The air inside was stale, heavy with dust and regret.
Elias, Sophia, and Callum crouched behind a row of rusted machinery, studying the flickering map on Elias's cracked tablet.
"The safehouse Kane's using for transport is here," Sophia whispered, pointing.
"We get the evidence. We clear your name. Simple," Callum added, trying to sound confident but fidgeting with the hem of his jacket.
Elias glanced at both of them.
He didn't believe in "simple" anymore.
Still, this was their best shot — maybe their last.
---
Character Focus: Callum Hayes
Age: 24
Profession: Former hacker turned reluctant freedom fighter
Skin Color: Pale with a permanent sunburn on his nose
Hair: Shaggy blonde, constantly looks like he just woke up
Personality: Nervous, sarcastic, loyal to a fault
Flaws: Impulsive, struggles with confidence
Appearance: Skinny, wiry frame, wearing a battered hoodie and scuffed sneakers
---
They moved under the cover of darkness.
Each step was carefully placed, each breath controlled.
When they finally reached the main transport bay, Elias froze.
Standing next to the cargo was someone he never expected.
Adrian Frost.
His childhood friend.
Someone he once called a brother.
And there he was — laughing with Kane's men, casually tossing a datapad between his hands.
Sophia cursed under her breath.
Callum looked like he wanted to puke.
But Elias… he just stared.
The world seemed to narrow to a pinpoint.
---
A ten-year-old Elias, laughing as Adrian helped him climb a tree.
"You fall, I catch you," Adrian had promised.
---
Now?
He was the one pushing Elias into the fall.
Betrayal burned deeper than any wound.
Sophia placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Not now," she whispered.
"We get what we came for. Then you deal with him."
Elias nodded, jaw tight.
They crept along the catwalks overhead.
Sophia disabled the alarms with a few expert moves.
Callum hacked into the system remotely, sweat pouring down his forehead.
Meanwhile, Elias dropped down silently, landing behind a stack of crates.
There it was — the hard drive.
Proof that Kane had fabricated the charges against him.
He grabbed it.
But right as they were about to slip away—
"Well, well, well," a cold voice called out.
Adrian.
Facing him, gun drawn, smirking like the devil himself.
"I wondered how long it would take you to crawl back."
Elias stared at him, heart thudding, memories crashing like waves.
"You were my brother," Elias said, voice low.
Adrian shrugged.
"You were a fool."
---
Sophia and Callum appeared at Elias's sides, weapons drawn.
A dozen of Kane's men flooded the bay.
They were outnumbered.
Outgunned.
Cornered.
But Elias's watch glowed faintly on his wrist.
And he was tired of running.
He raised his head, eyes burning with something fierce and ancient.
"Then let's end this," Elias said.
Adrian smirked.
"Gladly."
Gunfire ripped through the night.
---