Page 36 of Grayson

“Not after we show those contacts the forged dossiers he used against them. When they see everything that we have on him, they’re going to run scared and keep their mouths shut. He burned people for years. We’re just turning on the lights.”

At the German border, a local unit stopped Lacroix’s borrowed car and impounded it for altered plates. He escaped on foot before officers could question him, leaving a coat, a second phone, and half his cash beneath the passenger seat. AJ’s voice sharpened over comms.

“He’s down to one handset and whatever he concealed on his body.”

“Can we exploit the phone?” Conor asked.

“We won’t compromise it directly. German authorities have lawful access to the abandoned device, and they’re sharing call records through the liaison channel. His last outgoing call was to Vienna.”

Brunson jabbed at the Vienna marker.

“Who answered?”

“A former logistics contractor named Petrovic. He denied knowing Lacroix, then booked a flight to Zagreb ten minutes later.” Romeo smiled thinly.

“There goes another pillar of credibility. They know who is chasing him now. They know that all of you are looking for him and if they don’t back off, they could be next and no one wants to be next on your list.”

“Make sure the denial is preserved,” Iggy said. “When Lacroix claims Petrovic is a trusted witness against Jennifer, we show the contradiction.”

“Every lie costs him a person. Every person costs him a route. Keep the pressure clean and documented,” said Grayson. Kai looked at the tired faces around the room.

“He’ll get reckless soon. Men like Lacroix don’t accept helplessness; they manufacture a crisis.”

“Then he’ll release his biggest fabrication against Jennifer,” said Iggy. Grayson’s gaze stayed on the map.

“And we’ll be ready before he presses send. No one will believe him. Not the authorities, not the judge, no one. He’ll never make it into a courtroom. His own contacts will make sure he can’t utter a word about them. He was chasing the wrong woman this time.”

“AJ, put the response package on standby. Verified timeline, original files, independent lab results, and statements from the authorities who handled the evidence.”

“I’m not going to answer sarcastically because this is your first time working with us. But. Duh. Already mirrored in six jurisdictions. If he releases the forgery, trusted officials publish the authentication record within minutes.”

Hours later, Lacroix surfaced in Zagreb and sent the fabricated dossier to three reporters. Two called him back for verification; the third contacted the number listed as Jennifer’s counsel. Before the story could spread, Croatian authorities confirmed that the source was wanted for financial fraud, trafficking, kidnapping, rape, murder, and document falsification. Hiro’s voice filled the room.

“The dossier is collapsing in real time.” Moose let out a low laugh.

“He tried to bury my daughter and dug his own hole.”

“Don’t celebrate yet,” Hunter warned. “A cornered man still has choices.” Grayson shook his head.

“Not many. That’s the design. He can’t buy transport, can’t trust a contact, and can’t sell a lie.”

Gunner’s screen flashed with a new alert.

“He’s heading south toward the coast.” Hiro confirmed it.

“Local police in Split have eyes on the bus terminal. Greek authorities are watching ferry routes. Interpol has circulated the updated notice, but only to vetted teams.”

“Let him see one patrol car,” Striker said. “Not enough to trap him. Enough to make him abandon the ferry.”

“Then a second unit appears at the road south. He’ll think both exits are burned,” said Conor. AJ cut in.

“He just checked his account balance again. Zero available funds.” U-Jin spoke quietly.

“This is the moment he understands that his world has stopped believing him.” Brunson looked across the table.

“No. This is the moment he understands the world is comparing notes. That’s what scares men like him—their victims finally speaking to one another. While Moreau was playing king of the castle, Lacroix was creating his own underground network and committing crimes that no one asked about, no one cared to know. Until now.”

“Hiro, AJ, keep every authority in sequence. No improvisation, no grandstanding,” said Romeo.