Caleb moved fast, his steps silent, his mind running ahead. The location Felix had given him wasn't far, but distance wasn't the problem. Getting in without raising alarms was. Elias had covered his tracks too well to make a careless mistake now. If Caleb tripped anything, he wouldn't get another chance. He reached the building, an unmarked high-rise tucked between corporate fronts. Nothing about it stood out. No security guards, no cameras in the open. That meant the real security was inside. He exhaled slowly. In and out. Get the proof. Make it count.
Slipping through the side entrance, he moved quickly, bypassing the first level of security—basic motion sensors, cheap, predictable. The elevator required a keycard, so he took the stairs. Eighth floor. Server room. Five minutes. He climbed fast, his breath controlled, his heartbeat steady. At the door, he paused, listening. Nothing. He swiped Felix's bypass tool over the lock. A quiet click, and the door released. He was in.
Rows of silent servers hummed in the dim light. Caleb didn't waste time. He plugged in the drive Felix had given him, eyes flicking to the screen as data spilled across it. Names. Accounts. Transfers. Elias had stolen more than just credits—he had bought influence. Hushed deals with outside players, syndicate money funneled into places it had no business being. Caleb scrolled faster, searching for the final piece.
Then he heard it. A footstep. He didn't hesitate. He killed the screen, yanked the drive, and moved. The door creaked open, and a shadow entered. Caleb melted into the darkness behind a row of servers, muscles tight, breath slow. The figure scanned the room. Not security. Not a grunt. Elias.
The lieutenant's gaze swept the space. Something had tipped him off. Maybe Felix's bypass tool hadn't been as clean as promised, maybe the building had silent alarms Caleb hadn't caught. It didn't matter. If Elias found him here, it was over.
Seconds passed. Caleb barely breathed. Then Elias cursed under his breath and turned, stepping back out. The door shut behind him.
Caleb counted to three. Then he moved. Fast. Down the stairs, out the side door, into the night. He didn't stop until he was three blocks away. Then he exhaled, his grip tightening on the drive in his pocket. Proof. Enough to burn Elias to the ground.
But now, Elias knew someone was coming for him. And that meant Caleb had just started a war.