Chapter 28
The city was cloaked in silence, save for the distant hum of traffic and the occasional bark of stray dogs. The storm had passed, leaving behind streets glistening under the dim glow of streetlights. The air was thick with the scent of rain and something else—something darker, like the residue of violence that refused to fade.
Subey stood on the rooftop of a rundown apartment building, her hands gripping the cold railing. Below, the city stretched out, indifferent to the war she had been fighting.
John was gone.
The thought sent a strange chill through her. He had betrayed her, used her, hurt the people she loved—but his death hadn't brought the closure she had expected. It had only left a void, one filled with unanswered questions and a gnawing unease.
A voice interrupted her thoughts.
"You shouldn't be here alone."
Subey didn't turn. She recognized the voice instantly.
Mia.
Her presence was like a ghost from the past, a reminder of everything that had been taken from her.
Subey exhaled, tightening her grip on the railing. "And yet, here you are."
Mia stepped closer, the soft crunch of her boots against the gravel barely audible. "We need to talk."
Subey finally turned to face her. Mia looked different—her usual confidence was still there, but something was off. There was a tension in her stance, a hesitation in her eyes.
Subey crossed her arms. "Talk about what? How you helped him? How you let Caroline—" Her voice cracked, and she stopped herself.
Mia's expression darkened. "I didn't want this, Subey."
"But you let it happen." Subey's words were like a blade between them. "You stood by while he—" She swallowed hard, unable to finish.
Mia's jaw clenched. "I made mistakes."
"That's an understatement."
A tense silence stretched between them.
Mia finally spoke, her voice quiet. "There's more to this than John."
Subey's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
Mia hesitated, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small USB drive. She held it out. "This is everything."
Subey didn't take it. "Everything what?"
"The people John was working for. The ones pulling the strings. You think his death ended this? It didn't. It barely scratched the surface."
Subey's heart pounded.
She had spent so much time hunting John, blinded by revenge, that she hadn't thought to ask the bigger question—who had been controlling him?
Mia took a step closer, her voice urgent. "There's something bigger happening, Subey. Something worse. And if we don't stop it—"
Gunfire shattered the night.
Subey and Mia instinctively ducked as bullets struck the rooftop, sending fragments of concrete flying.
Subey pulled out her gun, scanning the surrounding buildings. "Move!" she shouted.
Mia sprinted toward the stairwell entrance, but another round of shots forced them to take cover behind an old air conditioning unit.
Subey gritted her teeth. "Sniper."
Mia nodded, breathless. "They're cleaning up loose ends."
"Which means they don't just want me dead. They want you dead, too."
Mia didn't argue.
The sniper had the advantage. They were pinned down with nowhere to run.
Subey's mind raced. There had to be a way out.
Her eyes flickered to the fire escape on the opposite side of the rooftop. It was risky, but it was their only chance.
She looked at Mia. "You trust me?"
Mia hesitated, then nodded.
"On my signal, run for the fire escape," Subey instructed.
Mia tensed. "And you?"
"I'll cover you."
Mia looked like she wanted to argue but didn't. She gripped the USB tightly. "Don't get yourself killed."
Subey smirked despite the situation. "No promises."
She took a deep breath, then sprang into action.
Firing a few shots in the sniper's direction, she created a distraction. The moment the bullets rang out, Mia dashed toward the fire escape, moving fast and low.
The sniper adjusted their aim.
Subey cursed and fired again, forcing the shooter to hesitate. It was enough.
Mia reached the ladder and disappeared over the edge.
Subey moved to follow—but the moment she stepped out of cover, pain exploded in her shoulder.
The impact knocked her back, and she barely managed to catch herself against the railing.
Blood dripped down her arm.
She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to move.
Ignoring the pain, she stumbled toward the fire escape. The sniper fired again, but this time she was faster. She swung over the edge, gripping the ladder just as another bullet struck where she had been standing.
Below, Mia was already on the ground, waiting.
Subey climbed down, her vision blurring slightly from the blood loss.
The moment her feet touched the pavement, Mia grabbed her arm. "You're hit."
"I've had worse." Subey pulled away. "We need to keep moving."
Mia didn't argue.
They ran, slipping into the shadows of the alleyways, moving deeper into the city's underbelly.
When they finally stopped, Subey was breathing heavily, her shoulder burning.
Mia handed her a piece of cloth. "Press this against the wound."
Subey took it reluctantly, applying pressure to slow the bleeding. "Now talk."
Mia glanced around, making sure they were alone. Then she spoke.
"John wasn't acting alone. There's someone else—someone higher up. Someone powerful."
Subey listened, her mind racing.
"The USB has proof," Mia continued. "Documents, recordings, names. But it's encrypted. We need to find someone who can crack it."
Subey exhaled. "And then what?"
Mia's expression was grim. "Then we expose them."
Subey thought of Caroline, of everything they had lost.
She met Mia's gaze. "No. Then we end them."
Mia didn't look surprised. She only nodded.
They weren't just running anymore.
They were hunting.
And this time, there would be no mercy.
To Be Continued.....