Carter leaned back against the cracked concrete wall of the grimy bar, arms crossed, his mind racing with everything Gregor had just revealed. Apex Industries. The name carried weight, but it was a weight Carter had only heard whispered about in back alleys, during low conversations in dark corners. It wasn't a name that made headlines—it wasn't supposed to. Companies like Apex didn't need to announce themselves to the world; their power came from staying hidden, pulling strings from the shadows. And now they were after Elle.
That fact alone told him all he needed to know—he'd stumbled into something much bigger than a stolen car.
Maya stood beside him, rigid and unreadable as usual, but Carter could tell she wasn't exactly shocked by the information. If anything, her body language told him she had expected this—had probably suspected Apex was involved the moment they realized how valuable Elle was. Typical Maya. Always five steps ahead. Carter couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at how calculated she was, how prepared. Meanwhile, he was just a guy who stole cars and figured things out on the fly.
Now, though, it wasn't just about outdriving some pissed-off security guards or dodging bullets in a backstreet. This was Apex. The kind of company that didn't bother sending goons after you—they sent professionals. They were the invisible hand guiding wars, tech development, and entire economies. He'd heard enough about them to know that if they were interested in Elle, this wasn't going to end with a simple negotiation or a payout.
"Tell me you've got something useful," Carter said, his voice tense but controlled, eyes locked on Gregor, the jittery information broker.
Gregor sat slumped in his chair, his hands trembling slightly as he fumbled with a half-crushed cigarette. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and his eyes darted nervously between Carter and Maya. He looked like a man who had just realized he was in way over his head—like he was standing on a thin sheet of ice, praying it wouldn't crack beneath him.
"I told you what I know," Gregor muttered, finally managing to light his cigarette with shaky fingers. He took a long drag, his eyes still flicking toward the door as if he expected someone to barge in at any second. "Apex isn't the kind of operation you can just... investigate. They don't leave loose ends."
Carter rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I got that part. What I'm asking is, how do we stop them? Because I'm not in the mood to spend the next week dodging assassins and whatever else they decide to throw at us."
Gregor exhaled a cloud of smoke, his shoulders sagging. "You don't stop Apex. They stop you. The fact that you're still breathing means they're probably just testing the waters. But if they really want your AI, you're already dead, man. You just don't know it yet."
Carter shot a glance at Maya, who remained silent, her face hard, jaw clenched. She'd heard it all before. He could tell she was calculating their next move—how to use this information, how to turn the situation in their favor. Maya was always like that, constantly thinking ten moves ahead while Carter relied on instinct, adrenaline, and sheer luck.
"Well," Carter said, pushing himself off the wall and stepping closer to Gregor, "you'd better come up with something useful, because if Apex is as bad as you say, then you're in this too. They don't leave loose ends, right?"
Gregor paled, his cigarette shaking in his hand. "Hey, man, I don't know anything else. I swear. I'm just the guy who hears whispers. I don't have the resources to go after Apex. Nobody does."
Carter narrowed his eyes, studying Gregor for a moment. The guy was clearly terrified—sweat was beading on his forehead, and his voice trembled every time he spoke. But Carter also knew Gregor wasn't stupid. He had connections. He might not be able to go after Apex directly, but he could point them in the right direction.
"What about Apex's movements?" Maya spoke up, her voice calm and cold. "Where do they operate? Where's their tech hub?"
Gregor took another shaky drag from his cigarette, exhaling smoke through his nose. "They've got operations all over the world. But if you're talking tech development, there's a facility... it's off-grid. Nobody talks about it, but I've heard things. Black ops level. No paper trails. It's somewhere in Eastern Europe—Ukraine, I think. I can't be sure."
Carter arched an eyebrow. "Eastern Europe? That's pretty far out of our way."
Maya shot him a look. "Do you have a better plan?"
"Just saying," Carter shrugged. "It's a long drive."
Maya ignored him and turned back to Gregor. "What do you know about this facility?"
"Not much," Gregor admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Only that it's where they run their experimental tech. AI, robotics, bio-enhancements—the works. Apex doesn't just make money off weapons and defense contracts. They're building the future, piece by piece. If they want your AI, it's because she's part of something much bigger."
Elle's voice came through the car speakers suddenly, calm and unshaken as always. "I've intercepted a few transmissions recently. There's definitely something going on in Eastern Europe. It's the only place where the signals aren't heavily encrypted. I didn't realize it was Apex, but now it makes sense."
Carter glanced over his shoulder at the car. "You've been holding out on me, Elle?"
"I was processing," Elle replied coolly. "Now you know."
"Processing, huh?" Carter shook his head. "Great. So we're heading to a secret base in the middle of nowhere to break into one of the most secure facilities on the planet. Sounds like a vacation."
Gregor snorted nervously, his eyes flicking between Carter and Maya. "You're insane if you think you can break into that place. Apex doesn't mess around."
"We're aware," Maya replied curtly, then turned to Carter. "We need supplies. And I know just the place to get them."
Carter gave her a sideways look. "Let me guess—some other shady contact of yours?"
Maya didn't smile, didn't blink. "Something like that."
--
The drive out of the city was tense, the silence between Carter and Maya thick with unspoken plans. Carter kept his eyes on the road, while Maya sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, deep in thought. Elle occasionally chimed in with directions, guiding them toward a destination that Carter hadn't been informed about—no surprise there. He was used to Maya keeping him in the dark until the very last second.
"So, where are we going, exactly?" Carter finally asked, unable to stand the silence any longer.
"You'll see," Maya replied, not taking her eyes off the horizon.
Carter grumbled under his breath but didn't push further. He knew Maya wasn't one to waste words when she didn't have to. Whatever she had planned, he'd find out soon enough.
Elle's voice cut through the tension. "You might want to take the next exit, Carter. We're approaching the supply location."
Carter shot a glance at Maya. "Supply location? Care to elaborate?"
Maya sighed, finally turning to face him. "There's a guy I know—someone who deals in black market tech. He's got access to everything we need to infiltrate the Apex facility. Surveillance equipment, weapons, anything we can use to give us an edge."
"Black market tech," Carter repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised?"
Maya gave him a tight smile. "You work with what you've got."
Carter turned onto a narrow road, following Elle's directions as they left the city behind. The landscape grew more desolate, the tall buildings replaced by warehouses and industrial yards, the air heavy with the smell of oil and rust. It wasn't long before they reached a massive, run-down building, its windows boarded up and its façade crumbling.
"This the place?" Carter asked, pulling up to the front of the building.
Maya nodded. "Stay sharp. My contact can be... unpredictable."
"Great," Carter muttered, stepping out of the car. "I love unpredictable."
--
The inside of the warehouse was as grimy and run-down as the outside, filled with rows of crates, broken machinery, and the distinct smell of burnt electronics. Carter glanced around, wondering what kind of operation Maya's contact was running here. It looked more like a junkyard than an arms dealer's lair.
"Just don't touch anything," Maya warned as they made their way through the cluttered space. "He doesn't take kindly to strangers messing with his inventory."
Carter gave her a half-hearted shrug. "Noted."
They reached the back of the warehouse, where a thick metal door stood half-open. Maya knocked once, then pushed it open, revealing a dimly lit room filled with even more tech, most of it in various stages of disrepair. A man sat hunched over a workbench, his back to them, muttering to himself as he tinkered with a small drone.
"Mason," Maya called out, her voice cutting through the air like a knife.
The man turned, revealing a face covered in stubble, grease smeared across his cheek. His eyes widened when he saw Maya, and he wiped his hands on a dirty rag before standing up.
"Maya," he said, his voice a mix of surprise and suspicion. "Didn't expect to see you back here so soon."
"We need supplies," Maya said, getting straight to the point. "The usual."
Mason's eyes flicked to Carter, then back to Maya. "Who's the new guy?"
"A driver," she replied curtly.
Carter raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Just a driver, huh?"
Maya ignored him and turned back to Mason. "We're on a tight schedule. Can you get us what we need?"
Mason scratched his chin, glancing at the crates around him. "Depends on what you're looking for."
Maya stepped forward, her voice low. "We're going up against Apex."
Mason froze, his eyes narrowing. "Apex? You've got to be kidding me."
Carter could feel the tension in the room spike. Apex wasn't just another target, and everyone in the underworld knew it. Going after them was a death wish. But as Mason studied Maya's expression, he seemed to realize she wasn't joking.
"I've got some gear that might help," he muttered, turning back to his workbench. "But it's gonna cost you."
Carter smirked, leaning against the wall. "I'm sure we can work something out."