The card felt heavy in Marcus's hand — far heavier than a simple piece of paper should. He stared at the Joker, its mocking grin a reflection of the madness closing in on him. But there was no time for fear.
He tucked the card into his pocket and slipped out of the theater's side entrance, his mind racing. The Ghost had played their hand — and Marcus wasn't going to wait for their next move.
His phone vibrated. A single message: "You missed your shot. She won't be so lucky next time."
He dialed Harper immediately. "Is Emily safe?"
There was a pause. Then Harper's tense voice: "She's gone."
Marcus's breath caught. "What do you mean, gone?"
"One minute she was in the room, the next... the window was open. No sign of a struggle."
The Ghost had her.
Marcus forced the rising panic down. He needed clarity. He needed control. And above all, he needed answers.
He called in a favor from an old contact — a hacker named Nia who owed him more than a few. Within minutes, she was combing through surveillance footage.
"Got something," Nia said. "Unmarked van. No plates. Pulled up outside Harper's place five minutes before she disappeared."
"Where did it go?"
"Industrial district. Warehouse 16."
Marcus was already moving.
The warehouse loomed ahead, its windows black and broken. Marcus slipped inside, his footsteps soundless.
A single light bulb swung overhead, casting long, shifting shadows. In the center of the room — a chair.
Empty.
But not quite. A small, bloodstained ribbon lay at its base.
"Emily," Marcus whispered.
"You're getting closer," the Ghost's voice drifted from the dark.
"Where is she?" Marcus demanded.
"Patience," the Ghost said. "You'll see her soon enough. But first — a test."
A door slammed behind him. Marcus spun — and the room flooded with figures.
Men in masks.
They rushed him.
The fight was brutal. Marcus moved like a predator, every punch precise, every kick lethal. But there were too many. A blow caught his ribs. Another his jaw.
He hit the ground hard.
"Not good enough," the Ghost's voice taunted. "But you'll have another chance. Soon."
Darkness closed over him.
When Marcus woke, he was somewhere else — a sterile, white room.
And across from him, Emily.
But something was wrong.
She didn't move. Didn't blink.
"Emily?"
Her eyes slowly lifted — but they were empty.
"What did you do to her?" Marcus roared.
The Ghost's laughter filled the room. "The question isn't what I did. It's what you're willing to do to bring her back."
A screen blinked to life.
A countdown began.
Marcus had five minutes to make an impossible choice.