Sam's heart pounded as she pressed Lily against the cold, rusted wall behind the crates. The gunshot still echoed in her ears, but the immediate danger had passed—for now. Her grip tightened around her gun as she scanned the shadows for any sign of movement, her mind racing.
They had been so close. She'd almost had Raymond in her sights, but now the situation had flipped on its head. Trapped, outnumbered, and knowing that Raymond had laid a trap, Sam cursed under her breath. It wasn't just him anymore. Carter Blake was probably on his way too, ready to finish what he'd started.
Lily was trembling beside her, her breathing shallow and panicked. Sam forced herself to remain calm, even though every fiber of her being screamed to move, to get out of there before they were hunted down.
"We can't stay here," she whispered, leaning close to Lily. "They'll find us if we do."
Lily's eyes were wide, filled with fear, but she nodded. Sam gave her a reassuring look, though she wasn't sure how much longer they could hold out. They needed a plan. Fast.
As they crouched lower, Sam's thoughts shifted. She couldn't afford another close call. Waiting around for Raymond and his cronies to come to her had nearly gotten her killed twice now. It was clear: if she wanted to survive, she needed to stop playing defense.
Raymond had set a trap for her, but maybe, just maybe, she could turn the tables. It was time to strike back. Sam wasn't going to be anyone's target anymore. Instead, she'd make Raymond—and everyone working for him—her new target.
Sam's mind was already formulating her next move. She knew Raymond had the upper hand now, but she had an advantage too—his arrogance. He believed he had her cornered, and that would be his downfall. Her fingers tightened around her gun, her breathing steadying as she whispered to Lily.
"We're getting out of here," Sam said with quiet determination. "But we're not running. We're going to find Raymond before he finds us."
Lily swallowed hard, still shaken, but her expression hardened with resolve. She gave Sam a quick nod. "What do we do?"
Sam peeked out from behind the crates, scanning the warehouse. It was eerily silent now, the shot that had been fired moments ago seemingly hanging in the air. Whoever had taken that shot was patient, lying in wait. They didn't have much time.
"We need to create a distraction. Make them think we've gone another way." Sam's voice was low but steady, her mind focused on the task ahead.
She scanned the nearby area and spotted an old, rusty metal door on the far side of the warehouse. It led to a back alley—an escape route, but not one they could take directly without drawing attention. Sam quickly pulled out her phone and tossed it toward the door, sliding it across the floor.
"They'll hear that when it goes off," Sam explained, looking at Lily. "We use that split second to move."
Lily nodded, understanding the plan. Sam quickly set the timer on her phone. They had less than a minute to make this work.
As the seconds ticked down, Sam gripped her gun tighter. The silence was unnerving, but she knew their enemies were out there, watching. Waiting.
Ding.
The sound echoed through the warehouse, and just as Sam predicted, footsteps rushed toward the noise. Without wasting a moment, Sam grabbed Lily's arm, and they darted in the opposite direction, weaving through the maze of crates and machinery.
The exit was in sight. Sam's heart pounded as they sprinted toward it, every nerve in her body on high alert. Just as they reached the door, another gunshot rang out, this one closer. Sam shoved Lily through the door first, and then dove after her, slamming it shut behind them.
They were outside now, breathing heavily in the cold night air. Sam scanned their surroundings. They couldn't stay out in the open, not with Carter Blake and Raymond's men still hunting them.
Lily clutched her side, panting. "Where do we go now?"
Sam's jaw clenched. " We need to disappear for a while. Lie low until I figure out our next move."
But in her mind, Sam already knew what that next move would be. She wasn't going to wait for Raymond to come after her again. No, this time she was going to track him down—and end this once and for all.
Back at reymond's hideout, Raymond leaned back, eyes fixed on the tablet in front of him, watching the footage with a smirk on his face.
Raymond (with a calm, calculated tone):
"Missed her by a hair… but no matter. Sam's running on borrowed time. She thinks she's clever, but the walls are closing in faster than she can imagine."
He glanced at his phone as a new message appeared, a notification from The Broker.
Raymond scrolling through the message
"Carter's got her scent now. He'll flush her out. It's just a matter of waiting."
Raymond smirked, a look of satisfaction creeping across his face. He tapped a few keys on his laptop, switching between various surveillance feeds.
Raymond speaking aloud to himself, voice dripping with confidence
"Go ahead, Sam. Run. Hide. But I know you. You'll get reckless. Desperate. And when you do, Carter will be right there… to put you down."
Sam and Lily took refuge in an abandoned building a few blocks away, the weight of their situation hanging heavily in the air. Sam paced back and forth, her mind racing with the knowledge that their temporary safety wouldn't last long. Carter Blake was a relentless force, and with him actively hunting her now, the danger had escalated to a whole new level.
Lily, seated on the cold floor, broke the silence. "We can't keep running like this," she muttered, frustration evident in her tone. "There has to be another way."
Sam stopped pacing, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the old, dusty table. She was thinking, strategizing, and processing every possible move. It was clear that waiting for Raymond's next strike would be a mistake. They couldn't survive another close encounter like the one they just escaped. They needed to act.
"We have to take the fight to him," Sam said, her voice firm and decisive, breaking the tense silence in the room.
Lily shifted, her discomfort evident as she sat across from Sam. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Her words were sharp, almost challenging.
Sam could feel the strain between them growing. Their uneasy alliance was hanging by a thread, built on necessity rather than trust. Every conversation felt like a minefield, where one wrong word could sever their fragile partnership completely.
"We lure him out," Sam said, her voice steady despite the anxiety twisting inside her. "I know someone who can help make that happen."
Lily frowned, skeptical. "Who?"
"Hacker Mike," Sam replied, moving towards the window. She pulled the curtain back just a little, scanning the quiet street outside. The silence was almost eerie, too calm for this part of the city. It felt like the calm before a storm.
"Mike?" Lily asked, her disbelief clear. "You're really going to trust a hacker?"
Sam turned, her expression hard. "Mike's one of the best. If anyone can plant fake intel convincing enough to trick Raymond, it's him."
Lily hesitated, biting her lip. She finally let out a sigh. "Fine. But why do you think my father is going to fall for it?"
Sam's lips curved into a faint smile. "Because he's desperate. And desperate people? They make mistakes."
Lily rolled her eyes but couldn't hide a grin. "Alright, if you say so."
Later that evening, Sam and Lily walked into the dimly lit bar on the outskirts of the city. The place reeked of stale beer and cigarette smoke, but it was perfect for their meeting—no one would be paying attention to them here.
In the back corner, they spotted Hacker Mike. His wiry frame was hunched over a laptop, his oversized glasses reflecting the light from the screen as his fingers flew across the keys.
As they approached, Mike barely looked up, his voice low and hurried. "You're late."
Sam slid into the booth across from him, her tone casual. "Traffic."
Lily hesitated before sitting down beside her. Mike finally glanced up, giving them both a once-over before turning his attention back to the screen. "So, you're asking me to pull off a miracle, huh?"
Sam smirked. "It's what you do best, isn't it?"
Mike snorted, still focused on his screen. "Flattery's cute, but it's not gonna speed things up. What exactly are you after?"
"Got your message," Mike added without looking up, fingers flying across the keys. "You need some fake breadcrumbs to lure the big fish?"
Sam nodded. "I need Raymond to think I'm hiding out in an abandoned factory on the west side. Can you make that happen?"
Mike grinned, his fingers never stopping. "Consider it done. I'll spread some chatter through the usual channels. Raymond will think he's got you cornered."
"Good," Sam replied, her arms crossed. "But make sure it's believable. If Raymond smells a trap, we're dead."
"Don't worry," Mike said with a wink. "He won't know what hit him."
Sam and Lily exchanged glances, the tension between them easing slightly at Mike's confidence. "Thanks, Mike. We really appreciate your help," Sam replied, a small smile breaking through her anxious demeanor.
"Just do your part, and we'll handle the rest," Mike said, giving them both a thumbs-up. With that, Sam and Lily left the bar, ready to face whatever came next.
---
Back at the safe house, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken words. Sam could feel the distrust lingering in the air like a storm cloud. She glanced over at Lily, who was pacing the floor, her footsteps echoing in the silence.
"What's going through your mind?" Sam asked, breaking the quiet.
Lily stopped and turned to her, a frown creasing her brow. "Just thinking about how this whole thing could blow up in our faces. I mean, what if Raymond doesn't take the bait?"
"He will," Sam replied, her voice steady. "He's too arrogant to ignore a chance to get at me. He thinks he's smarter than everyone else, and that'll be his downfall."
"Right, but if he doesn't show up... or if he brings backup?" Lily challenged, crossing her arms defensively.
"Then we adapt," Sam shot back, frustration creeping into her tone. "We can't control everything, but we can be ready for anything. Just like we discussed."
Lily sighed, rubbing her temples. "I get that, but I'm not sure I trust this plan completely. What if Mike has other motives? What if this is a setup?"
"Mike's on our side," Sam said firmly, her patience waning. "He's not like Raymond. We need to focus on the job, not the what-ifs."
Lily nodded slowly, but Sam could see the doubt still clouding her eyes. "Okay, but I can't shake this feeling that we're walking into a trap. Can we at least agree to have an escape plan ready?"
Sam softened slightly at Lily's concern. "Sure, let's plan for that. But remember, we're in this together. We need to trust each other."
"Right, trust. Easier said than done," Lily replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Sam took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension. "Let's just focus on getting through tonight. We'll take it one step at a time."
"Agreed," Lily said, finally looking a little more determined. "And if anything goes wrong, we stick together. No one gets left behind."
"Exactly," Sam replied, a sense of resolve settling over her. "We've got this."
As they prepared for the confrontation with Raymond, an unspoken tension filled the air between them again. The weight of everything that had gone unsaid hung heavily, but they both knew they had to face whatever came next—together.
"Why did you really turn on your father?" Sam asked, breaking the silence. Her gaze was fixed on Lily, sharp and probing.
Lily hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I told you... I couldn't stand by and watch him work with The Broker anymore."
"That's not the whole truth," Sam pressed, her voice low and dangerous. "What else are you hiding?"
Lily's jaw tightened. For a moment, it seemed like she might snap back, but then she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Fine. You're right. I didn't just betray him because of The Broker. I... I want out of this life, Sam. I'm tired of the violence, the lies. I thought my father was protecting me, but now I see he was only using me. I'm done with him, and with this world."
Sam studied her, trying to gauge whether she was telling the truth. Trust wasn't something that came easily to Sam—not after everything she'd been through. But for now, she had to believe that Lily was on her side, at least until Raymond was dealt with.
---
The trap was set, and now it was time to spring it. As the night deepened, Sam, Lily, and Mike made their way to the west side factory. The place was abandoned, crumbling from years of neglect, with broken windows and rusting metal beams. It was the perfect place for an ambush.
"You sure about this?" Lily asked as they took their positions in the shadows.
"No," Sam admitted, her eyes scanning the dark corners of the factory. "But it's the best shot we've got."
Minutes ticked by, each one heavier than the last. The tension in the air was palpable, and Sam could feel her pulse quicken. She was ready—ready to end this once and for all.
Suddenly, there was movement at the far end of the factory. Figures emerged from the darkness—Raymond's men, armed and dangerous. They moved cautiously, sweeping the area for any sign of Sam.
"He's here," Sam whispered, her heart racing.
But just as Raymond's men moved closer, something went wrong. A sharp noise echoed through the factory—a gunshot. Sam's breath caught in her throat as she ducked behind a crate, pulling her gun from her holster.
"What the hell?" Mike muttered, crouching beside her. "That wasn't part of the pla
n."
Sam's mind raced. This wasn't right. Raymond had taken the bait, but now there was someone else—another player in the game.
Before she could react, a figure appeared from the shadows—a lone assassin, moving with deadly precision. It wasn't one of Raymond's men. No, this assassin was different. More professional, more lethal.
Sam's heart sank as realization hit her. "We've been set up."