CHAPTER 6 A THREAT

The beeping of a heart monitor roused Madison from her slumber, the fluorescent lights of the hospital room harsh against her bleary eyes. As her mind struggled to catch up with her surroundings, she became aware of a figure sitting by her bedside. Hunter. Her eyes met his, a flood of emotions coursing through her body. Relief, confusion, mistrust - they all mingled together in a tangled web of feelings. "Madison," Hunter breathed, reaching for her hand. "Thank God you’re okay. We’ve been so worried." Madison looked down at her bandaged wrists, then back up at Hunter. "What happened?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "The last thing I remember was..." her eyes widened as the memories came flooding back. "I was taken, wasn't I? Did they hurt me? Are my people safe?" Hunter's expression was grave, his mouth set in a thin line. "You were taken, yes. I don't know exactly what happened, but you were found unconscious in an abandoned warehouse. Your people are safe, as far as we know. But we need to be careful. Hunter leaned forward, his eyes intense. "Madison, I know this is difficult, but can you tell me what you remember about your abduction? Did you see who took you? Did they say anything that might help us figure out who's behind this?" Madison closed her eyes, willing her mind to conjure up the details. She recalled the man’s voice, his threats, the cold, hard feel of the gun against her skin. "He said that if I didn't comply, he'd kill everyone associated with me," she whispered, her voice quavering. Hunter's brow furrowed, a dark cloud passing over his face. "Compliance with what?" he asked, his tone low and dangerous. "Madison, this is important. If we're going to stop these people, we need to know what they're after. Did they mention any specific demands?" Madison shook her head. "I don't know. I think it was about my company, about my stock, but I can't be sure. They wanted to break me, to destroy me. That's all I know." Hunter’s expression hardened, his jaw set in a tight line. Hunter rose from his seat, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "This changes everything," he growled, his eyes blazing with fury. "We need to go on the offensive. Whoever is behind this is targeting you, and they won't stop until they get what they want. And I won't let that happen." Madison tried to push herself up, her body protesting at the movement. "What are you going to do?" Hunter’s gaze fixed on hers, his voice deadly serious. "I’m going to find them. "No," Madison said firmly, her voice as strong as she could make it. "Hunter, you can't go after them. They're dangerous, and you’re no match for them." Hunter’s eyes darkened, a muscle in his jaw twitching. "And what am I supposed to do, just sit back and wait for them to make their move? You’re my partner, Madison. I won't let them hurt you." "Partner," Madison repeated, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "You make it sound so professional." "Professional?" Madison scoffed, the corner of her mouth quirking up. "If you call taking down a global syndicate together 'professional,' then sure, we’re partners. But this isn’t a boardroom, Hunter. This is a war, and we need to be smart about it.” Hunter’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’m not just some street thug, Madison. I’ve got connections, and I’ve got skills. Don’t underestimate me." Madison studied Hunter's face, the set of his jaw, the determined glint in his eyes. For a brief moment, she saw him not as her rival, not as the thorn in her side, but as a man who would risk everything to protect her. "Alright," she said finally, her voice softening. "But we do this together, every step of the way. We don't take any risks, and we don't make any moves without discussing it first." Hunter gave her a nod, his eyes betraying the tiniest hint of relief. Madison drew a deep breath, her hand instinctively moving to massage the tension in her temple. "We need to find a way to end this without more bloodshed. My people...I won't risk their lives if I can help it." Hunter nodded. "Agreed. We need to hit them where it hurts, without giving them a chance to strike back. We take out their leadership, their infrastructure. We cut off the head of the snake.” Madison’s eyes narrowed, her mind already running through the possibilities. "And what if their reach extends further than we realize? What if we’ "What if we’re just scratching the surface?" Madison finished. "We need to gather more information. Find out who we’re dealing with, what their capabilities are." Hunter's brow furrowed. "And how do we do that without tipping our hand?" "We start with what we know," Madison said, her voice firm. "We retrace our steps, look for any clues we may have missed. And we go straight to the source. I’m not letting these bastards dictate the terms of this fight." "Alright," Hunter said, his jaw set. "Then we hit them at the core. Their finances, their business dealings. If we can disrupt their operations, cut off their funding, we can force them out into the open." Madison nodded, her mind already mapping out a plan. "We’ll need a team. People we can trust. And we need to be careful who we approach. If word gets out, it won’t just be us at risk. It’ll be everyone we know." Hunter's expression grew dark, his eyes like flint. "Then we start small," Hunter said. "Off the books, off the grid. Just you and me, working behind the scenes. We can’t afford to draw attention to ourselves. We need to be ghosts, moving in the shadows until we’ve got the information we need." Madison’s gaze met his, their eyes locking in an unspoken understanding. They’d been enemies, rivals, even lovers. But now, they were a team. And nothing was going to stand in their way. "We’ll have to use every resource we have," she said. "You need to rest," Hunter said, his voice soft but firm. "The doctors said you need time to recover. We’re not going to make any progress if you push yourself too hard." Madison frowned. "You sound like a concerned husband," she said, a wry grin tugging at her lips. Hunter's face flushed, his eyes flicking away for a moment before meeting hers again. "Just a concerned colleague," he said. "A teammate." Madison raised an eyebrow, an amused glint in her eye. "Of course, partner." Madison’s phone rang, cutting through the silence. Her eyes snapped to the screen, her muscles tensing as she saw the name flashing on the display. She answered the call, her voice sharp. "What’s happened?" The voice on the other end of the line was breathless, panicked. "One of the board members...he was shot. Murdered, in his own home. The police don't know who did it, but they think it's related to the business." Madison’s heart skipped a beat. This was more than she’d anticipated. It wasn't as easy as she thought, she has to back off before it's too late.