Sleep never came.
I lay on the unfamiliar bed staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet hum of the building's security system. Somewhere in the distance, rain still tapped against the windows like impatient fingers indeed maybe it was.
This place was safe, Marco had said but the safety felt like an illusion.
The flash drive sat on the bedside table. Even in the dim light, it seemed to glow with importance. One small piece of metal holding secrets powerful enough to destroy entire organizations and now apparently, powerful enough to destroy me.
I pushed myself up and walked toward the window. From here, the city looked peaceful with thousands of lights stretching endlessly into the darkness.
But I knew better.
This city had teeth, teeth that bite when least expected, in one word - unpredictable
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
Before I could answer, the door opened and Marco stepped inside. He looked as composed as ever, his dark coat gone with his sleeves rolled slightly as if the night hadn't affected him at all.
"You should be resting," he said.
"I could say the same about you."
He gave a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I rarely sleep when there's a problem to solve."
"And I'm the problem?"
"You're the complication," he corrected calmly.
I crossed my arms. "Comforting."
Marco walked over to the table and picked up the flash drive, turning it slowly between his fingers.
"This," he said, "has already started something bigger than you realize."
"What exactly is on it that has everyone trying to kill me?"
He studied me for a moment, as if deciding how much truth I deserved.
"Proof," he said finally.
"Proof of what?"
"An alliance."
The word hung heavily in the air.
"Between rival organizations that should never work together," Marco continued. "If they succeed, they'll control every major trade route in this city."
"And you?"
"I'm the only obstacle."
That explained everything.
Which meant helping Marco might actually save the city… something I'd originally set out to do.
But trusting him still felt like stepping into a cage.
Before I could respond, alarms suddenly blared through the building.
Sharp, Violent screaming danger.
Marco moved instantly.
"Stay behind me."
Footsteps thundered down the hallway as Enzo burst into the room.
"We've got movement outside," he said quickly. "Three vehicles. They cut our cameras."
Marco's expression hardened.
"That was fast," he muttered.
My stomach dropped.
"They found me already?"
"Not you," Enzo said grimly.
"Us."
Gunfire cracked outside.
The sharp sound shattered the quiet night, the one night I expected to be at least peaceful.
Marco grabbed a handgun from the drawer and checked the magazine with practiced ease.
"You two stay here," Enzo said, heading for the door.
"No," Marco replied firmly. "We move together."
His eyes turned to me.
"Can you run?"
"Try me."
Another round of gunfire echoed through the building.
This time it was closer.
Marco grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the hallway.
The building that had seemed so secure minutes ago now felt like a trap.
Men shouted downstairs with glass shattered somewhere nearby.
"Back exit," Enzo said, leading the way.
We moved quickly through a narrow corridor, but just as we reached the stairwell, two armed men burst through the door.
Everything happened at once.
Marco fired first and the gunshot exploded through the hallway.
One attacker dropped instantly while the second raised his weapon but Enzo tackled him against the wall with brutal force.
The fight was fast and vicious.
A punch, a struggle and then silence.
The attacker collapsed unconscious at Enzo's feet.
My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear anything else.
Marco grabbed the fallen man's phone.
His eyes narrowed.
"Interesting."
"What?" I asked.
He turned the screen toward Enzo.
"It's an internal signal."
Enzo frowned. "From our network?"
Marco nodded slowly.
"Yes."
The realization hit all of us at the same time.
Someone inside Marco's organization hadn't just leaked information, they were actively hunting him.
A traitor.
Enzo's jaw tightened. "That narrows the list."
Marco looked toward the dark hallway ahead.
"No," he said quietly.
"It widens it."
More footsteps echoed somewhere in the building.
Reinforcements.
"We have to go," Enzo said.
Marco grabbed my hand again and led us down the stairs toward the exit
Cold night air hit us as we burst outside.
A black car screeched around the corner, headlights blazing.
"Move!" Enzo shouted.
We ran.
Bullets struck the pavement behind us.
Marco pushed me into the back seat while Enzo jumped into the driver's side.
The engine roared to life and the car sped away just as more gunfire erupted behind us.
For several seconds no one spoke.
The city rushed past in a blur of lights and shadows.
Finally, I looked at Marco.
"So much for a safe house."
His gaze was fixed on the road ahead.
"It was safe," he said.
"Until someone betrayed me."
A chill ran down my spine.
"Do you know who it is?"
Marco's expression darkened.
"Not yet."
He looked at me then, his voice quiet but certain.
"But whoever it is… they just made a very serious mistake."
The car disappeared into the sleeping city and somewhere in the darkness, someone was already planning the next move.
The war had begun, a war that the end was unpredictable.