In the bright morning light of the classroom, Leander leaned back in his chair, trying to maintain a mask of skeptical amusement. "You must've been so sleepy your eyes were playing tricks on you, Karin," he said, forcing a light, dismissive laugh. "How could someone just vanish from a third-story window? That's like a ten-meter drop. Unless I've developed wings overnight, I think you were just deep in a dream."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a more genuine tone. "But seriously, it's great to see you're feeling better. What did the doctor actually say? And I'm curious—how did your dad manage to make that miracle drug of yours work so well? I thought you said it was a long shot."
Karin beamed at him, her energy so vibrant it felt like she was radiating a physical warmth. "I was stuck in the hospital all day yesterday getting poked and prodded by every specialist in the city. My blood work is already creeping back toward normal—they even did a bone-marrow biopsy to make sure they weren't seeing things."
She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to an excited whisper. "The doctors are going nuts, Leander. They said the source of my illness—my marrow's ability to actually produce blood—is recovering. It's trending toward a regular person's levels. They called it a spontaneous genetic correction."
She flicked the sleek watch on her wrist, showing him the digital display. "I had to beg Daddy all evening before he let me come back to school today. He wanted me in a hyperbaric chamber, but I told him I felt too good to stay in a box. Look, my heart rate is perfect. No palpitations, no dizziness."
"And the drug?" Leander asked.
"No idea," she admitted, shaking her head. "Yesterday I thought it was just a lucky reaction to the new formula, but the lab tests showed the medicine wasn't actually that amazing. Daddy found a different recipe, or so he says, but even he looks confused. He keeps staring at my charts like they're written in a foreign language." She giggled, a sound full of life. "Leo, guess what? I actually biked to school today and I'm not even tired. It feels incredible!"
Leander looked at the suddenly chatty, glowing girl and gave a helpless, silent smile. He had certainly stirred up a hornets' nest of curiosity, but seeing her like this—alive, truly alive—made every risk worth it.
A few rows back, Walker was not sharing in the joy. He kept staring at Mike O'Loughlin's empty seat, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Two days. No calls, no texts, and Mike Ian's office wasn't picking up.
He scrolled through his phone, refreshing the Queens Metropolitan news feed every few minutes. Nothing. No reports of a raid, no news of a gang war, and certainly nothing about Mike's Fast Food Restaurant.
"Weird," Walker muttered, tapping his pen against his chin. "Something feels off. Mike isn't the type to just vanish without bragging about whatever trouble he's getting into."
He looked over at Leander, who was currently being peppered with questions by a radiant Karin. "I'll drop by the restaurant after class," Walker decided. "The O'Loughlins still owe my family enough 'face' to let me through the door. I'll see what's really going on."
Even after the final bell rang, Karin's excitement hadn't dimmed. She followed Leander out of the classroom, chirping nonstop about her new workout plan and the foods she could finally eat. Leander answered in monosyllables, trying to stay under the radar, but Karin stayed pinned to his side like a joyful shadow.
As they reached the lockers, Karin caught his arm. "Leander, my family is throwing a massive 'Recovery Party' in a couple of days. Just a small gala at the manor to celebrate. Can I invite you? My dad really wants to meet the boy I keep talking about."
Leander met her expectant, hopeful gaze. The last thing he wanted was to be interrogated by a billionaire tech mogul, but he couldn't bring himself to say no to her. "If nothing comes up, I'll be there," he promised with a soft smile.
"Great!" She squeezed his hand and hurried toward her waiting town car.
The moment she was gone, Walker sidled up to Leander's other side. "Hey, Leo. Still zero word from Mike. I'm heading over to the restaurant now to check on him. You want to come? Might be a good chance to clear the air."
Leander noticed the subtle, practiced movement as Walker's hand brushed against his backpack—another micro-bug. Leander gave a faint, knowing smile but didn't stop him. "Let's go. Mike's Fast Food. I'm actually curious to see how Mike is doing myself."
As they walked through the darkening streets of Queens, Walker kept a protective, almost condescending tone. "Listen, Leo. If we run into Mike's dad, Ian, just let me do the talking. Be polite. He's not a big shot on the city council, but in Queens? He runs the underworld. He's the top dog."
Walker adjusted his glasses, looking every bit the confident heir. "Mike's skipped two days; he's probably cooled off by now. I'll put in a word for you. My dad's connections should smooth things over. Just don't mouth off. If Ian really goes nuts, even I can't shield you from that kind of heat."
They turned the corner, and the neon sign of the restaurant came into view.
Walker grabbed Leander's shoulder, his eyes wide with sudden hesitation. "Actually... maybe I should go in alone first? I'll talk Mike down. It should work better if it's just us. Word is Mike Ian's been acting half-crazy lately. My family can protect me, but you... you have no leverage here, Leo."
Leander didn't respond. His internal sensors were already scanning the building. He could sense Zost in the back office, surrounded by a dozen men with high-caliber heartbeats. It had only been twenty-four hours, but it looked like Zost had moved with the efficiency of a man who had been waiting for this chance his whole life.
"Let's go," Leander said, stepping forward. "It's no big deal."
Walker gaped as Leander walked straight toward the entrance. Two massive men in leather jackets stood by the door, their arms crossed. "Renovation," one barked. "No entry."
Before Walker could apologize and pull Leander away, a voice boomed from the shadows of the dining room. "Let them through!"
Zost stepped into the light, followed by two bulky men Leander hadn't seen before. The moment Zost saw Leander, a strange thing happened. Inside Zost's chest, the sliver of golden energy Leander had left there hummed. A pale gold light bled from Zost's skin for a fraction of a second, compelling him toward the door.
In his mind, two words appeared in shimmering script: I'm here.
Zost's eyes went wide. He regained control of his limbs and barked into his walkie-talkie. "Chara! Lando! Get out here now! The Boss is here!"
"Zost? You mean the kid you mentioned?" a voice crackled back.
"Less talk, more moving! Get to the door!" Zost straightened his coat and strode out to meet them.
Walker watched in absolute shock as Zost and his two lieutenants reached the sidewalk and bowed their heads respectfully toward Leander.
"Boss," Zost said, his voice low and reverent. "Please, come inside. We've almost got the transition sorted."
Leander strode past them into the restaurant. "Come on, Walker. Don't be shy."
"W-what the—?" Walker stuttered, his face pale as he trailed nervously behind. "Leander? Do you know Mike Ian? Why are they calling you 'Boss'? This isn't some elaborate trap to ambush us, is it? That guy... Zost... he's a known professional. Leo, what did you do?"
Walker kept scanning the corners, his hand hovering near his phone as if ready to call his father's security team.
Zost fell in beside Leander as they passed through the kitchen toward the back base. "Boss, these are my brothers, Chara and Lando. We've got one more out scouting the docks. The other local gangs are starting to sniff out that Ian is gone, and they're stirring."
He leaned in closer, whispering so only Leander could hear. "The top brass at the precinct are handled. Three million in cash plus the dirt Ian had in that safe... they're leashed. They'll look the other way for the next seventy-two hours while we solidify."
"Good," Leander said. "Compile the files on the other groups. Tonight, I'm going to clean house."
"Yes, Boss. Oh, we have one minor issue in the warehouse," Zost said, glancing warily at Walker. "How do you want to handle it?"
"What issue?"
Zost murmured, "Ian's son. Mike O'Loughlin."
Leander walked into the lavish back office and settled into the large, leather 'boss chair' that had belonged to Mike Ian just a day ago. He smiled faintly. "Bring him in."
"Leo! Stop!" Walker hissed, looking around the room in a panic. He tugged at Leander's sleeve. "This is Ian's office! Even if you know him, you can't just sit there! If he walks in and sees you in his chair, we're both dead!"
The door at the back of the office swung open. Lando walked in, dragging a trussed-up teenager by the collar. The boy's hands were bound with heavy zip-ties, his eyes were covered by a black blindfold, and a thick gag was stuffed into his mouth. To finish the isolation, a pair of industrial noise-canceling headphones were clamped over his ears.
Mike O'Loughlin thrashed and mumbled incoherently until Lando gave him a sharp kick to the ribs to keep him still.
"T-that's Mike?" Walker's voice quavered, reaching a pitch of pure terror. He stared at the broken, bound bully on the floor, then looked back at Leander Hayes, who was sitting calmly behind the desk of a fallen king.
A cold, sinking feeling began to crawl up Walker's spine. He looked at the micro-bug he had just planted in Leander's bag and suddenly felt like the biggest idiot in New York City.