Chereads / The Last Bet - race against time / Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Echoes of Deception

Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Echoes of Deception

The car slammed to a stop outside a nondescript warehouse on 42nd Street. The storm that had been following them throughout the city loomed above, its odd purple lighting casting weird shadows on the dirty walls.

"Everybody out," Charlie yelled, his eyes darting wildly to the rearview mirror.

As everyone crowded out of the van, Ethan couldn't escape the sensation that they were going into a trap. He looked at Nina, who hugged the bag carrying the Midnight Star close to her breast. Her face was pallid, her eyes wide with a combination of fear and amazement.

Rebecca led the way inside the building, her motions flowing and deliberate. As they entered, fluorescent lights sprang to life, revealing a massive area filled with containers and neglected equipment.

"We should be safe here for now," Rebecca responded, her voice echoing throughout the large chamber. "But we need to act quickly. It won't take Delgado's guys long to pick up our tracks."

Ethan moved forward, his patience running thin. "Alright, Rebecca. It's time for some answers. What the heck is going on? What aren't you telling us about the Midnight Star?"

Rebecca's eyes narrowed, a spark of something — regret? determination? – going over her face. But before she could respond, a fresh voice sliced through the tension.

"Yes, Rebecca. Why don't you tell them the truth?"

They all swung around to see Victor Delgado emerge out from behind a stack of boxes, followed by a dozen armed men. His grin was icy, predatory.

Charlie grabbed for his revolver, but stopped as the sound of many safeties clicking off filled the air. They were trapped.

Delgado's eyes latched upon the bag in Nina's hands. "The Midnight Star, if you please," he murmured, his voice seemingly calm.

Nina grabbed the bag harder, her knuckles white. "Never," she spat.

Delgado's grin grew. "Oh, I guess you will. You see, you're not the only one with secrets." He turned to Rebecca. "Isn't that right, my dear?"

All eyes swiveled to Rebecca, whose face had gone ashen. Ethan felt his stomach slump. "Rebecca?" he questioned, a bit of urgency in his voice. "What's he talking about?"

Rebecca's shoulders dropped, despair obvious in every line of her body. "I'm sorry, Ethan," she mumbled. "I didn't have a choice."

The treachery hit Ethan like a physical punch. He stumbled back, his thoughts swirling. "You've been working for Delgado this whole time?"

Rebecca shook her head forcefully. "No! Not precisely. It's... tricky."

Delgado laughed, the sound sending thrills down Ethan's spine. "Allow me to simplify. Rebecca here is a double spy. She works for the Guardians, yeah, but she also answers to me. And now, due to her, I have both sides of the key."

With a flourish, Delgado took out a diamond from his pocket - a perfect match to the Midnight Star. The Morning Light.

As the two stones came into touch, a surge of energy rippled through the warehouse. The air crackled with electricity, and for a second, Ethan might have thought he heard a faint, haunting music.

Nina gasped, her eyes wide. "The song... it's getting louder."

Delgado's eyes sparkled with satisfaction. "Yes, you can hear it, can't you? The cry of old strength, ready to be released." He extended his hand. "Give me the Midnight Star, and I'll let you all live. Resist, and... well, let's just say the consequences will be quite painful."

Ethan's thoughts raced, looking for a way out. He saw Charlie's look, saw the same despair reflected there. Milo remained stunned, his usual tech expertise impotent in the face of overwhelming gunfire.

And then there was Nina. Beautiful, intriguing Nina, who had pulled him into this mess in the first place. She caught his eyes, and at that moment, a wordless understanding went between them.

With a smooth move, Nina threw the bag to Ethan. He grasped it naturally, feeling the weight of the Midnight Star in his palms.

Delgado's men stiffened, pistols fixed on Ethan. The criminal lord's grin got razor-sharp. "A valiant effort," he scoffed. "But useless. Hand it up, Mr. Cole, or I start shooting shots in your pals."

Time looked to slow down. Ethan could feel the Midnight Star pulsating in his palms, its melody growing louder with each passing second. He thought of all the choices that had brought him to this point — the debts, the gambles, the frantic desire for one final big score.

And at that moment, he realized what he had to do.

"You want the Midnight Star?" Ethan murmured, his voice firm despite the fear surging through him. "Come and get it."

With all his strength, he flung the diamond into the concrete floor.

The world burst into chaos.

A brilliant burst of light exploded as the Midnight Star broke, sending pieces of incandescent crystal flying in all directions. A surge of energy threw everyone off their feet, and the very air looked to ripple and warp.

Gunshots came out, muffled and distant-sounding in the wake of the explosion. Ethan jumped to his feet, his ears ringing. Through the haze, he saw Nina staggering towards him, her face a mask of surprise and wonder.

"Run!" he yelled, grabbing her hand.

They ran for the escape, evading gunfire and jumping over falling boxes. Charlie and Milo were quickly after them, the elder guy giving covering fire as they withdrew.

As they rushed out of the warehouse into the storm-wracked night, Ethan dared a look back. The scene that met him would be imprinted into his thoughts forever.

Tendrils of gloom and light entwined, spilling from the broken remains of the Midnight Star. They writhed and pumped, making unimaginable shapes in the air. And in the middle of it all stood Delgado, the Morning Light gripped in his hand, his face distorted in a mixture of anger and joy.

"You fool!" Delgado's voice boomed, impossibly loud. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

But Ethan didn't stay to find out. They ran through the rain-slicked streets, the storm getting more serious with each passing instant. Lightning forked across the sky in strange patterns, and the very earth appeared to quiver under their feet.

As they raced, Ethan's head whirled with questions. What had he released by smashing the Midnight Star? What would happen now that the lock was broken?

And what about Rebecca? Her treachery hurt, but a part of him couldn't help but wonder if there was more to her story.

They ducked into an alley, panting for air. Charlie looked over the bend, his rifle at the ready. "I think we lost them," he panted. "For now."

Nina slumped against the wall, her eyes wide. "Ethan," she whispered, her voice shaking. "The tune... I can still hear it. It's everywhere now."

As if in answer, a deep, thrumming sound filled the air. It vibrated through Ethan's bones, sending his teeth on edge. In the distance, car alarms started to shriek.

Milo took out his phone, his face lighted by the screen's lighting. "Guys, you need to see this," he continued, his voice hushed with surprise.

They gathered around, watching in startled silence as news stories streamed in. All around the city, impossible things were happening. Shadows coming to life, items moving on their own, individuals saying to hear voices in their thoughts.

"What have I done?" Ethan muttered, the weight of his actions slamming down on him.

Nina clasped his hand. "You did what you had to," she whispered quietly. "You kept the Midnight Star out of Delgado's hands."

Charlie nodded grudgingly. "She's right. But now we've got a greater problem. Whatever the rock was holding, it's free now. And Delgado still has the other half."

As if to accentuate his comments, a gigantic bolt of lightning pierced the sky, followed by a thunderclap that rocked the very foundations of the city. In its aftermath, an unsettling quiet followed.

And suddenly, cutting through the calm, came a sound that made Ethan's blood run cold. Laughter. Deep, resonating, and totally inhuman.

They all turned up to see a person floating in the air above them, wreathed in shadows and sparking electricity. Delgado, or what used to be Delgado, his eyes gleaming with a strange light.

"Thank you, Ethan Cole," the creature that had been Delgado answered, its voice ringing with unimaginable strength. "You've freed us from our jail. And now, this world will be recreated in our image."

As the thing climbed higher into the storm-tossed sky, Ethan felt a touch on his shoulder. He turned to find Rebecca, wounded and bruised but very much living.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes filled with real sadness. "I never planned for any of this to happen. But now... now we're the only ones who can stop it."

Ethan stared at his ragged crew - Nina, her face set with resolve; Charlie, somber but determined; Milo, already typing away at his phone, seeking solutions in the digital world. And Rebecca, the wild card whose true allegiance were still a mystery.

He took a long breath, steeling himself for what was to follow. "Alright," he replied, his voice firm despite the panic running through him. "Where do we start?"

As they gathered together in the alley, the world altering around them in ways they could barely grasp, Ethan realized that their experience was far from finished. In fact, it was only just starting.

The storm roared on, and in its ferocity, the barriers between worlds became thin. Ancient powers, long dormant, sprang to life. And in the heart of New York City, a tiny handful of unexpected heroes prepared to face a peril beyond comprehension.

The game had changed. The stakes were now nothing less than the fate of reality itself. And when the first light of a new and dreadful morning crept over the horizon, Ethan couldn't help but wonder: could they preserve

a world they had helped to break?

Only time would tell. But one thing was clear — nothing would ever be the same again.