Chapter 49 Roger Grand
Roger Grand
The cigar burned low between my fingers, the smoke curling like a serpent toward the ceiling. I let it linger, let the silence stretch, because silence made men sweat. And sweat made them confess their weakness.
“They should’ve been ash in the desert.” My voice was calm, quiet—far more dangerous than a shout. “And yet Beckett lives. And he still has her.”
Across the table, my lieutenants shifted uneasily. The overhead bulb hummed, throwing shadows across their faces. One man dared to clear his throat.
“We underestimated the Golden Team’s response. We won’t again.”
I flicked the cigar into the ashtray, the hiss of it smothering heat in cold metal. Then I smiled. The kind of smile that made the strongest men pray for forgiveness.
“No, you won’t.”
I stepped closer to the map spread across the table. The city was marked in neat squares and circles, Hydra’s reach etched in black ink. Supply routes. Safehouses. Contacts bought and paid for. Hydra wasn’t chasing shadows anymore—we owned the dark corners they thought would protect them.
“They’ll run to ground,” I said. “And when they do, we’ll be waiting. Every door they knock on, every street they cross, every so-called ally they trust—I’ll be there first.”
The men nodded, but I wasn’t finished. I leaned down, pressing my palms against the map until the paper wrinkled under my grip.
“Elara thinks she can hide behind Beckett. She thinks his loyalty makes her untouchable. But loyalty is a leash.” My smile sharpened. “And when I’m finished, she’ll drag him into my hands herself.”
The room was silent, the weight of my promise settling like lead. Then I straightened, smoothing the map with one sweep of my hand.
“Prepare the informants. Place them near the markets, the safehouses, the ports. I want their movements reported before they take their next breath. And when the Team comes for supplies, for information, for help…” I paused, savoring the moment.
“…they’ll find only Hydra.”
The clock on the wall ticked, steady and merciless. A countdown they didn’t even know had started.