Deacon leaves the hospital through the emergency exit—quiet, unseen, purposeful. Hondo watches the doors swing shut and feels something in his gut twist hard. Because the man who just walked out isn't Deacon Kay, the steady anchor of SWAT. He's something else now. Something sharpened by grief. Something lethal. And he's going after Murido alone. ... Deacon's truck is still in the hospital lot, dusted with dried blood and broken glass.He climbs in without hesitation. He doesn't turn on the radio. He doesn't turn on the heat. He just drives.Straight to the address he pulled off Murido's lieutenant earlier that week—one he hadn't shared with the rest of the team yet, because it hadn't mattered then. Now it's the only thing that matters. As he speeds through the city, he speaks aloud—not to himself, but to Annie. "You didn't deserve this. The kids didn't deserve this." His hand tightens on the wheel until the leather groans. "I won't let him breathe another day." He arrives at a run-down warehouse near the river. No lights. No movement. But the truck parked behind it—the same one he'd seen on surveillance earlier—confirms it. Murido's men are inside. Deacon loads his weapon with a focus that borders on frightening. Every click echoes like a promise. ... Back at the hospital, the team gathers in a huddle so tight they could be breathing the same air. Street is the first to speak. "We need to go after him. Right now." Chris wipes her eyes, jaw trembling but determined. "If we don't, we're gonna lose him. Either Murido kills him or... or he does something he can't come back from." Tan shakes his head. "He's not thinking straight. He's going after an entire crew solo." Luca rubs the back of his neck. "He's not going to listen to us. Not tonight." Hondo stays silent for a long moment. Then he says what they all feared: "It doesn't matter if he listens. We're not letting him go down alone." Street nods instantly. Chris squeezes Luca's arm for strength. Tan exhales through his nose like a man preparing for battle. Hondo grabs his radio. "Gear up. We move now."
Next Chap: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1258999923/ Prologue: Intro: Song: Blood // Water - Grandson
