The icy stab behind Ace’s eyes intensified, freezing his thoughts. The blue System text pulsed silently in his mind, a cold digital heartbeat against the backdrop of the scattered, evidence on the wobbly table. Silva’s ragged breathing was the only sound in the cramped motel room, sharp counterpoint to the silent scream of the System’s evaluation flooding Ace’s consciousness.
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Ace stared at the folders bearing nas like "Judge L. Hemlock" and "Councilman R. Graves." He looked at the burner phone, the USB drive, the bundles of cash – Deke’s desperate insurance is now at their hands. The recorder weighed heavily in Ace’s grip, like a weapon aid at the city’s darkest secrets. Deke was trapped with Ramos. And if Ramos had him... was there any way he was still alive?
Silva let out a scared whimper, catching Ace’s attention. He looked pale, his face covered in sweat. His eyes kept jumping between the lockbox and the motel door, like he thought soone might burst in at any second. "What if Ramos sets him free? He’ll co after us! He’ll know we took this!"
Ace took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. Panicking wouldn’t help them now as it was a luxury they couldn’t afford. "Ramos doesn’t let people go, Silva. Especially not soone who betrayed him and used his na. Deke’s finished." He spoke the words with more conviction than he felt, willing the System to agree."
Then, the icy pressure vanished. The blue text snapped into sharp, final clarity:
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Ace felt an overwhelming sense of relief like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He hadn’t pulled the trigger, but the result was undeniable. Deke was gone. The constant, suffocating pressure of that fourteen-day death sentence lifted. He hadn’t lost his arms and legs. He’d survived.
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