“Try me.”
She takes a deep breath. “What if they’re not just running the prison? What if they’re farming it?”
“Farming it for what?”
“New birds. Think about it. You’ve got a contained population of women, many with violent backgrounds or trauma that makes them malleable. You’ve got controlled access andminimal outside oversight. You separate the ones who show potential, mark them with symbols to track progress, and slowly indoctrinate them.”
My mind races through the implications. “The markings aren’t territorial. They’re… they’re like grades. Or levels.”
“Exactly. And if Javier’s rebuilt this much of the program…” She gestures at the screens. “Then the underground facilities I told you about? They’re not just for smuggling. They’re training grounds or something worse.”
Loki curses under his breath. “How deep do you think these tunnels go?”
“Deep enough to hide an entire operation,” Nighthawk states. “When I was working with Javier, he mentioned facilities beneath government buildings. I thought he was just being paranoid about security, but what if he was planning this from the beginning?”
I’m already moving toward the door. “We need to tell Alpha.Now!”
“Haven, wait.” Nighthawk catches my arm. “There’s something else. Something I haven’t told you.”
I stop, turning back to face her. “What?”
“Three years ago, before Javier sent me on the mission… before Livvy. He had me working on infrastructure projects. I’m talking warehouses for guns and drugs. High-rise financial buildings for money laundering. Shipping yards for drug distribution. Coastal weapons facilities to ship weapons in and out. I thought we were just creating safe houses and supply routes until I started digging after Livvy. I didn’t realize…” She looks genuinely distressed. “I didn’t know he was planning to turn them into massive Cartel operations. All of this, plus the prison bird system.”
“How many facilities, Nighthawk?” My voice is deadly calm.
“At least a dozen. Maybe more. Spanning multiple states.”
“Fuck.” I run my hands through my hair. “This isn’t just about taking over a prison. This is about creating a network. A whole goddamn empire.”
“Built on the bones of the system we escaped,” she whispers.
Loki finally speaks up. “So, what you’re telling me is that while we’ve been playing defense, trying to protect ourselves and our families, Javier’s been playing a completely different game?”
“He’s been playing the long game,” I confirm. “Using our own methods against us.”
“There’s more,” Nighthawk says quietly. “The senator you mentioned, Cormac Wilson? He’s not just in Javier’s pocket. According to the communications I intercepted before I left, he’s planning to introduce legislation that would privatize more prisons. Guess who’s going to be bidding on those contracts?”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Loki groans.
“Shell companies, legitimate front businesses, all leading back to the Cartel. If Wilson gets his way, Javier won’t just controla fewfacilities. He’ll have legal authority over dozens of them, if not all.”
I stare at the screens showing the prison footage, my mind trying to process the scope of what we’re dealing with. “So let me get this straight. Javier’s using the prison as a testing ground for a new bird training program, building an underground network that spans multiple states, has dozens, if not more, facilities of illegal operations under his control across the country, and he’s got a senator ready to hand him legal control?”
“That’s the gist of it.”
“And his end game?”
Nighthawk meets my eyes. “Complete control. Not just of the criminal underworld, but of the system itself. Imagine if the people in charge of law enforcement, corrections, and even legislation all answered to the Cartel. Not through corruption or bribery, but through actual systematic control.”
“A goddamn shadow government,” Loki breathes out.
“With an army of unhinged birds at his disposal,” I add grimly.
The weight of it all settles over us like a suffocating blanket. We’re not just dealing with a revenge-motivated Cartel leader. We’re dealing with someone who’s trying to rebuild society in his own image.
“Wehaveto stop this,” I say finally.
“Agreed. But how?” Loki asks. “This is bigger thananythingwe’ve faced before.”
