Chapter One Hundred And Eleven

Chapter 111

The night air carried a biting chill as the group regrouped at the safe house. Exhaustion hung heavy in the room, but the victory over Jon’s initial attempt to shut down the grid lit a spark of determination in everyone. The reprieve was temporary—they all knew it.

Jay stood at the head of the table, his knuckles pressed against the wooden surface as he leaned forward, scanning the hastily marked map. His jaw tightened as he spoke, his voice low but commanding. “Jon won’t stop here. He’ll escalate, and fast. We need to finish this before he regroups.”

Jemima leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, the weight of the mission evident in her tense posture. “We have the advantage now. He doesn’t know how much we’ve uncovered, but if we wait, he’ll have time to plan.”

Dimitri nodded, his gaze sharp. “I’ve got intel from my men on his next move. He’s holed up in one of his private compounds outside the city—an abandoned factory-turned-fortress. It’s where he’s running his operations now.”

“Fortress?” Marcus asked, his brows furrowing. “What are we looking at?”

Dimitri’s expression darkened. “Armed guards, surveillance systems, and likely traps. He’s paranoid, and he’s prepared for an assault. But he won’t expect us to come tonight.”

Jay’s voice was calm but carried an edge. “Then we hit him hard and fast. This ends now.”

Jemima’s gaze flicked to him, her green eyes burning with determination. “What’s the plan?”

“Why can’t we call Alan?” Ava, for the first time, asked, everyone turning to face her.
She had been eerily quiet that they almost forgot she was there.

“We can’t, Alan has been through too much already, and the last time we wanted to kill his father, it traumatized him. We wouldn’t want anyone making us second guess our decision,” Jemima said with an air of finality, evoking an air of pride around Jay. His eyes beamed but his mouth said nothing.

“She’s right Ava. We don’t need to involve him,” Marcus concurred, nodding at Dimitri to go on with the plan.

“So no one’s going to suspect Dimitri here? After all his fiancé, Vanessa is the reason why Jon knows anything at all!” Ava spat out, her eyes bloodshot with rage as she glared at him.

“Not now Ava, let’s just focus on the plan,” Marcus stated, his voice firm yet gentle.

Dimitri outlined the strategy with precision, dividing the group into three teams.

Team one involved Dimitri and his men— they would infiltrate from the west side, creating a diversion to draw the bulk of Jon’s guards away from the central operations room.

Team two involved Marcus and Ava— they would take the east side, cutting off reinforcements and securing the exits.

Team three involved Jay and Jemima— they would head straight for Jon, aiming to disable him and dismantle his command structure.

“Elena will guide us remotely again,” Dimitri said, nodding toward the tech specialist. “She’ll disable as many surveillance systems as she can, but don’t count on everything being down.”

Elena looked up from her laptop, her face pale but resolute. “I’ll get you through, but you’ll have to move fast. Jon’s got layers of encryption and failsafe. If he figures out I’m in his system, he’ll shut me out.”

Marcus’s voice was steady. “We don’t fail.”

Jemima echoed their fears, “We can’t afford to.”

Jay reiterated in Spanish, “No puedo permitirme perder.”

The abandoned factory loomed ahead, its skeletal structure shrouded in darkness. The faint hum of electricity and the occasional sweep of a spotlight broke the stillness. The teams split off silently, each moving with practiced precision as they had already been briefed on what to do.

Jay and Jemima approached the north entrance, their footsteps muffled against the dirt. Jay’s hand brushed hers briefly, a grounding gesture before he motioned for her to follow.

Inside, the air was heavy with the scent of oil and rust. The dim lighting cast long shadows, and every creak of the metal structure sent Jemima’s heart racing.

“Elena,” Jay whispered into his earpiece. “We’re in. Which way?”

Elena’s voice crackled softly. “Take the corridor to your right. The control room is two levels up. I’ve disabled the cameras in that area, but you’ll have company soon.”

“Roger that. Let’s go!” Jay said with urgency dripping from his every word.

They moved quickly, the tension palpable. As they reached the first set of stairs, footsteps echoed above them. Jay held up a hand, signaling Jemima to stay back. He moved forward, his gun raised, and fired two quick shots, dropping the guards before they could react.

“Clear,” he said, glancing back at her.

Jemima followed, her grip on her weapon steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

The control room was a stark contrast to the rest of the factory—brightly lit and filled with monitors displaying live feeds of the compound. Jon stood at the center, his back to the door, flanked by two armed guards.

“Stay sharp,” Jay murmured to Jemima as they moved into position.

Jon turned slowly, a smirk curling on his lips. “Ah, Jay. I was wondering when you’d show up. And you brought company. How charming.”

Jay’s gun was trained on him, his expression cold. “It’s over, Jon. Stand down.”

Jon laughed, a harsh sound that echoed in the room. “You think you’ve won? This is my city, my empire. You’re nothing but an annoyance.”

Jemima stepped forward, her voice cutting through the tension. “Your empire is crumbling. Your men are scattered, your plans exposed. It’s over.”

Jon’s gaze shifted to her, his smirk fading into a sneer. “Hello again, Jemima Valerian. Tell me, do you even understand the game you’re playing? You’re out of your depth, little girl.”

Before he could say more, the room erupted into chaos. Dimitri’s diversion had worked, and the sound of gunfire and shouting echoed from outside.

Jon’s guards moved to attack, but Jay and Jemima were faster. Jay fired, taking down one guard, while Jemima engaged the other in a brutal hand-to-hand fight. She moved with precision, her training kicking in as she landed a sharp blow to the guard’s throat, dropping him to the ground.

Jon backed toward the control panel, his hand hovering over a red button. “You may have disrupted my plans, but I can still bring this city to its knees!”

“Elena!” Jay shouted into his earpiece.

“I’m on it!” Elena’s voice crackled. “Give me ten seconds to lock him out!”

Jemima lunged forward, her weapon aimed at Jon. “Step away from the panel!”

Jon hesitated, his eyes darting between her and the button. But before he could make a move, Jay fired, hitting Jon in the shoulder and sending him sprawling to the ground.

“It’s done!” Elena announced. “He’s locked out!”

Jon clutched his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers as he glared up at them. “You think this changes anything? There will always be someone to take my place.”

Jay stepped closer, his gun still trained on Jon. “Not this time.”

Jemima’s voice was steady, her green eyes cold. “You’ve caused enough pain. It ends here.”

Jon opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of approaching footsteps cut him off. Dimitri and Marcus entered the room, their weapons raised.

“It’s over,” Dimitri said, his tone final.

Jon’s defiance faltered, and for the first time, fear flickered in his eyes.

Jay looked at Jemima, his expression unreadable. “This is your call.”

Jemima glanced at Jon, her gaze hardened, “I do have one question, Jon. Where is Vanessa?”

Jon smirked, “You’ll never find out. She’s probably six feet deep in the ocean or maybe seven seas across from you, ugh!” Jon grunted as Jay punched his jawline.

“Hit me all you want Jay but that’s the truth. I gave Jemima my word and I’m not about to break it,” Jon spat out blood.

Jemima hesitated the weight of the decision pressing down on her. But as she looked at Jon—the man who had caused so much destruction—her resolve hardened.

“You don’t get to walk away from this,” she said quietly.

She raised her weapon, her hand steady, and then she saw Alan.

“Alan?” Her voice came out in a quiver as she saw his silhouette form before he came into the light fully.

Jay held Jon close, despite the struggles.

“Why didn’t you tell me Jem? I came to put a stop to this once and for all,” Alan said and before Jemima could protest, Alan raised his gun and shot his dad in the head.

The factory was eerily silent as the group emerged, the night sky beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn.

Back at the safe house, the weight of their victory began to sink in. The city was safe, and Jon’s reign of terror was finally over.

Jay sat beside Jemima, his hand brushing hers as they sat in silence.

“You did what had to be done,” she said softly to Alan

Alan nodded, his gaze distant. “It doesn’t feel like a victory.”

“It rarely does,” Jay replied. “But you stopped him. That’s what matters.”

Dimitri entered the room, his expression grim but satisfied. “The city owes you all a debt it can never repay.”

Jemima met his gaze, a flicker of determination returning to her eyes. “This isn’t about debt. It’s about making sure no one else has to suffer like this again.”

As the sun rose, casting its light over the city, Jemima breathed in the fresh morning air and knew that finally, it was all over.

And that was enough.