The air in the VIP lounge was thick with tension, expensive cologne, and the impending sound of breaking bones.
Daniel stood before Marco's table. He held the heavy crystal ashtray in his right hand.
He looked like a bored corporate executive.
He moved like a viper.
Marco's two bodyguards stepped forward. They were professionals—ex-military, judging by the stance.
"Sir," the first guard rumbled, reaching for Daniel's shoulder. "You need to leave."
Daniel didn't leave.
He didn't speak.
He moved.
0.5 Seconds:
Daniel pivoted. He drove the edge of the crystal ashtray into the first guard's solar plexus.
CRUNCH.
The sound was wet and sickening. The guard doubled over, gasping for air that wouldn't come.
1.5 Seconds:
The second guard reached for the gun under his jacket.
Daniel didn't drop the ashtray. He swung it upward, a vicious backhand arc.
SMASH.
The crystal impacted the guard's jaw. Teeth flew like confetti. The guard dropped to his knees, unconscious before he hit the carpet.
3.0 Seconds:
Daniel stepped over the first guard, who was still wheezing on the floor. He grabbed the man's tie and slammed his face into the mahogany table.
THUD.
Silence.
It was over in three seconds.
No one screamed. The music was loud enough to cover the impact sounds. To the rest of the room, it just looked like a drunken stumble.
Daniel straightened his tuxedo jacket. He placed the bloody ashtray gently back on the table.
He looked at Marco.
Marco was frozen. His glass of scotch was shaking in his hand, rattling against the ice.
He looked at his two elite guards—men who had survived war zones—now groaning on the floor.
Then he looked at the "Logistics Manager."
"Who are you?" Marco whispered, his face pale.
Daniel leaned in. He placed both hands on the table, invading Marco's world.
"I'm a jealous husband," Daniel said calmly. "And I work in Logistics. Which means I know exactly how to dispose of trash."
He grabbed Marco's white lapel, pulling him close.
"If you ever say her name again... if you ever look at her... I won't use an ashtray next time. I'll use a pencil. Do you understand?"
Marco nodded frantically. "Yes. Yes. I understand."
"Good."
Daniel patted Marco's cheek. A humiliating, possessive gesture.
"Enjoy the game."
Daniel turned and walked away.
He checked his heart rate monitor.
65 BPM.
Steady.
He scanned the room.
The fight had been a distraction for his own anger, but he still had a job to do.
The Finance Guy.
He was at the bar, watching the commotion with amusement.
Daniel adjusted his cuffs.
Time to clone a phone.
THE CEILING VENTS - SECTOR 4
Elena was crawling through a galvanized steel duct, forty feet above the casino floor.
Her gold dress was hiked up to her thighs to allow movement. Her heels were hooked onto her tactical belt. She moved silently, placing her hands and knees with the precision of a spider.
This is ridiculous, she thought, wiping dust from her cheek. Daniel is down there drinking champagne, probably networking with potential clients, and I'm inhaling asbestos.
She reached the grate overlooking the Server Room.
She peered through the slats.
The room was a fortress of cooling fans and blinking blue lights.
In the center stood the Mainframe—a black monolith housing the Mentor's financial secrets.
Empty.
Elena pulled her lockpick set from her clutch. She unlatched the grate.
She dropped down, landing in a crouch. Cat-like. Silent.
She moved to the console.
She plugged her decryption drive into the port.
Typing. Her fingers flew across the keyboard.
SYSTEM STATUS: ENCRYPTED.
AUTHORIZATION: REQUIRED.
"Come on," Elena muttered. "Don't be shy."
She ran a bypass algorithm. The Red Queen's signature code.
Access Granted.
She initiated the download.
Transfer: 10%... 20%...
The door handle turned.
Elena froze.
She looked at the progress bar. 35%.
She couldn't stop it. If she pulled the drive now, the data would corrupt.
The door opened.
Two security guards walked in. They were sweeping the room with flashlights.
"Heat sensors picked up a spike in here," one guard said.
Elena wasn't behind the server racks. That was the first place they would look.
She was above them.
She had scrambled up the server rack like a gymnast, pressing herself into the dark space between the top of the mainframe and the ceiling.
She held her breath.
She watched the flashlight beams sweep the floor.
She looked at the screen below her.
Download: 60%.
"Nothing here," the second guard muttered. "Probably just a surge."
"Check the console," the first guard said.
Elena's heart stopped.
If they looked at the screen, they would see the active download.
She reached into her purse.
She pulled out a penny.
She flicked it across the room, banking it off the far wall.
Clink.
The guards spun around. "What was that?"
They moved toward the sound, away from the console.
Download: 90%.
95%.
100%.
The guards reached the far corner.
Elena dropped down.
She snatched the drive.
She vanished back into the shadows of the cooling unit just as the guards turned back.
"Rats," the guard grunted, shining his light on the empty corner. "I hate this place."
Elena slipped back into the vent.
She clutched the drive to her chest.
Got it.
She had the database. The raw files.
But as she crawled back toward the casino floor, she realized something.
The files were heavily encrypted. She had the box, but she didn't have the key.
The key was biometric. It was likely on a physical device.
Like a phone.
Daniel, she thought. I hope you're having a boring night. Because I need a drink.
THE CASINO BAR
Daniel stood next to the Finance Guy.
He signaled the bartender. "Club soda with lime."
The Finance Guy looked at him. "No booze? At a place like this?"
"Designated driver," Daniel lied smoothly. "My wife loves the champagne."
The Finance Guy laughed. "Women. Expensive hobbies, aren't they?"
"You have no idea," Daniel muttered.
He pulled out his phone to check the time.
He "accidentally" bumped into the Finance Guy.
Bump.
"Sorry," Daniel apologized, steadying the man.
In that split second, the NFC cloner in Daniel's pocket brushed against the Finance Guy's jacket pocket.
Buzz.
CLONE COMPLETE.
BIOMETRIC KEY ACQUIRED.
Daniel smiled.
He had the Key. But he didn't have the Database.
He assumed the Agency hackers could break into the server later using this key.
"Have a good night," Daniel said to the Finance Guy.
He turned to look for Elena.
He saw her emerging from the hallway.
She looked flushed. Her hair was slightly mussed. She was smoothing her dress.
Daniel's jealousy flared again.
What was she doing back there?
Was she with Marco?
He walked toward her.
She walked toward him.
They met in the middle of the floor.
"Did you have fun?" Daniel asked, his voice tight.
"Marco was... boring," Elena lied, hiding the data drive in her clutch. "I just needed some air."
"I got the phone," Daniel whispered, tapping his pocket.
"You got the what?" Elena asked, confused.
"The... business contact," Daniel corrected quickly. "For Logistics."
Suddenly, the lights flickered.
The music stopped.
A siren began to wail.
SECURITY ALERT. UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS IN SERVER ROOM.
Elena cursed internally. They found the bypass.
"We need to leave," Daniel said, grabbing her arm. "Now."
"Agreed," Elena said.
The doors to the casino slammed shut. Electronic locks engaged.
Armed guards flooded the floor.
"NO ONE LEAVES!" a voice boomed over the PA. "SEARCH EVERYONE!"
Daniel looked at Elena.
Elena looked at Daniel.
They were trapped.
With stolen data.
With stolen keys.
And with enough hidden weapons to start a small war.
"Well," Daniel sighed, unbuttoning his tuxedo jacket to free his holster. "So much for the boring date."
End of Chapter 24
Author Note:
Daniel thinks he's protecting a civilian. Elena thinks she's protecting a civilian. They are both about to protect each other... with extreme prejudice.
The Blackout is coming!
Next Chapter: They get separated in the dark and have to shoot their way back to each other.
Drop a Power Stone if you enjoyed the Ashtray Takedown! 🚬💥
Strategic Check:
* Parallel Action: Executed. Daniel fought; Elena hacked.
* The Seeds:
* Elena has the Data (The Box).
* Daniel has the Phone Clone (The Key).
* This sets up Chapter 27 perfectly.
* The Cliffhanger: Lockdown.
Next Step:
Chapter 25 (The Blackout).
Elena cuts the lights to create chaos.
Daniel and Elena are separated in the crowd.
They both neutralize threats to "save" the other, without the other seeing it.
Ready?