The warehouse felt eerily quiet after the firefight, the lingering scent of gunpowder mixing with the metallic tang of the docks. Hayes, Wallace, and Kira moved swiftly, Reed in cuffs between them, his mouth twisted in a sneer of defiance. His presence was a bitter reminder that the fight wasn't over yet.
As they stepped outside, the cool night air hit them, but it did nothing to ease the tension that hung over the group. The distant hum of the harbor's machinery was the only sound as they made their way toward the car, Reed's shuffling footsteps the only other noise breaking the silence.
"Where's Mia and Ivan?" Kira asked, her voice betraying a hint of unease.
"They should be meeting us back at the van," Wallace replied, but his eyes were scanning the area, the same nagging feeling tugging at his instincts that something was off.
Reed let out a low chuckle, breaking the quiet. "You think you've won, don't you? You're more foolish than I thought."
"Shut up," Hayes muttered, tightening their grip on Reed's arm. But the unease was growing. Reed's calm was unsettling, like a man who knew something they didn't.
"Go ahead, drag me to the station," Reed continued, his voice smooth and taunting. "You won't be able to hold me for long. I've got friends in places you can't even dream of."
"Keep talking," Wallace growled, shoving him forward. "Let's see how much they can help you from a jail cell."
But Reed wasn't fazed. His confidence was unshaken, and that's what bothered Hayes the most. There was no desperation in his tone, no fear. He was stalling.
"Kira, check the feeds," Hayes said, their gut screaming that something was wrong.
Kira stopped, pulling out her tablet and tapping into the security cameras she had hacked earlier. Her eyes widened as she scanned the screen. "Guys… we've got company."
"What kind of company?" Wallace asked, his hand instinctively moving toward his gun.
Kira looked up, her face pale. "Armed men. A lot of them. They're closing in from both sides."
"Damn it," Hayes cursed under their breath. "Reed, what did you do?"
Reed's grin widened. "I told you, you don't know who you're dealing with."
Before anyone could react, the sound of tires screeching echoed through the docks, followed by the flash of headlights cutting through the darkness. Several black SUVs barreled toward them, their engines roaring like a pack of wolves on the hunt.
"They're here," Kira hissed, her fingers flying over the tablet. "We need to move—now!"
"Go! Get to the van!" Hayes barked, pulling Reed along as Wallace and Kira followed suit.
The group sprinted toward the waiting van parked in the shadows, their footsteps pounding against the pavement. The SUVs screeched to a halt behind them, and armed men poured out, guns at the ready.
"We're not going to make it," Wallace shouted, glancing back as the men raised their weapons.
"Cover us!" Hayes yelled, dragging Reed behind one of the containers as Wallace and Kira fired back at their pursuers. The staccato of gunfire shattered the quiet night, bullets pinging off the metal crates and sending sparks flying.
Reed, still cuffed, dropped to the ground beside Hayes, his grin never faltering. "You think this is bad? This is just the beginning."
Hayes gritted their teeth, ignoring him as they returned fire, trying to buy time for the others to reach the van. But the men were closing in, and it was clear they were outnumbered. They needed to get out of there fast.
"Kira, can you disable their vehicles?" Hayes called out.
Kira ducked behind a crate, pulling out her tablet. "I'm working on it!"
As the firefight raged on, Hayes' mind raced. They couldn't hold this position for long. If they didn't move soon, they'd be pinned down and surrounded.
"Wallace!" Hayes shouted, catching his attention. "We need to fall back to the van. We can't take them all out here."
Wallace nodded, reloading his weapon. "On my signal."
Just as Wallace was about to give the order, Kira's voice rang out. "Got it! I've disabled the engines on their SUVs."
The men who had poured out of the vehicles were momentarily distracted as the engines died, giving Hayes and Wallace the opening they needed.
"Now!" Wallace yelled, firing a few more rounds to cover their retreat as they made a break for the van.
They reached the vehicle just as another barrage of gunfire erupted from the pursuing men. Kira jumped into the driver's seat, firing up the engine as Hayes and Wallace shoved Reed into the back.
"Go! Go! Go!" Hayes shouted, slamming the door behind them.
The van screeched away from the docks, bullets bouncing off the metal frame as they sped down the narrow road. Kira floored the gas pedal, swerving to avoid debris and stray vehicles as they made their escape.
In the back, Hayes pinned Reed against the wall, their anger boiling over. "You set us up, didn't you? You had this planned from the start."
Reed laughed, even as sweat dripped down his forehead. "You still don't get it, do you? You're playing in a game that's bigger than you could ever imagine."
Hayes slammed him back again, their eyes burning with fury. "Keep talking, and I swear I'll—"
Wallace interrupted, his voice tense. "Hayes, focus. We need to figure out our next move. This isn't over."
Hayes took a deep breath, letting go of Reed and stepping back. Wallace was right. This wasn't the time to lose control.
"Where to?" Kira called from the front, her eyes locked on the road as they sped away from the docks.
Hayes glanced at Wallace, then back at Reed, who was still smiling like a man who knew he held the winning hand. "We need a safe place. Somewhere Reed's people won't find us."
Wallace thought for a moment, then nodded. "There's a cabin up north. Remote, off the grid. We can regroup there."
Hayes agreed. They didn't have many options left, and they needed time to figure out their next move—and what to do with Reed.
As Kira turned the van onto the highway, the tension in the air was palpable. They had Reed, but it was becoming clear that this was just the tip of the iceberg. Whatever game Reed was playing, they were now deeply entangled in it.
And it wasn't just Reed they were up against. It was something much bigger.