Page 107 of Knight

“The old man can stay here too.”

“Starting the day making sure people are upset with you, I see.”

"Better angry than dead. Getting her brother out was enough of an adventure for her. This job isn’t for rookies." I check my gun, ensuring the clip is full, but I’m mostly avoiding looking at my brothers. "Let's move."

The drive to the facility is suffocatingly quiet. Rook alternates between checking his pistol’s mag and the ammo strapped to his belt. I’m scrolling through facility schematics on my tablet. A pointless exercise, because I’ve already memorized them. Bishop grips the wheel like it insulted our mother.

When the industrial complex comes into view, its unremarkable exterior hiding something far more sinister, the tension in the car thickens like smoke. My tablet lights up with security feeds showing guards making their rounds, oblivious to the storm about to hit them.

"Security feeds are looped. Maintenance access is clear."

Bishop parks behind one of the abandoned warehouses, the headlights cutting out before the vehicle fully stops. "Comms check."

We verify our encrypted channels, then move toward the facility’s service entrance. The lock yields to my override, and we slip inside like shadows. Rook takes the lead, while I navigate the schematics again.

"The server room is two levels down. Primary control center should be adjacent. Four guards on rotation through the sub-level. Two monitoring security feeds. Response team is based on the east side."

We enter the service tunnels, our footsteps masked by the hum of machinery, and the cameras, blind to my looped feeds, offer no resistance.

The first guard doesn’t even have time to register the suppressor’s hiss on Rook’s gun before he’s down. We pause,waiting for any signs of alarm. When none come, we press forward.

The second guard meets the same fate. No witnesses, no loose ends. This isn’t like the last breach. This time, we’re making sure no one remembers we were here.

Thisis the real reason why I didn’t want Eva here. She doesn’t need the blood on her hands.

"Server room is ahead." I check my tablet. "Two techs inside, monitoring systems."

The techs die as efficiently as the guards, surprise frozen on their faces. An unfortunate waste of life, but we can’t risk them sounding the alarm.

"Do what you need to do." Rook positions himself by the door, gun in hand. The barrel doesn’t waver. "How long do you need?"

My fingers move across the keyboard while Bishop checks the rest of the room, securing the door on the opposite side.

"Five minutes to extract the critical data and launch the virus." Code streams across the screen. "Another three to wipe everything else."

A sound from the hallway freezes us all. Footsteps. Multiple sets. Moving fast. The hair on the back of my neck lifts.

"We’ve got company." Rook shifts position. His grip tightens on his gun, gaze locked on the entrance.

Gunfire erupts before I can reply. Three guards appear in the hallway, guns already firing. Bullets ricochet off the server racks. I duck behind a cooling unit, the metal vibrating under the barrage. My brothers return fire in sharp, controlled bursts.

"More incoming." Bishop's warning comes between bursts of gunfire. "East corridor."

I check the download progress. The timer crawls forward, every second stretching into eternity.

"I need at least two minutes to get the virus to a point where it can’t be stopped."

The door Bishop secured explodes inward, shards of metal and smoke filling the room. Guards flood in, forcing us deeper into the server room. The confined space amplifies the chaos, every shot louder, every move tighter. My brothers handle the immediate threats while I guard the terminal.

Can't lose the connection. Not now.

"I must admit, I'm impressed." A voice cuts through gunfire and alarms.

I don’t even have to look up to know who it is. That smug tone is burned into my memory. Still, I glance up, just to confirm. And there he stands. A tailored suit, perfect hair, Rolex gleaming under the flickering lights. The gun aimed steadily at my chest is the only thing out of place.

“Sullivan.” The name leaves my lips through gritted teeth. I should have fucking known. He’s tried to hire me a couple of times. I turned him down. Idohave some morals, and his work ethic doesn’t match mine. “Guess your hired help couldn’t handle us.”

"The infamous Chambers brothers. Breaking into my facility. Attempting to steal my work." His shark’s smile belongs in shareholder meetings. "Though I suppose I should thank you for making this easier. Having all three of you in one place saves considerable time."

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