The Midnight Train

Backstory (10): Nolan

As Nolan walked out of Damon Hart’s office, the cold evening air hit his face, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside him. His mind was spinning, replaying every word Damon had said, every threat implied. He had made the deal, but it didn’t sit right with him. There was no way Damon would hold up his end of the bargain for long. A man like Hart didn’t play fair; he manipulated, lied, and controlled.

Nolan reached his car, his fingers trembling as he fumbled with the keys, but it wasn’t fear that made them shake—it was the weight of the plan forming in his head. He knew one thing for certain: *He couldn’t trust Damon Hart.*

Sliding into the driver’s seat, he gripped the steering wheel, staring blankly at the dashboard as his mind raced. Damon had leverage now, and that meant he had power over him. If he didn’t play along, Damon could turn him in with a snap of his fingers. The bastard probably already had files on him—proof of past mistakes, things Nolan had tried to bury. But the thought of becoming Damon’s pawn? That was unacceptable.

*There has to be a way out of this,* he thought. *There’s always a way out.*

Nolan’s mind clicked into place, forming a strategy like pieces of a puzzle. He wasn’t just going to be Damon’s errand boy. No, if Damon thought he could blackmail him into submission, he had another thing coming. Nolan wasn’t just a detective anymore. He was going to become an undercover agent in Damon’s world. And while he worked for him, he’d be gathering everything—every dirty secret, every crooked deal, every criminal activity Hart had ever orchestrated.

*If Damon’s going to use me, I’ll make sure I’ve got enough to bury him when the time comes.*

The plan wasn’t perfect—it was dangerous, reckless even. But Nolan didn’t have many options. He had agreed to work for Damon to protect Natalie, but the moment Hart tried to back out or betray him, Nolan would make sure they both went down. He’d dig up every scrap of evidence he could find, and when the time came, he’d use it.

He couldn’t trust anyone, not even the people closest to him. In this world, loyalties shifted like the wind, and the only way to survive was to stay three steps ahead of everyone else. Nolan would operate in the shadows, always watching, always listening, gathering intel without drawing attention.

He leaned back in his seat, staring up at the darkening sky. A new resolve hardened in his chest. He wasn’t just going to survive this. He was going to take Damon Hart down from the inside, and when he did, he would expose everything. The thought brought a bitter smile to his face. Damon thought he had him trapped, but he had underestimated just how far Nolan was willing to go.

As he drove through the city streets, his mind continued to race with possibilities. Hart’s criminal network was vast, spanning both legitimate businesses and underground dealings. Nolan would have to tread carefully, make it look like he was playing along, all while piecing together the puzzle of Damon’s empire. He’d start small—watching, listening, waiting for Damon to slip up, to reveal more than he intended.

But this wasn’t just about gathering evidence on Damon. Nolan knew that in order to truly protect himself, he had to find the one piece of evidence that could destroy Damon completely. Something that would put Hart away for life. That way, if Hart ever tried to sell him out, they would both go down together. No more games, no more leverage.

He thought of Natalie—her bright smile, her fierce independence—and his heart clenched. She didn’t deserve to be dragged into this mess, and he’d do whatever it took to keep her safe. But he also knew that if he didn’t move carefully, if Damon even *suspected* that Nolan was working against him, Natalie’s life would be in danger. Hart would come after her in ways Nolan couldn’t even imagine.

Nolan had to be smarter. He had to play the long game. And that meant trusting no one.

As he pulled into his driveway, the weight of the decision settled over him like a heavy cloak. He had crossed a line tonight, made a deal with the devil. But he wasn’t walking into this blind. He was going to expose Damon Hart for what he truly was, and when he did, he’d make sure Damon paid for everything he’d done.

*I’m in this now,* Nolan thought grimly as he shut off the engine. *But I’ll be damned if I let him win.*

He sat there for a moment, the quiet hum of the city in the background, his mind still buzzing with the enormity of what lay ahead. He couldn’t afford any mistakes. From now on, every move had to be calculated, every interaction carefully measured.

Nolan took a deep breath, steeling himself for the road ahead. It was dangerous, but he had no choice. He was going to be Damon’s right-hand man, all while working to bring him down.

He stepped out of the car, glancing once at the sky as a single thought echoed in his mind:

*Trust no one.*