Elliot and Nina stumbled through the narrow corridors of the maintenance tunnels, their frantic footsteps echoing off the damp, steel walls. The blinding lights and roaring machinery they'd left behind in the data hub still rang in Elliot's ears, the overload sequence buying them precious seconds to escape the Syndicate's enforcers. His lungs burned, his legs ached, and his grip on Nina's hand was the only thing keeping them tethered to each other.
"Slow down," Nina gasped, her voice breaking as she tripped on a loose cable. "I can't—"
Elliot glanced back, quickly catching her by the arm before she collapsed completely. She looked worse than before, her skin pale and glistening with sweat, her eyes wild and bloodshot. She was trembling, her breath coming in uneven gasps as though her body couldn't decide whether to keep running or shut down entirely.
"You have to keep moving," Elliot said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "We're not safe yet."
Nina shook her head, her hands gripping her knees as she leaned against the wall. "I can't," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I can't keep up, Elliot. I—"
Elliot looked around, his mind racing. The corridor they were in was narrow, its walls streaked with grime and rust, but ahead, the tunnel widened into a small service chamber. It wasn't much, but it would give them a moment to catch their breath and regroup.
"Come on," Elliot said, pulling Nina toward the chamber. "Just a little farther."
The service chamber was a cramped, circular space filled with outdated machinery and forgotten equipment. Pipes snaked along the walls and ceiling, dripping condensation into shallow puddles that reflected the flickering emergency lights above. The air was damp and carried the metallic tang of rust and oil.
Nina sank to the ground, her back against the wall, her head resting on her knees. She was shaking, her breaths coming in short, shallow bursts. Elliot crouched in front of her, his own chest heaving as he tried to assess the situation.
"We'll take five," he said, more to himself than to her. "Five minutes. Then we move."
Nina didn't respond.
Elliot ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair, his thoughts spiraling. He was in way over his head. Every second they spent down here felt like borrowed time, and the faint echoes of distant footsteps in the tunnels reminded him that the Syndicate wouldn't stop until they were caught.
But running wasn't enough. Not anymore.
He glanced at Nina, who looked on the verge of collapse, and then at the handheld device in his pocket. His KessNet implant hummed faintly, the familiar, low vibration reminding him of the potential he rarely dared to use.
The KessNet wasn't just a neural interface—it was a tool designed for connection, calculation, and survival. And right now, survival was all that mattered.
"Alright," Elliot muttered, pulling the device from his pocket. He crouched next to Nina, who lifted her head slightly at the sound of his voice.
"What are you doing?" she asked weakly, her voice hoarse.
"Tracking them," Elliot said, his fingers flying across the handheld's interface. "If I can hijack the Syndicate's comms network, I can figure out where they're searching. Maybe even buy us some breathing room."
Nina blinked at him, her expression somewhere between disbelief and exhaustion. "You can do that?"
Elliot gave her a wry smile. "I can try."
The handheld device buzzed softly as Elliot accessed the KessNet interface. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the faint hum in the back of his mind. The implant's connection to his neural pathways activated, and a familiar sensation washed over him—a rush of data, algorithms, and encrypted signals flooding his thoughts.
The Syndicate's network was vast and heavily protected, but Elliot was no stranger to bypassing firewalls. He navigated the streams of data with practiced precision, his mind working in tandem with the handheld to decrypt their communications.
Nina watched him in silence, her knees pulled to her chest. The faint blue glow from the device reflected off her pale face, highlighting the dark circles under her eyes.
"You don't look like the hero type," she said after a long moment.
Elliot didn't look up. "I'm not."
"And yet, here you are," she murmured, leaning her head back against the wall. "Risking your neck for someone you barely know."
"Trust me, I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart," Elliot replied, his voice dry. "If the Syndicate wants you this badly, there's a reason. And if I can figure out what that reason is, maybe I can stay one step ahead of them."
"Still," Nina said, her voice softening. "You could've walked away. Let them take me."
Elliot paused, his fingers hovering over the device. He looked at her, his expression unreadable. "I've seen what they do to people," he said quietly. "I couldn't just... let that happen."
Nina held his gaze for a moment before nodding. "Thanks," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The handheld beeped, breaking the moment. Elliot's eyes snapped back to the screen, and his brow furrowed as he scanned the incoming data.
"They're triangulating," he muttered. "They're using your implant's last known location to narrow down the search radius."
"How long do we have?" Nina asked, her voice tightening.
Elliot exhaled sharply. "Not long."
Elsewhere in the tunnels, the two enforcers pressed forward with cold efficiency. The taller of the two, Kael, adjusted the cybernetic implant on his wrist, pulling up a holographic map of the tunnels. His glowing red eye scanned the map, highlighting potential routes the fugitives could have taken.
"They're moving deeper into the network," Kael said, his voice low and mechanical. "Their trail's faint, but we're closing in."
His partner, Dren, grinned, the augmented plates along his jaw glinting in the dim light. "Cornered rats. They always make mistakes eventually."
Kael didn't respond. His focus remained on the map, his expression cold and analytical. "HQ wants them alive," he said after a moment. "No unnecessary damage."
Dren snorted. "They didn't say anything about having fun first."
Kael shot him a warning glance, and Dren raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Relax," Dren said, his grin widening. "I'll play nice."
Back in the service chamber, Elliot's fingers flew across the handheld's screen, his mind working faster than he thought possible. The Syndicate's network was a fortress, its layers of encryption designed to keep even the most skilled hackers out. But Elliot wasn't just any hacker—he had an edge.
The KessNet implant hummed faintly, its neural pathways syncing with his thoughts as he dove deeper into the Syndicate's systems. He bypassed firewalls, rerouted signals, and intercepted fragments of their communications. The more he dug, the clearer the picture became.
"They've got a lock on us," Elliot muttered, his voice tense. "They're coming up on the north tunnel. Fifteen minutes, maybe less."
Nina's eyes widened. "Can you stop them?"
Elliot hesitated. "Not directly. But I can give them something else to chase."
His fingers moved faster, inputting a series of commands into the handheld. He redirected the Syndicate's tracking signal to a different part of the tunnels, creating a false trail that led away from their current location.
The handheld beeped, and Elliot leaned back, exhaling sharply. "There," he said. "That should keep them busy for a while."
Nina's shoulders sagged with relief, though the tension in her body didn't fully dissipate. "So, what now?"
Elliot looked at her, his jaw tightening. "Now we figure out what the hell they want with you."
As they moved deeper into the tunnels, Elliot pieced together fragments of the Syndicate's communications. He couldn't access everything—too many layers of encryption still stood in his way—but what little he uncovered painted a grim picture.
The Syndicate didn't just want Nina because she'd taken NoQAnOLs. They wanted her because of what she knew.
"It's not just about the drug," Elliot said, his voice low as they navigated the winding corridors. "They think you've got information—something they don't want getting out."
Nina frowned, her brow furrowing. "What kind of information?"
"I don't know," Elliot admitted. "But whatever it is, it's enough to make you a priority target."
Nina shook her head, her hands curling into fists. "I don't know anything. I'm just... I'm just a nobody."
"Maybe you think that," Elliot said. "But the Syndicate doesn't come after nobodies."
Nina's jaw tightened, her eyes narrowing. "If they think I'm so important, maybe we can use that against them."
Elliot arched an eyebrow. "You're suggesting we bait the most dangerous cartel in the city?"
Nina gave him a weak, determined smile. "I'm saying we turn the tables."