Page 128 of Shadowed Sins: Nitro

Even when that trust gets betrayed.

"Reaper, Saint, Chaos, sound off," Kade commands.

"Reaper in position, southwest corner." Damian's gravelly voice barely registers above a whisper.

"Saint ready at medical staging." Remy's smooth tone carries his usual calm confidence.

"Chaos locked and loaded with party favors." Xander's enthusiasm makes me crack the first smile I've managed all morning.

Kade's tactical assessment cuts through my spiraling thoughts. "Remember, Lynch Academy is command and control for the trafficking network. Gideon is coordinating the entire West Coast pipeline."

The man who taught me to drive, who celebrated when I landed my first sponsorship deal, who held me together after Tommy died.

"All units, move to breach positions." Kade's order snaps me back to the mission.

The breach goes smooth at first. Too smooth.

My boots hit the academy floor with the same weight they did fifteen years ago, but this time I'm carrying tactical gear instead of racing gloves. The familiar smell of motor oil and tire rubber fills my nostrils as we move through corridors I know by heart.

Every turn, every blind spot, every exit.

"Clear left," I whisper into my mic, checking the workshop where Gideon first taught me to read engine timing by sound alone.

"Kitchen secure," Cole reports. "Moving to administrative offices."

Mira's voice comes through steady and clinical. "Target located. Northwest classroom, lights on."

My chest tightens. The same room where Gideon showed me video breakdowns of professional races, where he talked about precision and control like they were sacred principles.

Where he probably planned trafficking routes while I thought we were discussing racing lines.

"I'm thirty seconds out," I report, moving toward the familiar classroom with my weapon ready.

Through the doorway, I see him. Gideon sits calmly at the same desk where he used to review my lap times, hands folded like he's waiting for a scheduled meeting instead of a tactical takedown.

"You really think taking me down stops anything?" His voice carries that same patient tone he used when correcting my racing mistakes. "This network runs deeper than one location, Jax."

"Shut up." The words come out harsher than I intended. "You're coordinating shipping routes for traffickers. That makes you—"

"Makes me what? A monster?" Gideon leans back in his chair, completely relaxed despite three laser sights painting his chest. "I coordinate logistics across state lines. Nothing more."

Mira moves into position behind me, her presence steadying my hands. "He's refusing to identify the organization structure."

"Because I'm not suicidal." Gideon's eyes shift to Mira with something that makes my trigger finger twitch. "Though I have to admire their efficiency in tracking you down."

Their efficiency? Tracking her?

"Multiple vehicles approaching," Asher's voice cuts through comms with sudden urgency. "Eight SUVs, tactical formation. This was a setup."

My blood turns to ice. "What do you mean setup?"

"They're not here for Gideon." Static fills the channel for a heartbeat before Asher continues. "They're here for her."

Gideon's smile spreads slow and satisfied. "I warned them you'd come. But she was always the real prize."

Mira's hand finds my shoulder, her touch burning through tactical fabric. "We need to move. Now."

"South exit compromised," Damian's growl comes through comms. "Heavy resistance."