Hawk's eyes narrowed as he watched Nova saunter into the safe house. "What are you doing here, Nova?" he repeated, his tone firm.
Nova flashed a charming smile. "I'm here to help, Hawk. I heard you were in a bit of a bind."
Aria's eyes darted between Hawk and Nova, her expression wary. "Who is this?" she asked Hawk.
Nova extended a manicured hand. "I'm Nova, an old acquaintance of Hawk's. And you are...?"
Aria hesitated before shaking Nova's hand. "I'm Aria."
Nova's eyes sparkled with interest. "Aria, lovely to meet you. I see Hawk's still got his taste for damsels in distress."
Hawk's jaw clenched. "Nova, focus."
Nova chuckled. "Right, right. Business first. I've got a team watching the perimeter. We can get you both out of here safely."
Aria's eyes locked onto Hawk's. "Can we trust him?" she whispered.
Hawk's expression remained neutral, but his eyes conveyed a warning: trust no one.
Just then, a loud crash echoed from outside, followed by gunfire. Hawk's head snapped toward the sound.
"What's going on?" Aria asked, alarm creeping into her voice.
Nova's smile faltered. "It seems our exit strategy just got complicated."
Hawk drew his gun, his eyes scanning the room. "We need to move, now."
Aria's eyes widened as Hawk grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the back door. Nova followed close behind, his own gun at the ready.
As they burst out into the night air, Hawk's phone buzzed with an incoming message. He glanced at the screen, his expression darkening.
"What is it?" Aria asked, her voice barely audible over the gunfire.
Hawk's eyes locked onto hers. "We've got a problem. The facility's security team has issued a BOLO for us. We're running out of time."
Aria's grip on Hawk's hand tightened. "What does that mean?"
Hawk's jaw clenched. "It means we're being hunted."
With that, Hawk pulled Aria into a sprint, racing against time to evade their pursuers. Nova followed close behind, his eyes scanning the rooftops for signs of danger.
As they ran, Aria's thoughts whirled with questions. Who was Nova, really? What did he want with her? And what secrets was Hawk hiding?
One thing was certain: Aria's life would never be the same again.
They weaved through alleys and side streets, Hawk's knowledge of the city's layout proving invaluable. Nova kept pace with them, his breathing steady despite the intense physical activity.
Aria's lungs burned, her legs aching from the exertion. But she refused to give up, driven by a determination to survive.
As they turned a corner, Hawk suddenly halted, his eyes locked onto something ahead. Aria followed his gaze, her heart sinking.
A black van had blocked the street, its side door sliding open to reveal a team of heavily armed mercenaries.
"Well, well, well," Nova said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Looks like we've got a welcoming committee."
Hawk's expression remained grim. "We need to take them down."
Aria's eyes widened as Hawk and Nova charged forward, guns blazing. She followed close behind, her own training kicking in as she returned fire.
The battle was intense, the sound of gunfire echoing off the buildings. Aria's senses were on high alert, her focus solely on taking down the mercenaries.
But as the fight raged on, Aria began to realize that something wasn't quite right. The mercenaries seemed too well-trained, too well-coordinated.
And then, she saw him – a figure watching from the shadows, his eyes fixed intently on her.
Aria's heart skipped a beat as she recognized the figure. It was Victor Vex, the man who had kidnapped her.
What did he want with her? And how was he connected to the mercenaries?
Aria's questions would have to wait. For now, she had to focus on survival.
With renewed determination, Aria charged forward, gun blazing. She was ready to take down Vex and his mercenaries, no matter what it took.