Page 55 of Drift
Kane’s gaze flicked to him. “That the key uplink?”
“Yeah.” Jax’s voice was calm, but his fingers were quick. “Remember that key-icon app Alanna mentioned? Yellow on black? That’s their access node. It hides an encryption tunnel to the broker’s relay. I piggybacked on it through Ethan’s cloud backup. When he logs in, I’ll see every handshake the hub makes.”
Kane’s mouth curved in that dangerous, approving way of his.
The men disappeared inside. Through Jax’s feed, the interior cameras blinked on—grainy night vision showing them setting up equipment on a desk, the courier case now open. Inside was a compact uplink server, cables snaking out to a phone mounted on a cradle. The yellow key icon glowed faintly on its screen.
“Transfer’s initializing,” Jax whispered. “They’re connecting to the broker hub.”
There was silence for a beat, then he whispered, “Uplink confirmed.”
Kane gave a sharp hand signal. “Move.”
We broke from cover as one.
Boots hit pavement in a smooth, practiced rhythm. The outer door opened at Jax’s override, and the five of us slipped inside while the others stayed to watch our backs. Somewhere deeper in the building, the uplink fan spun faster, whirring like an insect trapped in a jar.
Kane moved first, pistol in hand and ready to fire as he scanned corners. Edge moved stealthily behind him, blade ready and eyes glinting. Axle and I covered the rear while Jax tracked the uplink feed on his tablet.
A shadow crossed the hallway—one of the guards, phone to his ear. He didn’t finish the call. Kane grabbed him by the collar, slammed him into the wall, and dropped him silently.
Another guard rounded the corner, gun half raised. Edge stepped from the dark like smoke, blade flashing. One clean sweep, and the man’s body hit the floor.
Jax murmured, “Server link’s live. They’re mid-upload.”
Kane turned his head slightly. “Cut it.”
“Already on it.” Jax’s thumbs flew, lines of code spilling across his screen. “Key uplink looped to our relay… and—done. Broker hub’s blind.”
Kane’s expression didn’t change as he ordered, “Erase the source.”
We advanced.
The first burst of gunfire shattered the silence—short, suppressed pops echoing down the corridor. The courier tried to run. Axle raised his pistol, and with one clean shot, the man went down, knees buckling before he hit the floor. The case slid across the tiles, cables ripping free.
The room exploded in chaos. Shouts, another round of muffled shots, and the thud of fists hitting flesh. The Kings moved through it naturally, efficient and cold. Every angle covered, every threat neutralized. Not a single wasted motion.
I scanned the mess, searching for one face.
Fuck! Ethan wasn’t there.
Then movement caught at the edge of my vision—a back hallway door swinging and a body racing up the stairs. I broke from the group and followed whoever thought they’d escaped our wrath.
My boots hammered against the linoleum, then up the narrow stairwell that reeked of dust.
“Drift,” Kane’s voice crackled in my ear, low and calm. “Edge’s got a clear view. That’s him. We’ll sweep the lower floor.”
“Copy,” I replied, my breath even despite my racing heart as I climbed fast.
On the second landing, a door slammed. A beat later, I shoved it back open. The overhead lights flickered weakly across rows of metal shelves stacked with outdated hardware and dusty office equipment. Ethan stood at the far end, a gun trembling in his hand.
“Don’t!” he shouted, his voice breaking. “Stay the hell back!”
He shook so badly he could barely keep the barrel aimed. I kept moving, step by step, prowling toward my prey, until the muzzle was pointed straight at my chest. His finger wasn’t even on the trigger.
I caught his wrist before he realized his mistake, twisted it sharply, and the gun clattered to the floor. He stumbled back into a rack of metal shelving, causing boxes to topple, scattering papers and old cords across the concrete.
Quickly, I bent and snatched the weapon from the ground, shoving it into the waistband of my jeans.
