Chapter 18 :Shadows of the Black Feather
The moonlight filtered through the heavy blinds of Leo's penthouse as he swirled a glass of scotch in his hand. The night had been unusually quiet—a silence that set him on edge. His parrot, Grey, perched nearby, squawked and repeated words that had become routine in Leo's life: "Danger! Danger!"
Leo let out a dry chuckle, downing his drink. "Even the bird's paranoid now." He turned to Kai, who stood at the stove, cooking with surprising skill. The aroma of herbs and spices filled the air.
"Can you cook for me also," Leo remarked, leaning against the counter with a skeptical smile. "please?"
Kai shot him a sharp glance, a smirk playing on his lips. "If I wanted to kill you, I'd do it in a way you'd enjoy."
Leo's brow arched, his curiosity piqued. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kai didn't answer, simply placing a plate of perfectly grilled steak and roasted vegetables in front of Leo. "Eat. You'll need your strength."
"For what?" Leo asked, his voice edged with suspicion.
Kai didn't reply, his eyes shifting toward the city skyline. His demeanor shifted, the playful teasing giving way to something darker, more calculated.
---
The first explosion rattled the building, causing Grey to flutter off his perch in a panic. Leo immediately dropped the fork, his instincts kicking in as he pulled a gun from the drawer.
"What the hell was that?" Leo demanded.
Kai's calm demeanor didn't falter. He glanced at his watch. "They're early."
Before Leo could question him further, the lights flickered and the security alarms blared. Leo's phone buzzed incessantly with alerts from his underground network. A rival gang was attacking one of his safe houses.
Leo gritted his teeth. "Who?"
Kai's eyes gleamed with an unsettling calm. "The Black Feather."
---
Leo had heard of the Black Feather only in whispers. A shadowy organization that controlled the deepest layers of the underground world, its leader was a figure of myth—untouchable, untraceable, and ruthless. Rumors suggested they operated more like a syndicate of assassins, and their presence always meant one thing: total annihilation.
Leo grabbed his coat and weapons. "We need to move."
Kai stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder. "No. You need to listen."
"Listen to what?" Leo snapped, brushing him off. "My people are dying out there!"
Kai's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "And running into their trap will only add your name to their list."
Leo froze, his fists clenched. He hated being out of control, and Kai's cryptic demeanor wasn't helping. Before he could argue further, another explosion rocked the area, this time closer.
Kai sighed and adjusted his coat. "Stay here. I'll handle it."
Leo's laughter was bitter. "Handle it? You don't even know what you're up against."
Kai turned to him, his face shadowed but his eyes burning with an intensity Leo hadn't seen before. "I know exactly what I'm up against. Do you?"
---
The streets were chaos. Smoke and fire painted the night as bodies littered the ground. Leo and Kai arrived at the scene just as another group of masked attackers launched a fresh assault on Leo's men.
Leo fired first, his aim precise. Years of training had made him a deadly shot, and the attackers fell one by one. But there were too many of them.
"Fall back!" Leo ordered his men, but his voice was drowned out by gunfire and explosions.
Kai moved with a fluidity that seemed almost supernatural. He disarmed an attacker with a single strike, his movements calculated and efficient. In the chaos, he spotted a man with a tattoo of a black feather on his neck—a clear sign of the enemy's allegiance.
Kai's expression darkened. Without hesitation, he grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him against a wall. "Who sent you?"
The man spat blood, refusing to answer. Kai's grip tightened, and his voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "You have three seconds to talk, or I'll make sure you never speak again."
Before the man could reply, a sniper's bullet pierced his skull, splattering blood across Kai's face. Kai didn't flinch, but his jaw tightened as he scanned the rooftops.
"They're cleaning house," Kai muttered.
Leo approached, his face smeared with soot. "What now?"
Kai wiped the blood from his face and smirked. "Now we send a message."
---
By dawn, the attacks had ceased. News reports flooded in about a massacre. An entire faction of Leo's enemies had been wiped out overnight, their headquarters burned to the ground. The headlines read: "The Black Feather Strikes Again."
Leo stared at the screen, his mind racing. Someone had intervened, but who? His thoughts were interrupted by Kai, who walked in with a tray of coffee.
"Morning," Kai said casually, as if nothing had happened.
Leo eyed him suspiciously. "You seem awfully calm for someone who just survived a war zone."
Kai's smile was cryptic. "I sleep well knowing you're safe."
Leo scowled. "Cut the crap. You know something, don't you?"
Kai sipped his coffee, his gaze never leaving Leo's. "Let's just say you have a guardian angel."
Leo's patience snapped. He grabbed Kai by the collar and pulled him close. "Who are you, really?"
Kai's lips curved into a smirk. "I told you, didn't I? I'm Caitlin Thapala, a humble businessman."
Leo shoved him away, frustrated. He couldn't shake the feeling that Kai was playing a much larger game, and he was just a pawn.
---
In the shadows of the city, a figure watched them from a distance. He wore a dark coat and a mask adorned with the symbol of a black feather. His voice was low as he spoke into a communicator.
"Phase one is complete. Awaiting further instructions."
The reply was cold and mechanical. "Continue observation. The King must not suspect a thing."
The figure nod
ded and disappeared into the night, leaving behind only the faint imprint of a black feather on the ground.