Chapter 29: "Unlikely Alliances Form" Marcus POV

I'm pacing the flat, Mick's "Some ghosts never rest" still ringing in my ears, and Julian's a wreck, slumped on the sofa, staring at nothing. That "Run" text, the rock through the window, it's too much, and I'm done watching it close in. Claire's gone, stormed out after Mick left, muttering about Ethan, and it's just me and Jules now, the air heavy with fear. My head's pounding, Victor, Tony Vex, Salazar, my past, but I've got an idea, desperate and mad. I grab my phone, hands shaky, and scroll for a number I haven't touched in years. "I'm calling someone," I say, rough, and Julian looks up, frowning.

"Who?" he mutters, voice flat, but I don't answer, just hit call, heart thudding. It's Ray, Ray Delgado, an old mate from my smuggling days in Reno. Ran cash with me, knew Victor, knew the game. He's dodgy, slippery, but if anyone's got leverage, it's him. The line rings, long, and I'm sweating, haven't talked since I bolted, since I left that mess behind. He picks up, voice low, gravelly. "Reid? That you?" I swallow, nodding like he can see me. "Yeah, Ray. Need a favor, big one."

Julian's watching, tense, and I step to the window, peering out, street's dark, quiet, but I feel eyes. "What's this about?" Ray says, wary, and I keep it short. "Victor, still running for Salazar. I'm in deep, need something on him." There's a pause, too long, and my gut twists, he knows more than he's letting on. "You're a ghost, Marcus," he says, slow. "Heard you ran, thought you were smart." I grip the phone tighter. "Not smart enough. Help me, Ray, I've got nothing left."

He sighs, loud, and I hear a chair creak, like he's leaning back, thinking. "Victor's a dog, barks loud, but he's on a leash," he says, quiet. "Salazar's big, sure, but it's not just him. This town's rotten, casinos, cops, suits, all tied to something uglier." My chest's tight, and I'm glancing at Julian, he's up now, listening. "What's that mean?" I say, voice shaky. Ray's low, careful. "Organized, proper crime, Marcus. Not just Vegas, bigger. They've got hands everywhere, and Victor's a pawn, same as you were."

My stomach drops, bigger threat, worse than I thought. "Bigger how?" I push, desperate, and he hesitates, like he's scared to say. "Syndicate," he mutters, finally. "Runs the Strip, the deals, everything you touched in Reno, it's theirs. Salazar answers to them, and they don't play nice." I'm frozen, breath caught, syndicate? My smuggling, Victor's threats, Tony's blog, it's not just us, it's a machine, massive, swallowing Vegas whole. Julian's next to me now, eyes wide, and I'm thinking, leverage on Victor's nothing if this is true.

"Who's they?" I say, urgent, but Ray's cagey. "Don't know names, don't want to. Heard whispers, money from the coast, power up top. Frankie Toro's in it, but he's not the head." My head's spinning, Frankie, The Mirage, tied to this syndicate? I'm shaking, and Julian grabs my arm, mouthing, "What's he saying?" I wave him off, focused. "Ray, I need something, anything, to push Victor back," I plead, voice cracking. He's quiet, then, "Victor's scared, always was. They've got him tight, debts, threats. You've got to hit higher, Marcus, or you're dead."

I'm pacing again, phone hot against my ear, and it's sinking in, my past, the twenty grand, it's peanuts to this. "Higher how?" I say, but he's edgy now, voice dropping. "Dig quiet, ledger, names, whatever you've got. But watch your back, they're everywhere." My hands rub my face, ledger's on the table, Tony Vex's name glaring, and I'm terrified, realizing this isn't just Victor or Salazar, it's a monster, bigger than us. Julian's staring, scared, and I'm thinking, three weeks ago, I kissed him, and now we're drowning in this.

Ray's breathing's loud, like he's nervous, and I'm about to push more, need a name, a lead, when it happens. A crack, sharp, loud, cuts through the line, then another. Gunshots, close, popping fast. My heart stops, and I yell, "Ray? Ray!", but he's gone, line dead, just static. Julian grabs me, "What's that?" and I'm frozen, phone slipping, ears ringing. "Shots," I mutter, voice weak, and my skin's crawling, someone's out there, watching him, watching us.

I stumble to the window, peering out, street's still dark, no cars, no lights, but my chest's heaving, panic clawing up. "He's hit," I say, turning to Julian, and he's pale, shaking his head. "Who's shooting?" he whispers, but I don't know, just stand there, terrified, Ray's words loud, "they're everywhere." The syndicate, Victor's leash, this bigger threat, it's real, and it's close, cutting us off. My hands tremble, and I'm thinking, someone saw me call, someone's listening, and now Ray's gone, and we're next.