Chapter 2: The Ghost and the Net
1264 Words
The Wolves’ Clan: The Power Room
"What did you find, Mica?" Bruce asked, his voice echoing as he stepped into the Power Room.
He stopped in front of the massive projection screen that dominated the far wall. Beside him, Mica sat hunched over a terminal, the neon glow of the monitors reflecting in her dark eyes. She was a tech tycoon—a virtuoso of tracking and hacking who was just as skilled at flirting as she was at cracking firewalls. She leaned back in her swivel chair, rotating lazily from side to side as she popped a bubble of neon-pink gum.
"I found him," she smirked, tapping a key. "The 'Mask' isn't as invisible as he thinks. The coward ran all the way to Mexico to hide his ugly ass."
Bruce chuckled, a dark sound. "Well, he’s been found now. He won’t have to hide much longer. The Boss needs to hear this. Stay on him, Mica. It looks like we’re back on the hunt for the ghost." He tapped her shoulder and headed for the door.
Mica watched him go, but her attention was diverted by a lingering gaze. She turned to find her partner, Jayden, staring at her with a predatory, lustful grin.
"What are you staring at?" she scoffed.
Jayden shrugged, his eyes traveling downward. "Just admiring the view, Mica. That shirt is doing a lot of heavy lifting today."
Mica rolled her eyes. She was wearing a cropped shirt that left very little to the imagination—a look that earned her the unofficial title of the clan’s heartbreaker. She didn't care. In this world, skin was just another distraction she could use.
"Mind your business, Jayden. You’ll never get a taste, so don't bother looking at the menu."
Jayden rolled his chair closer, his face inches from hers. "If I don't, who does? Don't tell me you’re still trying to get into Bruce’s head—or his pants."
Mica pushed his face away with a sharp shove. "Focus on the job, Jayden. It’s better than pricking into other people’s business. Damn you." She turned back to her monitors, the aggressive clicking of her mouse signaling the end of the conversation.
Kyla’s Office
Bruce stood outside the heavy oak doors, took a steadying breath, and knocked.
"Come in," a cold voice called out.
He entered to find Kyla behind a sprawling desk. Her legs were propped up on the mahogany surface, a glass of dark wine held loosely in her hand. She was focused on a thick file, her eyes scanning the pages with clinical precision.
"News from Mica?" she muttered, not looking up.
"We have a location, Boss. Taxco, Mexico. A small town, quiet. He’s gone to ground there," Bruce reported, stepping closer. "I think it’s time we strike. He won’t be expecting us. He’s relaxed, vulnerable."
Kyla didn't move. "Why do you think now is the best time?"
She looked up then, her gaze piercing. Bruce cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. Kyla’s moods were like the weather in a storm front—unpredictable and dangerous.
"The Mask has been a thorn in our side for too long. He hunts our members, hijacks our contracts, and he’s still sitting on clan property in his warehouses. He’s in a small town with a skeleton crew of guards. Mica hacked his P.A.’s private email to get the coordinates. No one else knows he’s there. We can end this."
Kyla sighed, setting her wine glass down and standing up. She walked to the window, staring out at the clan’s grounds.
"It’s a trap," she said flatly.
Bruce blinked, a scoff dying in his throat. "A trap? Boss, the intel is solid."
"The Mask didn't survive ten years by being careless enough to leave a digital trail to his front door. He is a ghost, Bruce. He doesn't have 'accidents.' He wants us to find him there. He wants us to walk into a kill box."
Bruce went quiet. He wanted to argue, but Kyla’s instincts had saved their lives more times than he could count. The Mask had eluded the previous Boss for a decade; Kyla was right to be paranoid.
"However," Kyla continued, a cold smirk touching her lips, "I have a better lead. My own research puts his family in the northern countryside. A fortified mansion, hidden far from the city. If we want to flush a ghost out of hiding, we don't go for the ghost. We go for his heartbeat."
"His family," Bruce finished, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
"We move tomorrow," Kyla said. "Assemble the seniors in the Power Room. I’ll be there in twelve minutes."
The Power Room
"Do we really have to go again? We haven't even finished resting from the last job," Autumn whined, leaning against a console. She was the team's best archer, capable of pinning a fly to a wall from fifty yards, but she was notoriously lazy when it came to the "work" of being a mercenary.
"You’re a baby, Autumn," Jayden smirked, nudging her. "The last mission was two weeks ago. That’s a vacation in this business."
"Mind your business, clown," she snapped.
The door slid open as Kelvin and Moonlight walked in. Kelvin was grinning, while Moonlight—true to her name—remained silent, her stark white hair catching the overhead lights.
"Hey, guys," Kelvin jeered, exchanging a fist-bump with Jayden. He caught Jayden’s glance toward Moonlight and burst into a laugh, the two of them sharing a silent, crude joke.
"I hate spending time with losers," Autumn grumbled, moving toward Mica's station.
A moment later, Wizard entered. He was a silent, brooding man who carried a massive tactical pack as if it weighed nothing. He sat down and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, but before he could flick his lighter, a hand snatched the smoke away.
"No smoking in the Power Room," Bruce snapped.
Wizard didn't argue. He didn't even look up. He just sighed, running a hand through his ruffled hair, his silence more intimidating than a shout.
"Gosh, he’s cute when he’s brooding," Autumn whispered, biting her lip.
"Are you still crushing on him?" Mica asked loudly.
"Shh!" Autumn hissed, covering Mica's mouth.
The room went dead silent as Kyla entered. She didn't say a word as she scanned the room, her eyes counting heads. Seven. One short.
Just as the tension became unbearable, Jade slipped through the door, breathing hard.
"You’re late, Jade," Kyla said, her back still turned.
"The message came late... I hurried," Jade panted.
"Excuses are for the dead," Kyla replied coldly, finally turning to face her team. "As you know, our target is The Mask. Mica found a location in Mexico, but it’s a decoy. A prank. And I don't like pranks."
Mica frowned, looking at Bruce, but he kept his gaze fixed on the Boss.
"We are heading north," Kyla continued, her voice commanding the room. "To the countryside. The Mask has family there—a wife and a mother-in-law in a fortified estate. It’s guarded, but their guards aren't Wolves. We take the house, we take the family, and we wait for the ghost to show his face. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Boss!" they chorused in unison.
"Jayden." Kyla tossed a flash drive across the room. Jayden caught it mid-air and slotted it into the main hub.
A blue light filled the room as a 3D map of a sprawling country estate projected into the air.
"This is the target," Kyla said, her eyes reflecting the glowing blueprints. "Let’s get to work."
- Writer
