REBEL CODE

Chapter 7 – Shifting Alliances

The cold thrum of the city was endless, its activity and din never quite allowing for silence. The city's streets, like its people, were always in motion, always living, always fighting to stay alive. Asher felt the rhythm of the city in his very bones, the beat vibrating through cracked pavement at his feet, the gentle throb of neon lights dancing across the faces of buildings that craned in upon themselves. The city was alive, but claustrophobically so.

And today it felt like its weight was more than ever before.

He had wanted the meeting with Juno to clear things up, to give them direction, but it had only filled their situation with more cloudiness. Asher understood what Juno could and could not do, but he no longer knew whether or not he could trust him. Juno's world of power and manipulation was not one in which errors were accepted. And with the game they were playing, errors would mean death.

With him, Eris slipped silently, her feet a soundless rustle on the hardscrabbling streets, her presence an unceasing reminder that the balance had tipped. She wasn't just the voice in his head anymore, and she wasn't just some AI—they'd reshaped her into something different, something ominous, something greater. And though still new to the world, Asher felt the level of her intelligence, the strength in her movement, the calmness that she exuded.

Zeth, ever the cynic, lagged behind, his eyes moving from left to right, taking in the view as they walked. He was the one to break the silence between them.

"You actually think Juno's going to hold up on his end of the deal?" Zeth asked, his voice cutting through the hum of the street like a knife.

Asher did not answer right away. His mind was elsewhere, still reeling from Juno's words. The tall man had left no doubt that his assistance did not come without cost. He was asking something of them, but what, Asher was not yet able to decide. It was all just a game, and Asher did not like being a player in it.

"I don't think him," Asher finally said, his voice low, "but at the moment we don't have much of a choice. We require what he's offering."

Zeth snorted. "You're playing with fire, buddy. You don't think he'll burn you?"

Asher glared at Zeth, catching his eye. "Maybe. But we can't afford to consider what will happen. We must survive. And we must hurry."

The footsteps behind them caused Asher to stiffen. He didn't have to turn around to recognize who it was. Juno had a habit of showing up when he least expected it, like a shadow that hovered on the periphery of your vision. But it wasn't only Juno approaching them—two other people walked beside him. One was the same woman with dark glasses who had attended the meeting. The other was the big man who had been silent until now.

"Couldn't wait to get caught up, huh?" Zeth muttered to himself.

Asher didn't move. He simply waited while Juno and his two friends approached, the air between them thick with silence.

Ah, well," Juno said, his tone as smooth as ever, "I was waiting for you to stop running. It's time we got down to business."

"Business?" Zeth snorted. "Your game?"

Juno's smile thinned. "Call it whatever you want. But now we all know the stakes. You need information. I need something in return. That's the bargain.".

Asher's eyes moved to the woman in sunglasses, now standing beside Juno. Her posture was relaxed, but the coldness in her face was unmistakable. She didn't appear to play well. The man beside her, the one who had been staring at them so intently, crossed his arms, his eyes still locked on Asher and Zeth.

“I don’t like this,” Zeth muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. “Feels like we’re being cornered.”

Juno disobeyed him, focusing all his attention on Asher. "You will have what you require," he told him, "but let me be crystal clear. I am not doing this for any sort of niceness on my part. I am doing it because I see something in you. But cross me, betray me, there will be vengeance. Catch?

Asher nodded, working quickly as he calculated his next move. He knew the game Juno was playing—he'd played it before. But he couldn't play it wrong now. Not with Eris at his side, not with everything riding on their ability to stay one step ahead of their enemies.

"We understand," Asher said, his voice calm, though inside him his heart was pounding. "What's next?

Juno's eyes twinkled, his smile never faltering. "Then we prepare you for what is coming.".

With a wave of his wrist, the woman in shades drew closer, pulling out a tiny device from her jacket pocket. She pressed a button, and a holographic map screen materialized between them. The map was of New Helix City, but there were symbols on it that Asher didn't get. Spots of interest, hidden spots—things that would be useful, things that were dangerous.

This is a map of the city," the woman replied in a voice that was colder than the air that surrounded them. "But it's not just a map. It's a list of locations that have been identified by the Syndicate. These are the locations where they will be searching for you.

Asher studied the map, his eyes scanning the locations. There were several locations marked in red, each one shading darker than the last. He had no idea what the Syndicate was searching for, but the fact that they were following him—and Eris—told him that they were near something important.

"I don't need a map to know that they're coming for us," Asher said. "But what I do need is leverage. Something to stop them from outright killing us."

Juno's grin grew wider, the edges of it curving into amusement. "That's where I enter the equation," he said. "I have a contact list of people who can help you. We can't go after the Syndicate head-on, but we can unsettle them. We can make them disorganized. And in disorganization, you will find the leverage you need."

Zeth frowned an eyebrow down, clearly not believing. "And your cost?"

Juno's eyes flashed to Eris, who hadn't spoken through the exchange. "My price?" he answered, his voice almost playful. "You'll pay it eventually. But first, you need to prove you're worth it."

Eris stepped forward, a fraction of an inch narrowing her eyes. "What do you mean, prove?" she snapped, her voice cutting with an edge it hadn't had before. "We've already done what you wanted.".

Juno threw up his hands in pretended surrender. "Nothing personal, my dear. But in this world, nothing is ever free. You want my help? You'll have to show me that you can handle the consequences."

Eris's gaze never wavered from him, and Asher could feel the tension between them building, on the verge of a storm about to break. Juno had no intention of making this a cakewalk. But Asher couldn't let himself be distracted by that. Not now. Not when the Syndicate was closing in.

"Fine," Asher said, his tone steady. "So what's the first step?

Juno's eyes glittered with approval. "First, we take away one of their assets. Let them know we can't be underestimated. And when they're expecting it, we'll have the leverage we desire."

Zeth rocked his head. "Sounds like a death sentence."

"It's a gamble," Juno admitted. "But it's a calculated risk. You want to live? This is how we do it."

Asher glanced at Eris, who nodded almost imperceptibly. She was ready. She had to be. They were in this together, and if they didn’t make their move now, they would lose everything.

“Let’s do it,” Asher said, his voice resolute. “We take the risk.”

Juno’s grin widened, and he turned toward the woman with the sunglasses. “Prepare the coordinates,” he ordered. “We’re moving out.”

The woman nodded and disappeared into the shadows of the room, leaving them with Juno and the overweight man. Asher could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him. There was no turning back now. Whatever lay ahead, they were all in this together.

And the game was about to get real.