The salty air from New Avalon's wharves stuck to me as I straightened my tie. The rented tuxedo felt tight and uncomfortable in the humid night. We were in front of the Sapphire Pavilion, a fancy venue on the waterfront, hosting a charity event packed with the city's influential people – and Sophia Laurent, the key to unlocking the vault's voice-activated system. Dorian's video, showing her meeting with the President and hinting at a "delivery" and "global influence," made me uneasy. The vault wasn't just about valuables; it held a national secret, something important enough to involve the highest leader in the country. My ribs still ached from the skyscraper fire, and Lena's kiss in the fish market hideout lingered in my mind, but her silence since then, her avoiding my gaze, told me she was struggling with the possibility of a traitor in our midst. Evie watched me from the van, her blonde hair tied back, her smile sharp and knowing, while Marcus was on lookout, his bandaged shoulder tense, his PTSD a constant, inner battle. I was about to step into Sophia's world, and the situation had become incredibly dangerous.
"Jax, Sophia's inside," Lena's voice came through my earpiece, short and cold. "Second floor, VIP area. Her phone's on – we might get more voice data." Her technical skills kept us alive, but the sharpness in her voice stung. She was angry, maybe at Evie, maybe at me for trusting her for too long. The blueprint's hidden air vent was our way in, but the traitor's leak – someone talking to Dorian – had created divisions among us.
"Understood," I replied, smoothing my jacket, my weapon concealed. "Evie, you're my backup. Marcus, watch the exits. Lena, keep the camera feed running." I saw Evie nod, her black dress clinging to her figure, her charm a tool I needed but didn't fully trust. Marcus grunted, his dark eyes scanning the docks, and I felt his presence – his loyalty, his pain – grounding me.
The Pavilion was a glittering cage, chandeliers sparkling, champagne flowing, and Sophia was the center of attention, her black hair elegantly styled, her brown eyes commanding attention. I spotted her in the VIP area, laughing with a senator, her refined appearance a mask for the vault's secrets. I navigated through the crowd, my heart racing, and she noticed me, her smile knowing, as if she recognized me. "Mr. Malone," she said smoothly as I approached, her voice soft and melodic – the voice we had cloned. "What a surprise to see you here."
"Miss Laurent," I replied, leaning in, playing the charmer. "I couldn't miss a good cause." Her laugh was like silk, her hand briefly touching my arm, and I felt a tingle, but it was all an act – hers and mine. Lena's silence in my earpiece was deafening, her jealousy a palpable tension I could feel across the room. Sophia's eyes flickered, amused, and I wondered if she was manipulating me, too, her meeting with the President a mystery I couldn't figure out.
"You're daring," she said, her lips close to my ear, her perfume strong. "But daring men often get hurt." Her warning was a spark, and I grinned, keeping my expression light, but my hand brushed her phone on the table, discreetly attaching a data-collecting device Lena had designed. The flirting was working, but Lena's voice interrupted, sharp.
"Jax, focus," she snapped, and I could hear the pain beneath her anger. My chest tightened – I wanted to tell her it was nothing, that she was the one I was doing this for, but Sophia was watching, her smile predatory. Evie was nearby, charming a security guard, her laugh too loud, and I knew she was drawing attention, maybe intentionally.
Before I could react, the lights flickered, and a scream echoed through the room. Dorian. I knew it was him before I saw the masked figures bursting through the windows, firing weapons. The charity event descended into chaos, guests diving for cover, glass shattering. "Ambush!" I shouted, instinctively grabbing Sophia's arm, pulling her behind a pillar. Her eyes were wide, but there was no panic – just calculation.
"Jax, get out!" Lena yelled, her voice cracking. I fired at a masked attacker, my shots inaccurate in the smoke, and spotted Evie sprinting for the stairs, her dress tearing. Marcus's voice boomed over the comms, "To the docks, now!" but gunfire drowned him out. I pushed Sophia towards an exit – she was a target, too, and I needed her alive – then raced for the stairs, my heart pounding.
We reached the docks, the van idling, Lena at the wheel, her face pale. Marcus was providing cover, firing his pistol, blood seeping through his bandage. Evie jumped in, and I was last, the van lurching as bullets hit the metal. "Go!" I roared, and Lena sped off, New Avalon's lights blurring past, the salty sea air mixing with rain. Two black SUVs roared behind us, Dorian's men, their headlights like wolves' eyes.
"Hold on!" Lena shouted, swerving through traffic, her tablet on the dash, hacking streetlights to slow our pursuers. My hand briefly touched her leg, steadying her, and her eyes met mine, a mix of jealousy and trust. "You and Sophia looked friendly," she muttered, her voice strained, and I cringed, knowing I had hurt her.
"It's part of the job, Lena," I said, my voice low, urgent. "You're the one I –" A rocket exploded ahead, asphalt flying. My words were cut off as I grabbed the wheel, helping her steer, the van skidding. Marcus fired out the back, his shots shaky but accurate, while Evie reloaded, her face serious, no smile now.
"They're too close!" Evie shouted, and I spotted a bridge ahead, its lights flickering. "Lena, can you shut down the bridge?" I asked, thinking fast. She nodded, her fingers flying, and the bridge's barriers slammed down, trapping one SUV. But the other kept coming, relentless, and a bullet grazed my shoulder, a sharp pain shooting through me.
Lena's tablet chimed, and she cursed, her face paling. "There's a signal – inside my gear," she whispered, her voice breaking. She pulled a small tracker from her tech pack, its red light blinking. My blood ran cold. Dorian had been watching us through her, the person I trusted most. Her eyes met mine, filled with fear and guilt, and I knew this operation had just turned completely against us.