The rain poured relentlessly, blurring the view of the small apartment where Allison sat, the weight of her past pressing down like a physical burden. She had been running for so long, the idea of freedom felt like a cruel joke. No matter how far she went, Hyena always found her. Now, with Ryan back in her life, she wondered if freedom was even a possibility.
A knock at the door echoed through the silence of the room, sharp and urgent. Allison's heart raced as she moved cautiously, gripping the handle of the gun tucked in her jacket. She looked through the peephole and froze.
Ryan.
She hadn't seen him since his suspension, and now, standing on the other side of the door, he looked different—harder, colder. The man she once thought might save her had become someone else entirely.
Opening the door slowly, Allison's gaze narrowed. "What are you doing here, Ryan?"
He stepped inside without a word, shaking off the rain but not the tension in his posture. His eyes were sharp, focused. He wasn't here for pleasantries.
"I need you," Ryan said bluntly, his voice low and demanding.
Allison scoffed, crossing her arms in a defensive posture. "You need me? Of course, you do. Everyone needs me—for one thing or another. Hyena, the agency, now you. And all I want is to get out of this mess."
Ryan's gaze never wavered. He stepped closer, his presence dominating the small space. "You're not getting out, Allison. Not unless you work with me."
Her eyes flashed with anger. She had heard this before—empty promises, half-truths. "I'm not your puppet. You can't just waltz in here and think I'll do whatever you want. I'm done with this life. I'm done with Hyena. And I'm done with you."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. Then Ryan leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You think you can walk away from this? From Hyena? From me? You can't. And you know it."
Allison stiffened, her heart thudding in her chest. There was something different in his tone—something that made her uneasy.
"Here's the deal," Ryan continued, his voice calm but cold. "You work with me, become my double agent, and help me find out where Hyena's keeping the diamond. You do that, and I'll make sure you get what you want."
"And what's that?" Allison shot back, her voice shaking despite her attempt to keep it steady.
"Your freedom," Ryan said, his eyes locked on hers. "I'll make sure you're free from Hyena and the agency. No more running, no more hiding."
Allison's breath caught in her throat. Freedom was all she had ever wanted, but she knew Ryan too well. There had to be a catch. "And if I refuse?"
Ryan's expression darkened. "If you refuse, I'll turn you over to the agency. As far as they know, you're a key terrorist. You've been working with Hyena for years. I'll tell them everything they need to know to bring you down."
Her stomach dropped, and for a moment, Allison couldn't breathe. She stared at him, disbelief mingling with fury. "You wouldn't."
"Try me," Ryan said, his voice icy. "I've been under suspension for months. They're watching my every move, waiting for me to slip up. But if I bring them a terrorist—someone they've been hunting for years—I get cleared, and you get buried."
Allison's hands trembled, her mind racing. She had no doubt that Ryan would do it. He had changed since the last time they had been on the same side. The Ryan she had known wouldn't have made this threat, but the man standing in front of her now was different. Desperate. Hardened by his own battles.
Tears stung at her eyes, but she blinked them away. "You bastard," she whispered, her voice cracking.
Ryan's face softened for a brief second, as though her words had reached something deeper inside him. But then the hardness returned. "I'm not here to hurt you, Allison. I'm offering you a way out. But if you don't take it, you know what'll happen."
Allison could feel the walls closing in around her. She had spent so long trying to escape Hyena, trying to break free from their hold on her life. And now Ryan was offering her a chance—a chance she wasn't sure she could trust, but it was all she had left.
She sat down, her hands shaking as she buried her face in them. "Why are you doing this, Ryan?" Her voice was small, filled with both anger and sorrow. "Why me?"
Ryan sat across from her, his expression unreadable. "Because you're the only one who can do this. You're the only one who knows Hyena well enough to get close to them. And you're the only one they'll trust."
Allison shook her head, her chest tightening with a mix of fear and anger. "You're just using me."
"Yes," Ryan admitted. "But I'm not the only one. Hyena's already using you, the agency will if they get the chance, and if you try to run again, they'll find you. They won't let you live."
Her breath came in ragged gasps as the weight of his words sank in. She felt trapped, backed into a corner with no way out. "I trusted you once," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And look where it got me."
Ryan's gaze flickered with something she couldn't quite place—regret, maybe, or guilt. "This is different. I'm not asking you to trust me blindly. I'm asking you to help me take them down."
Allison raised her tear-streaked face, meeting his cold eyes with her own. "And when it's all over? You'll let me go?"
"I'll make sure you walk away from this," Ryan promised. "Hyena and the agency—they'll never come after you again."
She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that he would keep his word. But the truth was, she didn't have any other option. Hyena wouldn't stop until they had her, and if the agency got wind of her past, it would be the end.
She clenched her fists, wiping away the tears as she steeled herself. "Fine. I'll do it. But if you betray me, Ryan, I swear I'll make sure you regret it."
Ryan nodded, the tension between them crackling in the air. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
---
Later that night, Allison found herself driving through the empty streets, the rain pounding against the windshield. The cold reality of her situation hit her with every mile. She was about to step back into the world she had fought so hard to leave behind. Hyena would take her back in—if they believed she was loyal. But deep down, she knew she was walking a tightrope, one wrong move, and she'd be dead.
Her phone buzzed on the seat beside her. Ryan's message flashed on the screen: **Stick to the plan. I'm watching.**
Her stomach twisted as she pulled into the alleyway where her contact from Hyena was waiting. The hooded figure stepped out from the shadows, his presence unmistakable. Grey, one of Hyena's most lethal operatives. He was the kind of man who would slit your throat with a smile on his face.
"Allison," Grey greeted her, his voice a dark rumble. "You're a hard woman to track down."
She forced a smile, her heart hammering in her chest. "Had to lay low for a while. But I'm ready to help you now. Ready to help you get to Ryan."
Grey's eyes gleamed in the dim light, a twisted smile curving his lips. "Good. We've been waiting for this."
As the conversation unfolded, Allison could feel the weight of Ryan's threat hanging over her. She was now caught between two forces, both dangerous and unforgiving. But no matter how scared she was, there was one thing she knew for certain: if she played her cards right, she might finally win her freedom. And if Ryan didn't hold up his end of the deal, she'd make sure both he and Hyena burned.