The atmosphere in the safehouse was suffocating, thick with an unspoken tension that clung to the walls like a ghost. The silence was deafening after Leo's departure, and it left Sara feeling unsettled. This was supposed to be a sanctuary, a place where they could regroup and plan their next move, but now it felt more like a cage.
Kotis was pacing back and forth, his brow furrowed in deep thought, while Marco leaned against the counter, arms crossed, his usual skepticism evident on his face. Sara stood by the window, staring out at the dimly lit street below, her mind churning over the situation.
"This could be the break we need," Kotis finally said, breaking the silence. His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it, the weight of the responsibility clear in his tone. "If Leo's telling the truth, this list could give us a real shot at taking down Dario."
Marco shook his head, still unconvinced. "Or it could be a trap. We don't know this guy, Kotis. He could be playing us."
Sara turned away from the window, her gaze settling on the two men. "Marco's right. It's risky. But we can't ignore it either. We're running out of options."
Kotis stopped pacing and looked at Sara, his eyes filled with a mixture of determination and weariness. "I know. But if we're going to end this, we need to start making moves. Dario's been one step ahead of us for too long."
Sara couldn't argue with that. Dario had been a ghost, slipping through their fingers every time they thought they had him cornered. But this list, if it was real, could change everything. It wasn't just a collection of names—it was a map of Dario's operation, a way to dismantle it piece by piece.
"Then we need to verify the intel," Sara said. "We can't act blindly."
Kotis nodded, rubbing his temples. "I've got a contact who might be able to help with that. Someone who's worked on the inside, off the grid."
Marco arched an eyebrow. "And you trust this guy?"
"As much as I trust anyone in this line of work," Kotis replied with a grim smile. "But he's reliable. If there's a way to cross-check the names, he'll know how."
Sara felt a flicker of hope. If they could confirm the information, it would give them the leverage they needed to turn the tide. But the danger was still real. Every move they made now was like walking a tightrope over a pit of vipers.
"We need to move quickly," Sara said, glancing at the list. "If Dario finds out we have this, he'll come at us even harder."
Kotis gave a short nod. "I'll make the call. But we'll need to be on high alert until we know what we're dealing with."
Marco pushed off the counter, his expression hardening. "I'll double-check the perimeter. Make sure we're not being watched."
As Marco left the room, Kotis pulled out his phone and stepped into the hallway to make the call, leaving Sara alone with her thoughts. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being drawn into a trap. The stakes were too high, the risks too great. But she also knew they couldn't afford to do nothing.
She crossed her arms, her mind racing. It had been a long time since she had felt this unsure of what to do next. Every decision felt like it was pulling her deeper into a web she couldn't escape from. And at the center of it all was Dario, pulling the strings.
The sound of Kotis's voice from the hallway snapped her out of her thoughts. She couldn't hear the details of the conversation, but his tone was calm, focused. When he returned a few minutes later, there was a look of determination in his eyes.
"My contact's in," he said. "He'll meet us tonight, but it has to be quick. He doesn't want to get too close to this mess."
Sara frowned. "Where's the meeting?"
"An old warehouse on the east side," Kotis replied. "It's out of the way, low-profile. But we need to be careful. If Dario gets wind of this…"
"He won't," Sara said, more to reassure herself than anyone else. "We'll be in and out before anyone knows."
Marco returned from his sweep of the perimeter, nodding to indicate everything was clear. "We good to go?"
"Yeah," Kotis said. "We leave in an hour. Be ready."
---
The drive to the east side was tense, the streets eerily quiet as they made their way through the city's underbelly. The weight of what they were about to do hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Sara sat in the passenger seat, her eyes scanning the dark streets, every shadow seeming to hide a potential threat.
Kotis was focused, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as they approached the warehouse district. Marco sat in the back, his hand resting on the gun at his side, always ready for trouble.
When they finally reached the meeting spot, the warehouse loomed ahead of them like a giant, its windows broken and its walls covered in graffiti. The place had been abandoned for years, but it still had an unsettling presence.
They parked the car a block away and made their way toward the building on foot, sticking to the shadows. The night air was cold, and Sara pulled her jacket tighter around her as they approached the entrance. The door creaked as Kotis pushed it open, the sound echoing through the empty space.
Inside, the warehouse was even more desolate. Broken crates and debris littered the floor, and the only light came from the dim glow of a single overhead bulb, flickering like it was on its last breath. Sara's footsteps echoed softly as they made their way deeper inside, the tension building with every step.
"Over here," Kotis said, leading them to a corner where a figure was waiting.
The man was tall, his face partially obscured by the shadow of a hood. He didn't look up as they approached, but Sara could feel his gaze on them, sharp and assessing.
"Kotis," the man said in a low voice. "You didn't say you were bringing company."
"They're with me," Kotis replied, his tone curt. "We need your help, and we don't have time for games."
The man finally looked up, his eyes glinting in the dim light. "You always did have a way with words."
Sara exchanged a glance with Marco, her senses on high alert. She didn't trust this man, but she trusted Kotis, and that had to be enough.
Kotis handed the man the list of names. "We need to verify this. Fast."
The man took the paper, glancing over it before folding it and tucking it into his jacket. "I'll check what I can. But this is dangerous territory, Kotis. You're poking a hornet's nest."
"We're already in the middle of it," Kotis replied.
The man gave a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Fair enough. Give me 24 hours. I'll be in touch."
"Make it 12," Kotis said, his voice leaving no room for negotiation.
The man raised an eyebrow but nodded. "12 it is. But after that, we're done. I don't want to be involved in this any more than I have to."
With that, the man turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving them standing in the dim light of the warehouse. The tension in the air was thick, the sense of danger ever-present.
"We need to move," Marco said, his voice low. "We're sitting ducks here."
Kotis nodded, leading them back toward the entrance. The warehouse felt even more oppressive as they made their way out, the weight of the unknown pressing down on them.
As they stepped outside, Sara's phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the message.
**Unknown number: Watch your back. Dario knows.**
Her blood ran cold, and she quickly showed the message to Kotis and Marco. Their reactions were immediate—Marco swore under his breath, and Kotis's face hardened with resolve.
"Let's go," Kotis said, his voice sharp. "Now."
They hurried back to the car, every nerve on edge as they sped away from the warehouse. Sara's mind raced, the ominous message playing over and over in her head.
Dario knew.