Chapter 158

Chapter 158
Ethan's POV

The train ride to the outskirts of the city felt endless. Every minute was another opportunity for the syndicate to regroup—to track us down. My mind churned, weighing our next move against the risk we were taking.

Grayson hunched over his tablet, his fingers moving across the screen. The files were still uploading, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough. The syndicate’s network was vast, and a public leak could take weeks to gain traction. We didn't have the luxury of such time.

Lila leaned her head on my shoulder, her eyes closed, but I knew she wasn’t sleeping. She was too tense, exhausted, her body coiled like a spring. I couldn’t blame her. We were delicately balancing between survival and destruction.

“We’ll need to move fast once we get off,” I said, my voice low enough that only they could hear. “The data center isn’t far, but I’m sure they’ve got people in the area.”

Grayson nodded without looking up. “I’m setting up a remote trigger. If anything happens to us, we will release the files to every major outlet on the planet.

"Good," I uttered, tightly holding onto my seat. “But we’re not planning on dying tonight.”

Lila opened her eyes and gave me a small smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “You always know how to keep things optimistic, don’t you?”

When the train came to a stop at our stop, the three of us slipped out with the crowd. The air outside was cool, the streets quieter than the chaotic heart of the city we’d left behind.

“The data center is three blocks that way,” Grayson said, pointing down a dimly lit street.

“Stick to the shadows,” I said, leading the way. “If you see anything suspicious, let me know immediately.”

We moved quickly, keeping close to the walls and avoiding the spots of light from the streetlamps. Every sound made my heart race—footsteps in the distance, a car engine idling nearby. The syndicate was a ghost that could appear anywhere, at any time.

We got to the data center without any disturbance, but that only made me more uneasy. It was a squat, unidentified building with tinted windows and a single security camera over the entrance.

“Let’s make this quick,” I said, pulling a keycard from my pocket.

Grayson had managed to hack a corporate database earlier and secured us temporary access. Whether it would hold up against a real check was another matter, but we didn’t have a choice.

Inside, the air was cold and sterile. Rows of server racks stretched out like a maze, their hum filling the silence. Grayson immediately got to work, connecting his tablet to one of the main terminals.

“This is going to take a few minutes,” he said, his voice tight.

“We might not have that much minutes,” I muttered, keeping my eyes on the entrance.

Lila stood beside me, her gun in hand. “I can sense something strange about this place,” she whispered.

Before I could respond, the lights flickered and deep sense of dread settled in my chest.

“Grayson, how much longer?” I asked, my brow furrowed.

“Almost there,” he said, sweat beading on his forehead. “Just keep them off me.”

The sound of a door slamming open echoed through the building. At the far end of the room, shadows moved, followed by the unmistakable click of a safety release.

“They are here,” Lila hissed.

The first shot rang out, breaking the tension. I pushed Lila behind a rack as bullets sprayed across the room, sparks flying as they rebounded off metal surfaces.

“Grayson, stay down!” I shouted, returning fire.

The enforcers were well-trained, moving in coordinated manners. There were at least six of them, their dark uniforms blending with the shadows.

“We are exposed,” Lila shouted, her voice sharp with frustration.

“Not for long,” I growled, taking aim and dropping one of the enforcers with a clean shot.

Grayson was muttering something under his breath, his fingers still working furiously on the tablet.

“I’m almost done!” he yelled.

“Work faster!” I growled, my voice straining as I fired again.

Lila and I moved in tandem, covering each other as we advanced toward the exit. The enforcers were relentless, but their numbers were reducing.

Finally, Grayson echoed a triumphant shout. “It’s done! The files are uploading!”

“Good,” I said, grabbing him by the arm. “Now let’s get out of here!”

We ran toward the exit, ducking and weaving as more bullets flew past us. Lila took down another enforcer with a precise shot, her movements smooth and calculated.

The fresh air hit my skin as we burst out onto the street. But the relief was short-lived. Suddenly, a grey van screeched to a halt in front of us, blocking our path.

“Get down!” I screamed, dragging Lila and Grayson behind a parked car.

The van doors opened, and more enforcers poured out, their weapons targeted at us.

“This is getting old,” Lila muttered, her voice tight with anger.

“Tell me about it,” I said, checking my ammo.

We were outnumbered and running out of firearms, but surrender wasn’t an option.

Then, out of nowhere, a deafening explosion rocked the street. Flames engulfed the SUV, scattering the enforcers in panic.

“What the hell?” Grayson said, his eyes wide.

I looked up to see a familiar figure stepping out of the shadows, a rocket launcher slung over his shoulder.

“Reyes,” I said, barely able to believe my eyes.

“Thought you could use a hand,” he said, grinning as he tossed the launcher aside.

Reyes had been one of my father’s most trusted operatives before the syndicate tore apart his network. Seeing him now was like seeing a ghost from the past come to life.

“You have no idea,” I said, shaking his hand.

“Let’s move,” Reyes said. “I’ve got a safe place nearby. You can brief me there.”

We didn’t waste time. We disappeared into the night with Reyes leading the way, leaving the chaos behind us.

At the safe house—a dingy apartment tucked above an abandoned storefront—Reyes pulled out a map and spread it across the table.

“I’ve been tracking their movements,” he said, pointing to several marked locations. They have scheduled a meeting for tomorrow night. High-level operatives only. One hit there can eliminate half their leadership.”

“It’s risky,” Lila said, her arms crossed.

“Everything now is risky,” I said, meeting her gaze. “But this could be the breaking point we need.”

Reyes nodded. “I’ve got some firepower stashed away. Enough to level the playing field.”

“That’s nice. We move tomorrow,” I said, my voice firm.

Lila didn’t look happy, but she didn’t argue.

As I stared at the map, a sense of determination settled over me. We were finally turning the tide. The syndicate had miscalculated our strength, which would ultimately lead to their downfall.

But deep down, I knew the hardest part was still ahead.