Hannah found herself in a warehouse, with dim yellow lights flickering from the ceiling. The air smelled of rust, gasoline, and cigarette smoke. Metal crates and wooden boxes were stacked carelessly around the space, some covered in dust, others with markings from overseas shipments.Several men in dark clothing stood near the entrance, their faces shadowed under their hoods. They were armed, their postures tense. A few rats scurried along the walls, their tiny claws scratching against the concrete.At the center of the warehouse, a man in his mid-twenties sat on a worn-out chair, smoking a cigarette. He had slicked-back black hair, sharp eyes, and a relaxed but dangerous posture. The burning tip of his cigarette glowed in the dim light, the smoke curling around his fingers.He exhaled slowly, his gaze settling on Hannah who was in front of him.One of the men near her grabbed the black sack covering her head and yanked it off. Hannah gasped for air, He exhaled slowly, his gaze settl

Andrew pressed himself against the old apartment’s wooden walls, listening as the police sirens faded into the distance.He let out a slow breath, finally allowing himself to relax just a little.The elderly couple sitting on the couch stared at him as they were afraid. The old man cleared his throat. “Are you… one of those criminals?”Andrew smirked, shaking his head. “Depends on who you ask.”The old woman glanced at the TV screen, which was showing the news."Breaking News: Andrew Everest has escaped from police custody. He is considered extremely dangerous and is on the run. Citizens are advised to remain indoors—"Andrew rolled his eyes. "Yeah, definitely depends on who you ask."The old woman chuckled. “You don’t look like a bad man.”"I definitely am not" he replied as he turned toward the window, peeking outside. He could still see flashing red and blue lights reflecting off the nearby buildings. The cops were everywhere.He took a deep breath, then checked his watch GPS.Han

Andrew adjusted his hood, keeping his head down as he waited in the shadows of the alley. The burner phone felt cold in his grip as he pressed it tighter to his ear. “Where are you?” Sean’s voice was sharp, tense. Andrew scanned the area. “Downtown. Southside alley. I’ll keep moving. Find me fast.” “Stay put,” Sean ordered. “We’re coming.” Andrew ended the call, shoving the phone into his pocket. His ribs ached from the earlier beating, but he forced himself to stay upright. He couldn’t afford to look weak. Fifteen minutes later, a black SUV slowed near the alleyway. The passenger window rolled down, revealing Fredrick in the driver’s seat. “Get in.” Andrew wasted no time. He slipped inside, pulling his hood lower as Sean handed him a fresh set of clothes. “You look like hell,” Taylor muttered from the backseat. Andrew exhaled sharply. “Yeah, well, getting kidnapped, beaten, and blackmailed will do that to you.” Leon, who had been silent so far, finally spoke. “What

The piercing wail of the alarm shattered the silence. Red emergency lights flashed along the walls, Andrew gritted his teeth. “Damn it! Taylor, what happened?”Taylor’s voice crackled through the comms, urgent. “I don’t know! The system flagged a breach—someone must’ve tripped a silent alarm before I could disable it.”Sean cursed under his breath. “So much for stealth.”Leon pressed his back against the cold wall, gripping his silenced pistol. “What’s the play?”Andrew inhaled sharply. “We stick to the plan. We move fast.”They had no choice now. The facility would be locking down soon, and if they didn’t get to the mainframe before that happened, the mission was over.“Taylor, can you still guide us?” Andrew asked as he motioned for the team to move.“Yeah, but security is converging fast. You need to take the ventilation shaft to avoid direct engagement.”Andrew glanced up. A small, grated vent was embedded into the ceiling just above them.“Fredrick, get us up there.”Fredrick cu

Andrew’s knees hit the dirt, his fingers dug into the damp earth, scraping against the cold ground. His breath came in ragged gasps, and then—it broke."Ahhhhhhh!" he cried, the sound raw and filled with anguish."Uuuuhhh... hnnngh!" he sobbed, his face pressed against the dirt as tears streamed down his cheeks.Leon and Fredrick stood nearby, silent. They had never seen Andrew like this before. He was always the unshaken leader, the man who always had a plan.Right now, he was just broken and there was nothing he could do to bring him back.Andrew’s fingers curled into fists, shaking. His chest heaved, but no more sound came out. He had screamed everything he had left inside him.Finally, "You didn’t deserve this."The jungle around them was silent, as if mourning with him.Fredrick exhaled shakily. “We should—”“Give him a moment,” Leon murmured. By the time Andrew stood up, his expression was unreadable. He wiped his face, taking a slow breath. His fingers brushed over the coin in