The silence of the alleyway was suffocating. Abhay leaned against the cold stone wall, his body trembling from the adrenaline rush. Ash stood a few steps away, her hand resting on the hilt of her gun, eyes darting over their surroundings. The night had shifted from quiet to ominous. It felt like the calm before a storm.
"How long do you think we can hide here?" Abhay asked, his voice low and strained.
Ash didn't immediately answer. Instead, she was scanning the streets, her senses on high alert. "Not long," she finally said, her tone grim. "We've already been spotted. There's no way Rajan's men aren't tracking us. They'll send more. They always do."
Abhay felt his stomach twist. The fear of being constantly hunted was something he hadn't fully grasped until now. His entire life was no longer his own. He couldn't even go back to his family's house—the only place he thought might offer some kind of sanctuary. Rajan's men had made sure of that. Every move was dangerous, every second, a countdown.
"We need to get off the grid," Ash continued, her eyes narrowing. "I know a place, an old contact. Someone who can help us lay low for a while."
Abhay nodded, his mind racing. The flash drive was still tucked in his jacket pocket, its contents a puzzle he was desperate to solve. But time was running out. He couldn't stay hidden forever, and Rajan's empire was vast. Whoever had helped his father might be the key to bringing it all down—but only if they could stay alive long enough to use it.
"We leave now," Abhay said, determination creeping back into his voice. "But we need to figure out what's on that drive. I can't keep running blind. Not after everything I've lost."
Ash gave him a sharp look, but there was something in her gaze that softened, if only for a moment. "Fine," she said, "but don't expect any miracles. This isn't a fairy tale, Abhay. We're in the middle of a war, and we're only on the first battlefield."
They moved quickly, slipping through narrow streets and alleyways, taking care to stay out of sight. Abhay's heart pounded in his chest with each step, and despite his efforts to remain calm, he couldn't shake the feeling that eyes were on them.
As they reached the outskirts of town, the air grew colder, the streets emptier. It was as if the city itself had fallen under a strange, unnerving hush. Abhay kept his head down, eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.
They reached an old, rundown building on the edge of town. It was nothing more than a faded structure with boarded-up windows and a broken door that hung on its hinges. Ash knocked twice—quick, deliberate knocks—and waited. A moment passed before the door creaked open just a crack. A pair of dark eyes peered out, sharp and wary.
"It's me," Ash said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The door opened wider, revealing a tall, wiry man with a face weathered by time and experience. His eyes flicked to Abhay for a brief moment before locking onto Ash. "I didn't expect company," he muttered, stepping aside to let them in.
"Got a problem. Big one," Ash replied, stepping past him. "We need to lay low. For a while."
The man grunted, closing the door behind them with a heavy thud. "You're bringing the heat with you, Ash. Haven't you learned to keep your distance by now?"
"I don't have time for your lectures," Ash snapped. "This kid's the one Rajan's after. You want trouble? I'm bringing it straight to your doorstep."
Abhay stayed silent, watching the exchange closely. This man wasn't just a contact—he was someone Ash trusted. That, in itself, meant something. But the look in the man's eyes told him they were about to face even more danger.
"Fine," the man said finally, rubbing his temples. "But you owe me. Big time."
"Yeah, yeah," Ash muttered, her hand tightening around the grip of her gun. "We can discuss payment later. Right now, I need your help with something else."
The man led them down a narrow hallway to a dimly lit room in the back. The walls were covered in old maps, some of them marked with symbols Abhay didn't understand. There were stacks of old documents, a computer running with multiple tabs open, and strange, high-tech equipment scattered around the room.
"This is where you disappear," the man said, gesturing to the room. "I have enough resources to keep you off the radar for a while, but I need to know what you've gotten yourself into. And you better be straight with me, Ash."
Ash didn't hesitate. She pulled the flash drive from her jacket and placed it on the table in front of him. "This is the key. This is why Rajan's people are hunting us. It's my only shot at ending this."
The man eyed the drive for a moment, then reached out to pick it up. His fingers traced over the edges as if trying to gauge its weight, its importance. "I'll see what I can dig up. But you know Rajan doesn't stop. He won't stop until you're either dead or his."
Abhay's blood ran cold. He'd felt the weight of Rajan's empire pressing down on him for days now, but hearing it out loud made the situation feel even more suffocating. Rajan was everywhere. His reach seemed infinite. And now, Abhay had something of value—a weapon, but also a target on his back.
"We need to know what's on this drive," Abhay said, his voice sharp. "I can't keep running blind. Not anymore."
The man studied the drive for a moment longer before nodding. "I'll get to work. But this isn't a simple hack. You'll need to be patient. We're talking about a system designed to be untraceable. This will take time."
Abhay swallowed hard, his mind already spinning with the possibilities. Time was the one thing he didn't have. Rajan's men were closing in, and every moment spent here was a moment they could be discovered.
"We'll wait," Abhay said, though his mind was far from calm. "But be quick."
As the man sat down at the computer and began his work, Abhay felt the weight of his situation settle deeper into his chest. The hunt had only just begun, and the closer he got to uncovering the truth, the more dangerous the game became.