Chapter 6: The Devil’s Handshake
A Bait Too Tempting to Resist
The dim glow of the Vienna safehouse did little to mask the weight of what Jasper Hawke had just proposed.
“If we’re going to lure Voss out,” Jasper said, “we need to make sure he believes we have something he can’t ignore.”
Evelyn crossed her arms. “And that something is the summit files?”
Jasper nodded. “We plant the idea that we got our hands on them. If Voss is the one orchestrating all of this, he won’t sit back and watch.”
Moreau took a sip of whiskey, his fingers tapping against the glass. “That’s a dangerous gamble.”
Jasper smirked. “The best ones always are.”
Moreau sighed and ran a hand through his silvered hair. “There’s an old contact in Zurich. Someone who deals in intelligence leaks. If we ‘accidentally’ let him believe we have the files, the news will spread faster than wildfire.”
Jasper nodded. “Then let’s light the match.”
Zurich – The Leak
Jasper and Evelyn arrived in Zurich under heavy disguises. The city was a neutral ground for intelligence operatives, a place where secrets were currency and alliances shifted like sand in a storm.
Their target was Felix Kessler, an information broker known for trading in classified intelligence. If anyone could make sure the rumor reached Voss, it was him.
Kessler’s usual haunt was an upscale bar, tucked between corporate buildings—a perfect spot for discreet dealings.
As Jasper and Evelyn entered, the air was thick with expensive cologne and whispered conversations. A den of spies, criminals, and power brokers.
Kessler sat at a table near the back, his round glasses glinting under the chandelier light. He was a short, wiry man with a permanent smirk, as if he was always in on some grand joke.
Jasper approached, sliding into the seat across from him.
Kessler leaned back. “Well, well. I thought you were dead.”
Jasper smiled. “Disappointed?”
Kessler chuckled. “Depends on what you’re selling.” His eyes flicked to Evelyn. “And who your lovely friend is.”
Evelyn ignored him. “We have something valuable. And we know you’re the man to make sure the right people hear about it.”
Kessler’s interest piqued. “Go on.”
Jasper leaned in. “The summit files.”
Kessler stilled. His smirk faded. “You’re joking.”
Jasper tilted his head. “Do I look like I am?”
Kessler exhaled sharply. “Do you have any idea what kind of firestorm you’re inviting?”
Jasper smirked. “That’s the point.”
Kessler studied him, then chuckled. “You really are insane. But I like insane.”
He reached for his drink. “For a price, I can make sure the right ears hear about this. But if you’re lying…” He let the sentence hang.
Jasper smiled. “Then I guess I’ll have to disappear again.”
Kessler laughed. “Fine. Consider it done.”
As Jasper and Evelyn left the bar, Evelyn muttered, “You know this is going to get us killed, right?”
Jasper kept his eyes on the street. “Not if we move first.”
A Ghost in the Shadows
It didn’t take long for the bait to work.
By morning, whispers of the summit files being in play had spread across Zurich’s intelligence circuits. By midday, they were being followed.
Jasper spotted the tail immediately—a man in a dark coat, walking with purpose but keeping his distance. Another waited near a street corner, pretending to check his phone.
They weren’t amateurs.
Evelyn, walking beside Jasper, whispered, “How many?”
“Three. Maybe four.”
Evelyn exhaled. “Voss’s men?”
Jasper nodded. “Which means we’re right where we need to be.”
They turned a corner and slipped into an alleyway, disappearing into the maze of Zurich’s backstreets. Their pursuers hesitated, then split up.
Jasper pressed against a wall, listening. The sound of footsteps—careful, calculated.
He glanced at Evelyn. “Ready?”
She pulled out her knife. “Always.”
The moment the first man entered the alley, Jasper struck.
A swift elbow to the throat, a sharp twist of the wrist—the gun clattered to the ground. Evelyn moved just as fast, slashing at the second man’s arm before kicking him hard in the ribs.
The third attacker hesitated, raising his weapon—too slow.
Jasper grabbed the barrel, twisting it aside as he drove a knee into the man’s gut. A quick strike to the temple, and the man crumpled.
Evelyn stepped over the bodies, wiping her blade. “Not bad.”
Jasper crouched down, pulling a phone from one of the unconscious men’s pockets. A text message was open on the screen.
Meet at the Kunsthaus. Midnight.
Jasper smirked. “Looks like we have a meeting to attend.”
The Kunsthaus Confrontation
Zurich’s Kunsthaus museum was an unusual place for an intelligence rendezvous, but that only confirmed one thing—this was Voss’s play.
At midnight, Jasper and Evelyn entered the museum’s dimly lit halls. The place was deserted, the only sound the faint hum of security cameras.
Then, from the shadows, a voice.
“I was starting to think you wouldn’t show.”
Jasper turned. A man stood near a large painting, dressed in an immaculate black suit. His piercing blue eyes locked onto Jasper’s with amusement.
Rainer Voss.
Jasper felt Evelyn tense beside him. Voss was alive. And more dangerous than ever.
Voss smiled. “You’ve caused quite a stir, Hawke.”
Jasper kept his posture relaxed. “I have a habit of doing that.”
Voss clasped his hands behind his back. “You have something I want. And I have something you need.”
Jasper smirked. “I doubt that.”
Voss chuckled. “Ah, but you see… I know who burned you.”
Jasper’s smirk faded.
Voss tilted his head. “Calloway was never your problem. He was just a pawn. But the real mastermind?” He took a step closer.
“I can give you their name.”
Evelyn whispered, “He’s playing us.”
Jasper held her back. “What do you want in return?”
Voss smiled. “The summit files. Give them to me, and I’ll give you the truth.”
Jasper studied him, his mind working through the angles. If Voss wanted the files that badly, it meant he wasn’t just after power—he was afraid of something in them.
Which meant Jasper had leverage.
He smiled. “I’ll think about it.”
Voss chuckled. “You always were difficult. But don’t take too long, Hawke. Time is running out.”
He turned to leave, his voice echoing through the empty hall.
“The next time we meet… bring the files. Or don’t bother coming at all.”
As Voss disappeared into the night, Evelyn turned to Jasper. “We don’t even have the files.”
Jasper’s smirk returned.
“No.” He slipped a USB drive from his pocket.
“But we’re about to steal them.”
