Sam's heart was still pounding as the chilling message echoed in her mind:
"You're next."
Her hands trembled as she fumbled with the lock, hesitant to open the door. It's been an hour since she left the house. Something felt wrong, but she pushed the nagging feeling aside and stepped inside, her thoughts swirling with the chaos of the last few hours. The moment she crossed the threshold, reality hit her hard. Her apartment was trashed. Drawers had been yanked open, papers were scattered all over the place, furniture was tipped over. Her laptop was gone, along with every file she had in Lily's case. Months of work... gone, just like that. Someone was here. And they knew everything.
Sam stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes still sweeping across the mess in disbelief. Drawers were pulled out, clothes strewn across the floor, and the once neatly organized files on her investigation were gone, completely wiped out. This wasn't just a break-in. It was a message. "Back off or face the consequences."
The place had been searched thoroughly, and whoever did it knows exactly what they were looking for. She couldn't ignore the pit forming in her stomach.
They knew? "Dammit, how did they find out so fast?" she muttered to herself.
Just as she was about to call Raymond, her phone buzzed. Her heart raced as she snatched it up from the floor. The screen lit up with a message from an unknown number: "Stop digging, or you're next."
Sam's breath hitched. This was real, deadly real. She typed out a reply to Raymond with shaking hands: They ransacked my place. Need to meet ASAP. She hit send, but deep down, she knew Raymond wasn't the only person she could trust anymore. What now? She thought, pacing around the wreckage of her apartment. Her investigation was falling apart faster than she could hold it together, but giving up wasn't an option. She had to regroup, get more intel on Mr. X, and figure out who Carter Blake was. If her files were gone, her contacts were the only resource she had left.
Sam's phone buzzed in her pocket, jolting her back to reality. She fumbled to answer it, her fingers slick with sweat.
"Sam," the familiar voice of tony, an old informant who had helped her before with gathering background on high-profile criminals, one of her few remaining contacts, greeted her, the worry clear in her tone. I just got word, something's off. There's chatter about you. The syndicate knows you're digging in.
"They've been in my apartment," Sam muttered, her voice tight with anger. "They took everything."
Tony cursed on the other end. You need to get out of there. Now. You're not safe.
"I know," Sam replied, her mind racing. She was in too deep now to turn back, but the walls were closing in faster than she'd anticipated. Whoever had ransacked her place had left nothing behind, no loose ends. Whoever it was, they were professionals.
But Sam wasn't about to give up. She had come too far, uncovered too much. Lily was still out there, and the clock was ticking.
"I need information," Sam said, trying to keep her voice steady. Anything you can dig up on Mr. X or the syndicate's operations."
Tony hesitated for a moment. There's a guy, Carter Blake. He's in charge of the syndicate's finance. If anyone knows how to get to Mr. X, it's him."
Sam's pulse quickened. She was to ask Tony who Carter Blake was. It was the first real lead she'd gotten in days.
Where can I find him? Please, I was to ask you if you know Carter Blake ? She asked.
"He's slippery, Sam," Tony warned. But rumor has it he's been lying low at a high-end club downtown. It's the kind of place where guys like him think they can hide in plain sight.
Sam nodded. She already knew the club she had been there before hearing this had made her start formulating a plan. "I'll take my chances."
You're playing with fire. They are one of the top tier criminals in town, Jessa said, her voice tinged with concern. "You sure you want to go down this road?"
"I don't have a choice," Sam replied quietly. "Not anymore."
She hung up and surveyed the destruction of her apartment one last time before grabbing her coat and heading for the door. She locked it calmly. There was nothing left for her here. She was heading to the high-end club in the downtown.
A few hours later, she arrived at the high-end club downtown. It was already late at night.
The club was the definition of upscale, sleek black walls, low lighting, and an air of exclusivity that dripped with wealth and danger. Sam could feel eyes on her as she walked through the door, dressed as the part of someone who belonged, but knowing full well she was anything but an investigator.
Inside, the atmosphere was thick with tension, high-end clients mingling in private booths, deals being whispered over expensive bottles of champagne. It was the kind of place where secrets were sold, and people like Carter Blake thrived.
She scanned the room, her eyes landing on a booth in the far corner. A man sat alone, nursing a drink, his face partially obscured by shadows. Carter Blake.
Her stomach tightened. This was it. She needed to get close, figure out what he knew, but she had to be smart. Blake wasn't the kind of guy who spilled secrets easily, especially not to a stranger.
Sam moved toward the bar, keeping her eyes on him from a distance. She had to wait for the right moment.
But something was wrong.
A prickle of unease crept up her spine as she felt the weight of eyes on her—more than just casual glances. She was being watched. Followed.
Sam's heart raced, her instincts kicked in. She couldn't afford to make a scene, not here, not now. She had to play it cool, figure out who was tailing her before they made a move.
She subtly glanced around, her eyes scanning the crowd. At first, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, just a sea of expensive suits and designer dresses. But then, in the corner of her eye, she spotted them.
Two men. Dressed too casually for this kind of place, lingering near the back, their eyes locked on her. Syndicate thugs. She was sure of it.
"Dammit," she muttered under her breath.
They were closing in.
Sam's mind raced as she quickly weighed her options. She could try to blend into the crowd, lose them in the chaos of the club, or make a break for it. But either way, she knew she was running out of time.
She threw some cash at the bar attender and slipped toward the exit, keeping her movements casual but swift. The moment she stepped outside, the cool night air hit her, and she quickened her pace, her pulse pounding in her ears.
The men followed.
As she made her way down the street, Sam couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the quiet street. It was late, and the usual hustle and bustle had died down, leaving her alone with her thoughts and her growing paranoia.
Am I being followed? She wondered.
Her heart began to race as she picked up her pace. The sensation of eyes on her didn't fade. She could hear footsteps behind her, the soft tap of shoes hitting the pavement.
Were they really there, or was her mind playing tricks on her?
Sam glanced back again and saw a shadow in the distance, someone was definitely following her.
"What ah hell who's following me" She cursed under her breath and ducked into the nearest alleyway, hoping to lose them in the dark. But the footsteps quickened, closing the gap between them.
Her heart thundered in her chest as she ducked into a nearby alleyway, the narrow street offering little in the way of escape. She had to find a way out, and it had to be fast.
But it was too late.
As soon as she reached the end of the narrow passage, two men stepped into her path. Syndicate thugs, no doubt.
Where do you think you're going, sweetheart? One of them sneered, blocking her exit.
Her eyes darted around for an escape route, but the walls were too high, and the only way out was blocked by the two men. She backed up, but the sound of footsteps behind her told her that her pursuer had caught up.
The second man, taller and more muscular, cracked his knuckles, a twisted smile playing on his lips. "You've been asking too many questions, lady. Time to shut you up."
Sam's pulse raced as the two men advanced on her. She wasn't about to go down without a fight.
The first man lunged at her, but Sam sidestepped just in time, delivering a swift kick to his ribs. He grunted in pain, stumbling back. The taller man swung at her, but she ducked, his fist grazing her shoulder. The alley was too narrow for a full fight, but she wasn't about to let them take her without a struggle.
She landed a punch to the taller man's jaw, but before she could get in another hit, the first man grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. Sam struggled, kicking out with her legs, but it was no use. They had her.
"Yo
u've made a big mistake, lady," the taller man growled, stepping closer with a sinister smile. "Nobody crosses the syndicate and walks away."
Sam's mind raced. She had to think of something, anything, to get out of this alive.