Sterling charged blindly into the murk with a savage roar, adrenaline surging to stamp the pain of his crack. Ahead, Donovan's dark horselaugh echoed ominously as he dragged a floundering Emilia further into the murk. " Sterling, no!" she cried before a meaty hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her voice. A moment of fear seized him had he charged to his death, leaving their musketeers helpless? Pushing the dubieties down, he followed the sound of retreating footfalls. Deeper into the caliginous storehouse they led, amid a maze of shattered beaters and rusting outfit. Eventually, a splinter of light appeared ahead, outlining massive hinder lading bay doors left ajar. Bursting from the murk, Sterling breathed a curse. A line of noncommittal vans idled, Donovan's men fleetly pulling Emilia aboard the last vehicle indeed as she fought like a wildcat. Donovan turned, eyes flashing with wicked gaiety . " Farewell, Black. Say farewell to your lady love," he sniggered, springing into the van beside Emilia. With a screech of tires, the convoy hulled out of the lot at snappy speed. Sterling contended after on instinct, but they were formerly fading down the endless side thoroughfares. He collapsed to his knees in defeat, riots of fury turning to anguish as reality set in- Donovan now held all the cards, and God only knew what horrors awaited Emilia at his hands. Sterling pounded the pavement in anguish, the echoes of Emilia's cries still hanging him. He'd failed to cover her- no, charging in alone was the height of foolishness. As fleetly approaching enchantresses blazoned, Sterling stalked back inside the storehouse. Xavier and Jack were rallying their forces to load into a politic evacuation. " Donovan overpowered us and took Emilia," Sterling wrangle, rage and tone- loathing churning within." We've to track them- now." Xavier clasped his shoulder forcefully." And we will. But rage will not serve her. We need intel, transport, figures on our side." He gestured to Jack." Ready strike platoon nascence. I will drive." Within twinkles they were speeding through the megacity as Jack briefed possible locales. Sterling paraded the line between strategy and recklessness, jitters rasped to their breaking point. A clunk drew Jack's attention to a flashing screen." Business cams just flagged the convoy. They are drilled up at Donovan's high- rise town." Xavier scowled, swerving towards their target." He thinks he is untouchable up grandly. Time to bring the hutment down." As enchantresses heralded police hindrance, Sterling armored his heart for the coming storm. Failure was n't an option- he'd raze heaven and earth to deliver Emilia from the depths of hell awaiting within Donovan's lair. The high- rise impended ahead as Xavier's corroborated SUV barreled through the thoroughfares. Sterling gazed through the compass of his assault rifle, adrenaline surging. " Twenty bottoms, heavily guarded," Jack briefed." Donovan's loaded the top bottom with countermeasures. We will have to fight our way over." Xavier smashed through the hedge of command buses , tires squealing as he took the angles." Roof access in the parking garage. Cinch and cargo, folks it's go time!" Munitions primed, they hopped from the pellet- riddled SUV amid a hail of gunfire. Sterling returned fire with perfection, adjoined by his comrades. Step by step they pushed through swarming adversary forces. On the rooftop, Donovan's men manned mounted machine ordnance and RPG launchers. But Xavier was a whirlwind, picking them off fluently as Jack disarmed snares. Soon only insulated markswomen remained. With a savage kick, Sterling broke down the stairwell door. Twenty breakouts descended into an ocean guarded by a abating force. He let rage guide his end, shots echoing in an portentous meter. Closer and closer to his thing and Donovan's awaiting wrath. At last only one bottom remained. Sterling steeled himself, also demurred the smoldering door inward with a wrathful cry." It's over, Donovan! Let her go!" What horrors would he find on the other side? fortune, and Donovan's end, awaited within the hoarse extension depths. Sterling burst through the extension door, gun raised, mind racing through what horrors might await. But an creepy quiet filled the vast open space. " Emilia?" he called cautiously. There was no answer. But as his eyes swept the scene, blood ran cold. Bodies littered the bottom- Donovan's men, riddled with pellets. " What the hell." Xavier murmured, nudging a cadaver with his charge. This was easily not Sterling's work. He set at a familiar glint in the murk. A figure surfaced, face half- obscured by a mask. Yet piercing blue eyes goggled out, hauntingly recognizable." Looking for someone, Black?" a silken voice asked. " Who are you?" Sterling demanded, armament trained yet mind reeling in confusion. Nothing made sense- this foreigner had easily turned on Donovan, yet with what motive? A earnest chortle." Let's just say we have.history with your felonious architect. I have been drawing house." The eyes flitted to the bedrooms." She's unconscious but alive. For now." Sterling flew to the doors, chancing Emilia bound and gagged on the bloody wastes. Relief warred with fury as he checked her frantic palpitation." What do you want from us?" he snarled at the meddler. Steely eyes assessed him in return." Answers. And a deal- if you want your nut to live past the hour." The mask stretched in a raptorial smile." Come with me, and she goes free." Sterling's mind contended as he goggled down the enigmatic foreigner. Every instinct screamed this was a trap, yet what choice did he have? " You go alone and unarmed," the figure said coolly." Or she dies on this bottom where her blood will stain your hands." Xavier began to protest but Sterling silenced him with a look. Saving Emilia was all that signified- he'd face any peril to keep her safe. Reluctantly, Xavier began treating her injuries as Sterling followed the foreigner down, triumphs empty. They exited to the rooftop beneath darkening skies. The foreigner paced its edge with minatory grace." I have hunted Donovan a long time, wanting answers of my own. But you know his secrets and can set me on a new path." Cold determination filled Sterling." Ask your questions. But if you harm her, death will be a mercy." A concave laugh." stalwart words. Now tell me, where is the key to Donovan's fortunes?" An incinerator roared in answer, boxing the remains of once sins. The foreigner goggled, milling this new information. Eventually, a tale" Your debt is paid, for now. We will meet again, when fates shifts the runs formerly more." With inhuman speed, the figure leapt and faded into the dark. Sterling contended inside- was it truly over? Emilia began to stir as the last remnants of this agony dissolved into the night. Relief washed over Sterling as Emilia's eyes fluttered open." It's each right, you are safe now," he soothed, clinging her limp form. She peered up at him in a muddle." The masked man.who was he?" sluggishly the trauma sounded to fade from her mind. Sterling swallowed, importing how important to reveal." An adversary of Donovan, it seems. He is gone for now." What truly concerned him was the foreigner's parting words- their meeting would not be the last. Xavier paced the extension, brow furrowed." Donovan was playing a deeper game than we knew. This masked man holds further cards yet." Enchantresses wailed in the distance as Jack radioed from downward ." Bobbies are closing in. Time to vanish." They made their escape into the night, slipping once hastily erected fences. But as Emilia dozed in the backseat, exhausted by fire, Sterling's studies turned dark. Had they truly finessed Donovan's grasp, or were further strings left to be pulled from the murk? And what of the enigmatic foreigner, whose blue eyes sounded to blink through the robe into Sterling's buried history? Their trap was n't over. As the megacity lights faded behind them, Sterling knew the real fight had only just begun.