So are you gonna die
today or make it out alive?
You gotta conquer the
monster in your head and then you'll fly
Fly, phoenix, fly
Go bury your demons
then tear down the ceiling
Phoenix, fly
-Cailian Russo
THIRD PERSON
"We'll stick to the simple rules, creating illusions. All I need is that damn key cord in my hand," snapped Cade, tossing the Rubik's Cube into the air.
"What about the locker?" asked Nathan.
"Are you doubting my abilities? I'm a mechanic, Nathan, and I've been playing with these types of toys since childhood," Cade replied, handing the cube to Nathan before continuing.
"We just have to keep it clean on the outside, so that the inside mess will not be visible to anyone," he explained. Nathan examined the cube, noticing that while the front was solved, the backside remained unpuzzled.
"So what's the final plan Mr. Genius?" questioned Maya
And then there was the smrick. Cade Hanniel was a no good man, a trickster with slick hands, never been the hero to any of his story. He was a villain by the law of underworld, A criminal with a tainted heart.
He was neither a Swan nor a Dove, He was a Raven - A heartless bird, the bringer of evil and death.
"A well played heist can only be done by a well planned mind"
. . . . . . . . . . . .
The rhythm of club music pulsed through the air, intermingling with the scent of cigarettes and alcohol. As Naomi picked up a tray, a boy whistled and leered at her cleavage. "Mamacita, wanna spend a night?" he called out.
She responded with a smirk, ignoring his advances as she made her way to the VIP room. Naomi was dressed like the other waitresses, sporting a tight crop shirt tied at her belly and plain denim shorts. However, her well-maintained figure added a touch of sassiness to the outfit. Her lips were painted in a deep burgundy wine color, and her eyes were highlighted by Egyptian eyeliner.
Pushing open the glass door, she felt the chill air contract against her skin, sending goosebumps down her arms. Cards were strewn across the table, booze dribbling down from pricey bottles.
"And here's my Ace," Nathan tossed a card onto the pile.
"Screw it! Let's play one more round," Greyson declared. For him, this was the ideal way to spend a weekend night: sealing a profitable deal, blowing cash in a casino, and having a pretty chick by his side.
And that's the plan, "We'll get him so drunk he passes out, then you know what to do."
For tonight, Naomi was playing the role of a seductress. "Surely one more," said Nathan, his eyes fixed on Naomi's every movement. She positioned herself between the two men, pouring whiskey into their glasses.
"Is he drunk?" she whispered to Nathan, her lips brushing his ears. "Not yet," he whispered back. "I don't think I have the capacity to drink anymore," Greyson chuckled as he distributed the cards.
"Oh, just one more," Naomi said, bringing the glass close to Greyson's lips and trailing her nails down his chest. "One for the baby," Nathan pulled Naomi close to himself before Greyson could lay a finger on her.
Soon, Greyson drifted into the embrace of alcohol. "Fortunately, I drugged his last drink," Naomi whispered, patting Greyson's cheek to check if he was still conscious.
"And fortunately, there's still an hour left," Nathan added, opening one of Greyson's eyes to gauge his level of awareness.
"What is this?" asked Naomi, her curiosity piqued.
"It's the key cord," Nathan explained, fixing a device onto Greyson's eye. "The lock is eye recognition and can't be hacked, so we're making a copy."
As they stepped out from the club into the deserted alley where their car was parked, tension hung thick in the air. Was it frustration? Uncertainty? Naomi's heels clicked against the pavement as she pushed Nathan against the car, pressing her body close to his.
"Still an hour left?" She smirked, placing her thumb on his lips. It was surprising for Nathan, but he decided to play along. "Wanna hook up?"
Naomi's breasts heaved with a dramatic sigh.
"I see we've got a car parked in a secluded area," she said, opening the back door and settling in first. Nathan closed the door, locking the car from inside.
"You're screwed tonight, Naomi," Nathan grunted as her knees teased him. "Let's see who screws who first?" Naomi licked his lips. "Bitch, I'm a wild one." Nathan pulled her hair, hovering over her, and with all the roughness, he slid his tongue inside her mouth.
"And I've got nails, bastard," she flipped over him, sitting on top and unbuttoning his shirt. "One fucking hour," she said, biting down on his bottom lip.
After- One Freaking Hour
"What the fuck!" Nathan groaned, a sharp pain striking his forehead. "Naomi?" His hand roamed to find her figure but couldn't feel her. Then he suddenly sat up straight. "Naomi!" he called out, his hair a mess. He rushed to button his shirt.
"That bitch," he muttered, glancing at his watch. Almost time, and Cade was going to eat him up if he found out he had lost the key cord.
"Where were you? You're late, do you know?" Cade asked, his tone sharp with frustration. Nathan couldn't do anything except pant heavily, his mind racing. "Naomi," Nathan stammered.
"She—she ran," Nathan managed before a loud thud caught their attention. "Look what I found, this bitch tried to team up with Grady," Maya entered, grabbing Naomi by her hair.
"Ah—leave me," Naomi hissed in pain.
"Where's the key cord?" asked Cade, his voice laced with urgency.
"Where's the key cord?!!!" He grabbed Naomi's neck, his grip tightening with desperation. "Where's the key cord, Naomi!"
"Don't kill me, it's here, take it," she pleaded, handing him the metal box, her breaths coming in desperate gasps.
"Fuck, we're running late," said Maya, urgency evident in her voice. Cade gave Naomi a stern glare.
"Don't let her run away, chain her up with you," Cade ordered Nathan. "If we fail, I'll kill her first, and if she runs away, you'll be dead in her place."
"This will help, catch," Maya said, throwing handcuffs in Nathan's direction. As soon as Naomi was out of Cade's grip, she tried to run, but Nathan caught her by the stomach. "You let me go, asshole!" Naomi struggled, attempting to free herself by flailing her arms and legs.
"Oh, but you were loving this an hour ago," Nathan remarked, grabbing her left arm and locking it with his right hand. Naomi dared to kick him, but her attempt failed, and she found herself trapped between his two strong arms.
Pushing her against the plain white wall, Nathan supported her half body with his own. "You're gonna love being handcuffed to me, baby."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[2 hours ago]
"Do you know how much I miss you?" she asked him over the phone call. "You said two weeks, it's been a month now." Hearing her sleepy voice, he chuckled.
"Lia, are you sleepy?"
"Nope, but I can't sleep properly without your scent, Hanniel," she muttered with a yawn.
"No one's asking you to overwork, love. Just go home and rest. I'm sure Asher won't mind covering your shifts," he softly said, his words sounding like a melody to her ears.
"Can you please stop threatening Asher to do my work? It's my work, Cade!" She made an angry pout and switched the call to video chat.
"I badly want to hug you," she whispered, and his blue eyes shone like sapphires. "And I badly want to pull your cheeks," he whispered back.
"I have to go. I've got some meetings with the board. The situation here is getting more complicated," explained Athalia with a sad look. "Are you up at Heli Bastion?" Cade asked with furrowed eyebrows. Athalia replied with some straight nods. "Athalia, I'm saying this again, please. I don't care about world peace. Let the world set on fire. Just keep yourself and our baby out of the flames."
"I'm not doing anything stupid, Cade. But it's my duty, and I can't ignore my duty calls. Besides, your dad is also concerned about his grandchild," she smiled, rubbing her belly.
"Promise me, if the situation gets worse, you'll leave Heli Bastion the next second."
"Promise," she hung up the call, giving him a flying kiss. She closed her eyes and said to herself, "It's already worse, Cade, and I'm not a coward hiding behind walls."
Athalia wrapped the black coat around her, walking outside her cabin. She wasn't playing small in this poker table; she was playing as Lewis's joker.
"The emergency has doubled, ma'am. The government announced a curfew in the city," the officer reported as she stepped inside the conference hall.
"I'm announcing Athalia as my second in command. She has the authority to make decisions if something happens to me. Any queries?" announced Lewis.
"Who did this, why did this, and how the heck he did this doesn't matter to me. All that matters now is my grandfather is dead. The company is on me, and the next threat is on you," Asher expressed his frustration from the day he found his grandfather murdered in his bedroom. The stress wasn't coming from who killed his grandfather but from the burden of responsibility unexpectedly thrown onto him.
"Who are they, and what do they want?" asked Athalia.
"Their identities are hidden, and according to records, they are from some secret societies who are violently murdering people, saying no one can control their fate," they discussed the matter further, delving into deeper analysis.
"And what is the government doing about this?" Asher's question was directed at the defense department. "Nothing? Just throwing smoke bombs?"
"They are killing people, especially those in high positions," the loud noise of an explosion interrupted their meeting. The air carrier shook as if it were an earthquake.
I doubt that there are some culprits in the Guard, Athalia recalled Kabir's words.
Her body was caught between Asher's arms before she could fall to the floor. No, he would never let her get hurt again.
"Emergency, it's an emergency! There was a bomb in the left wing, and now the left engine has blasted out," the announcement blared, causing Athalia's mind to freeze.
What should she do now? Should she escape, leaving everyone else here to die?
"You know what, declare it war. There's not just some culprits in the Guard; I believe half of the Guard is filled with traitors," burst out Athalia, her tongue seething with outrage.
"And tighten up Mr. Hanniel's security—"
"Do you think I follow orders from someone who is about to die?" The commander-in-chief pulled out a gun, aiming it at Lewis.
"I have never... betrayed someone who had their trust in me—" Lewis struggled to get up, silently grabbing the rod fallen beside him. "Then why do I keep getting betrayed?" He struck the rod at the commander, but at the same time, a bullet shot into Lewis's left leg.
"Athalia, go and wear your damn suit! There's no way out of here!" he ordered, clutching his bleeding thigh. "Go!"
"We have to find a way out of here," Asher urged, helping her to her feet. "No, you have to fucking leave first."
She ran out of the conference hall and was met with chaos outside. The world was actually set on fire, with people running in all directions, some carrying medical boxes and stretchers.
Her body shivered, but her first priority was her baby. "Athalia, we have to find a way out of here!" Asher yelled, pushing her away from the injured people. She halted, watching everyone in shock. "There's no way out of here. It's either fight or die,"
They looked around, realizing there was nobody left to trust. Another blast shook the wing, filling the air with smoke and chaos. There was no turning back or running away. Athalia was a warrior who had laid the foundation of this...
"Athalia Lewis, where is he?" Vivene pulled her, and they both ran towards the lab. "Injured," Athalia replied, pushing open the door. All the schemes she had planned burned down in those explosions. It was as she had feared—they were all walking towards death.
If only Cade had let her stay with him, none of this would have happened. "I'm sorry, Cade," she muttered, finally putting on her helmet.
"Crisa? Are you on power?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," came the reply.
"Vivene, shut off all the electrical systems except Crisa's. Let's end this all," she commanded.