Caden leaned against an old building, his breaths were quick and shallow.
His hands were shaking as he tightened his grip on his knife.
Lucas' plan was ringing in his mind, it was dangerous and reckless but they were running out of time.
Lucas was nearby, he was focused on building a bomb.
The way he wrapped the wires and assembled the parts together was that of a professional.
"Are you sure about this?" Caden whispered.
"They've been using this place for months now. If we destroy it, they will have no choice but to act and when they do, we will be ready for them" Lucas replied, not looking up.
Caden felt uneasy, the building was heavily guarded and the windows were covered with bars making it impenetrable.
"What if they figure out it's us?" Caden asked.
"They won't," Lucas replied.
Caden's jaw clenched, the plan was easy, they just had to sneak in and out using brute force.
That was the same tactic he learned from The Circle.
"You are hesitating, are you afraid to get your hands dirty?" Lucas said as though he was reading his mind.
"I'm not hesitating," Caden muttered.
"What is the problem then?" Lucas asked.
"Nothing, let's just get this over with," Caden replied.
Lucas stared at him before handing him the small explosive.
"Plant the bomb on the east side of the building, I will handle the east side. Make sure you don't mess it up, we have two minutes" Lucas said.
Caden nodded and hid the explosives in his jacket, it felt heavier than it looked.
Lucas left first and disappeared into the darkness.
Caden stayed still for a moment, staring at the building. He then proceeded to move carefully towards the east side of the building.
Caden moved sneakily, listening carefully to his surroundings. The guards nearby were at alert. The Circle only hired professionals and these guards were no exception.
Caden reached the walls and searched for the right spot to set the explosives.
He placed the explosives, and it emitted a faint beeping sound as he activated it. The beeping sound was a quiet reminder that time was running out.
Suddenly, a metal object crashed into the ground which made Caden freeze.
The guards were alerted and they started closing in on his location immediately.
"Who is there?" One of the guards shouted.
Caden pressed himself against the wall, his heart was racing with every step the guards took towards him.
"Ares, what do I do now?" He thought.
Ares replied calmly, "You have to kill them before they kill you".
Caden's grip on his knife tightened, he was ready to strike.
The first guard to get closer to him was dead before he knew it, Caden struck fast with his knife taking the guard's life immediately before he could cry out.
The second turned with his eyes wide open, "Intrud—"
Caden sprang towards him, silencing him before he could complete his statement. The guard's blood scattered around the area, falling beside the first guard's body.
"See? It is really simple" Ares said, impressed.
Caden ignored him and wiped the blood off his blade before disappearing back into the shadows.
He was shaking, yet it all felt natural to him and he hated it.
He climbed the ladder to the roof, Lucas also appeared on the opposite side.
"Are you okay?" Lucas asked, his voice low.
"Yes, I'm okay," Caden replied.
Lucas pulled out a remote from his pocket "Let's blow this place up pal. In three, two, one".
He pressed the button and the explosion they set earlier went off, shattering the peaceful night.
The warehouse started burning rapidly, there was fire and debris raining down everywhere.
Caden shielded his face from the heat and when he looked at the building again, it had turned into a total burning ruin.
But then hooded figures began to emerge from the darkness.
There were dozens of them at least, they wore masks and were fully armed and ready for anything.
"This is a trap, they were waiting for us". Lucas shouted.
Caden's heart was racing, this place was not just a supply depot. It was a trap set for them.
"Let's get out of here quickly before it's too late," Lucas warned.
Caden didn't need to be told twice. He ran for the edge of the roof, his heart was racing as the hooded figures below shouted and opened fire on them.
The sound of gunshots and shouting filled the night.
He ran without looking back and he disappeared into the darkness.
He knew this was not over, it was just the beginning.