Big T nodded approvingly. "Good." Then he pulled out a holo-pad from his desk drawer. "I’ma need your contact info. I’ll send you the location, the target, everything you need to know."
Jayden provided his private comm number—a secure line he’d purchased on the black market that couldn’t be traced back to his official identity.
Big T entered it, then looked up. "One more thing, youngblood. This job? It ain’t gonna be easy. If it was easy, I’d send one of my boys. But they... well, let’s just say this particular job require soone with a specific skill set. Soone who can handle they self. Soone who don’t mind getting they hands dirty."
Jayden shrugged. "I can handle myself."
"We’ll see." Big T stood, signaling the eting was over. "Marcus will show you out. Stay by your comm. You’ll hear from soon."
Jayden stood as well. "Alright."
Marcus, the bouncer, appeared at Jayden’s elbow, ready to escort him out.
Jayden followed him back through the fight club and up the stairs through the casino floor.
As they reached the exit, Marcus paused.
"Big T don’t usually deal direct with outsiders," he said quietly. "Fact that he seeing you at all? That an Fred must really trust you. Don’t make him regret it."
Then he opened the door, and Jayden stepped out into the night.
....
The ride ho was a blur.
Jayden’s mind kept circling back to the sa thoughts: Big T had information. He’d get that information. He’d find Cassandra.
But what if the job took too long? What if sothing happened to her before then? What if—
[Jayden] Luna’s voice cut through the spiral. [You did what you could today. Now you need to rest and be ready for whatever job you’re given]
"I know." Jayden sighed.
[Do you? Because you’re working yourself into a panic, and that’s not going to help Cassandra] Luna said. [You need to keep your head straight]
Jayden took a breath, forcing himself to calm down. Luna was right. Panicking wouldn’t help. He needed to stay sharp, stay focused.
After several minutes of riding, he finally arrived ho. He dismounted from his bike and walked into the house.
The mont he stepped through the door, he knew sothing was wrong.
The house was too quiet. Usually, Saturday nights ant music, laughter, the TV on in the living room. But tonight there was just... silence.
Jayden walked toward the dining room and found the family at the table.
Jacob sat at the head, his expression drawn and tired in a way Jayden rarely saw. Harleen was beside him, her usual warm smile strained. Jessica picked at her food without eating. And Tasha...
Tasha’s eyes were red-rimd, like she’d been crying recently but was trying to hold it together.
The entire atmosphere was wrong. Gloomy. Like soone had died.
"Jayden," Jacob said, his voice forcedly cheerful. "There you are. Co, we saved your dinner."
"Thanks," Jayden managed, but he couldn’t bring himself to sit down. Sothing was coiling in his gut—dread, anticipation.
Jessica looked up at him, and her expression crumbled slightly.
"Have you heard?" she said quietly.
Jayden’s throat tightened. "Heard what?"
But even as he asked, he knew. He could see it in their faces.
"About Cassandra," Jessica continued, her voice wavering. "Penelope called us this afternoon. She told us Cassie is... she’s missing, Jayden. She’s been missing for two days."
Jayden inhaled sharply. Even though he already knew, hearing soone else say it made it more real sohow. More terrible.
"Yeah," Jayden said, his voice coming out rougher than intended. "I... I already knew."
Tasha’s head snapped up. "You knew? Since when?" she asked.
"Just earlier today when I went to her house," Jayden replied. "Penelope told ."
The sadness in Jayden’s expression must have been obvious because Jacob stood up and walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey. It’s going to be okay," Jacob said, his voice gentle. "The EVA is working on this. We’re going to find her. Cassandra is tough—she can handle herself until we get to her."
Harleen nodded. "Penelope filed an official report. The agency is taking this seriously. They’ve got their best people on it."
"They’ll find her," Jessica added, but her voice lacked conviction.
Jayden wanted to scream. Wanted to tell them that EVA’s "best people" had been failing to stop the Black Cobra Syndicate for years. That their official channels were compromised. That Cassandra didn’t have ti for bureaucratic procedures.
But he didn’t say any of that.
Instead, he just nodded. "Yeah. I’m sure they will."
The lie tasted like ash in his mouth.
"Jayden?" Harleen’s voice was soft. "You should co eat sothing."
"I’m not really hungry," Jayden said, and it was the truth. His stomach was a knot of anxiety and guilt. "Is it okay if I skip dinner tonight? I’m just... really tired."
Harleen studied his face, and Jayden saw understanding dawn in her eyes. She knew he was hurting. Knew he needed space.
"Of course, honey," she said. "Go rest. We’ll save your plate in case you want it later."
Jayden smiled. "Thanks." Then he turned toward the stairs, and headed to his room. But before he could enter, he heard footsteps approaching.
He turned to see both Jessica and Tasha standing in the hallway, their faces filled with concern.
Tasha spoke first. "Jayden, I know what you’re thinking," she said firmly, her eyes searching his face. "And you need to stop. What happened to Cassie—it wasn’t your fault."
Jayden forced a smile that felt like cracking glass. "I know."
"You’re lying," Jessica said bluntly, stepping closer. "You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world. Like you’re blaming yourself for sothing you had no control over. It’s sothing you’ve gotten pretty good at."
"I’m fine, really," Jayden insisted, but his voice was hollow. "You both don’t need to worry about ."
"Jay." Tasha reached out and took his hand. "Cassandra wouldn’t want you beating yourself up over this. She’d want you to have faith that she’ll be found. That she’ll co ho."
"She will," Jayden said, and this ti there was steel in his voice. "I’ll make sure of it."
Jessica frowned. "What does that an?"
Jayden looked at both of them—these two people who cared about him, who were worried about Cassandra too. And he wanted to tell them everything. Wanted to explain that he wasn’t just hoping EVA would find her. That he was actively hunting for her. That he’d already entered the criminal underworld and was planning to tear apart anyone who stood between him and finding Cassandra.
But he couldn’t.
"It ans I’m not giving up on her," Jayden said instead. "No matter what it takes. No matter what I have to sacrifice. I will find her. I promise you both that."
The words ca out colder than he intended—harder, sharper, carrying an edge that made both Jessica and Tasha take an involuntary step back.
"Jayden..." Tasha started, concern evident in her voice.
But Jayden was already moving, already pulling away.
"I need to rest," he said, not looking at them. "Goodnight."
He walked to his room, entered, and closed the door before either of them could respond.
Alone in his room, Jayden collapsed onto his bed.
The ceiling stared back at him, blank and uncaring.
Two days.
Two days Cassandra had been missing. Two days she’d been in the hands of people who trafficked human beings like rchandise.
Jayden squeezed his eyes shut, but that only made it worse. His imagination filled in the gaps with terrible possibilities. Things being done to her. Things she was enduring while he was here, safe and comfortable in his bed.
"This is all my fault."
The thought wouldn’t leave him alone. It circled in his mind like a vulture, picking at every mont of his last interaction with Cassandra. The pain in her eyes. The hurt he’d caused.
"If I hadn’t done what I did, she wouldn’t have been vulnerable. She wouldn’t have been alone. She wouldn’t have—"
BUZZ!
His holo-tab vibrated on his nightstand.
Jayden grabbed it, hoping irrationally that it was Cassandra—that this was all so terrible misunderstanding and she was texting him asking where he was.
But it wasn’t Cassandra.
[ssage from: Unknown]
Jayden opened it.
[Hope you’re ready, youngblood. Here’s what you need to do:
Head to the warehouse District in Sector 9 tomorrow at 22:00. Get into building 47. Retrieve the rc by any ans necessary. Don’t get caught. Don’t get killed. -Big T]
Below the ssage was an attachnt containing the blueprints of a warehouse, a full description of what he was supposed to retrieve, and so extra details about the job.
Jayden read through it all thodically, his mind already shifting into tactical mode. This was it. His chance to get the information he needed. His chance to find Cassandra.
He saved the files, then set the holo-tab aside.
Lying back down, Jayden stared at the ceiling again. But this ti, instead of drowning in guilt, he focused on the mission ahead.
Tomorrow night, he’d do Big T’s job.
And then he’d get the information he needed.
And then he’d find Cassandra.
And god help anyone who got in his way.
Slowly, exhaustion pulled him under, and Jayden drifted into a fitful sleep filled with fire and shadows and the ghost of Cassandra’s smile.
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