The cartels attacked again.
Not one target.
Five.
Not just Elena.
Carlos. Priya. Marcus. Others.
But they were ready.
And the army of the saved showed the cartels what happens when you threaten family.
---
The attacks came at midnight.
Not coordinated. Not yet.
The cartels didn't know that Damien's people had been watching. Waiting. Preparing.
They thought they were hunting.
They were wrong.
They were the prey.
---
Elena was first.
She was in her apartment. Playing piano. Chopin. Again.
She always played Chopin when she was nervous.
She was nervous tonight.
Not because of the cartels.
Because of the silence.
The building was too quiet.
She stopped playing.
Listened.
Footsteps.
Not one person. Three. Maybe four.
She reached for her phone.
Texted Cole.
They're here.
His response came immediately.
We know. Stay where you are. Don't move. Don't open the door.
How long?
Thirty seconds.
---
The footsteps stopped outside her door.
A knock.
"Elena. Open up."
She didn't move.
"Elena. We know you're in there."
She didn't breathe.
"Last chance."
The door exploded inward.
Not from a kick.
From a battering ram.
Three men rushed in.
They stopped.
The apartment was empty.
Elena was gone.
---
She was in the hallway.
Cole's team had pulled her through a panel in the wall.
Hidden passage. Built for exactly this moment.
She was shaking.
"They're in my apartment."
"I know."
"My piano."
"Can be replaced."
"I can't."
Cole looked at her.
"You can't be replaced either."
---
Carlos was second.
He was in his apartment. Reading. He always read when he couldn't sleep.
He couldn't sleep tonight.
Something was wrong.
He texted David.
Something's off.
David responded immediately.
Don't move. Don't open the door.
How long?
Forty-five seconds.
---
The lights went out.
Not a power failure.
Carlos knew what that meant.
He dropped to the floor.
Crawled to the corner.
The door opened.
Flashlights. Shadows. Men.
"He's not here."
"Check the bedroom."
"He's not there either."
"Then where is he?"
---
Carlos was in the hallway.
David's team had pulled him through a panel in the floor.
Hidden escape. Built for exactly this moment.
Carlos was breathing hard.
"They were in my apartment."
"I know."
"My books."
"Can be replaced."
"I can't."
David looked at him.
"You can't be replaced either."
---
Priya was third.
She was in her apartment. Cooking. She always cooked when she was stressed.
She was stressed tonight.
Her parents were visiting. They were sleeping in the guest room.
She couldn't let anything happen to them.
She texted Sarah.
My parents are here.
Don't move. Don't open the door.
My parents—
They're already safe. We moved them ten minutes ago.
How?
We've been watching. We've been waiting. We've been preparing.
---
The attack came not from the door.
From the window.
Priya's apartment was on the third floor.
They climbed.
She heard the glass break.
She didn't scream.
She didn't run.
She pressed herself against the wall.
The men climbed through the window.
"She's not here."
"Check the bedroom."
"She's not there either."
"Then where is she?"
---
Priya was in the hallway.
Sarah's team had pulled her through a panel in the ceiling.
Hidden route. Built for exactly this moment.
Priya was crying.
"My parents?"
"Safe."
"My apartment?"
"Can be repaired."
"I can't."
Sarah looked at her.
"You can't be repaired either. You're not broken."
---
Marcus was fourth.
He was in his apartment. Holding his kids.
They were visiting for the weekend.
First time in months.
He couldn't let anything happen to them.
He texted James.
My kids are here.
Don't move. Don't open the door.
My kids—
They're already safe. We moved them an hour ago.
How?
We've been watching. We've been waiting. We've been preparing.
---
The attack came from the hallway.
Not subtle. Not quiet.
Guns. Shouts. Threats.
"Marcus! We know you're in there!"
He didn't answer.
"Come out, and your kids won't get hurt!"
He didn't move.
"Last chance!"
The door exploded inward.
The room was empty.
Marcus was gone.
---
He was in the stairwell.
James's team had pulled him through a panel in the closet.
Hidden passage. Built for exactly this moment.
Marcus was shaking.
"My kids?"
"Safe."
"My apartment?"
"Can be repaired."
"I can't."
James looked at him.
"You can't be repaired either. You're not broken."
---
The fifth target was not one person.
It was the building itself.
The cartels had planned to burn it down.
They had brought gasoline. Matches. Explosives.
They didn't know that Damien's people had been watching.
Waiting.
Preparing.
The moment they arrived, they were surrounded.
Not by police.
By soldiers.
Former special forces. Former intelligence. Former protectors.
One thousand of them.
---
The leader of the cartel looked around.
He saw the faces.
He saw the weapons.
He saw the building behind him, still standing, still protected.
"What is this?"
Cole stepped forward.
"This is family."
"You can't stop us."
"We already have."
"There are more of us."
"There are more of us too."
---
The leader laughed.
"You think one thousand soldiers can stop a cartel?"
Cole smiled.
"I think one thousand soldiers who have nothing to lose can stop anyone."
The leader stopped laughing.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"Those are just words."
"These are not."
Cole raised his hand.
The soldiers raised their weapons.
The leader looked around.
He saw no fear. No hesitation. No mercy.
"Who are you people?"
Cole stepped closer.
"We're the people you almost recruited. We're the people you almost destroyed. We're the people who said no."
---
The cartel retreated.
Not because they were afraid.
Because they were outnumbered.
Because they were outmatched.
Because they had never faced an enemy like this.
Cole watched them go.
"Follow them."
"Where?"
"To their base."
"Then what?"
"Then we end this."
---
That night, Christabel put Lena to bed.
Not Damien. Her.
Lena was full of questions.
"Mama, why is everyone so serious?"
"Because bad people tried to hurt our family."
"Did they hurt anyone?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because Papa's friends stopped them."
Lena thought about that.
"Are Papa's friends superheroes?"
Christabel smiled.
"Something like that."
---
Damien appeared in the doorway.
"She's asleep?"
"She's dreaming."
"Of what?"
"Of you."
He walked to her.
Took her hand.
"The cartels attacked tonight."
"I know."
"Five targets."
"I know."
"None succeeded."
"I know."
"Why aren't you surprised?"
She looked at him.
"Because I know who you are."
First Line of Chapter 170 (Teaser):
"The one hundred twenty-fifth week, Damien went on the offensive. Not with soldiers. With lawyers. He filed a class action lawsuit against the cartels. Not for money. For their assets. Their properties. Their power. And the world watched as the most dangerous man in the city became the most dangerous man in the world."