Page 88 of Bozo

Jer and Denis exchange a look. "When?" Jer asks.

"Tonight," Mike says. "I think. That's why he wanted me to keep tabs on Gráinne. He knew you'd be distracted if she was in danger."

The revelation hits me like a punch to the gut. We've been played, manipulated from the start. And Gráinne got caught in the middle of it all.

"Where's the shipment coming in?" Pyro asks.

Mike shakes his head. "I don't know. I swear. My father doesn't trust me with that kind of information."

I clench my fists, frustration boiling over. We're still no closer to finding the Puppetmaster or stopping whatever he has planned.

"It’s time to cut the fucking bullshit, Mike. We know that you’re up there with your father. It’s why you took Grá," Denis asks. "Now, where’s the shipment coming in?"

Mike hesitates, fear flickering across his face. "I... I can't. If he finds out I talked..."

"You should be more worried about what we'll do if you don't," I growl. “You hurt the woman I love. You think I’ll take it easy on you if you don’t fucking speak?”

Little does he know that I’m going to kill him no matter what. He went after the wrong person.

Mike's eyes dart around us. His body trembling. “The docks,” he breathes. “They’re coming into the docks tonight at eight.”

I glance at my cell and see that’s less than two hours from now. We don’t have much time.

"The docks," I repeat, my mind already racing with plans. "Which part?"

Mike hesitates again, but a sharp look from Denis makes him continue. "There's an old warehouse there, hasn't been used in years. That's where the exchange is happening."

Jer's already on his phone, barking orders to gather our men. Denis moves to secure Mike, ensuring he can't escape.

I turn to Pyro. "What do you think? Could be a trap?"

Py nods, his expression grim. "Could be. But we can't afford to ignore this. If the Puppetmaster is bringing in something big enough to change the game, we need to stop it. If it’s that big, it’ll take out the Gallaghers and Jer. That’s not happening.”

"Agreed," I say, checking my weapon. "But Gráinne stays here, under guard. I'm not risking her again."

"Of course," Jer says, rejoining us. "I've got our best men on it. She'll be safe."

I nod, grateful. "Alright, let's move. We've got less than two hours to get set up."

As we head out, I can't shake the feeling that we're walking into something bigger than we realize. The Puppetmaster has been one step ahead of us this whole time. We can't afford any mistakes now.

The ride to the docks is tense, the weight of what's coming hanging heavy in the air. As we approach Pier 14, I see the old warehouse Mike mentioned. It's a hulking, rusted structure, perfect for clandestine meetings.

We park our vehicles at a safe distance away and proceed on foot, using the cover of darkness and the maze of shipping containers to our advantage. Our men are already in position, creating a perimeter around the area.

"Remember," Jer whispers as we near the warehouse, "we need to identify the shipment before we move in. We can't risk losing it in the chaos."

I nod, my grip tightening on my gun. The anticipation is killing me, every nerve in my body on high alert.

Suddenly, we hear the rumble of engines. Two large trucks are approaching the warehouse, followed by a sleek black car.

"That'll be the Puppetmaster," Denis murmurs.

We watch as the vehicles come to a stop. Men begin to pour out, armed and alert. And then, from the black car, a figure emerges.

Even from this distance, there's something commanding about him. This must be Damien Hammond, the Puppetmaster himself.

"Hold positions," Pyro orders over the comm. He’s leading this; everyone else is too fucking emotionally invested. "Wait for my signal."

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