Sweet Vengeances
Chapter 29: A Trail of Secrets

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: A Trail of Secrets

They rushed out of the warehouse, the silence in Monica’s automobile oppressive. The broken glass crunched under Lily’s sneakers, serving as a sobering reminder of their near-death experience. With her heart still pounding, she clutched the edge of her seat with shaking hands. With his brows knitted in focus, Ethan sat next to her, leafing over the papers they had recovered.

"Anything helpful?" As she drove the automobile through the downtown streets, Monica questioned in a clipped tone.

Despite the chaos they had just fled, Ethan’s voice remained firm as he said, "Plenty." "Kane’s shipments are confirmed by this ledger. There are a few new places here, but the addresses correspond to several of the places Marcus suspected. These might be crucial.

Lily’s interest was aroused as she looked at the papers. "Do they indicate Kane’s possible base of operations?"

"Not precisely," Ethan said. However, it helps us focus our search. He is cautious, yet even the most cautious guys make mistakes.

Lily stared at Ethan for a while, impressed by his composure under duress. She hoped she could do the same. Rather, doubt and worry whirled through her mind. They were getting closer to Kane with each stride, but they were also getting more dangerous.

"What about the laptop’s encrypted files?" Monica inquired.

Ethan gave the bag’s side a tap. "The hard disk is with me. If we’re lucky, Marcus’s tech team will be able to solve it and provide us with all the tools we need to defeat Kane.

Lily tried to calm her breathing by leaning back in her chair. She kept replaying the events of the night, including the heated argument, the yelling, and the gunfire. This was a predicament she had never encountered before, and the weight of it was too much to bear.

She was grounded when Ethan’s hand touched hers. With his eyes meeting hers, he whispered, "You did great tonight."

She opened her mouth in shock. "I didn’t accomplish much."

Ethan answered, "You remained composed, you did as you were told, and you didn’t give up." "Most people in your position couldn’t handle that much."

Lily wasn’t sure if his remarks made her feel better or made her more nervous. She felt out of her depth, neither brave nor strong. But now there was no going back.

On the edge of the city, Monica stopped in a quiet parking area. Ahead, the unremarkable facade of the safe house they were utilizing as a base of operations blended well with the adjacent industrial neighborhood.

Ethan carried the hard drive and the bag of papers as they hurried out of the car. With her keen eyes looking about for any indications of trouble, Monica led the way inside.

When they were safely inside, Marcus emerged, the dim overhead light framing his massive body. There was a mix of relief and annoyance on his face.

He folded his arms and remarked sternly, "You’re late."

Ethan said calmly, "We encountered some difficulties," and then he put the bag down on the table.

Marcus turned to look at Lily. What, complications? She wasn’t one of them, I hope.

His tone infuriated Lily, but she remained silent. She wasn’t going to give Marcus additional reasons to accuse her because she knew he still didn’t believe she was involved.

Ethan stepped between them and stated forcefully, "She was an asset." "Without her assistance, we couldn’t have obtained the ledger."

Despite his obvious lack of conviction, Marcus grunted and chose not to press the matter. Rather, he unzipped the bag and started going through the contents.

"These addresses..." Marcus whispered as he looked over the ledger. "We may have just discovered Kane’s distribution network if these are correct."

"And the hard drive?" Monica crossed her arms and inquired.

Holding it up, Marcus examined it as if it were a valuable trophy. "We’re one step closer to taking down his entire operation if this includes what I believe it does."

Despite being included, Lily felt like an outsider as she silently observed the conversation. Her sole purpose in life was to expose those who had harmed her and pursue justice for herself. However, the more she dug into Kane’s web, the more she saw that this conflict went much beyond her personal grudge.

Ethan’s face softened as he turned to face her. "You ought to get some rest. The night has been long.

Despite the fact that fatigue was pulling at every muscle in her body, Lily insisted, "I’m fine."

"Lily," he murmured, forceful yet gentle. "For now, you’ve done enough. Tonight, let’s take care of the remainder.

She nodded reluctantly and withdrew to the tiny room she had been occupying in the safe home. She let herself take a big breath for the first time that evening as the door clicked shut behind her.

It was difficult to fall asleep.

Lily’s thoughts were racing as she lay on the thin mattress and gazed up at the ceiling. She kept thinking about Kane and the threat he posed. However, Ethan’s visage kept popping up amid the panic.

She felt a connection with him that she couldn’t ignore. It was a sense of safety and trust that she hadn’t had in years, and it went beyond simple infatuation. She was unable to overlook the challenges it caused, though. Ethan had a strong sense of allegiance to Marcus and was firmly committed to this battle. Could she really count on him in an emergency?

As the hours passed, Lily made the decision to maintain her concentration. Distractions weren’t something she could afford just now, with everything at stake.

Lily woke up the following morning to the sound of conversations coming from the main room. After hurriedly getting ready, she approached the others and discovered Monica, Ethan, and Marcus clustered around a laptop.

"What’s happening?" Her voice was still raspy from sleep when she asked.

Monica’s eyes glowed with joy as she declared, "We cracked the hard drive." "It’s also a goldmine."

Ethan motioned for her to approach. "Kane has been maintaining thorough records of everything he does, including financial transactions, shipment schedules, and even correspondence with his clients."

"And where is he?" With her heart racing, Lily inquired.

"Not directly," acknowledged Ethan. However, a central hub is mentioned. A location known as "The Fortress." If we are able to locate that...

Marcus interrupted in a somber tone. "We can eliminate him permanently."

Lily’s heartbeat accelerated. They had never been closer to bringing Kane to light and destroying his kingdom. However, she couldn’t get rid of the notion that the most difficult portion of their journey was still to come as she observed the resolute faces surrounding her.

Despite the whirlpool of emotions roiling inside her, she asked steadily, "Where do we start?"

Ethan’s face was determined as he looked into her eyes. "We pursue the path and see where it takes us. However, we must be prepared for whatever comes up.

Lily nodded, her will to succeed hardening. Whatever it took, she was prepared to confront the darkness.