🌑 Episode 15
The Hidden Move
The rain had finally stopped.
But the danger was far from over.
Ariba ran through the empty streets, her shoes splashing through puddles. Her lungs burned, but she didn't slow down.
Behind her, distant voices shouted.
"They went that way!"
She quickly turned into a dark alley and hid behind a stack of crates.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Slowly, she reached into her jacket pocket.
Her fingers touched a small object.
The real flash drive.
Ariba exhaled softly.
"The copy worked," she whispered.
At the train station, the mysterious leader and his men were still searching the tracks.
They believed the flash drive had fallen somewhere in the rain and darkness.
Exactly what Ariba wanted.
But one problem remained.
Ryan.
He was still their prisoner.
Ariba closed her eyes for a moment, thinking.
Then her phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
Her heart skipped.
She answered cautiously.
"Hello?"
For a second, there was only static.
Then a familiar voice spoke.
"Ariba."
Her eyes widened.
"Ryan?!"
His voice sounded weak but determined.
"I only have a minute. They moved me to a warehouse near the river."
"How did you call me?" Ariba asked quickly.
"I stole a guard's phone," Ryan replied.
Suddenly shouting echoed in the background.
"They're coming back," Ryan said urgently.
"Listen carefully. The leader… his name is Victor Hale."
Ariba repeated the name quietly.
Victor Hale.
The man behind everything.
"Ariba," Ryan continued, "if something happens to me, promise me you'll expose them."
"No," she said firmly.
"You're not dying tonight."
Before Ryan could respond, the call suddenly ended.
Ariba stared at her phone screen.
Then her expression changed.
Fear slowly turned into determination.
She looked toward the dark river across the city.
"Victor Hale," she whispered.
"You wanted a game."
A small, confident smile appeared on her face.
"Well… now it's my turn."
Because this time—
Ariba wasn't running anymore.
She was coming for them.
To Be Continued… 🔥
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