Chapter 54

Chapter Fifty-Four

The cabin was tight with expectation and fear as Fiona, Victor, Julian, and Emma had been poring over the information Gregor had provided for the last hour. The massive size of Cross's operations was overwhelming, but there was something almost comforting in knowing the full scope of what they were battling. They finally had the evidence; now they just needed to figure out how best to use it.

Victor leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as the magnitude of what they were about to do sank in. Finally, he broke the silence: "We can't just hand this over to the authorities and hope for the best. We need to control the narrative. If this leaks out before we're ready, Cross will disappear, and all of this will be for nothing.".

Fiona nodded, her mind already racing with possibilities. "Agreed. But how do we make sure that doesn't happen? We can't afford to keep this under wraps ourselves."

Emma, who had been quietly studying the files, looked up with a determined expression. "We need to bring in someone we can trust—someone who can help us coordinate this with the authorities without tipping off Cross. We can't do this alone."

Julian's face fell, his expression uneasy. "Who do we trust now? We saw how deep Cross's influence reached. Anyone we involve could be compromised."

Fiona started to tap her long fingers against the table, considering Emma's suggestion. She knew Julian was paranoid, but Emma had a point—they did need help. "There's one person I can think of," she said slowly. "Somebody with a reputation for integrity, and who despises corruption as much as we do."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "And who might that be?

Fiona locked eyes with him, her mind made up. "Agent Thomas Hayes. He's been investigating Cross for years, trying to get enough evidence to nail him. If anyone has the resources and the will to see this through, it's him."

Julian's skepticism was clear in his face. "You think we can trust him? How do we know he's not already working for Cross?"

"We don't," Fiona allowed. "But Hayes is clean. He's one of the few agents that hasn't been compromised by Cross's network. If we can turn him to our side, then maybe, just maybe we'll have a shot."

Grudgingly, Emma nodded. "It's a risk, but we don't have many options. Hayes has the connections we need to coordinate this without blowing our cover."

Victor sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright, let's say we go with Hayes. How do we reach out to him without tipping off Cross? We can't just walk into his office and hand over the evidence."

Fiona thought a moment before looking over at Julian. "Julian, can you set up a secure communication channel? Something untraceable that we can use to contact Hayes without raising any red flags?"

Julian nodded, fingers already flying across his laptop. "I can do that. It'll take some time, but I'll make sure it's secure. Then once we have a line of comms, we can set up a meet somewhere private.".

As Julian got to work, Fiona felt a surge of optimism. This was it, the beginning of the end. If they could get Hayes on their side, they might finally have the upper hand against Cross. But no matter how hard she tried to focus on the positives, there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind. They were playing a dangerous game, and one wrong move could cost them everything.

They picked a small, out-of-the-way diner at the edge of town that was almost empty, except for one elderly couple in a corner booth and the waitress behind the counter, looking bored. It was the ideal location for a clandestine meeting. Two days later, Fiona, Victor, and Emma sat in this very diner.

Julian had managed to set up a secure channel, and through it, they had set up a meet with Agent Thomas Hayes. The plan was simple: lay out the proof, explain the situation, and hope Hayes would agree to help them without alerting Cross.

Fiona took a deep draught of her coffee, though it did little to relax her nerves. She looked to her left, to Victor, who scoured the room with all the aggression he usually displayed before he believed a confrontation was in the offing. Facing them, Emma sat, wrapped hands circling a mug of tea, her face thoughtful.

The door to the diner burst open and a tall man walked in. He was obviously in his early forties, with sharp, intelligent eyes and an air of quiet authority that automatically stamped him as a man who knew his way around dangerous situations: Agent Thomas Hayes.

He caught sight of Fiona and her group, nodded once, and strode around the corner to their booth. He didn't say a word but slid into the seat next to Emma, his dark eyes roving over each of them before finally settling on Fiona.

"Ms. Carter," Hayes said in a low, controlled voice. "I got your message. You said it was urgent that we speak?

Fiona leaned forward just a little, her voice quite steady. "Agent Hayes, thank you for seeing us on short notice. We would not have called if it weren't urgent."

Hayes's expression didn't change a bit. "I hope you understand the risk you've taken by contacting me. If Cross even suspects that you're working with the FBI, it could mean your lives.

"We're well aware of the risks," Victor said, his tone matching Hayes's seriousness. "That's why we need your help. We have uncovered evidence—evidence that could bring Cross down for good. But we need your resources to make sure it's handled correctly."

Hayes's eyes narrowed slightly. "Evidence? What kind of evidence?"

Fiona looked to Emma, who reached into her bag to pull out a small thumb drive. She handed it over to Hayes, who took it in stride, his eyes not leaving hers.
"That drive contains financial records, offshore accounts, names of people on Cross's payroll, the whole nine of his criminal operations," Fiona explained. "We got it from an associate of Cross', who's willing to testify in exchange for protection.".

Hayes flicked his gaze to the thumb drive, then back to Fiona. "And you're positive this source is credible? You know as well as I do that if this is some kind of setup, it could blow any case we've been building against Cross."

"Our source is credible," Fiona assured him. "He's scared for his life, but he knows he's safer with us than with Cross. We've double-checked everything on that drive. It's solid."

Slowly, Hayes nodded, trying to wrap his mind around it. "If this is as good as you say it is, it could be the break we've been waiting for. But this won't be easy. Cross has eyes and ears everywhere. We'll need to move carefully."

"That's why we came to you," Emma said. "We need someone we can trust to coordinate this. We're not just handing this over—we want to be involved every step of the way."

Hayes's eyebrow rose, a glint of amusement dancing at the corner of his mouth. "You're not the type to sit on the sidelines, are you?"

Fiona smiled back, briefly. "Not when it comes to something this important. We've risked too much to walk away now."

Hayes pocketed the thumb drive and stood up. "Alright. I'll take a look at what you've got and make the necessary arrangements. But you should know—we're entering dangerous territory. Cross is ruthless, and he won't go down without a fight.

"We're ready for that," Victor said, his voice firm. "We've come too far to back down now."

Hayes nodded, his face grim. "I'll be in touch once I've gone through the evidence. In the meantime, stay low. If Cross catches wind of this, he won't hesitate to come after you."

To that, Hayes turned his back on the diner and left Fiona, Victor, and Emma to ruminate over the weight of what they had just set in motion.


The next few days blurred into a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Fiona and her team kept vigil, inch by inch, watching for the slightest indication that Cross could have worked out what they were up to. Every car passing the cabin, every stranger who walked by, seemed like a threat.

It wasn't until three days after their meeting that Fiona received a call from Hayes. His voice was soft, but there was something in it that put her on edge.

"We've confirmed the authenticity of the evidence," Hayes said, getting straight to business. "It's solid; it's enough to take Cross down. We're moving forward, but we need to do this carefully. I'll need you and your team to be ready to move at a moment's notice. When the time comes, I'll need you in court to testify, along with your source."

The thought of testifying in open court set Fiona's heart racing. She knew, however, that it was a necessary act. "We will get ready," she said, trying to modulate her tone.

"Good. I will be in touch with the next steps," Hayes said before the call was ended.

Fiona put down the phone; her thoughts on what lay ahead ran wild in her mind. The fight against Cross was far from over, though now more than ever did it feel, for the first time, like there was a real possibility of winning, now that they finally had some sort of evidence, a workable plan in action, and most importantly, a blossoming ally in Hayes.

But as Fiona turned her gaze around her team, she felt like the hardest part was still ahead. They were about to square off against one of the most dangerous criminals in the country, and there was no guarantee they would all make it out alive.

"We're in the endgame now," Victor said softly, almost like he sensed her thoughts.

Fiona nodded, her resolve hardening. "Then let's