'THE LONG GAME'
Six months after the clock tower showdown, Gabby sat in a dimly lit cafe, nursing a lukewarm coffee. Her shoulder still ached sometimes, a constant reminder of how close she'd come to losing everything.
Across from her, Vince fidgeted with a sugar packet. They'd been meeting like this weekly, piecing together the fragments of their shattered trust.
"Any news?" Gabby asked, her voice low.
Vince shook his head. "Keisha's trial starts next month. Her lawyer's pushing for a plea deal, but the DA isn't budging."
Gabby nodded, feeling a mix of relief and unease. Keisha behind bars should have felt like victory, but something still nagged at her.
"What about the names she dropped? The bigger players?"
Vince's expression darkened. "Nothing solid yet. But I've got some leads."
Since that night on the tower, Vince had been working with the FBI, trying to make amends for his part in the scandal. Gabby wanted to believe he'd changed, but doubt still lingered in the corners of her mind.
As if reading her thoughts, Vince reached across the table, his hand covering hers. "I know it's not easy to trust me, G. But I swear, I'm on your side now. No matter what."
Gabby met his gaze, searching for any hint of deception. Finding none, she allowed herself a small smile. "I know. It's just... it's a lot, you know?"
Vince nodded, understanding in his eyes. "One day at a time, right?"
Their moment was interrupted by the buzz of Gabby's phone. She glanced at the screen, her blood running cold.
"What is it?" Vince asked, noticing her expression.
Wordlessly, Gabby showed him the text from an unknown number:
"The game isn't over. It's only just begun."
Attached was a photo of Gabby and Vince, taken moments ago through the cafe window.
They exchanged a look of grim determination. Whoever was behind this, they weren't going to back down easily.
"We need to go," Gabby said, already gathering her things.
As they hurried out of the cafe, Gabby's mind raced. The past six months of relative calm had been an illusion. The real battle was just starting.
Back in Gabby's apartment, they huddled over her laptop, combing through the data they'd gathered. Names, shell companies, offshore accounts - a sprawling network of corruption that seemed to touch every corner of the city.
"Look at this," Vince said, pointing to a recurring name in the financial records. "Cambridge Consulting. It's connected to half these transactions."
Gabby frowned, the name tickling something in her memory. "Wait, isn't that..."
"The firm that sponsors half the research grants on campus," Vince finished, his face grim.
The implications were staggering. If Cambridge Consulting was involved, it meant the corruption reached far beyond Keisha and her college blackmail scheme. This was big - potentially career-ending for some very powerful people.
"We need to be careful," Gabby said, her voice barely above a whisper. "If they're watching us, we can't trust anyone."
Vince nodded, his jaw set. "So what's our next move?"
Gabby leaned back, her mind working overtime. They needed more evidence, something concrete that couldn't be dismissed or covered up. And they needed to stay alive long enough to bring it to light.
"We go undercover," she said finally. "I've still got some contacts in the tech department. We can set up new identities, ironclad ones."
Vince raised an eyebrow. "You want to disappear?"
"Not disappear," Gabby corrected. "Relocate. Take new jobs, new names. Get close to Cambridge Consulting from the inside."
It was a risky plan, fraught with danger. But as they locked eyes, both Gabby and Vince knew it was their best shot at exposing the truth.
"Whatever happens," Vince said softly, "we're in this together."
Gabby nodded, feeling a mix of fear and exhilaration. The game had changed, the stakes higher than ever. But this time, she wasn't fighting alone.
As night fell over the city, Gabby and Vince began their preparations. New identities to craft, connections to forge, a web of lies to spin that would hopefully lead them to the truth.
The clock on Gabby's wall ticked steadily, a reminder that time was both their ally and their enemy. Whatever came next, they'd face it head-on, armed with nothing but their wits and each other.
The long game had begun. And this time, Gabby was determined to win.
