The library queen

Chapter 6 Combatant

Heavy boots crunched on the broken wood outside. Sam stepped over the splintered doorframe, looking at the smear of dark blood near the shelf.

"Victor threw Miller down in the basement cells," Sam said, his voice dropping low.

Maya wiped the dust off her face, her voice dead even. "He’s gonna need a better doctor than the one who fixes his cheap whiskey habit. I broke the bone clean."

"Dr. Anna’s already fixing the break," Sam said, walking closer. "But his arm is the least of your problems right now, kid. The whole house is going crazy because of you."

Maya turned her back to the safe, looking straight at the old butler. "Let them go crazy. What did the old bastards do?"

"Jeffrey just called an emergency meeting with the elders," Sam said, leaning in. "He didn't even ask Renn. He went right over his head and put out a notice to the whole family."

"What did he say, Sam? Don't waste my time."

"He’s telling everyone you’re a cancer to the Savier name. He’s demanding they drag you out of this house tonight."

Maya looked down, spotting the jagged iron key lying in the dirt, her lips curling into a cold, mocking smirk. "Miller broke in with an illegal key to steal the transition files, genius. I was just cleaning up the trash."

"The old guard doesn't give a damn about who started it," Sam snapped, his face tight. "All they see is the finish line. An outsider just crippled a blood relative, Maya. You crossed a line you can't ever walk back from."

Sam took another step toward her, his eyes dead serious.

"He tried to snap my neck, Sam. I didn't have a choice. Next time, I’ll aim for his head."

"But you fought back," Sam muttered, a look of quiet shock on his face.

"Renn’s backing you up for now," Sam added, checking the hallway. "He knows how smart you are, and he likes that you saved his safe. But he’s looking at you differently now, Maya."

"He thinks I’m a psycho?"

"He thinks you're dangerous. He knows you can hurt people now, and that changes his whole playbook."

"Just watch your back, Mrs. Savier. You mess up one more time, and this whole family is gonna rip itself apart."

Sam dropped his hand and marched out into the dark hallway, his footsteps fading into the quiet.

Maya stood alone in the damp, freezing room.

The heavy oak doors of the boardroom didn't muffle the yelling.

Maya stood outside, her hands crossed, her eyes turning into pure fire as she listened to the chaos inside.

"You’re losing your damn mind, Renn!" Jeffrey voice roared, slamming a fist onto the table. "You brought a stray dog into our core network! A broke librarian? She’s a federal liability!"

"She's my wife, Jeffrey," Renn shot back, his voice dropping into a lethal, steady rhythm.

"She’s an outsider!" Jeffrey screamed, his face turning purple. "You’re risking the entire family for a piece of trash!"

"Watch your mouth, you old fossil," Renn growled, stepping directly into his space. "I don't ask the council for permission to do business, and I damn sure don't ask you who I put in my bed."

"This isn't about your bed, you arrogant prick! This is about survival! The old guard won't stand for this!"

"The old guard can line up and retirement," Renn sneered, matching his furious stare. "My marriage is my business. You touch her turf again, and I’ll format your offshore accounts myself. Are we clear, or do you need a demonstration?"

Jeffrey let out a raw, furious curse. He threw the heavy double doors open, his chest heaving as he marched past Maya.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, b***h," Jeffrey hissed.

The heavy echo of Jeffrey's storming exit finally died down. Renn walked out of the boardroom, his hands sliding casually into his trousers pockets. He didn't look angry; he looked bored.

"Forget about Forster," Renn said, his voice a flat, steady drone. "The old bastard likes to hear himself talk. You stay in the east wing, keep your head down, and nobody touches you. It's that simple."

"Safe is just another word for useless," Maya sneered, her voice dropping into a lethal, aggressive rhythm. "Sitting in that massive room doing nothing is driving me crazy."

Renn stepped closer, the sharp scent of his cedarwood cologne pushing out the last of Jeffrey's cigar smoke. He tilted his head, a dark, dangerous smirk touching his lips.

"You think you're ready for my table, wife?" Renn whispered, his voice cutting like a razor.

"Try me," Maya shot back, her eyes turning to pure fire. "I memorized your entire five-year manifest in twenty minutes. I track leaks your high-priced accountants miss."

Renn stared at her for a long, quiet second, evaluating the risk. The arrogance in his posture didn't break, but his play changed.

"Dr. Tang is pulling the shipping logs from the north terminal tonight," Renn murmured, his voice dangerously smooth. "There’s a three-million-dollar discrepancy in the fuel tax. Find the leak."

The tech bay smelled like burnt coffee and heavy ozone. Dr. Tang was hunched over a steel workbench, swearing under his breath as he shoved a magnifying visor up. A torn blueprint of a World War II bunker was laid out on the metal table, its edges crumbling into yellow dust.

Maya stepped into the harsh halogen light.

Tang didn't even look up. He just waved a hand at the door, looking pissed. "Get the hell out, Maya. You’re tracking dust into my lab and messing with my scan."

Maya didn't budge. She walked right up to the table and picked up a brass magnifying glass. "Where did you even dig up this ancient garbage?"

Tang glared at her, snapping his visor down. "Europe. 1943. The scan is totally scrambled because the paper is rotten. My software can’t read the missing lines, genius."

"Did you try cleaning it, or do you just like complaining?"

"Obviously! The old solvent is blocking the scanner laser," Tang snapped, throwing his hands up. "The whole blueprint is a dead end. We’re locked out."

Maya leaned over the table, holding the glass just an inch above the yellowed paper. Her eyes scanned the faded lines, her face a perfect blank.

Finally, she stood up straight and tossed the glass down. "We don't need your overpriced software, Tang. Back off and let me work."

Tang raised an eyebrow, letting out a loud scoff. "Oh, really? You're a structural engineer now, librarian?"

"Look at the main walls," Maya shot back, pointing with her pen. "The layout follows a standard military grid. If you actually knew how to read a blueprint instead of relying on a computer, you’d see the pattern. It’s a basic puzzle. Sit down and watch."

Tang stared at the paper for a long second, then shoved a stool toward her with his foot. "Be my guest. Screw it up, and Renn handles you."

Seven hours later, the final line was drawn. Maya didn't complain about her aching neck. She stepped back, her hands rock steady as she capped her pen.

Tang walked over, slapped his visor down, and traced the fresh lines she’d drawn. He pushed the visor back up, staring at her like she was an alien. "You’re a freak, you know that? No regular librarian does s**t like this."

"Most librarians don't have to deal with high-tech idiots," Maya sneered, crossing her arms.