CHAPTER 9 THE MOLE REVEALED #3
Maya stepped forward, phone still in hand. "Daniel."
He didn't look up. His fingers pressed into the grooves like he was testing their depth, his breath uneven. A manila folder lay open at his feet, papers spilling out—bank records, surveillance logs, all stamped with Moretti Holdings letterhead.
Dario moved first. Three strides closed the distance between them, his shadow falling over Daniel's work. "You're collecting information." His voice stayed low, but the edge in it could've flayed skin. "Tell me why."
Daniel's fingers stilled. He lifted his head slowly, eyes bloodshot. "Because someone has to." His voice cracked on the last word. The claw marks on his arms pulsed faintly, as if reacting to the grooves in the wall.
Evelyn crouched beside the scattered papers, flipping one over. "These are from the vault breach." She held up a transaction log, Dario's own signature glaring back at them in crisp black ink. "How the hell did you get these?"
Daniel laughed, a wet, broken sound. "You think I took them?" He dragged a hand down his face, smearing fresh blood from his forearm across his cheek. "They were delivered. Left at my door like a fucking gift basket."
Maya's grip tightened on her phone. "By who?"
"Does it matter?" Daniel shoved to his feet, swaying.
The folder crumpled under his boot. "You're all so busy watching each other, you didn't even notice the real problem."
He jabbed a finger at the claw marks on the wall.
"These aren't from an animal. They're getting deeper. Wider."
His breath hitched. "And they're spreading."
Dario caught his wrist before he could touch the wall again. "You're bleeding on evidence."
Daniel yanked free. "It's not evidence. It's a warning." He staggered back, clutching his injured arm. "You want to know who's watching your money, Vitale? Fine. But you might want to ask what else is watching you."
The lights flickered again. For half a second, the claw marks on the walls seemed to ripple, the concrete shifting like something beneath it was breathing.
Then the fluorescents steadied. The tunnel was just a tunnel.
Evelyn stood, brushing grit from her knees. "We're done here." She held out a hand for the papers. Daniel hesitated, then shoved them at her.
Dario didn't move. His gaze locked on the deepest groove in the wall—a jagged line that hadn't been there yesterday.
Maya's phone buzzed again. She ignored it. "Daniel. Come with us."
He shook his head, backing toward the shadows. "You don't get it. I can't." His voice dropped to a whisper. "It knows where I live."
The new detail: the claw marks pulse faintly in sync with Daniel's rapid, panicked heartbeat.
Evelyn’s fingers tightened around the jagged shard of obsidian she’d pried from the wall.
The claw marks pulsed faintly, their rhythm matching Daniel’s panicked heartbeat.
She didn’t look at him—couldn’t afford to.
Her focus was on the shadows shifting at the edge of the room, where something moved with predatory intent.
“Give it to me,” Dario said, his voice low and commanding. He didn’t reach for the obsidian, but his gaze fixed on it like it was the only thing that mattered.
Evelyn hesitated. The shard was cold against her palm, its edges sharp enough to draw blood if she gripped it too tightly. She glanced at Maya, who stood poised with a silver dagger in hand, her expression unreadable. The air was thick with tension, the kind that made it hard to breathe.
“No,” Evelyn said finally, her voice steady. “I’m keeping it.”
Dario’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. He knew better than to waste time in a standoff when the real threat was closing in.
The shadows deepened, and a low growl reverberated through the room.
Evelyn turned the obsidian shard in her hand, testing its weight.
It wasn’t much, but it was enough. She could feel its power humming beneath her fingertips, a faint, almost imperceptible vibration that matched the pulse of the claw marks on the wall.
“Evelyn,” Maya said, her tone urgent. “Whatever you’re planning, do it now.”
Evelyn didn’t respond. She stepped forward, her movements deliberate, and raised the shard. The shadows recoiled, as if the obsidian emitted a light they couldn’t withstand. She pressed her advantage, advancing until the growl turned into a snarl.
“This ends here,” she said, her voice cutting through the noise.
The thing in the shadows lunged, a blur of darkness and teeth.
Evelyn swung the shard in a wide arc, and it connected with a sickening thud.
The creature howled, its form flickering as if it were being unraveled.
She didn’t stop—couldn’t stop. She struck again and again, each blow driving the creature back until it dissolved into nothingness.
The room fell silent, save for Daniel’s ragged breathing. Evelyn lowered the shard, her hand trembling slightly. The obsidian was warm now, almost hot, and she could feel its power ebbing away.
Dario stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied the shard. “You turned it into a weapon,” he said, his tone equal parts approval and caution.
Evelyn nodded, her chest rising and falling with the effort of the fight. “It worked,” she said simply.
“For now,” Maya replied, her gaze darting to the claw marks on the wall. They were still pulsing, slower now, but unmistakably alive.
Dario’s expression darkened. “We need to move. This isn’t over.”
Evelyn didn’t argue. She slipped the obsidian shard into her pocket, its weight a reminder of what she’d done—and what she might still have to do.
Daniel finally spoke, his voice shaky. “It’s not going to stop. It knows where I live. It’s going to come for me.”
“Then we’ll be ready,” Evelyn said, her tone firm. She glanced at Dario, and for a moment, their eyes met. There was no need for words. the next move, they were in it together.
The claw marks on the wall pulsed one last time, then fell still. The room was silent, but the tension remained, thick and unyielding.
Maya sheathed her dagger. “Let’s go,” she said, her voice cutting through the stillness.
Evelyn nodded, her hand brushing against the obsidian in her pocket. It was a small thing, but it was hers—and for now, that was enough.