BEAUTY IN THE BEAST

The Final Gambit

Ch 133: The Final Gambit

Ace

The sun dipped below the horizon as Viktor and I reached the dilapidated warehouse, the address Lev had been hiding in. My mind was a storm of anger and urgency. Lev was not just a hacker; he was the man who had been part of Katherine's torment. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

The warehouse was a fortress of shadows and rust, with every corner concealing a potential threat. I moved silently with Viktor, our footsteps muffled by the grime-strewn floor. As we approached the centre of the building, the faint hum of machinery buzzed through the air. It has taken hours to go through every contact and encrypted message my sperm donor had on his phone, countless seconds which he was gruesomely tortured until he cracked, cracked under the blowing punches I know Alex had showered on him. An address he had given, a warehouse ten hours away from the city. It looks too easy, too... simple to be right, there's an ominous feeling which is whispering inside my head. I try not to focus on it too much, I needed to find my wife here, I had to, because I can't survive another day without her now.

Lev is at the control panel, his face illuminated by the flickering screens.

But this is not the man I had known.

His eyes are wild, filled with a manic intensity that sends chills down my spine.

His hands are trembling slightly, his movements erratic as he works the keyboards.

"Lev," | say, my voice cutting through the tension. "Where is Katherine?"

Lev's head snapped up, his gaze locking onto mine with a twisted, almost feral look. "Ace," he crooned, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "You finally found me."

His tone was unsettling, dripping with malice. "Where is she?" | demanded, my fists clenched. "Tell me now."

Lev laughed-a harsh, guttural sound that seemed to echo off the walls. "Oh, you're so predictable. Always the hero, aren't you? But you're too late. The game's already in motion."

I grabbed him by the collar, shaking him violently. "Enough games! Where is she?"

Lev's eyes gleamed with a dark, feverish light. "You think you can scare me? You think you understand what I am? I'm not the man you knew. I'm a monster." He whispers.

He breaks free from my grip, his laughter turning into a maniacal cackle. "I've been waiting for this moment. Waiting to see you crumble."

His face is twisted into a grimace of pure insanity as he lunged for a hidden drawer. I pulled my gun, my hands steady despite the surge of adrenaline.

Lev yanked out a knife, brandishing it with a deranged grin.

"Stop!" I shout, aiming the gun at him. "Tell me where Katherine is, or I swear I'll end you right here."

Lev's eyes flash with a dangerous gleam. "You think you can control me? You have no idea what I truly am. I'm a killer, Ace. I revel in it."

The room seemed to close in around us as Lev advanced, his movements swift and unpredictable. I fired a warning shot, the bullet embedding itself in the wall near him. Lev froze momentarily, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and fury.

"You're pathetic," he spat, his voice trembling with rage. "You think you can just barge in and demand answers? I'm done playing nice."

I advanced, determined to get what I needed. "Tell me where Katherine is, Andrei. Now!"

His grin widened, a manic light dancing in his eyes. "You think you can break me? I've done things you can't even imagine. I've enjoyed every second of it."

As he lunged again, I tackled him to the ground, the struggle intense and chaotic. Viktor intervened, restraining Lev with a practiced efficiency. The room was filled with the sounds of our struggle, the echo of Lev's laughter mingling with his threats. My men stood around us, waiting, watching.

"Search for my wife." I order them. They move rapidly. Andrei is still thrashing in Viktor's hold, I hold out my gun to his forehead.

Finally, forcing him to face me. "Where is she?" | demand, my voice cold and hard.

"Tell me, or this ends badly for you."

Lev's expression shifts from manic defiance to a cold, calculated stare.

"You're too late. She's already gone."

A sense of dread washed over me.

"What do you mean?"

Lev's lips curled into a sinister smile.

"You're chasing shadows. Katherine is not where you think. I've hidden her well, and you'll never find her."

I feel a surge of despair, but I couldn't afford to lose hope. "You'll tell me where she is. I'll make sure of it."

Back at the mansion, Viktor and I work through the night, piecing together Lev's last known communications and any clues he might have left behind. The intensity of the situation weighed heavily on me, my mind focused on Katherine and the promise I had made to protect her. I had the kidnapper but still my wife was nowhere. My hands trembled as I clicked onto my keyboard. Andrei was like a block of ice since we had captured him, my father claimed to know nothing and Andrei wasn't answering even after the hours of torture I rained on him.

Hours pass as we sift through data, finally uncovering a pattern. Lev has been in contact with a series of drop locations, one of them stood out. It was an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts of the city, a place where Katherine could have been moved.

I gather my men, preparing for what could be the final confrontation. The path ahead was fraught with danger, but I was determined to find Katherine and bring her back. The anger and guilt fuelled me, driving me forward as I prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

The stakes had never been higher, and the intensity of the situation left no room for error. I had to find Katherine and put an end to this nightmare once and for all.

It's the last few chapters now, Andrei is in hold but is he? Will Ace find Katherine? Is Katherine even alive? Many questions and just one answer. The Final Confrontation is coming soon.

-love rky xoxo.