The world had become a warzone—unrecognizable and unforgiving. The car screeched to a halt, but I didn't wait for Alan's signal. I was already out, the cold metal of my gun a welcome weight in my hand. The sound of tires screeching, the roar of engines, and the smell of burning rubber filled the air, but beneath all of that, I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears, slow and steady, like a death drum.
Zenith's agents were closing in fast, but we had the element of surprise—at least for a moment. The alley ahead was narrow, barely wide enough for a car to pass, and yet, we were about to make our stand. The black SUV blocking our path was just the beginning. I saw more vehicles approaching from every direction. No escape. No mercy. They knew we were trapped.
Alan moved swiftly, darting behind an abandoned dumpster, his gun in hand as he scanned the surroundings. Mara was already on the other side of the street, crouched behind a stack of old crates, her fingers flying over her phone. She was working through our last possible plan, but we knew time was running out.
I glanced at the black SUV, the cold stare of the agents inside clearly visible through the tinted windows. They were calm, too calm—waiting for us to make the first move. But I wasn't interested in waiting. I wasn't interested in giving them the chance to control this moment.
"We don't have much time," I said, voice low but intense. "If they get their hands on us, we're done."
Alan didn't respond, but I saw him nod. He was calculating, always thinking two steps ahead. Mara was already lining up the escape route in her mind. She had the street blocked with her diversion, but we had no idea how long that would hold. The pressure was unbearable. Every second that ticked by made it feel like we were closer to the edge.
I took a deep breath and adjusted my grip on the gun. I wasn't sure if I was calm or just numb at this point. Either way, I was ready. Ready to fight, to make them regret underestimating us.
"On my mark," I whispered.
Mara nodded, her face tight, her fingers curled around her own gun. She was ready. Alan was waiting for the perfect moment, as always.
The agents in the SUV started to move, their doors opening slowly. They were coming for us—closing in for the kill. The tension snapped like a taut wire.
"Now!" I barked.
I fired first—quick, precise. The bullet struck the closest agent in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. There was no time to savor the shot. Another agent ducked behind the SUV, firing back, but Alan was already in motion, sprinting across the street, using the abandoned vehicles for cover. He returned fire, his shots sharp and fast.
The sound of gunfire was deafening, but I was already moving again, darting toward the alley to the left. I could hear footsteps behind me—Mara, keeping pace. We were out of time. The pressure was building with every passing moment.
I sprinted into the alley, adrenaline spiking through my veins, pushing my body faster than it should have gone. Mara was right behind me, and we both knew what had to happen. We had to reach the other side of the street, where we had planned our final escape route. If we got there, we might have a chance.
Another bullet grazed my shoulder, and I gritted my teeth, forcing myself not to stop. The wound wasn't serious, but it slowed me down for a split second. That was all the agents needed to catch up.
I ducked behind a crate, barely missing another volley of gunfire. "Get ready!" I shouted at Mara. We had to push through. There was no other choice.
Mara nodded, her eyes sharp as she peeked out from behind her cover. I could see the determination in her gaze—she wasn't about to let us fail. Not today. We had come too far, fought too hard.
I glanced back down the alley. Alan was still providing cover, firing expertly. But I could see the exhaustion starting to weigh on him. We needed a break, an opening, but it wasn't coming.
"Move!" I yelled, and we sprinted for the street.
We reached the end of the alley, just as the agents emerged from their cover, their guns raised. But before they could fire, the street erupted in chaos. The traffic lights malfunctioned, cars began honking, and a cloud of smoke billowed up from the intersection as Mara's diversion took full effect.
We were barely a step ahead, but it was enough. I grabbed Mara's hand, pulling her toward the waiting van parked on the corner. Alan caught up, his breath ragged, but he was still on his feet.
We piled into the van, the engine roaring to life as we sped off down the narrow streets, weaving through traffic like ghosts. The agents were still close behind, but the fog of confusion from Mara's distraction had bought us just enough time to slip away.
"You good?" Alan asked, his voice strained.
"I'm fine," I said, my hand pressed to my shoulder, the wound still fresh but not critical. "We need to keep moving."
Mara's eyes were flicking through a map on her phone, tracking our position. "We'll need to lay low for a while. They'll know we're alive now. They'll be hunting us."
"That's fine," I said, settling into the seat. "Let them. Let them think they have control. We're playing this game on our terms now."
But as the van sped through the night, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Zenith's retaliation would come, and it would be brutal. There would be no easy way out of this. We had crossed a line we couldn't uncross. But it didn't matter. The world was waking up, and we were the ones leading the charge.
And I would burn everything to the ground if that's what it took to see it through.
..............
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