The black file
The black file
Chapter 176
Ruby's POV
“Why moving so slow, Ruby? Do you dread what’s to come?” Clara’s voice rang out, filled with mockery. “If you ask me, I’d advise you to hurry up and spend as much time as you can with your son. Every second should count.”
She scoffed as she pushed past me, bumping me with her shoulder in the process, then strutted confidently down the steps of the private plane. The same plane Dominic had arranged to bring us to City Z.
I clenched my jaw as I watched her descend.
“Why the hell was she allowed to come with us?” I hissed under my breath, barely containing my irritation. The entire six-hour flight had been a nightmare. I had endured it in silence, stuck listening to her high-pitched, whining voice and her irritating comments.
“I wonder why she hasn’t been accidentally killed off yet?” Little Black asked dryly, his tone as cold as his stare as he watched Clara sashay toward the row of sleek black SUVs that waited at the bottom of the road.
“Don’t harm her, Little Black,” I warned calmly, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder as we began to descend the stairs. “Think of her as a little spider, one you’d love to squash, but can’t. At least not yet.”
The sun greeted us with harsh hotness which was far stronger than what i was used to.I immediately pulled on my dark shades to shield my eyes. The heat in City Z was something else.
We walked briskly toward the car that had been assigned to us. One of the guards, dressed in all black and standing with his back as stiff as a wall stepped forward and opened the door. I gave him a small nod of thanks before sliding into the luxury filled car. Little Black followed right after.
At least Dominic had arranged for separate cars. I honestly didn’t trust myself to sit near Clara for another minute. If I had to endure her fake blonde hair swaying in my face again, I might really lose control and pull it all out.
“Mum?” Little Black’s voice broke through my thoughts. “I heard City Z has the biggest underground hotel in the whole world. Can we go see it one of these days?”
I turned sharply, ready to hush him, but the driver spoke up before I could.
“That hotel you’re talking about is exactly where we’re headed,” he said politely, his voice steady and kind. “It’s also the venue for the Purple Party. You’ll have more than enough time to explore before things begin on Friday.”
I caught his gaze in the rearview mirror and gave him a brief nod of thanks. He returned the gesture respectfully.
“Umm, that is awesome, kind sir,” Little Black responded cheerfully. He ignored my angry glare entirely and began curiously looking around the vehicle, fiddling with buttons and checking out the features.
I sighed deeply and leaned my head against the cool window, letting my thoughts blur into the fast-moving scenery outside. The car raced forward through the city and past buildings and winding roads. Minutes felt like hours as i got lost in thought.
I could feel sleep coming to get me. My eyes began to flutter closed, my body giving in to the exhaustion.
“Mom!” Little Black’s voice suddenly shrieked in my ear. I jolted upright instantly, my heart jumping in my chest. My eyes flew open and wide as saucers as I looked around in panic.
“We have arrived. I honestly don’t understand how you managed to fall asleep at a time like this,” Little Black muttered, shaking his head as I blinked my brain slowly registering his words as my chest rose sharply with annoyance.
“You’ve become bolder, huh?” I groaned as I reached to grab him, but the little devil was too fast. He darted out of the car with a laugh, already giggling like a mischievous child. My face flushed red with irritation as I jumped out after him, looking very much like a tomato chasing a shadow.
We were quickly shown to our rooms by the hotel staff. Thankfully, there was only one camera in the suite, while the rest was positioned out in the lobby and not inside the room. That made things easier for me.
“Mom!” Little Black whined, standing right in front of me with his arms flailing. “Are we seriously going to sit around like a pair of lazy tourists and take a vacation? My neck is on the line remember that! Mum!”
I didn’t respond immediately. My face was bent over a sketch pad, carefully adding color to a painting I had started earlier. The brush moved fluidly in my hand, mixing shadows into the corner of a canvas that showed a deep blue sky and pale eyes.
“You keep comparing yourself to your father,” I replied mildly, still focused on my brushwork. “Why not try saving your own neck for once? That’s what Ethan would’ve done.”
I lifted the painting for a better look and deliberately ignored his growing frustration.
“You can’t just sit back and watch me die! I’m your son!” Little Black cried out in exasperation. “We need a plan. Now!”
He placed his hands on his hips, glaring at me like a tiny Ethan barking orders.
“Don’t you dare use that tone with me,” I snapped, suddenly raising my hand and giving him a light smack on the back of the head.
“Ow! Are you trying to kill me faster or what?” he yelped, hopping away from my reach.
“You!” I growled, snatching up the painting board and chasing after him. With no hesitation, I flung the board in his direction. Little Black was quick as he ducked and the board flew across the room, striking a flower vase and shattering it.
“How do you know it wasn’t an audio camera?” Little Black asked, his tone unexpectedly calm now. We both walked over to where the pieces of the broken vase lay scattered on the floor. Hidden under the flowers was a small surveillance camera.
“It kept moving,” I said flatly as I bent down and picked it up. Without wasting a second, I walked to the bathroom and flushed the smashed device down the toilet.
“Okay, the camera’s gone. What’s the plan?” Little Black asked, immediately focused again.
“I need you to scout their security system. Take mental notes of their patrol routes, surveillance blind spots, access codes, basically everything you can get. Meanwhile, I’ll be searching for Dominic’s most prized possession.”
Little Black’s eyes widened. “What? The Black File is here in City Z?”
“Shocking, right?” I said with a slight smirk. “Dominic’s clever. He kept it where no one would think to look right under his nose.”
I reached into my handbag and pulled out a tiny earpiece, handing it to Little Black. My eyes lingered on the black wristlet that still clung to his wrist.
“I have the blueprint. I’ll head out now. Keep me posted on everything.”
“I’m off!” Little Black said brightly, slipping the earpiece into his ear as he hurried out the door.
I gave him a stiff nod, then turned and headed out of the room myself. I took the elevator to the lowest level the floor below ground. When the elevator chimed open, it revealed a large, buzzing underground casino. Neon lights danced on the walls. The loud hum of gambling machines and loud laughter, and clinking glasses filled the air. It was in full swing.
It had taken me years to find this place and to discover where Dominic kept the Black File. It was underground in the wine vault “Now the main problem,” I muttered under my breath, “is figuring out how to get through that door.”
My eyes locked onto a large black door near the back, marked with a bright red “NO ENTRY” sign. I needed to blend in first.