The black SUV tore through the winding back roads, its headlights off to keep them hidden in the shadows of the forest. Carter leaned back against the seat, his body still tense from the close call at the Apex facility. He stared out the window, watching the trees blur by as the driver maneuvered the vehicle with expert precision. The quiet rumble of the engine was the only sound in the car, but the silence felt fragile—like a thin thread waiting to snap.
Maya sat beside him, her eyes fixed straight ahead, but Carter could see the tension in her shoulders. She didn't let it show, but Carter knew she was on edge. They'd made it out of the facility with their lives, but they weren't safe yet. Apex would come after them—it was just a matter of when.
"How long until we're clear of their territory?" Carter asked, his voice low.
"Not long," the driver replied, his eyes focused on the road. His voice was calm, controlled, as if driving at breakneck speeds in near-total darkness was just another day at the office for him. "We'll be outside their surveillance range in about ten minutes."
"Good," Carter muttered, glancing at Maya. "I'd hate for this joyride to end with a drone strike."
Maya didn't respond. She was deep in thought, her fingers lightly tapping against the seat as her mind raced through their next moves. The flash drive they had stolen was tucked securely in her jacket, and it felt like the weight of the world was sitting in that small piece of tech.
"Elle," Maya finally said, breaking the silence. "Have you analyzed the data yet?"
"I'm still processing it," Elle replied through their earpieces. "It's heavily encrypted, but I'm making progress. Whatever Apex was working on, they were taking extra steps to keep it hidden."
Carter raised an eyebrow. "Hidden from who? It's their facility."
"There are layers here," Elle explained. "Some of this data isn't just internal. Apex has been sharing it with outside contractors—military groups, private defense companies, even some unnamed third parties. But whoever they are, they're off the books. It's all under the radar."
Carter frowned. "Off the books? So, not just your run-of-the-mill tech sharing?"
"Not at all," Elle said. "This isn't just about AI research. Apex is building something bigger. Something... dangerous."
Maya glanced at Carter, her expression unreadable. "We need to know more. Keep digging, Elle."
"I'll keep you updated," Elle replied. "But you need to be careful. You've stirred up a hornet's nest. Apex won't stop until they've found you."
Carter ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. "Yeah, I figured as much. So what's the plan now? We just keep running?"
Maya's eyes flicked toward him, her voice calm but steely. "We don't run. We find out what Apex is planning, and we stop them."
Carter gave her a skeptical look. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that? We barely made it out of there alive. If we go back, we're signing our own death warrants."
"We're not going back," Maya said, her voice steady. "We're going to expose them. The data on this drive—once Elle decrypts it—will show the world what Apex is really up to. We take it public, and we cripple them."
Carter leaned back in his seat, letting her words sink in. Exposing Apex to the public wasn't going to be easy. They were a global powerhouse with more money and resources than most governments. Going up against them felt like trying to take down a mountain with a pocket knife. But then again, it wasn't like they had any better options.
"And if they find us first?" Carter asked, his voice softer now.
"They won't," Maya replied firmly. "Not if we move fast."
Carter sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He didn't like this—any of it. But he knew Maya was right. If they didn't act, Apex would get stronger, and Elle would end up in the hands of people who had no business controlling her.
The SUV hit a bump, jolting Carter out of his thoughts. The driver took a sharp turn, the tires skidding slightly on the dirt road. They were moving fast, too fast for comfort, but Carter didn't mind. Speed was something he understood. It was all the rest of this—the danger, the secrets, the high-stakes game they were playing—that made his skin crawl.
"We're almost there," the driver said, his voice steady. "We'll switch vehicles at the safe house. You'll be off-grid from there."
Carter opened his eyes, glancing out the window again. The forest was starting to thin, and he could see the faint glow of lights in the distance—civilization, or at least the outskirts of it. For a brief moment, the tension in his chest eased. But it didn't last. He knew this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
--
The SUV slowed as they approached a small cabin tucked away at the edge of the forest. It looked abandoned—its windows boarded up, the wood weathered and cracked. The driver pulled to a stop near the cabin, killing the engine. The sudden silence felt deafening after the roar of the drive.
"This is it," the driver said, stepping out of the car. "We'll switch vehicles here. You'll be safe for a while, but don't stay too long. Apex will widen their search soon."
Carter and Maya climbed out of the SUV, their bodies still buzzing with adrenaline. Carter stretched his legs, feeling the stiffness in his muscles from the long drive. The cabin looked like something out of a horror movie—dark, isolated, and completely run-down—but it would have to do.
Maya didn't waste time. She strode toward the cabin, pushing the door open with a creak. Inside, the air was musty, and the furniture was covered in a layer of dust, but it was secure. Carter followed her inside, glancing around the small, single-room space. A few chairs, a wooden table, and a couch that looked like it hadn't been sat on in years.
"It's not much," Carter said, eyeing the couch with disdain, "but I guess it'll do."
Maya didn't respond. She was already pulling out her laptop, setting it on the table as she prepared to transfer the data from the flash drive. Her movements were quick and efficient, but Carter could tell she was running on fumes. The night had taken a toll on both of them.
"Elle," Maya said, plugging the flash drive into the laptop, "how's the decryption coming along?"
"I'm about halfway through," Elle replied. "The encryption is more complex than I anticipated, but I should have the first set of files unlocked soon."
Maya nodded, her eyes glued to the screen. "Good. We need everything we can get."
Carter walked over to the couch and sat down, his body sinking into the worn cushions. He let out a long breath, his mind still racing from the events of the night. They'd made it out of the facility, but it felt like they were still running. And no matter how fast they moved, Apex always seemed to be one step ahead.
He glanced over at Maya, watching her as she worked. She was focused, driven, but there was something else there—something beneath the surface. She hadn't let herself relax, not even for a second. Carter admired that about her, but it also worried him. She couldn't keep running on pure determination forever.
"Maya," Carter said softly, leaning forward, "you should take a break."
"I'm fine," she replied without looking up.
"Seriously," Carter pressed, "you've been going nonstop since we left the facility. You need to rest."
Maya finally looked at him, her eyes hard but tired. "I can't rest. Not until we know what's on this drive."
Carter sighed, leaning back against the couch. "I get it. But you're no good to anyone if you burn out."
Maya didn't respond. She turned back to the laptop, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Carter could see the weight of the responsibility pressing down on her, the pressure to stop Apex before they could do any more damage. But he also knew that carrying the weight alone was a dangerous game.
"Elle," Maya said, her voice quieter now, "how long until the decryption is complete?"
"Give me another hour," Elle replied. "I've already started pulling out some of the more sensitive files. Apex has been running tests—on AI, robotics, even human subjects."
Maya's eyes narrowed. "Human subjects?"
"There are mentions of something called 'Project Echelon,'" Elle explained. "It looks like Apex has been experimenting with AI-human integration. They're trying to merge the two—create a new kind of intelligence, something more advanced than either one on its own."
Carter felt a chill run down his spine. "And I'm guessing that's where you come in."
"Exactly," Elle replied. "They want to use me as the foundation for their experiments. I'm the prototype, but they're looking to take things even further."
Maya's face hardened. "We need to get this information out. If the world knew what Apex was doing—"
"They'd bury it," Carter interrupted, his voice grim. "You think people like Apex don't have friends in high places? We leak this, and they'll make sure it disappears before anyone can act on it."
Maya stared at him, her jaw clenched. "We have to try."
Carter didn't argue. He knew she was right. But he also knew the world didn't always work the way they wanted it to. Apex had power, influence, and resources that stretched across the globe. Taking them down wasn't going to be easy.
"We'll figure it out," Carter said, his voice softer now. "We always do."
Maya didn't respond, but Carter could see the doubt flickering in her eyes. She wanted to believe they could stop Apex, but the reality of their situation was becoming harder to ignore. They were two people up against a global powerhouse. The odds weren't in their favor.
But Carter had never been one to care about the odds.