The apartment was silent, save for the low hum of Eleanor's laptop. The image of her sister Ella still glowed on the screen — captured from the stalker's phone, framed like prey.
Daniela sat across from her, arms crossed tightly.
"They're using her to bait you."
Eleanor's jaw clenched. She hadn't slept. The weight behind her eyes was clear.
"They've already baited me," Eleanor whispered. "Now they're testing how far I'll go."
Leo spoke up, his voice hesitant but honest. "If you back off, they might leave her alone."
"That's not a guarantee," Duncan cut in sharply. "Backing down won't stop them."
Eleanor finally looked up, voice steady now. "We end this. Before they get to anyone else."
Duncan had a plan. Reckless. Dangerous. But it might work.
"We flip one of Santos' lieutenants. Publicly. Loudly," Duncan explained. "We draw out whoever's leaking inside Justice. Force Santos to react."
Leo looked skeptical. "You want to bait them back?"
"We use controlled bait," Daniela said. "Someone expendable. Someone already compromised."
That someone was Marcus DeWitt — one of Santos' mid-level arms brokers, currently under a sealed federal indictment.
"We leak that Marcus is cooperating," Duncan said. "Force Santos to make a move."
Eleanor nodded slowly. "And when he does, we follow the trail to his inside man."
Daniela's eyes met Eleanor's. "This puts Marcus — and us — in the crosshairs."
"We've been there since day one," Eleanor answered.
The leak hit the news that afternoon. Carefully staged.
Federal arms broker Marcus DeWitt enters witness protection as part of growing investigation into transnational crime syndicates.
The media frenzy exploded. Anonymous sources, secret deals, public speculation.
Within hours, Santos' phones lit up.
In his penthouse, Ruiz delivered the news grimly.
"They're baiting you."
"I know," Santos said calmly. "And they expect me to take it."
Ruiz shifted nervously. "Should we?"
Santos smirked. "Of course."
That night, as Marcus DeWitt was transferred to a safehouse under heavy escort, two black SUVs intercepted the convoy.
The first SUV rammed the lead car. The second boxed in the rear.
Gunmen poured out, heavily armed.
The federal agents fought back, but it was brutal, calculated.
Within three minutes, Marcus DeWitt was dragged from the wreckage and shoved into a getaway car.
It vanished into the city.
Eleanor, Daniela, and Duncan arrived at the scene within the hour. The wrecked vehicles were still being hauled away. Three federal agents were dead.
"This was too clean," Duncan said grimly. "They had the route. The timing. Everything."
"They have eyes inside," Daniela whispered.
Eleanor's face darkened. "Which means the leak worked."
Duncan nodded. "Now we let Marcus lead us to them."
Leo's voice shook slightly. "And if Marcus breaks before we find him?"
Eleanor's eyes stayed locked on the blood-streaked asphalt.
"Then we lose."
Inside the prison, Kayleigh received the full report.
Caro stood nearby, watching her reaction carefully.
Kayleigh set the report down.
"They think this puts them closer to Santos."
Caro frowned. "Doesn't it?"
Kayleigh's lips curved in that cold, dangerous smile.
"They've mistaken movement for progress."
Caro leaned in. "Do we intervene?"
Kayleigh finally looked up, voice chillingly soft.
"No."
"But—"
"Let Santos burn his own empire trying to silence them," Kayleigh said. "Then we'll collect what's left."
She paused, fingers steepled.
"But before that... we remind Eleanor who she belongs to."
Caro's brow furrowed. "You mean Daniela?"
Kayleigh's eyes gleamed.
"She took something from me. Let's see if she'll give it back."
Later that night, at the safehouse, Eleanor sat by the window again — her nightly ritual of silent dread.
Daniela joined her, quiet, grounding.
"We're close," Daniela whispered.
"We're exposed," Eleanor corrected.
Suddenly, Daniela's phone buzzed.
One message. One word.
"Soon."
No sender.
No trace.
Eleanor's breath caught in her throat.
"They're coming for us."
Daniela whispered, steady but sharp: "Then we meet them head-on."
Outside, another surveillance drone hovered briefly before retreating into the cold night sky.
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To be continued