The night was darker than usual when Aiden parked Serena's beat-up sedan a few blocks away from Dock 9. The faint glow of floodlights cut through the fog, casting eerie shadows on the rows of shipping containers stacked like a giant metal maze.
"Are we really doing this?" Serena whispered, clutching the strap of her backpack.
Aiden's jaw was tight as he scanned the area. "We have to. If that guy on the pier wasn't bluffing, whatever's in that package could change everything."
They slipped past a rusted gate, moving low and quiet between containers marked with faded logos from all over the world. Somewhere nearby, a forklift hummed in the distance, and the faint sound of footsteps echoed against the steel walls.
Aiden held up a hand, stopping Serena in her tracks.
"Wait. Look."
At the far end of the dock, under a flickering floodlight, two men in black suits were unloading a small crate from a truck. One of them checked a tablet while the other stood watch, a handgun glinting under the pale light.
"That must be it," Aiden muttered.
Serena pulled on his sleeve. "And what's the plan, genius? We just waltz in and ask nicely?"
But before Aiden could respond, a low whistle pierced the air. Both men froze, looking around. A third figure emerged from the shadows—a woman in a sleek leather jacket, her long black hair tied in a sharp ponytail.
Her voice was sharp, commanding. "You two are sloppy. Do you have any idea what's inside that crate?"
One of the men stammered, "W-We were told not to open it. Just secure it and wait for the handoff."
The woman smirked. "And that's why amateurs like you will always be expendable."
Without warning, she pulled a silenced pistol from her jacket and fired. Both men crumpled to the ground before they could react.
Serena gasped softly, and Aiden immediately pulled her behind a container. His heart was pounding so loud he was sure the woman would hear it.
"She just—she just killed them!" Serena's voice trembled.
Aiden's mind raced. "She's not here to play games. We need to get that crate before she takes it."
As the woman crouched by the crate, inspecting it with a flashlight, Aiden spotted a crowbar leaning against one of the nearby containers. He grabbed it quietly, signaling Serena to stay low.
But just as Aiden took his first step forward, Serena's phone buzzed—a loud, vibrating hum in the silence.
The woman's head snapped up, her eyes locking onto Aiden's position.
"Run!" Aiden shouted, bolting from behind the container.
The woman fired twice, the silenced shots cracking through the air. Aiden ducked, rolling behind another container, while Serena sprinted in the opposite direction.
The woman stood still for a moment, her gun lowered as if she was calculating her next move. Then, to Aiden's shock, she turned her back and walked calmly to the crate, pulling a small metal device from her pocket.
"What is she doing?" Serena's voice crackled through Aiden's earpiece.
"She's planting something. A tracker, maybe?"
Before they could figure it out, the woman tapped her earpiece and spoke into it. "The package is compromised. Initiating Plan B."
She turned on her heel and walked away into the shadows, leaving the crate behind.
Aiden's breathing was ragged as he signaled Serena to meet him by the crate. They crouched next to it, the air thick with tension.
"Open it," Serena said.
Aiden hesitated, then wedged the crowbar under the crate's lid and pried it open. Inside, nestled in foam padding, was a sleek black briefcase with a biometric scanner on the handle.
"What the hell is this?" Serena whispered.
Before Aiden could respond, headlights flared in the distance. A convoy of black SUVs was speeding towards them.
"Grab it! Now!" Aiden hissed.
Serena grabbed the briefcase, and they took off running, weaving between containers as tires screeched and doors slammed behind them.
Gunshots rang out, bullets ricocheting off metal walls as the two of them ran for their lives.
Finally, they reached the edge of the dock, where an old fishing boat was tied loosely to a piling.
"Get in!" Aiden shouted, jumping onto the boat's deck and pulling Serena after him.
The boat's engine roared to life just as more bullets zipped past them, splintering the wood railing. They pulled away from the dock, the sound of shouting and chaos fading into the night.
As the boat drifted further into the foggy waters, Serena clutched the briefcase to her chest, her voice trembling.
"Aiden… what did we just steal?"
Aiden stared out into the endless darkness, his jaw tight.
"I don't know. But whatever it is… people are willing to kill for it."
Above them, the fog swallowed the city lights, leaving only the faint glow of the moon reflecting off the cold water.