Chapter 5
Ryan was brought to me the next day.
He was dressed in civilian clothes, but his posture was still ramrod straight.
His young face was still flushed with excitement and nerves.
He looked at me, his lips parting like he wanted to say something.
In the end, he just gave me a crisp military salute. "Sir!"
"Have a seat," I said, pointing to the chair across from me.
Dereck had already given him the rundown.
From today on, Ryan would be my only official contact.
He'd be the one coordinating all the National Security Agency resources to support everything I do.
"Did Dereck fill you in?" I asked.
"Yes, sir." Ryan nodded firmly, a fire blazing in his eyes.
"Scared?" I asked.
"No, sir!" he answered, crisp and unwavering.
"This isn't the army, so you don't have to be so formal," I said with a smile. "Just call me Kevin, or Karson."
Ryan's face turned a little red.
"I'd rather stick with Cap," he said.
That was the nickname the rookies used for the old hands back in the Blade squad.
That word hit me right in the heart, stirring up memories I thought I'd buried.
"Alright."
I turned the laptop toward him.
A detailed map was already up on the screen.
On the map, a building in the city center was marked with a red dot.
"This is the game board for our first move," I said.
Ryan leaned in for a closer look.
"Skyline Gallery?" he asked, surprised. "That's the city's top-tier art trading center."
"That's right." I nodded. "On the surface, it's a legitimate gallery.
"But in reality, it's Phantom's biggest money laundering hub in the country.
"Every month, billions in dirty cash get cleaned through this place and funneled all over the world."
Ryan's breathing quickened.
He knew just how much was at stake here.
"Do you have any proof?" he asked.
"On my laptop, I've got every fake transaction from the past three years, every dirty dollar that moved in or out, and evidence linking it to more than a hundred offshore companies.
"Even the blueprints for the underground vault and the full security system layout are in my files."
With every word I said, Ryan's eyes lit up a little more.
He'd never seen intel this detailed and precise.
It was like playing with the cheat codes on.
"All of this came from your... your... whatever that thing is?" Ryan stammered, at a loss for words.
"My digital wraith dug through thousands of gigs of data overnight and sorted it all out for me," I replied coolly.
"When do we take action?" Ryan was practically bouncing with anticipation.
"No." I shook my head, cutting him off. "It's not 'us'. It's you."
Ryan was stunned, momentarily speechless.
"You're running this show," I told him. "You have full authority.
"The National Security Agent's got your back all the way.
"Manpower, gear, clearance, whatever you need, you'll get it.
"I want you to hit them with everything you've got and yank this thorn out, fast and hard."
Ryan asked, "What are you going to do, Cap?"
"Me?" I glanced at the flickering data streams on the screen. "I'll handle the aftermath for you and make sure nothing gets left behind.
"Phantom's no fool.
"When a hub this important gets busted, he'll hit back hard.
"He'll do whatever it takes to destroy evidence, wipe out any traces, and even silence anyone who gets in his way.
"My job is to track down his enforcer before the axe drops."
Ryan got it.
This was a two-front operation.
He'd be out in the open, while I'd be lurking in the shadows.
He'd be leading the charge, breaking down the doors.
I'd be hunting the enemy leaders.
"Cap, I need a full action plan," Ryan said, all business.
"Forget the plan," I replied, locking eyes with him. "Sometimes, the best plan is no plan at all.
"Every security loophole in the gallery is already in your inbox.
"That covers all their blind spots, shift changes, and even where the head of security keeps his girlfriend on the side.
"How you break in, secure the target, and make your escape, that's all up to you, right there in the moment.
"Remember, Ryan, from now on, you're not a cop who just follows orders and sticks to the rules.
"You need to learn to think like a wolf—cunning, lethal, and ruthless.
"Because our enemy is even fiercer than any wolf."
Ryan gave a firm nod, his resolve clear as day.
His gaze was steely, locked in with determination. "You can count on me, Cap!"
He rose to his feet and snapped off another sharp salute.
Then he turned and marched out of the room, ready to take on whatever came next.
Watching his back as he walked away, I felt like I was seeing my younger self from fifteen years ago, burning with dreams and passion.
I just hoped that this time, his fire wouldn't be crushed by the cold, harsh reality.
I turned back to the screen.
Beside the gallery's dossier, one profile stood out on its own.
His codename was Cleaner.
He was Phantom's top assassin who handled all the dirty jobs.
My first move was Ryan, and my first bullet was meant for Cleaner.
The game was on.