Ethan Kane was no stranger to adversity, but the days following Garrett's revelation felt like a storm gathering on the horizon. The dismantling of Victor Kane's empire had been a victory, but left behind a fractured landscape to be rebuilt by someone who knew how and had the willingness to use it.
The team reconvened at Frank's gym, now a makeshift headquarters. Garrett had strewn blueprints of financial transactions and organizational charts across a whiteboard. Red strings connected the dots, creating a web of alliances, betrayals, and shadowy figures.
"It's a Hydra," Garrett said grimly, his weight on the table. "Cut off one head, and two more take its place. This isn't just about one person taking over. It's a network of people trying to restore what Victor built."
Ethan's jaw clenched as he studied the board. "Do we know who's leading them?"
Garrett shook his head. "Not yet. But there's one name that keeps popping up: Helena Cross. She was Victor's chief financial officer before he went down. She's been moving assets and reconnecting with his old contacts."
Frank leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "So, what's the play? We go after her?
Garrett hesitated. "It's not that easy. She's smart, careful. We can't just barge in like we did with Victor. We need to gather more intel and hit her where it hurts."
Ethan nodded. "Then we start digging. Let's find out where she's vulnerable.
The first lead took them to a luxury hotel downtown, where Helena was rumored to be meeting with a potential ally. Posing as staff, Garrett infiltrated the hotel's network while Ethan and Frank monitored from a nearby van. The surveillance equipment buzzed to life as Garrett patched into the security cameras.
"She's in the penthouse suite," Garrett reported. "Meeting with someone…wait, I've got audio."
Ethan and Frank listened, through earpieces, to a clipped conversation between Helena and a man who sported an extremely heavy Eastern European accent.
"The assets are secure," Helena said. "But we need more time to stabilize the network. Without Victor, the others are skittish."
The man's voice was cold. "Time is a luxury we cannot afford. The authorities are closing in, and we cannot fail. If you cannot deliver, I will find someone who can."
Helena's tone sharpened. "Don't threaten me. You need me as much as I need you. Without my connections, you're nothing but a hired thug."
The man got up and left the suite. Garrett tracked him on the hotel's cameras.
"He's going to the parking garage," Garrett said. "You want to let me follow him?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. Keep on Helena. We need to know what her next move is.
Over the next few days, the team built a profile on Helena. She was a brilliant strategist, always three steps ahead. She had connections to offshore accounts, shell companies, and a private security force that rivaled Victor's. But there was one weak spot: a shipment scheduled to arrive at a private dock on the city's south side.
Garrett's research showed that the cargo included encrypted hard drives-what was left of Victor's digital empire, probably. If they could catch it, they had leverage on Helena.
"We're only getting one shot at this," Ethan said, going over the plan with them. "If we don't get those drives, Helena's operation goes underground, and we lose her."
Frank smiled. "No pressure, right?
The night of the operation, the team assembled at the dock. The air was thick with fog, muffling the sound of waves lapping against the pier. Garrett had hacked into the dock's security system, disabling cameras and alarms. Ethan and Frank moved silently through the shadows, their movements precise and practiced.
"The shipment's in container 37," Garrett whispered through the comms. "You've got two guards patrolling the area."
Ethan gestured to Frank, who flanked left, keeping the guards otherwise occupied as Ethan crept up on the container. He produced a small crowbar, pried the lock open, and crawled inside. There were rows of crates stacked along the walls but one small, heavily reinforced case had his attention.
"I have it," he said, picking up the case. "Going out now."
As he stepped out of the container, he noticed a faint sound of footsteps. A squad of armed men emerged from the fog with their weapons trained on him. Frank appeared behind them, but even he could not take on so many at once.
"Drop the case," one of the men ordered.
Ethan's mind ran a mile a minute. He set the case down on the ground, his hands raised. The men were moving toward him, and he glanced at Frank, who gave a barely perceptible nod. In a blur of motion, Ethan snatched a pipe from beside him and swung it at the nearest attacker while Frank launched himself at the others.
The fight was vicious. Ethan's muscles scorched as he dodged, countered with precision, as Frank simply overpowered two of the attackers, until reinforcements came in, so they were forced to get out.
"Garrett we need a way out!" shouted Ethan into his comm.
"We got it," answered Garrett. "Head to the service road east. My car is waiting."
Ethan and Frank ran through the dock, the case clutched tightly in Ethan's hands. Bullets whizzed past them, but they didn't stop until they reached the car. Garrett floored the accelerator as soon as they were inside.
Back at their safe house, Ethan placed the case on the table. Garrett cracked it open, revealing a collection of hard drives and encrypted files.
"This is it," Garrett said, his eyes wide. "This is everything. Helena's accounts, her contacts, even her private communications. We've got her."
Ethan leaned back, a tired smile on his face. "Good. Let's end this."
But as Garrett began decrypting the files, a single message appeared on the screen: "Nice try." Moments later, the drives began to self-destruct, smoke pouring from the casing.
No!" Garrett shouted, trying to recover the data. But it was already too late.
Ethan's fists were clenched. "She knew we were coming. This was a trap."
Frank's voice was steady but tight. "So what do we do now?"
Ethan's eyes blazed with determination. "We find her. And this time, we don't let her get away.