Ryan sat at the head of the table in his private war room, a dim, circular chamber hidden deep within the compound. The room was cold, the walls lined with monitors displaying streams of encrypted data, tactical maps, and images of the underworld's most wanted figures. In the center of the table lay a digital projection of the Black Phoenix Syndicate's sprawling operations—a tangled web of corruption, violence, and control that stretched across continents.
He had called two of his most trusted allies to join him: Seraphine, his deadliest assassin and commander of his most elite forces, and Aria, his strategist—the brilliant mind behind many of his operations.
Seraphine leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, a dangerous smile playing on her lips as she watched Ryan. She had always enjoyed the thrill of Ryan's games, the silent understanding between them that power was a tool to be wielded, not merely protected. She could see it in his eyes—this wasn't just about Helena's demand for Iris' freedom. Ryan wanted this.
Aria sat at the table, her eyes sharp and focused as she reviewed the data in front of her. The Black Phoenix Syndicate was no small threat—they were one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world, with deep ties to governments, corporations, and other syndicates. Taking them down would require precision, careful planning, and most of all, secrecy.
But for The Lord, it would be easy.
Ryan's gaze swept over the holographic projection of the syndicate's operations, his mind already several steps ahead. The corners of his mouth twitched into a faint, calculating smile.
"It's time," Ryan said softly, his voice carrying the weight of an inevitable storm. "The Black Phoenix Syndicate needs to be destroyed."
Aria raised an eyebrow, glancing between Ryan and Seraphine. "It's about Iris, then? Or… is this about more than just that?"
Seraphine chuckled quietly, her eyes gleaming. "Oh, Aria, don't be so naive. He's been waiting for an excuse. Helena's demand just gave him the push."
Ryan didn't deny it. His expression remained cool, calculated, as he tapped a button on the table, zooming in on the core of the syndicate's operations. "I've allowed the Black Phoenix to operate for too long. Their influence has spread too far, and their leaders have grown arrogant. They think they're untouchable."
Seraphine tilted her head, her smile widening. "And you've decided it's time to remind them that no one is untouchable."
Ryan nodded. "Exactly."
Aria leaned forward, her fingers brushing across the digital map as she began calculating the logistics of the operation. "Their core is well-protected, with multiple layers of security. Hacking alone won't work—too many failsafes. We'll need infiltration teams in place to dismantle their leadership, cut off their supply chains, and create enough chaos to destabilize the entire network."
Seraphine pushed off the wall, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Which teams do you want to send?" she asked, a predatory smile curving her lips. "We could use The Ravens. They're fast, precise, and they'll eliminate anyone standing in their way."
"The Queens would be a good fit too," Aria added, her voice thoughtful. "They specialize in disruption, sowing chaos from the inside. The syndicate won't know what hit them."
Ryan listened quietly as Seraphine continued, her tone almost playful as she listed more options. "We could send The Reapers—specialists in clean, quiet kills. Or perhaps The Vipers—masters of deception and sabotage."
Each of the teams Seraphine and Aria mentioned were elite, overpowered forces under Ryan's control. Any one of them could dismantle an organization like the Black Phoenix Syndicate, given the right tactics. But none of them were what Ryan had in mind.
Seraphine paused, her playful smile fading as she studied Ryan's face. "But you're not thinking of any of those, are you?"
Ryan's lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smirk. "No. I don't want my involvement to be known. This needs to look like the syndicate collapsed on its own, from internal fractures. I want it to be quiet—silent."
Aria frowned, her brow furrowing as she glanced at Seraphine, a hint of confusion flickering across her face. "Then… who do you have in mind?"
For a moment, the room fell into an eerie silence, the hum of technology the only sound that filled the air. Ryan's eyes gleamed with a cold, ruthless edge, and he spoke just two words, his voice soft but laced with an authority that left no room for doubt.
"The Ghosts."
Seraphine froze, her usual calm demeanor faltering for a split second as her eyes widened in shock. Even Aria, who prided herself on her composure, stiffened in her chair, her hands hovering over the controls as if she hadn't heard him correctly.
"The Ghosts?" Aria repeated slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Seraphine took a step forward, her expression suddenly serious, all traces of amusement gone. "LORD! You want to send them?"
The weight of her question hung in the air like a heavy fog. The Ghosts were a team that very few knew about—even fewer had ever seen in action. They weren't just assassins or operatives; they were something else entirely. A shadow force, whispered about in the darkest corners of the world. Legends. Myths. To most, they didn't even exist.
But Ryan knew better. The Ghosts were his most secret, most deadly unit—a team that didn't follow the rules of any conventional warfare. They moved without being seen, eliminated without leaving a trace, and dismantled entire operations as if they had never existed. They were the epitome of precision and fear.
Sending them would be overkill. But Ryan didn't care.
"Yes," Ryan said, his voice cold and certain. "The Ghosts."
Seraphine and Aria exchanged a look, their disbelief palpable. Sending the Ghosts wasn't just a show of force—it was a statement. A declaration that Ryan wasn't just going to dismantle the Black Phoenix Syndicate; he was going to erase them from existence.
"Sir…" Aria began, her voice carefully measured. "The Ghosts don't just destroy their targets. They make them disappear. If you send them after the syndicate, there won't be anything left. No survivors, no records, no trace."
Ryan's eyes darkened, his gaze hard and unyielding. "That's exactly what I want. The Black Phoenix Syndicate will be wiped from the face of the earth. No one will know how it happened, and no one will dare to challenge us."
Seraphine let out a slow breath, her eyes glinting with a mixture of awe and apprehension. "I didn't think we'd ever use them again," she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.
Ryan stepped forward, his presence commanding the room. "The world needs a reminder of who controls the shadows. The Ghosts will ensure that reminder is permanent."
For a moment, neither Seraphine nor Aria spoke. The decision had been made, and there was no going back. The Black Phoenix Syndicate, one of the most feared criminal organizations in the world, was about to be dismantled in a way no one could have anticipated. Not by the Ravens, or the Queens, or any of Ryan's other forces. But by a team so secret, so deadly, that their very existence was a myth.
Seraphine finally found her voice, though there was a hint of disbelief still lingering in her tone. "It will take two days to mobilize them."
Aria looked up in shock. "Two days? To destroy one of the most powerful syndicates in the world?"
For anyone else, it would have been absurd. Taking down an organization as vast and entrenched as the Black Phoenix Syndicate in just two days was a fantasy, an impossibility. But for Ryan, for The Lord, it was just another day's work. And with the Ghosts involved, it was a foregone conclusion.
Seraphine allowed herself a small smile, shaking her head in awe. "For anyone else, it would be impossible. But for you, my lord? It's as easy as a piece of cake."
Ryan's lips curled into that same kingly smile he had worn when he spoke to Iris and Helena. Cold, confident, and utterly certain. The Ghosts would make quick work of the Black Phoenix Syndicate, and the world would never know what had happened. Only whispers would remain—whispers of a power greater than anyone had ever realized.
Seraphine took a step closer, her voice dropping to a low, almost reverent tone as she repeated her question.
"LORD… You want to send them?"
Ryan's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with a deadly edge as he gave his final command.
"Yes. I want to send the Ghosts."
End of Chapter 30