Reed
The second I walked into the control room, I knew something was wrong. Hermine was hunched over the screens, typing away furiously, her face tight with frustration. Alex stood nearby, arms crossed, jaw clenched. Neither of them looked at me as I stepped in, which was all the confirmation I needed.
“What happened?” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t give a damn.
Hermine didn’t stop typing. “She’s moving.”
My stomach twisted. “What do you mean she’s moving?”
“I mean,” Hermine snapped, finally looking up, “Roman’s transport network just went dark. We had a blip-just long enough to track her last known location. But then? Nothing. It’s like she vanished.”
I exhaled through my nose, forcing my pulse to slow. Think, Reed. Think. “Where was she?” I asked.
Hermine turned one of the screens toward me. A grainy map flickered, red dots scattered across the city. One pulsed at the edge of the docks. “Here. An underground storage hub. Roman’s using it as a temporary holding facility. But now? It’s on the move.”
“How the hell do you move an entire facility?” Alex muttered.
Hermine shook her head. “Not the facility. The cargo.”
My stomach dropped. “They’re transporting her,” I said, the realization like a slap to the face. “Roman’s not keeping her in one place. He’s shifting her between locations just like he did the last time, only this time he’s doing it underground.”
Hermine nodded. “That’s why we’ve been struggling to track her. He doesn’t leave her in one spot long enough for us to get a lock.”
Alex let out a sharp breath. “So what now?”
“Now?” I said, dragging a hand down my face. “We find the next stop. And we hit them before they disappear again.” The silence that hung in the air after my words was suffocating.
“Easier said than done,” Hermine muttered. “If Roman’s rotating locations and more so underground, we don’t have much time. Maybe a few hours. Maybe less. And that’s if-”
Her fingers froze mid-type. Her eyes widened. “Oh, shit.”
A pit formed in my stomach. “What?”
She didn’t look away from the screen. “We’re not the only ones looking for her.”
I stepped closer, scanning the data flashing across the monitor. It took me a second to process what I was seeing; intercepted messages, location pings. And then it hit me. Someone else was on her tail and I knew who. Fucking bastard would risk just anyone’s life so long as he gets his sister.
“Who?” Alex asked, voice tense.
Hermine swallowed. “Looks like… The Bull.”
A muscle ticked in my jaw. That bastard. “Of course he is,” I muttered. “Son of a bitch probably knew this would happen.”
“Think he’ll get to her first?” Alex asked.
I clenched my fists. “Not if I can help it.”
Hermine’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “He’s fast, but he’s not perfect. I might be able to piggyback off his signals-use them to track where he’s going. If he’s following her trail, we can cut him off.”
“Do it,” I ordered.
Tension clouded the air as Hermine worked. Every second felt like an hour. My mind drove ahead, picturing every possible outcome, every way this could go wrong. I gritted my teeth. Hold on, Zinnia.
A new beep sounded. Hermine inhaled sharply. “Got something.”
I moved beside her, eyes locking onto the screen. A location popped up; one of Roman’s old strongholds, deep in the industrial district.
“That’s it?” Alex asked.
Hermine nodded. “That’s where The Bull’s heading. And if he’s going there…”
“Then so is she,” I finished. A rush of adrenaline hit me. This was our shot. Our only shot.
“Gear up,” I said, already heading for the door. “We move now.”
Alex hesitated. “And The Bull? What if he gets in our way?”
I glanced back, my voice like steel. “Then he’s just another obstacle.”
*******
We met The Bull and his crew in an abandoned warehouse. He was leaning against a rusted metal beam, arms crossed, watching me with the same unreadable expression he always wore. His men stood behind him, their weapons casually slung over their shoulders, their eyes were sharp and calculating.
“Took you long enough,” The Bull said, pushing off the beam. “Thought you might chicken out.”
I stepped closer, not bothering to hide my irritation. “Cut the crap. We both know why we’re here.”
He smirked. “Yeah. We do. Roman’s making a move. Which means we have about one shot at this before he disappears again.”
“Then we better not waste time,” I said. “What do you have?”
The Bull pulled out a tablet, swiping through the screen before turning it toward me. “Convoy routes. Guard rotations. Last confirmed location. Roman’s keeping her mobile, but he made a mistake because he’s circling back through known drop points.”
I studied the map, my pulse steady but my mind racing. “We intercept here,” I said, pointing at a narrow overpass. “If we hit them here, they won’t have anywhere to run.”
“Risky,” The Bull mused. “Tight space. High chance of collateral damage.”
“You got a better idea?”
He held my gaze for a long moment. Then he grinned. “Nope. I like it.”
Alex cleared her throat. “So, we’re really doing this? Teaming up with him?”
“We don’t have a choice,” I said, my voice firm. “Zinnia’s running out of time.”
The Bull’s smirk faded slightly. “Then we better move fast. Roman doesn’t keep loose ends for long.”
A cold weight settled in my chest. I already knew that. We finalized the plan, weapons checked, comms tested. The convoy was less than an hour away, and we needed to be in position before they rerouted. Then Hermine’s voice crackled through the comms, her tone unusually tense.
“Uh… Reed? We might have a problem.”
I gritted my teeth. “What now?”
There was a pause. Then: “Roman’s convoy? It’s not heading to the stronghold anymore.”
My hands tightened on the wheel. “Where the hell is it going?”
Silence. Then Hermine’s voice, low and sharp:
“They’re heading straight for The Bull’s headquarters.” I slammed the brakes so hard the tires screeched.
Alex cursed. “What the fuck? Why would Roman-”
Then it hit me. Roman wasn’t just moving her. He was delivering her to The Bull. Somehow, he knew I’d joined forces with The Bull. That fucker is smarter than expected.
He has Zinnia and he has the Bull’s sister. The bloody fucker wants to end everything once and for all.
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