The echo of the gunshot was still bouncing off the warehouse walls when Elijah hit the floor, breath caught in his throat.
He could feel the grit of broken wood under his palms, the smell of gunpowder burning in his nose.
Luca's boots scraped against the concrete, steady and deliberate, like he wasn't in the middle of a firefight.
Cipher, however, was not so composed—he'd scrambled behind a stack of old crates, his chair clattering to the floor.
---
"Elijah," Luca's voice came sharp from the shadows, "you're in my line of fire. Move."
"I don't take orders from someone who's pointing a gun at me," Elijah shot back.
Luca's jaw clenched. "Then take them from the guy who's about to save your life."
Before Elijah could respond, three more shots rang out, splinters flying from the crate above his head. Whoever Cipher had working security was already closing in.
---
Elijah dove behind a rusted steel beam just as a figure emerged from the far doorway—black mask, heavy boots, rifle in hand.
A merc.
And not the kind you could reason with.
Luca fired first. The crack of the bullet tore through the air, the merc dropping instantly.
"You're welcome," Luca called out.
"Still doesn't mean I trust you," Elijah muttered, pulling his own pistol free.
---
They moved through the shadows, not side by side but in a tense, wary orbit around each other—covering angles, scanning for movement.
"Why are you here, Luca?" Elijah asked between breaths. "To keep me alive… or to make sure I don't talk?"
"I'm here because if you get yourself killed, I can't clear your name," Luca said flatly. "And because—"
He stopped abruptly as another masked figure appeared above them on the catwalk.
---
This time, Elijah fired first. The body hit the railing, then tumbled to the floor with a dull thud.
Luca looked at him, unreadable. "Nice shot."
"Don't sound so surprised."
For a fleeting second, the corners of Luca's mouth almost curved upward—but then the sound of a low metallic creak filled the air.
A moment later, a massive steel door at the back of the warehouse slammed shut.
The mercs weren't just attacking—they were sealing them in.
---
Cipher's voice called from somewhere in the darkness.
"You want a name, Elijah? You'll get it… if you make it out alive."
The sound of boots closed in from every direction. The air seemed to thicken with the promise of violence.
Luca's back pressed against Elijah's, their guns raised.
"Guess it's you and me now," Luca murmured.
Elijah's heart pounded—not just from the danger, but from the heat of Luca's voice so close to his ear.
"Try not to shoot me by accident."
"Not unless you give me a reason," Luca said, smirking.
And then the shadows rushed at them.
---