Chapter 6: Web of Shadows
The sky over Athenfall City was a quilt of deep purples and black, the stars a jarring contrast to the mess below. Lance was sprawled on the roof of a crumbling warehouse, a nearly empty bottle of cheap bourbon dangling from his hand. He looked like he was lounging, but his eyes weren't. They were sharp as razors, following the shadows and headlights on the streets below.
"Another night, another rat," he said. A notification flashed on the holographic watch on his wrist and he tapped it slow and deliberate. A message from Arlo, one of his many unwilling informants, appeared.
"Vanguard Pharmaceuticals—movement at the docks tonight. High value cargo. Be careful."
Lance's lips curved upward. Vanguard—a behemoth in the underworld of human enhancements. They had the kind of resources and secrets that could tip entire wars. He'd been circling them for months, waiting for the right moment to strike or perhaps feed. He took one last swig from the bottle and tossed it aside.
"Time to hunt," he said.
Evelyn tightened her gloves, the leather creaking softly as she adjusted her grip on the modified plasma pistol. She stood at the edge of a cliffside road, her black motorcycle humming beside her. She wasn't here by accident. Tonight's op could bring her one step closer to finding out what had happened to her parents. The whispers she had followed led to the same place: Vanguard Pharmaceuticals.
Anyway, her intuition said this would end like the others. But the gamble couldn't be ignored. The roar of the engine died down, and Evelyn tore down the road, electricity dancing between fear and excitement. It was the game she had inherited, and she would win it.
The Vanguard docks were huge and dead quiet. Lance moved through the shadows, silent as a ghost. Every camera, every guard had been accounted for. It wasn't just his bloodline that gave him an edge; it was his planning. He reached the side of a storage container stacked high with crates emblazoned with the Vanguard logo.
Before he could move again, a flicker of movement caught his eye. Someone else was here. A woman in black, her face hidden beneath a hood. Evelyn.
Lance's lips curved up. He hadn't thought she was the type to get her hands dirty, not directly. Yet here she was, moving through the scene like someone who'd done this before. Interesting.
As she reached the same container he'd been targeting, Lance leaned against the metal and clapped slow. The sound echoed through the docks and Evelyn spun around, her pistol trained on his chest.
"Careful," Lance drawled, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "That's not the way to greet a friend."
"You're not a friend," Evelyn said, her voice as cold as the air. "What are you doing here?"
Lance held up his hands in mock defense. "Same as you, I'd guess. Following breadcrumbs, hoping to find a loaf. Though you're in over your head, don't you think?"
"Stay out of my way." Evelyn's hand tightened on her gun.
Lance grinned. "How about we make a deal? Trade for trade, right?"
Evelyn's eyes locked on him. She hated how he could see right through her. "What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing now. Let's just say I'll owe you. You'll find my debts quite valuable." He moved closer, the air between them crackling with tension. "But let's not waste the night. I'm curious what's in these crates, aren't you?"
Evelyn followed despite herself. His arrogance was infuriating, but he was efficient. In seconds he had the crate open and rows of shiny metal devices inside—each one humming softly with power.
"What the hell is this?" Evelyn breathed, reaching for one of the devices.
Lance's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. "Don't touch. You don't know what you're messing with."
Evelyn pulled her hand back, glaring at him. "Do you know what it is?"
"Enough to know it's not for mortals. Vanguard's been playing with augmentation tech for years. This—" He nodded to the device. "—isn't for the squeamish."
"Then why are you here?" Evelyn asked.
Lance grinned. "Faint of heart isn't in my dictionary."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Guards. Lance cursed. "Time's up."
Evelyn brought up her gun, shifting into a guard position. "I got this."
"Sure," Lance said, already moving. "But don't expect me to stick around if you get yourself killed."
The guards entered the area, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. Evelyn and Lance moved in sync, a silent understanding between them. Lance's laziness might have been an act, but his reflexes were real. He took out one guard with a flick of his wrist while Evelyn's shots took out the others.
When everything was finally clear, Lance gazed at Evelyn with a newfound kind of respect. "Not bad."
"I told you; I can take care of myself."
Lance reduced his head with a neutral gaze. "We'll see how long that continues."
Leaving the docks made Evelyn feel as if she'd bargained with the devil. Lance's secrets were as hidden as ever, but one thing was certain: this was just the start. The devices they'd found were more than tools; they were weapons and Vanguard wasn't going to let them go.
Lance was pleased. He'd seen what he wanted to see and Evelyn Hayes was a nice surprise. She was a wild card, self-destructive and deadly. He'd have to watch her.
And, no, it's already in the back of his mind. If he ever wanted to be a god, it was by every angle, every weakness to exploit. Right now, both of them were Evelyn.
The game had begun and Lance was willing to pay dearly for it.
There was tension from strings humming that night, as Lance settled back in the chair with all but dim light of the computer screen shadowed upon his glass. The files on display were only from Evelyn-an encrypted access on looted treasures from her family's crumbling legacy and keys to greater conspiracy, and that stretched far beyond the disappearance of her parents.
Evelyn walked back and forth in the room as if she was made restless. "You really think this will work?" she asked, her voice straining with hope and dread. "They probably don't need to think twice about getting rid of us if we dig too deep."
"The only way to treasure is to dig deep," said Lance in a very casual tone. There was a smirk that crept across his face but anyone could tell that, right now, he was ten steps ahead of any kind of threat.
Suddenly, Evelyn stopped and turned to face him. "You seem too relaxed regarding this matter. We are playing with fire."
"Fire burns," Lance replied, "but it also illuminates."
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