Chapter 3: The Ghost and the Pawn
Ressler's POV: Donald Ressler slammed his fist on a desk in the FBI's war room, frustration boiling. "Zamani's slipping through our fingers," he growled to Meera, his voice sharp, biting. "Red's feeding us crumbs, and our comms are glitching." Meera raised an eyebrow, calm as ever. "Or someone's jamming us," she said, her tone measured. Ressler's gut screamed something was off—too many dead ends. He didn't know Toney's hack caused the glitch, but he hated being a step behind.
Toney weaved through a crowded D.C. park, the midday sun casting long shadows. Families laughed, joggers pounded paths, vendors shouted about hot dogs, but Toney's focus was Daniel Carter, moving through the crowd with a messenger bag. The InfoGrid System overlaid Carter's path with a glowing trail, its data precise.
Toney kept his distance, hoodie and jeans blending him in. His mind churned. Why was he here, in this body, this world? Why did he know the Blacklist's stakes? Why did the Syndicate want him dead? The system was his anchor, its logic grounding him.
Liz's POV: Liz Keen stood by a window in the war room, her eyes distant. A cryptic tip had come through—anonymous, about Zamani targeting Tom, her husband. "This feels personal," she told Meera, her voice tight, earnest. Meera nodded, but Liz's mind was on Red. His smile, too knowing, haunted her. She didn't notice Sarah Kline glance away, her fingers pausing. The mole had sent Toney's park location to Orlov, tightening the noose.
Carter paused at a bench, checking his phone. The system flagged a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Toney sat on a bench, pretending to scroll on his phone, heart pounding. The system hacked Carter's data, flashing encrypted files. The air smelled of grass and hot dogs, but Toney focused on the data—Zamani's attack on Tom, orchestrated by Red to test Liz.
Orlov's POV: Orlov watched the park from a rooftop, scope trained on Carter. Toney was there, hacking again. Sarah's intel was precise, but the car across the street—tinted windows, too still—wasn't hers. "Another player," she muttered, her accent sharp. The Syndicate hadn't mentioned rivals. Curiosity grew, but orders were clear. She adjusted her scope, ready to move.
Toney's breath caught. This was leverage, but a moral weight hit him. Save Tom, or save himself? The question felt heavy, alien.
Toney's eyes snapped to the car, the system flagging "low chance of known faction." This wasn't in the Blacklist story he knew. His stomach twisted.
Sarah's POV: Sarah Kline's phone buzzed with Orlov's reply: "Target's in the park. Neutralize him." She deleted it, heart racing, eyes darting to Cooper, reviewing Zamani's file. She'd tipped Orlov to Toney's hack, but the third party in the car worried her. The Syndicate hadn't mentioned rivals. If they found out she'd missed this, her life was over. She sent a warning to Orlov about the unknown player, her fingers trembling.
Toney triggered the disruption, the system scrambling the park's Wi-Fi. The car's driver shifted, frustrated, and sped off. Toney exhaled, hands shaking. He slipped into an alley, the system guiding him to a secluded spot, the air damp with wet brick and garbage. He crafted a scrambled message for Red: a detail about Zamani's plan, just enough to spark interest.
Toney leaned against the alley wall, the cold brick biting through his hoodie. He'd risked everything to reach Red, but the moral dilemma lingered—use the data, or save a life? The choice felt like a step toward darkness.
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