council’s secrets for free? Vale’s a monster, but I promised him your head. In exchange, he’ll let me keep my seat in the new order.”

  I stifled a growl. So she’d cut a deal with Jericho Vale. She was going to deliver me, dead or alive, as the scapegoat. My mind raced. I had to break or dispel the illusions blocking line of sight, or at least survive until the others found a way in.

  I ducked around the column, returning fire with my sidearm. Nova cursed, diving behind a partially collapsed bench. I advanced carefully, scanning for the lines of her illusions. A faint shimmer wriggled in the air around the edges of the platform. This was advanced cloak work, probably installed by a friendly House mage. I had some experience reading illusions, but my specialty was counters in real-time. I needed to see the active pattern.

  Keeping low, I circled right, eyes peeled for flickers of runic shapes. I spotted a swirl near a lamppost—one anchor for the illusions. If I disrupted it physically, I might let my allies see me from the street. But I’d have to cross open ground.

  Nova popped up and fired again. A bullet grazed my shoulder, tearing the fabric of my jacket. I hissed at the sting. She was a decent shot, and I was pinned. My vantage was minimal. I used a chipped piece of mirror from the ground to angle around the column, glimpsing her crouched behind that bench, reloading. I only had a window of seconds to act.

  I braced myself, then sprinted from cover, ignoring the throbbing pain in my shoulder. I heard Nova shout, “Stop!” She fired, but the bullet bounced off the ground behind me. I flung myself at the lamppost anchor, analyzing the swirl. I jammed my palm against it, forcing a wave of my magic in. The illusions crackled, lines shimmering. Gritting my teeth, I tore at the swirl’s structure. A ripple of energy erupted, shorting out the illusions.

  I heard a distant noise—tires screeching on pavement. Maybe that was my backup. The illusions parted like curtains, giving me a clearer view of the surrounding area. The coiled wards overhead fizzled, letting starlight filter in unobstructed.

  Nova shrieked in anger, seeing the illusions fail. She sprang from behind her bench, aiming her pistol. I dove behind the lamppost. Shots rang out, sparks flying off metal. My back slammed into the post, shoulder throbbing. This was too close. I needed a bigger move. My eyes darted to the flash drive lying on the ground, about five feet away. If it was truly loaded with evidence, I had to get it.

  I fired two shots at Nova’s position, forcing her to duck. Then I lunged for the drive, sliding on my knees. She shouted in rage, popping up to shoot. A bullet ricocheted near my hand, sending shards of concrete flying. I snatched the drive and rolled behind another column. My hand shook around the little device.

  Nova cursed again, footsteps pounding as she charged forward. She must have decided to close in. I scrambled to my feet, pistol raised. She emerged from behind the bench, and we stood maybe ten yards apart in the open. My breath caught. She was breathing heavily, hair disheveled, eyes blazing with lethal intent. We locked sights, guns aimed.

  A sudden screech of tires and flash of headlights at the far end of the platform broke the standoff. My car careened onto the cracked pavement, with Selene at the wheel. Lana threw open the passenger door, leaning halfway out, a smaller pistol in her hands. She fired off a warning shot that whizzed past Nova, forcing her to dodge.

  “Collin!” Lana shouted. “Come on!”

  Nova half-turned, confusion crossing her face. I seized the chance. My finger squeezed the trigger, one shot. It struck Nova in the leg. She cried out, toppling sideways, her pistol clattering to the ground. I drew in a ragged breath, stepping over. She clutched her thigh, blood staining her pants. “Damn you,” she hissed.

  I kicked her gun away and leveled mine at her chest. My entire body trembled with adrenaline, the memory of the vault fiasco still raw. She glared up, pain twisting her features. “Finish it, then,” she spat.

  I hesitated. She was lethal, a liar, a double-crosser. But she was also just a pawn in Vale’s bigger game. Slowly, I lowered my weapon. “I’m not in the business of murdering people who are down,” I said, voice tight. “But if you come after me again…” I let the threat hang.

  She bared her teeth, hatred smoldering in her eyes. “You’ll regret sparing me.”

  I grimaced. “See you around, Nova.” Then I turned and sprinted to the waiting car. Lana yanked the door open for me, and I dove in. Mira was in the back seat, face pale with concern. Selene gunned the engine, and we roared away. Through the back window, I saw Nova struggling to her feet, leaning on the bench. She wouldn’t be chasing us anytime soon.

  We sped through deserted streets before Selene finally eased off the gas. My pulse still hammered, sweat trickling down my neck. Lana half-turned in her seat. “Are you hurt?”

  “Just a graze,” I said, pressing a hand to my shoulder. I winced. It was more than a graze, but nothing life-threatening. My rib also complained from the run, but I’d survive.

  Mira leaned forward, eyes on the flash drive clutched in my hand. “Is that… the evidence?”

  I nodded, forcing a small grin. “If Nova was telling the truth, it’s everything we need on Jericho Vale.”

  Selene’s voice trembled with relief. “That’s big. We can do some real damage if it checks out.”

  Lana studied me, worry in her emerald eyes. “We almost lost you. Again.”