Chapter 26

Chapter 26
We moved like shadows through the underbelly of the city, the man leading us through alleyways and forgotten paths, all the while keeping a steady pace, as though he had done this a thousand times before. He didn’t speak, didn’t give us much beyond the occasional glance over his shoulder, his eyes hidden behind the dark lenses of his mask.

I kept my distance, my mind racing. Who was he? What did he want from us? Was he really trying to help, or was this another trap—just a different flavor of the ones we’d already survived?

014, however, seemed to trust him. Or at least, she was willing to follow him. Maybe she didn’t see the same danger I did. Maybe she was just desperate. I didn’t blame her. We all were.

But I had learned that desperation could make people do dangerous things. And it had been a long time since I trusted anyone.

We came to a rusted, metal door, tucked between two crumbling buildings. The man stopped, turning to face us, his hand poised on the handle.

“Stay close,” he said, his voice low but authoritative. “No talking. No noise.”

I nodded, but my nerves were on edge. This was it—the moment where everything could fall apart. If he was leading us into a trap, we wouldn’t have a chance. The walls felt like they were closing in.

He pushed the door open, the rusty hinges groaning in protest, and ushered us inside. The air was thick with the scent of damp concrete and decay, and the only light came from a single, flickering bulb above. The walls were lined with old shelves, boxes, and crates. This place had been forgotten—abandoned long ago by everyone except the ghosts who still called it home.

“Stay here,” the man ordered, before disappearing into the darkened hallway that stretched ahead. “I’ll be back.”

014 and I exchanged a glance, but neither of us said a word. We were left alone, surrounded by the weight of our silence.

I could feel the tension building between us. It was the kind of silence that suffocated, the kind that made every sound sharper, every movement more pronounced. I moved to the far corner of the room, leaning against the wall, watching the door where he had disappeared.

014 stood beside me, her arms crossed, her posture tense. “Do you think we’re safe here?”

I exhaled slowly, pushing a strand of hair out of my face. “I don’t know. I’m not sure we can trust anyone anymore.”

“Maybe he’s our only chance,” she said, her voice low, almost resigned. “We don’t have many options left.”

I nodded. The truth stung, but it was undeniable. We were running out of choices, and time was slipping through our fingers faster than I could keep up. “I know. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let my guard down.”

The silence stretched on.

Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. It was hard to tell in the stillness, but it didn’t matter. We were trapped in the present, with no way of knowing what the future held.

Finally, the man returned, his footsteps echoing down the hall before he appeared at the door. He didn’t look at us right away—he was busy checking his surroundings, as though making sure we hadn’t been followed. When he finally met my gaze, I saw something cold in his eyes.

“You’re safe for now,” he said, his voice even, controlled. “But it’s not over. They’ll be looking for you.”

“Who are you?” I asked, my patience thinning. “And why are you helping us?”

The man didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned and walked deeper into the room, pulling open one of the crates and rummaging through it. His back was to us, but his presence still commanded the space.

“I’m someone who understands what it means to be hunted,” he said finally, his voice calm. “And I’m someone who has the means to fight back.”

He pulled out a set of equipment—straps, devices, and something that looked like a tracking system. “You need this,” he continued, turning to face us once more. “If you want to survive, you need to fight. And I’m going to give you the tools to do that.”

I stared at him, skeptical. “What do you want in return?”

He didn’t flinch, his eyes never leaving mine. “Nothing. Not yet.”

I narrowed my eyes. “That doesn’t sound like nothing.”

The man’s lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “You’ll understand soon enough. I’m not your enemy, Estela.”

I stiffened. “How do you know my name?”

The smile faded. “I know more than you think. But for now, you need to focus on surviving. They’ll be here soon.”

I glanced at 014, who looked just as confused as I felt. We both knew we couldn’t stay here forever. “What’s your plan?” I asked.

The man gestured to the equipment in front of us. “You’ll use this to stay off their radar. They won’t be able to track you if you know how to use it. But that’s only the first step. After that, we go on the offensive.”

“The offensive?” 014 repeated, her eyes widening.

“Yes,” the man said. “They’ve been watching you. Tracking you. But you can turn the tables. You just need to know where to strike.”

I was tempted to ask more questions—there were so many things I needed to know—but I could see it in his eyes. He wasn’t going to give me answers now. He was laying the groundwork for something bigger, something that would require us to trust him... at least for a little while longer.

“You’ll get the full rundown later,” he said, as though reading my mind. “Right now, take what you need. And then we move.”

He moved to the corner of the room, pulling down a map from the wall. It was covered in pins and notes, a chaotic web of connections, names, and locations.

“We don’t have much time,” he added. “They’ll be here soon. If you’re going to fight back, this is your only chance.”

I could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on me. My instincts were screaming to walk away, to refuse his help and find another way. But I knew, deep down, there was no other way. We were out of time. And for the first time in a long while, I was no longer just running.

I was ready to fight.

I nodded. “What do we do first?”

The man looked at me, the corners of his eyes sharp, his face unreadable. “We find out who’s really behind this. And then we burn them to the ground.”