Page 90 of Bozo

"You're insane," I growl.

"Am I?" Hammond laughs. "Look around you. The world is changing. Those who control the flow of information control everything. And I was so close?—"

Suddenly, the night is split by the wail of sirens. Police. Somehow, they've found us.

"Fuck," Jer curses. "We need to move. Now."

I look at Hammond, still kneeling before us. We can't let him go, not after everything he's done.

Jer nods to his men. "Throw him into the back of the van. It’s time to get the hell out of here."

"This isn't over," Hammond hisses as Jer shoves him toward one of our waiting vehicles.

"You're right," I growl, leaning in close. "It's not. Because I'm coming for you. For what you did to Gráinne. For all of it."

Fear flickers in Hammond's eyes for the first time. Good. He should be afraid.

The sound of sirens grows closer as I climb onto my bike. I finally feel relieved. This is it. This is the end. Fuck.

Everyone is gatheredat the abandoned hotel. It’s hours later and we’ve been waiting on Denis to arrive.

“I had Melissa and some of my men go through the crates,” he tells us as he enters the room. “Those fuckers had some intel that was stolen from NASA, not to mention every fucking name of a crooked cop, federal agent, judge, and politician in the world. Someone has been doing their homework.”

I let out a low whistle. "Jesus Christ. No wonder Hammond thought he could control everything."

"That kind of information..." Jer shakes his head, looking stunned. "It's beyond valuable. It's fucking dangerous."

Pyro leans forward, his expression grim. "What are we going to do with it? We can't just sit on this kind of intel."

"We can’t use it," Denis suggests, his eyes glinting with rage. "Think about it. With this information, we could have everyone in our pocket. Politicians, judges, cops... We'd have every fucking corrupt asshole after us, not to mention every criminal wanting that information."

"So we destroy it," Pyro says firmly. "We don’t need it.”

Jer looks at him, seemingly impressed. "I agree. It would be too fucking much heat on us."

"By destroying it, we're making sure no one else can use it either," Denis says. “No one else gets it.”

Jer nods. "Alright. We destroy it. All of it. But first, we have to deal with Hammond and his fucking son. They crossed a line coming after my family."

I grin, a vicious satisfaction coursing through me. "I like the way you think."

"So, who gets the honor of killing him?" Pyro asks.

I feel my fists clench involuntarily. "Me."

Jer nods, understanding in his eyes. "I get my shot first, then he’s all yours."

I nod, a grim smile on my face. "Fair enough."

We make our way down to the basement where Hammond is being held. The air grows thicker, heavier with each step. This is it—the moment we've been working toward for months.

As we enter the room, I see Hammond tied to a chair, bruised and bloodied but still defiant. His son, Mike, is in a similar state nearby, fear evident in his eyes.

Jer approaches Hammond slowly, his presence filling the room. "You know, Damien," he says conversationally, "I've been in this game a long time. Seen all kinds of men come and go. But you? You're something else."

Hammond spits blood, glaring up at Jer. "Is this the part where you try to break me? Save your breath."

Jer chuckles, the sound devoid of humor. "Break you? No, Damien. I'm going to destroy you."

---