Chapter 18
Arcane
My breath is visible in the chilly night air, creating small puffs of smoke as I peer into the darkness of the biggest dock owned by the Grimaldis. My fingers itch to get started, with anticipation thrumming through every nerve ending in my body. I’ve waited for this moment since my twenty-first birthday, and it’s finally within my grasp. Revenge has weighed heavily on my shoulders for years, and now, as I stand on the precipice of achieving it, I’m not sure what will push me forward when all is over. If there’ll be anything left of me beyond this thirst for vengeance.
With the stolen sonar equipment, we found the submarine nestled in the treacherous waters surrounding Penumbra Crest. It’s carrying a valuable drive with stolen data that could unravel the balance of power among the criminal families. Our mission is to destroy it before the Grimaldis and Ivanovas lay claim to it, thus jeopardizing the already fragile truce that maintains order among us all.
In that drive lies sensitive information of everyone involved, posing a great threat. Its exposure would not only destroy all innocent citizens’ lives but also rage war upon us all.
Every cell in my body is on high alert, trembling with the onslaught of nerves eating me alive. It’s not that I’m scared; it’s that everything has to go according to the plan. This is my one shot at revenge, and frankly, freedom.
Adjusting the straps of my duffel bag, I climb off my black bike, awaiting instructions from Alec in my earpiece. The weight of my weapons and the tungsten carbide drill press against my back. Glancing down at the dock, I observe the guards strategically positioned. They won’t see us coming. We’ve bided our time meticulously, ensuring every aspect is flawlessly executed.
“I know you’re well-acquainted with the plan.” Alec’s voice is loud in my ear. “Our associates will meet you at the dock. I’ll oversee the security systems while Viper is stationed outside, providing overwatch with his scope until you give him the clear to enter the warehouse.”
I nod, even if he can’t see me, determination fueling my body. Bring it on.
“Proceed through the back entrance, where two guards are positioned,” Alec continues. “Access the safe room, utilize the drill to breach it, and install our surveillance system for access. Await Viper’s arrival, then take the speedboat to the submarine. Our associates will secure the front and come after you as backup.”
“Understood.”
With my tools secured, I make my way toward the dock, ensuring my knife is tucked into my combat boot, and my gun is within reach. The past years have been a hassle, with the despair of losing a part of who I was, my family, and my foster brother. Yet, the last few days spent with Viper—no matter how fucked up he is, and that he kidnapped me—have given me a glimmer of hope. Maybe I can mend the wounds of the past and find solace in the future, but it requires a lot of personal growth from within.
Viper. The mere thought of him being alive feels like a sharp blade piercing my chest, yet it’s also a comforting bandage wrapped around a wound.
With us finally working together, I’ve gathered all the information he obtained, including the stolen schematics I sought a few weeks ago. Earlier this morning, I met up with Alec and his cousins, and we destroyed the Grimaldis’ weaponry storage, leaving them more vulnerable than ever before.
The stench of cigarette smoke overwhelms me as I come to the back of the dock, the large warehouse looming before me. Used cigarettes lay scattered on the ground, with ash littering the gravel—some guards were just here smoking. I steel myself, focusing steadily.
I’ve been on multiple missions since joining the Valentis, taught how to defend myself and defeat enemies. This heist isn’t something unusual, but it’s bigger, more important.
“I’m approaching the back door,” I whisper into my mic, hoping both Alec and Viper can hear me.
Making sure the coast is clear, I pray Alec has successfully disarmed the security alarms as my hand reaches for the door handle. With a silent exhale of relief, I crack it open, a small smile tugging at my lips when no alarm sounds, giving me unhindered access to the warehouse. My footsteps reverberate through the stone walls as I navigate through the empty corridor, my senses sharp while keeping an eye out for any sign of danger. Somewhere far ahead, the soft pattering of water droplets cascading down a drain fills the space.
My heart pounds against my ribcage as I press on. I’ve studied this building and its blueprints for months, memorizing every nook and cranny. Ahead and to the left in the corridor are the first two guards, and as I make my way there, I see how they scan the surroundings while remaining focused on the door leading to the parking lot.
Grabbing my gun, I aim and shoot one of the guards with a precise shot to the head. His body crumples noiselessly to the ground, thanks to the silencer attached to my weapon. Before the other guard can process what happened, I swiftly shoot him as well, his lifeless form joining his colleague, blood pooling around their corpses.
With the rest of our associates handling the guards at the front, I focus on locating the safe room, before I signal to Viper that he can enter. The Grimaldis and Ivanovas are at the submarine, doing illegal business with the rat who stole and sold the drive and car.
“Incoming guard to the left.” Alec’s voice crackles in my ear, and I stand ready, pulling the trigger when a guard comes barreling forward—probably wondering why he can’t get a hold of his colleagues.
I start rushing forward, feet hitting the stone floor as I turn right in the empty corridor, quickly locating the safe room. Three shots ring off in the distance, sounding like thunderous claps that vibrate through the space, and I can only assume it’s the associates doing their job.
It doesn’t take long until I find it, a door constructed of reinforced steel, made to keep the enemies out. At its center is a heavy-duty combination lock meant to confuse. Drawing the drill from my duffel, I steady my nerves and activate the tool, its shrill whirring filling the corridor. I know the guards will soon be alerted, so I work faster. As the drill bites into the lock, beads of sweat gather on my forehead, a surge of energy pumping through me. It feels like an eternity passes until I finally hear the satisfying click of the lock giving way. With my breath held, the door creaks open, revealing the secret passage leading to the cave where the speedboat awaits, ready to take us to the submarine.
I step into the room with its concrete walls and rows of shelves filled with rations and water bottles. A collection of weapons hangs from the walls. They’ve clearly prepared for any type of emergency, but too bad for them—I will shatter everything they hold dear.
There’s a surveillance camera in the corner of the room, its red light blinking as if aware of me. I ignore its watchful gaze, approaching the large computer on a bench at the far end connected to the camera. Retrieving the same drive I used when I scoped out their dock, I quickly insert it into the computer. It only takes a minute before my phone emits a soft beep, indicating that I have successfully installed the system, granting me access to their security feeds.
While we can hack into their systems from the outside, the safe room requires a more hands-on approach. Here, we need to physically attach the drive to corrupt their systems.
The air inside the safe room becomes stale, with a faint scent of must and old metal, and I quickly remove the drive from their computer as I’m about to alert Viper. He has to come here now so we can move to the submarine together.
Pressing the right button on my earpiece, I connect myself to Viper and Alec, sharing the same communication line.
“It’s all settled,” I declare, awaiting one of their responses.
My skin prickles with shivers, and it feels as if a runaway train pushes through my skin. An impending doom hangs in the air, though I can’t yet tell what it is.
Immediately, I grab my phone, ready to access the security feed. Then, I see how all the screens are frozen on one time stamp, repeating in an endless loop. This wasn’t part of the plan. Dread replaces the earlier relief I felt at having entered the safe room, and every cell in my body screams at me to get out as soon as possible.
My hands tremble as I try the earpiece again, desperately wanting to reach either Alec or Viper. I hate that I’m alone, and none of them replies, meaning I have to proceed by myself.
I quickly emerge through another door at the end of the safe room, coming into a small cave that’s hidden deep behind the dock, away from prying eyes. The sun is just setting behind the horizon, leaving an ethereal glow that only makes this worse, knowing darkness will soon set.
I find the speedboat in the water of the cave, and my footsteps echo off the stone walls inside the cavern as I approach it. It bobs gently against the water, and I release the boat from its ropes, climbing aboard.
At first, I sit and wait for Viper to emerge through the door like we’d initially planned. Worry etches into my chest like a permanent tattoo. Why can’t I get a hold of any of our associates?
There’s only one thing I can do—I need to do it by myself. With a deep breath, I attempt to start the engine, firmly grasping the starter rope handle and steadily pulling it.
It doesn’t work.
I repeat the process. Nothing happens. Panic fills me, my eyes widening as I realize I’m stuck.
I try again and again, but it refuses to start. Staring down at the screens on my phone again, praying I can at least see what’s going on outside the safe room, I notice they’re still on the same time stamp, looping and hiding the truth.
“Something is wrong,” I say into my earpiece, hoping someone on the other side will hear me.
A crackling noise causes me to flinch involuntarily. The connection out here is horrible. Through the static, I discern Viper’s husky voice faintly entering my ear. “What…it?”
“Where are you?” I ask while something tightens in my chest, reminding me too much of the feeling of worry.
I hate that I worry about him—I shouldn’t worry about him. He left me to die, abandoned me, and made me believe he was dead. But somehow, my heart refuses to think rationally.
Silence ensues for minutes, with only the echo of the cave as the source of sound. For comfort, I reach for the gun tucked into the belt on my waist, and I hold it before me with such a tight grip that my knuckles turn white.
A crackle comes from my earpiece, but I can’t determine what the person is saying. With my heart in my throat, I jump out of the speedboat, running back to the safe room again and knowing I need to get a better connection so I can communicate with Alec, Viper, and the rest of our organization.
“Viper? Alec?” My voice is unsteady, my chest heaving.
Still no reply.
I enter the safe room, not hearing anything from the earpiece as I make my way out. I keep my eyes trained on the empty corridor before me, speaking into the mic once more.
“Viper, can you hear me?”
A loud shot rings off in the distance, and I discern screeching wheels, only worsening this situation. What the fuck is going on?
From Viper’s mic, I hear an even louder shot, causing his breath to hitch. I’ve never heard him so unnerved before—the notorious leader of the Garcías and the biker who never gets scared. I clench my teeth with such force that the metallic tang of blood floods my mouth.
Suddenly, Viper’s voice rings loud and clear in my ear, a panicked tone mingled with anger that makes sweat bead on my forehead. “Arcane, get out of there as soon as fucking possible!”
“What’s going on?” I can’t keep my voice from quivering.
“They never fucking got here,” he says until another screeching sound arrives, loud voices booming.
Far off in the distance, I hear the sound of Benjamin Valenti’s voice, and another one that makes my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach—a voice I never wished to hear again. Peter Grimaldi, our foster father.
“Angel, they lied to you. They fucking lied to you.” I hear the distress in his voice, which only has me spiraling into a panicked state of mind.
My ears ring, blood pulsating through me until all I can hear is a thudding sound, an ache spreading through my head.
“Get out of there!” Viper breaks through the fog in my ears, and I snap to attention.
I dash through the corridor toward the back exit where I entered. Only now, the guard’s corpses are gone, with only their blood a testament to them ever having been there.
“Fuck,” I whisper, pushing forward.
Right as I reach the exit, I run into something solid. I expect it to be Viper, but when my eyes look up, I see Viper held back by two heavily armed guards, his eyes trained on mine with a cold expression while hiding everything he feels. My body is crushed to the gravelly ground, and I meet the eyes of the man who condemned me to hell when he threw me out of his home.
Shit, shit, shit.
A voice comes from my earpiece, and it’s not Viper’s.
“I’m sorry, Arcane.”
Alec’s voice is steady and clear, though he doesn’t sound sorry at all.
And then, everything turns black.