Chapter 7 - The Ghost from the Past
The digital forensics team working under Marin's direct supervision finally cracked the encrypted hard drive recovered from the fallen hit squad. The data packet didn't just point to the Boston syndicate; it revealed a much larger, transnational conspiracy involving an international broker known only in shadow circles as "The Raven."
That single alias struck a hidden nerve deep within Marin’s memory. Years ago, before she took up nursing contracts and vanished into the quiet corners of the city, she had crossed paths with that exact designation in a classified theater of operations overseas. The realization that her past life was violently colliding with her present assignment sent a jolt of ice through her veins. She couldn't allow Elias or his family to become collateral damage in a vendetta that belonged entirely to her previous existence.
That evening, Marin prepared her gear in the quiet seclusion of her quarters, sliding a sleek, suppressed tactical pistol into her thigh holster and strapping a combat knife to her forearm. As she turned toward the door, she found Elias leaning against the doorframe, blocking her exit. He had seen the subtle shift in her posture, the heightened vigilance in her eyes.
"You're planning to hunt them down alone," Elias stated flatly, his obsidian eyes locking onto hers with unyielding authority. "You think you can slip out into the city, track down The Raven, and handle a ghost from your past without my resources."
"This isn't your war, Elias," Marin countered, her voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "This is personal. It involves shadows you shouldn't even know exist."
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"Everything that enters my city, everything that threatens my people—and you—becomes my war the moment it touches this estate," Elias replied, stepping closer until she could feel the absolute power radiating from his frame. "We hunt them together. Or you don't leave this room."
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