The darkness was deeper than Alex had prepared himself for as he followed Evelyn into the maze of back alleys. The city was muffled here; the faint thrum of nightlife was replaced with the soft shuffle of leaves and the occasional scrabble of rats. Evelyn strode purposefully, her paces quick and deliberate.
Alex's laptop thumped against the inside of his bag, an uncomfortable reminder of the danger. He hastened his pace to keep up with Evelyn's step. "Where are we headed?" he asked.
"A safe house," Evelyn answered softly. "It's been off their radar for years, but we'll still need to be careful.
Alex glanced over his shoulder, his nerves prickling with the sense of being watched. "You're sure they can't track us?"
"I'm sure," she said, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "But complacency is their weapon. Always assume someone's watching."
The streets narrowed, alleyways becoming corridors of brick and shadow. Evelyn finally stopped at an unassuming metal door set into a crumbling wall. She pressed a series of numbers into a keypad hidden under a loose brick. With a soft click, the door creaked open.
"Inside," she said, gesturing for Alex to enter.
The space inside was small but functional. A single bulb cast a dim glow over a makeshift workspace with multiple monitors, stacks of files, and an array of devices Alex didn't recognize. The air smelled faintly of dust and metal.
"You've been busy," Alex remarked, dropping his bag onto a worn leather chair.
"This is nothing," Evelyn said, energizing the monitors. "I've moved more times than I can remember. But this place has been good to me."
Alex got out his laptop and placed it on the desk. "Okay, so what's the play? You said the docks were our first objective."
Evelyn nodded, tapping away at a keyboard connected to the monitors. "The docks are a major transit point for The Veil. If we can intercept their shipments, we'll cut off a significant portion of their resources.
She paused, looking at Alex. "But before we do anything, I have to see what's on your laptop. I have tools here that can decrypt files faster than anything you've ever used."
Alex swallowed hard. Surrendering the laptop felt like he was losing control. But Evelyn was better equipped to handle the data. He nodded and slid it across the desk.
Evelyn connected it to her system, fingers flying across the keyboard. Lines of code scrolled across the screen, and Alex watched as layer after layer of encryption was peeled away.
" Impressive," Evelyn muttered. "This is some of the most sophisticated encryption I've ever seen. Whoever locked this down didn't want anyone accessing it."
" Can you break it?" Alex asked, leaning over her shoulder.
"I already have," she said, and smirked because the screen burst open with rows of folders. She opened up one labeled "Manifest 24," revealing what looked like hundreds of documents and diagrams.
"This," she pointed to a blue map marked on shipping routes "is exactly what we need. They use these to track their chain of supply." If they manage to intercept some of these consignments, they will send their message.
Alex studied the map. "The nearest route passes through the southern docks. That's where we'll start."
Evelyn looked at him, seriousness etched all over her face. "It won't be easy. They'll have security, and if we're caught—"
"I know the risks," Alex cut in. "But we can't wait. Every second we wait, they get one step closer to finding us.
Evelyn nodded, her resolve equal to his. "So then we move at dawn. Until then, we sleep and prepare.
As Alex settled onto a worn cot in the corner, he couldn't help but replay the events of the past few days in his mind. The Veil, the files, Evelyn—all of it felt surreal, like he'd stepped into someone else's life. Yet, the laptop beside him was proof that this was his fight, his responsibility.
"Get some sleep," Evelyn said her voice softer now. "Tomorrow, everything changes."
Alex nodded his head, though sleep felt impossible. He closed his eyes under the weight of the mission; like a heavy blanket knocking on his chest.
Tomorrow, he thought, tomorrow we take the fight to them.