The city was alive with noise and color—spices in the air, street vendors shouting in Turkish, crowds flooding the markets as if the world outside didn't exist. But Isabella and Alexander weren't here for sightseeing.
They moved through the Grand Bazaar like ghosts, blending in while staying alert.
Their contact had given them a time and place:
Midnight. Top floor. Abandoned spice warehouse near the Bosphorus.
Elias had warned them this could be a trap. But they came anyway.
Because if Lazarus truly had the ledger, this was their only shot.
The Meeting
The warehouse was silent, save for the distant echo of waves crashing below the cliffs. Isabella climbed the iron stairs first, gun holstered but ready. Alexander followed, covering the rear.
On the top floor, a single lightbulb flickered from the ceiling, illuminating a man seated in the center of the room.
He wore black—clothes, gloves, even a scarf covering the lower half of his face. Only his eyes were visible. Cold. Focused. Amused.
"You're bolder than I expected," he said. His voice was calm. Measured. Deadly. "Most who look for Lazarus don't live long enough to regret it."
"We're not most," Isabella replied coolly.
He stood slowly, unhurried. "You're Mercer's cleanup crew. The pretty face and the hammer." He glanced at Alexander. "Tell me… does she always speak for you?"
Alexander gave a tight smile. "Only when I'm trying not to break things."
Lazarus chuckled. "Good. I prefer my enemies sharp."
The Warning
He reached into his coat—Isabella tensed—but he only pulled out a slim, black drive and tossed it to her.
"A taste. Names. Transactions. Secrets you won't find in any government file."
"Why give us this?" she asked.
"Because what's coming is bigger than the Circle. Bigger than me. The real monsters are waking up." He stepped back into the shadows. "And you'll need more than bullets to survive them."
Before she could ask more, smoke filled the room—some kind of flash dispersion.
When it cleared, he was gone.
Only the drive remained in Isabella's hand. Still warm.