Chapter 3
Brooklyn, by an abandoned pier.
Leo slammed the brakes. The Ford pickup left long skid marks on the wet road, tires screaming against the pavement before finally coming to a stop.
"Daddy... my stomach hurts so bad..."
A painful moan came from the back seat. Emily, who had been asleep, suddenly went into violent convulsions.
"Emily!" Isabella's face went pale with terror. She pulled Emily close. "Leo, help her! Please!"
Leo vaulted into the back seat and grabbed Emily's wrist. His face went cold the moment he did — her skin had turned a strange bluish-purple, and her pupils had shrunk to pinpoints.
Classic signs of a deadly neurotoxin attack. Leo had seen it countless times during his time in Delta Force.
"Damn it. This is Viper Neurotoxin." His voice shook. "A lethal poison used by Colombian cartels. There's only a three-day window to get the antidote. If we don't find it in time, Emily will..."
"We need to get to a hospital. Now."
"It won't help. This toxin has a specific antidote — no regular hospital can do anything about it."
"How did this happen?" Isabella cried out in despair. "We got away. We were supposed to be free. Why is it still ending like this?"
"That sneaky bastard David always had a backup plan." Leo slammed his fist against the roof, then quickly searched through the items he'd taken from David, looking for anything useful.
He found it fast — hidden inside a false bottom of a metal box was a detailed map. A complete layout of Petro Estate. In the lower right corner, one room was clearly labeled: Poison and Antidote Storage.
"Got it. The antidote is at Petro Estate."
Leo clenched his fist, then gently laid Emily back in Isabella's arms and pressed a Glock into her hands.
"Baby, take Emily and drive north right now. Go to Manhattan and find a place called Eagle's Eye Gun Club. Ask for an old man named Quentin. Give him this."
He handed her his ID card.
"When Quentin sees the card, he'll know what to do. Have him give Emily a shot of neural toxin inhibitor every four hours — it'll slow the spread."
"What about you?" Isabella gripped his hand tight.
"I'm going to get the antidote."
Leo pulled his hand free, his eyes sharp as a blade. "The estate runs its own security system with multiple alarm layers. I can't slip in quietly alone — I need someone good."
"Please be careful, Leo."
Isabella kissed his cheek through her tears. "Come back safe. Emily and I will be waiting."
"Trust me. I'll come back with the antidote."
A promise from a husband, a father, and a man who meant every word.
One hour later. Southwest 2nd Avenue, Queens, New York.
This was one of the city's most notorious underground black markets — a refuge for wanted criminals and people with nothing left to lose.
Leo slipped into a dark alley, checked that no one was watching, then climbed into a shop with a sign that read Professional Computer Repair.
Inside the dim room, a young woman with pink hair and a rose tattoo on her arm sat with a cigarette between her lips, fingers flying across a keyboard.
Her name was Natasha Lewis. Code name: Spider. She'd once been the CIA's youngest top-level cyber warfare specialist. Two years ago she was fired for stealing classified military data, and she'd been on the FBI's wanted list ever since.
She heard him come in and snatched up a revolver — but when she saw who it was, she raised an eyebrow.
"Well, if it isn't Leo, Delta Force's legendary operator." Her tone was dry. "You've lost your mind, showing up on my turf. You know every FBI agent in New York is looking for you, right?"
"I need your help. It's urgent."
"I need to save my daughter." Leo stepped toward her. "I have to get into the underground storage room at Petro Estate and take the antidote. I need you to knock out their alarm system."
Natasha dropped the sarcasm and got serious. "That's David's home base. The security there is like a federal vault. You want me to hack that? David will have me killed."
"David is dead," Leo said flatly. "I killed him myself."
Natasha stared at him for a moment, then gave a thumbs up. "Ruthless. That's why they call you the best."
"Alright. I owe you one from before — I'll take the job."
"But I'm only handling the alarm system. Whatever guards are inside, that's your problem. And I need to be done in thirty minutes, or they'll trace it back to me. Don't forget — the Petro Crime Family has close ties with the FBI. They've got top-level cyber people too."
"Thirty minutes is more than enough."
Ten minutes later, a cargo truck loaded with goods rolled down the highway toward the north shore of Long Island.
In the driver's seat, Leo wore a uniform stripped from a dead Petro Crime Family soldier. In the passenger seat, Natasha had her laptop open and her full attention on the screen.
"The main gate is a thousand feet ahead." She didn't look up. "I've already faked an electronic pass from the logistics department. The cameras are showing a standard refrigerated delivery truck."
The truck slowed and stopped at the iron gate.
Four heavily armed guards surrounded it, rifles raised, wearing body armor — David's death had clearly shaken the whole estate.
"Stop the engine. Hands where we can see them."
A guard knocked on the window and pointed his gun at the cab.
Leo rolled it down and kept his voice low. "We're delivering supplies."
"At this hour?" Two guards moved to the back and opened the cargo doors. It was packed with frozen food.
But they didn't relax. "We don't recognize you. Who sent you?"
"The guys who usually do this run..." Leo put on a scared look. "They're all dead back at the hall. I didn't want to come. I'm terrified..."
At the same moment, Natasha held up the digital pass and waved it in front of the scanner by the gate.
The scanner flashed green. Approved.
"Let them through."
The captain's voice crackled over the radio.
The guard still felt something was off, but the scan had cleared them. He had no choice.
The iron gate swung open. Leo pressed the gas, and the truck rolled smoothly into the estate.
In the rearview mirror, Leo watched the gate close behind them and cameras track their every move. Natasha let out a long breath.
"We're in. That was not easy."
Leo parked beside a warehouse and drew his suppressed Glock.
"Let's move."
