Chapter 106 Fire in the Casino

Boom.

The explosion rocked the night. A fireball erupted from the waterfront warehouse, the force knocking Ethan back a step as the shockwave pulsed through the air.

Alea's heart slammed against her ribs. "That was—"

"Vale." Ethan's voice was steel. He was already moving, shoving past the debris and the acrid smoke curling into the sky.

Luca cursed under his breath, gun raised as they sprinted toward the inferno.

The scent of burning chemicals and charred metal filled the air, thick and suffocating. A trap? A message? Or both?

Through the flickering flames, a silhouette emerged.

Torn suit. Bloodied lip. A smirk that should’ve been impossible.

Dominic Vale.

Alive.

A Devil’s Warning

The orange glow cast wicked shadows across Vale’s face.

Ethan didn’t slow. He reached for his gun, but—

Click.

A dozen red laser sights fanned out over his chest.

Alea stopped cold. Snipers.

Vale wiped his lip, shaking his head like a disappointed father. “I expected better, Watson.”

Ethan didn’t flinch. “Did you?”

Vale’s smirk didn’t waver. “That fire back there? That’s just a taste.” He gestured toward the burning warehouse. “My men did that. To my own property. Imagine what I’d do to yours.”

Ethan’s grip on his weapon tightened. A threat wrapped in spectacle. A warning laced with fire.

But he wasn’t scared. Not anymore.

“Then you better make your next move fast.” Ethan’s voice cut through the smoke. “Because I’m already making mine.”

Vale chuckled. “Good. I was starting to get bored.”

Then—another flick of his fingers.

The lasers vanished. The snipers withdrew, slipping into the night like ghosts.

Vale stepped forward, lowering his voice. “Enjoy your last few days, Ethan. Because when I come for you…”

He leaned in.

“I won’t be offering mercy.”

Then he was gone.

The War Council

Back at the penthouse, the air was electric. Tension wrapped around every conversation, every glance.

Ethan stood at the head of the table. Alea sat beside him, arms crossed, eyes burning with focus. Luca leaned against the wall, jaw tight, while Andra flipped through a tablet filled with classified intelligence on Vale’s movements.

“We have 48 hours,” Ethan said, scanning the room. “Vale won’t wait longer.”

Andra exhaled. “Then we need to hit first.”

Luca scoffed. “You think he doesn’t expect that?”

Silence. Alea broke it.

“Then we hit where he doesn’t expect.”

Ethan’s gaze met hers. A plan already forming.

Andra leaned forward. “Vale has three main strongholds. The port. The private estate. And the underground safehouse beneath the Eclipse Casino.”

Alea’s fingers drummed against the table. “The casino.”

Luca raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Ethan answered. “Because that’s where he keeps the real power.”

The Assault on Eclipse Casino

The neon lights of Eclipse Casino pulsed against the night sky.

A playground for the rich. A sanctuary for the corrupt.

And Vale’s personal vault of secrets.

Ethan adjusted his earpiece. “Positions?”

Luca’s voice crackled through. “East entrance. Ready.”

Alea responded next. “Security office. I’m in.”

Andra? Already inside, weaving through the casino floor like she belonged.

The plan was simple.

Infiltrate. Extract the files. Leave Vale blind.

But plans never stayed simple.

The second Ethan stepped into the main lobby, he knew something was off.

The security presence was heavier than expected. Too many guards. Too much tension.

A trap?

His gut screamed yes.

His earpiece buzzed. Alea’s voice—low, urgent. “Something’s wrong. They know we’re here.”

Then—

The first gunshot.

*

Bang!

The first shot shattered the illusion of secrecy.

Ethan dove behind a roulette table, bullets slicing through the air where he’d stood a second before. Screams erupted across the casino floor as terrified guests dropped to the ground, scrambling for cover.

“Damn it! We’re made!” Luca’s voice crackled through the earpiece.

Ethan’s grip tightened on his gun. “Alea?”

“I’m still in the security room,” she responded, voice sharp. “They’re locking down the exits. I need 90 seconds to override it.”

Ethan exhaled, mind calculating. 90 seconds in a firefight was an eternity.

Too long.

He moved. Fast.

Two guards emerged from the stairwell, rifles raised.

Ethan fired first. One shot, one drop. The second guard tried to retreat—too slow. Ethan’s second bullet found its mark.

His earpiece buzzed. Luca. “I’m pinned down near the high-stakes lounge. Need backup.”

“I’m coming.”

Ethan sprinted through the chaos, vaulting over overturned tables, ducking behind slot machines. Chips clattered to the floor like blood money.

A security guard tried to ambush him—wrong move.

Ethan caught his wrist, twisted, snapped it. The man crumpled, howling in pain.

One enemy down. A dozen more to go.

Alea’s Gamble

In the security room, Alea worked fast.

Override the lockdown. Unlock the vault. Scramble the cameras.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard, hacking into Vale’s systems.

Then—a shadow in the doorway.

She wasn’t alone.

A guard stormed in, gun raised.

Alea didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher and swung.

Crack.

The metal slammed into the man’s skull. He staggered. She struck again.

The gun clattered to the floor.

She grabbed it. No time to breathe.

Her screen flashed—LOCKDOWN OVERRIDE SUCCESSFUL.

Alea’s voice came through Ethan’s earpiece. “Doors are open. Get to the vault!”

The Vault Heist

Ethan and Luca reached the underground vault.

Two elite guards stood in front—Vale’s personal enforcers.

Luca cracked his knuckles. “I got the big one.”

Ethan nodded. “Then I’ll take the fast one.”

The fight was brutal.

The first guard lunged at Ethan, knife flashing. A trained killer.

Ethan dodged left, grabbed the man’s wrist, twisted—the knife dropped. Ethan caught it mid-air. One swift motion.

The blade buried deep into the guard’s side.

One down.

Luca grappled with the second, fists flying. The larger man slammed Luca into the wall—hard.

Ethan grabbed the fallen guard’s gun and fired. A clean headshot.

Luca groaned, rubbing his ribs. “Took you long enough.”

Ethan ignored him, turning to the vault door.

It was open.

Alea’s voice came through the comms. “I cracked the system, but you need to move now. Backup is coming.”

Ethan and Luca stepped inside.

Stacks of cash. Laptops. Hard drives. Confidential documents.

And at the center—

A single black folder.

Ethan grabbed it, flipping it open.

Inside?

Proof of Vale’s entire operation. Names. Accounts. Corruption on every level.

Ethan smirked. Game over, Vale.

Then—

An alarm blared.

A new voice crackled through the speakers. Deep. Amused. Cold.

Vale.

“You really thought it would be that easy?”

The doors slammed shut.

They were trapped.