The operatives stood nearby, quiet and respectful. Some of them were tearing up. They all fought alongside Zayden, trusted him, and owed him their lives.
Finally, Charles spoke softly. "We can't do anything right now. We wait."
Liam pulled back and wiped his eyes. He nodded, realizing his dad was right. Waiting was all they had.
Charles looked at the operatives. "Alright, everyone inside. Get cleaned up, get checked out if you need to, and rest. You've earned it."
They filed into the elevator one by one, exhausted warriors heading home. Liam and Charles followed.
The elevator went up and reached the main floor.
*****
The sun came up over the city, slow and steady.
Light poured onto the streets, still slick from last night's rain and stained with the chaos from the night before.
The auction hall was quiet now, no more gunshots, no more screams. Just silence and the aftermath of what went down.
