The air at the docks was thick with a salty chill, a sharp contrast to the adrenaline coursing through Hayes' veins. Every step felt heavier, every sound sharper as they and their team moved stealthily toward the warehouse where Reed's empire was anchored. The dull hum of distant machinery mixed with the distant lap of the harbor waters.
Mia, Ivan, and Kira followed closely behind, each moving like they'd done this a hundred times before. No one spoke. There wasn't much left to say.
Kira tapped into the tablet she carried, her fingers dancing across the screen as they approached the perimeter. "I've looped the cameras," she whispered. "We've got about 15 minutes before the system resets."
"Let's make them count," Hayes replied, their voice low but steady.
Wallace led the way toward a series of shipping containers stacked high like metal fortresses. The main entrance to the warehouse loomed ahead, guarded by two men with rifles slung over their shoulders. They were alert but not expecting trouble. Not yet.
"Two guards," Wallace murmured, glancing at Hayes. "We can't take them out here. Too exposed."
Hayes nodded, already weighing their options. A direct confrontation would alert the rest of Reed's men inside, and they couldn't afford to blow their cover so early. Their eyes scanned the area, landing on a service entrance to the side of the warehouse.
"There," Hayes said, pointing toward the door. "We'll bypass the guards and go in through the side."
Mia, who had been crouched beside them, gave a quick nod. "I'll take point."
Without another word, the group moved like shadows toward the side door, staying low and keeping out of sight. Kira hacked the keypad with ease, and within seconds, the door clicked open. Mia slipped inside first, her pistol raised and ready, with Hayes and the others following closely behind.
Inside, the warehouse was dimly lit, filled with crates and equipment, much of it clearly used for less-than-legal purposes. The faint smell of oil and rust hung in the air, mingling with the distant voices of Reed's men. They were close.
"This place is crawling with his people," Ivan muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the vast space. "How many are we looking at?"
"More than we'd like," Hayes replied, their voice tense. "We'll split up. Mia and Ivan, you take the west wing. Kira, you're with Wallace and me. We find Reed, we hit fast, and we get out."
"Got it," Mia said, already moving toward the west side of the warehouse, Ivan close behind her.
Hayes, Wallace, and Kira crept deeper into the maze of crates and steel beams, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the echoing space around them. Kira's eyes were glued to her tablet, tracking security feeds and keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.
"I've disabled most of the internal alarms," Kira whispered, her eyes focused. "But Reed's men are moving. They're gearing up for something."
Hayes clenched their jaw. They needed to move quickly. The element of surprise was slipping away, and every minute spent in the open increased the likelihood of detection.
As they approached the heart of the warehouse, the sound of voices grew louder. Reed's men were gathered in small clusters, discussing shipments and plans for the next phase of his criminal operations. But Reed himself was nowhere to be seen.
"He's gotta be upstairs," Wallace muttered. "He wouldn't be out here with the grunts."
Hayes nodded. "Kira, can you get eyes on the upper level?"
Kira tapped furiously at her tablet, pulling up the camera feeds. After a few tense moments, she found what they were looking for.
"There," she whispered, pointing to the screen. "Reed's in a room on the second floor, surrounded by his top men. Six of them, heavily armed."
Wallace let out a low whistle. "This just keeps getting better."
"We'll have to be surgical about this," Hayes said, their voice calm despite the storm brewing inside them. "We take out his men fast, and we corner Reed before he can make a run for it."
Wallace nodded, his hand gripping the handle of his pistol tightly. "Let's go."
They moved swiftly up a set of metal stairs that led to the second floor. The clanging of their boots echoed in the stillness, but they didn't slow down. They couldn't afford to.
At the top of the stairs, they paused, listening. The door to Reed's room was slightly ajar, just enough for them to hear snippets of conversation. Reed's voice was unmistakable—cold, commanding, the voice of a man who thought he was untouchable.
Hayes signaled for Kira to stay back and monitor the situation from the outside. Wallace readied his weapon, his eyes locked on the door ahead.
"On my signal," Hayes whispered, their heart pounding in their chest.
Wallace nodded. The tension was palpable, the anticipation electric. This was it—the moment they'd been working toward for so long.
Hayes counted down silently in their head. Three… two… one.
They burst through the door, guns drawn, catching Reed and his men off guard. For a brief second, there was nothing but stunned silence as the men in the room processed what was happening. Then all hell broke loose.
Wallace fired first, dropping one of Reed's guards with a well-placed shot to the chest. Hayes followed suit, taking out another before the remaining men could react. Chaos erupted as Reed's men scrambled for cover, firing wildly in a desperate attempt to protect their boss.
But Hayes and Wallace were faster, more precise. One by one, Reed's guards fell, leaving only the man himself standing. Reed had ducked behind a desk, his face twisted in fury as he fumbled for a weapon.
"Don't even think about it," Hayes growled, leveling their gun at him. "It's over, Reed."
Reed froze, his hand hovering over the gun tucked into his waistband. His eyes flickered between Hayes and Wallace, calculating, weighing his options.
"You really think this is over?" Reed spat, his voice venomous. "You have no idea what you're up against. Killing me won't stop any of this."
Hayes stepped closer, their grip on the gun tightening. "It'll stop you."
For a moment, Reed looked like he might make a move, but then he slowly raised his hands in surrender, his eyes burning with hatred. "You're making a mistake."
"The only mistake was thinking you could keep getting away with this," Wallace said, stepping forward to cuff Reed's hands behind his back.
With Reed subdued, the adrenaline began to fade, replaced by a heavy sense of relief. They had him. After everything, they finally had him.
But even as they secured Reed and prepared to leave, Hayes couldn't shake the nagging feeling that this wasn't truly over. Reed was right about one thing—he wasn't the only piece of this puzzle. Taking him down was a victory, but it didn't mean the war was won.
As they dragged Reed toward the exit, Hayes glanced at Wallace. "This is just the beginning, isn't it?"
Wallace nodded, his face grim. "Yeah. But it's a damn good start."