Page 53 of Carter
“Let’s finish this,” I said, voice low, lethal.
River nodded, and together we moved for the stairs.
78
Carter
The steel stairs groaned under our boots as we climbed, every step echoing like a drumbeat. My rifle was tight to my shoulder, breath controlled, heart pounding steady. I’d fought in cities, deserts, jungles—but tonight felt different. Tonight, the war lived in my chest.
At the landing, River paused, signaling. I nodded, then kicked the office door open hard.
The room was dim, lit only by the glow of monitors lining the back wall. And standing in the center, hands clasped behind his back like a man who thought he owned the night, was our shadow.
Tall. Broad. Expensive suit hanging like armor. His face was clean-shaven, cold, but his eyes—those were darker than Graves’. Harder. A man who hadn’t just ordered contracts. He’d signed the checks with blood.
“Soldiers,” he said smoothly, like we’d been expected. “You cut down Graves. Impressive. But you’ve only stirred the hornet’s nest.”
My rifle trained center mass. “Name.”
A faint smile curved his mouth. “They call me Sable.”
River stiffened beside me. The name meant something—I could see it in his eyes—but I didn’t let it slow me.
“You’re the one putting her on lists,” I said, my voice rough. “You’re the reason she can’t close her eyes without fear. You’ve got one chance to tell me why.”
Sable’s smile widened, calm as glass. “Because fear controls people. And Harper—your Harper—is the perfect symbol. Strong enough to stand, fragile enough to break. If I can’t use her, I’ll destroy her. Either way, she serves the cause.”
The fury that ripped through me was wildfire. My finger tightened on the trigger, every muscle begging to end him here and now.
But a part of me—cold, soldier-trained—knew better. Killing him might end the man, but not the network he commanded.
Behind me, River’s voice was low. “We need him alive, Carter.”
I didn’t answer. My sights never wavered. My heart thundered with Harper’s name.
Alive or dead—this man’s fate was mine to choose.
79
Carter
My finger rested on the trigger, steady, unshaking. One squeeze and this bastard would drop. One squeeze and Harper’s face would never leave his mouth again.
Sable didn’t blink. His hands stayed clasped behind his back, calm as if he were standing in a boardroom instead of staring down the barrel of my rifle. “You want to kill me. I can see it in your eyes. But if you do, the contracts multiply. My lieutenants will spread her name like fire. You’ll never keep her safe.”
He wasn’t wrong. That was the hell of it.
Every part of me burned to pull the trigger—to end the threat, to silence his voice forever. But River’s words cut through the fire:We need him alive.
Alive meant intel. Alive meant routes, names, bank accounts, the rest of the syndicate. Alive meant I could carve Harper’s name off every damn list once and for all.
Dead meant one more body. And the war wouldn’t end with a body.
My jaw clenched, rage grinding my teeth. Slowly, Ilowered the rifle just enough to shift my aim from his heart to his leg.
The shot cracked loud in the enclosed space. Sable went down hard, his howl tearing through the office as blood spread across the floor.
I closed the distance in two strides, boot slamming into his chest to keep him down. My rifle pressed to his temple now, the steel biting into his skin.
