A Very Lucky Man (Part 2)

A Very Lucky Man (Part 2)
The scent of burning metal and chemicals filled the lab, mixing with the sharp tang of sweat and gunpowder. The alarm blared in sharp, deafening pulses, red emergency lights flashing wildly as the countdown ticked closer to zero.

Fifty seconds.

"We need to move!" Elijah barked, voice cutting through the chaos.

The lab was falling apart.

Red emergency lights pulsed wildly, casting jagged shadows over broken equipment and bodies sprawled across the floor. The alarms screeched, blending with the shouts and gunfire echoing from deeper inside the facility.

Shane ducked as a soldier swung at him, the air whistling past his ear. He twisted, bringing up his arm to block the next hit, then drove his knee into the guy’s gut. The soldier gasped, stumbling back, but Shane didn’t let up—he slammed his fist into the man’s jaw, sending him crashing into a workstation.

The sound of glass shattering barely registered before another one came at him.

Shane stepped aside just in time to dodge a baton swinging toward his ribs. The soldier’s momentum threw him off balance for a second, and Shane used it—grabbing his arm, twisting it behind his back, and shoving him forward. The man slammed into a metal cabinet with a dull thud.

“Shane, move your ass!” Lucas’s voice crackled through his earpiece. “Fifty seconds!”

Shane turned, ready to bolt—

But a gun cocked behind him.

He froze.

A soldier stood just a few feet away, weapon aimed right at him. Shane knew he couldn’t fire back—not with the chemicals surrounding them. One wrong shot, and the whole place would go up in flames.

He kept his hands loose at his sides, shifting his weight slightly.

“Put it down,” Shane said evenly.

The soldier’s finger twitched on the trigger.

Then, before he could react, Shane moved.

He dove forward, knocking the barrel aside just as the shot fired. The bullet slammed into the ceiling, sending a shower of sparks raining down. Shane grabbed the gunman’s wrist, twisting hard enough to make him cry out, then yanked him into a brutal headbutt.

The soldier staggered, dazed, and Shane wrenched the gun from his grip. Instead of firing, he flipped it around and cracked the butt of it against the guy’s temple. The soldier crumpled.

Shane barely had time to catch his breath before another one charged.

He met the attack head-on.

The soldier threw a punch, but Shane caught his arm, using his own momentum to hurl him over his shoulder. The man hit the ground hard. Shane followed up with a sharp kick to the ribs, making sure he stayed down.

More footsteps pounded toward him.

Shane grabbed a metal pipe from the wreckage beside him and turned just in time to meet the next attacker.

The first soldier swung—a fast, precise strike aimed for Shane’s head. He ducked, then countered with a hard jab to the stomach. The man grunted, stumbling back, but Shane didn’t stop. He brought the pipe up in a wide arc and slammed it across the soldier’s face. The crack of impact echoed through the lab as the man collapsed.

Another one came from his left. Shane shifted, dodging a wild swing before driving his elbow into the guy’s ribs. The soldier gasped, doubling over, and Shane followed up with a sharp knee to the chin. The man dropped like a stone.

“Forty seconds!” Lucas shouted in his ear.

Shane exhaled hard, his chest burning.

Then, just as he turned—

A hand clamped around his throat.

He gasped as he was yanked backward, feet barely touching the ground. A soldier, bigger than the rest, had him in an iron grip, his fingers crushing Shane’s windpipe.

Shane struggled, kicking wildly, but the man was too strong. His vision blurred at the edges.

Then—

A gunshot rang out.

The grip on his throat vanished.

Shane dropped to his knees, coughing hard, his throat raw. He looked up to see the soldier crumpling to the ground, a bullet hole between his eyes.

Trinity stood on the catwalk above, rifle still raised.

Shane blinked. “Oh. Thanks.”

Trinity tilted her head. “I was aiming for you.”

Shane stared at her.

She didn’t blink.

Then—

Lucas’s voice cut through the comms. “Doors are open! Run.”

Shane didn’t hesitate.

He bolted.

Thirty seconds.

The team scrambled, trying to find their way out. Lucas’s voice crackled over the radio. "Not to rush you guys or anything, but I’ve got twenty soldiers heading your way. That’s two-zero in case you think I’m exaggerating."

"Shit," Aaron muttered. "We can’t take that many. Not with this countdown."

Elias's voice was calm when he spoke. Too calm. "Then I’ll stay behind."

Everyone froze.

Aaron turned to see Novak step forward, hands reaching for the pulse bomb strapped to his vest. Before Aaron could stop him, Elias had snatched the bomb from his grasp.

"The hell you will," Thompson snapped, moving toward him. "Give it back."

Elias didn’t flinch. "It’s for the best. I’ll only slow you down anyway."

Thompson’s jaw clenched as he reached for the bomb. "Not happening."

Novak pulled back just out of reach. His eyes met Thompson’s, steady and unwavering. "Let me do this, Tom."

Thompson’s hands curled into fists. "You don’t—"

Lucas's voice pierced Thompson's ear. "Doors are open. You all need to find a way out. NOW."

Elijah placed a hand on Thompson’s shoulder. "General, we really need to go."

"Like hell we do!" Thompson snapped, shrugging Elijah off. "We’re not leaving him here!"

Elias's lips twitched into a faint smirk. "Yes, you are."

Twenty seconds.

Lucas’s voice came over the comms. "The soldiers heading your way are coming in hot. Seriously. You guys need to leave. NOW. I mean it, they're only ten seconds out."

Elias stepped back toward the hallway, toward the approaching soldiers. "I’ll wait. Kill two birds with one stone." He glanced at the countdown and then at Thompson, a grim smile on his face. "Or twenty." He said again.

Thompson surged forward, but Elijah grabbed him, yanking him back. "We have to go!"

Thompson struggled against his grip. "Damn it, Elias—"

Elias turned, looking back one last time. His gaze found Thompson’s.

"I’m a very lucky man, Tom," he said, his voice breaking but slow. "Lucky because I met you."

Then he ran.

Thompson didn’t even get the chance to yell before the explosion ripped through the lab.

Flames roared forward, racing toward them. Elijah hauled Thompson back, shouting something he couldn’t hear over the deafening blast. The heat seared against his skin as they sprinted through the open doors, the fire licking at their heels.

Then the lab was gone.

The force of the explosion sent them sprawling. The ground rumbled beneath them, and for a moment, all Thompson could hear was a high-pitched ringing.

And then silence.

The night sky loomed overhead, the cold air biting at his skin. The others were moving, voices distant, but Thompson didn’t look at them. His gaze was locked on the burning ruins of the lab.

Elias was gone.



The command center was quiet.

The usual chatter was gone. No jokes. No complaints. Just the dull hum of computer monitors and the faint sound of bags being zipped.

The Greek squad was preparing to leave. Their mission was over.

"So what, we just wait? That's it?" Trinity asked, grabbing her bag as well.

"Results from testing the formula would take weeks or months, Trinity. You know the drill. We'll just have to hang on and hope we got the only dose in existence." Elijah continued.

"And that Elias died for nothing."

Elijah nodded and pulled the strap of his duffel bag over his shoulder before turning and walking to Hera, who was busy taking off her heavy gear. "You know, you’re not half bad."

Hera smirked. "Funny, I still haven’t made up my mind about you."

Elijah chuckled. "See you around, Snow."

"You too, Kane," Hera replied.

Across the room, Lucas moved to Aaron and handed him a card.

Aaron frowned, taking it. "You have a complimentary card?"

Lucas shrugged. "Was bored one day, so I made ‘em. It’s funny just how many premium graphics you can get with the CIA’s computer network."

Aaron flipped it over, noting the number on the back.

Lucas leaned in slightly. "You can call me if you ever want to talk code. Or hack into some building." He paused, then smirked. "Or if you wanna get dinner. I know a lot of good places around DC"

Aaron swallowed.

"I'm good with lunch too. Whatever you prefer."

Aaron remained speechless. A sight he was sure Lucas greatly enjoyed from the lingering smile on his face.

Lucas finally broke the silence and patted him on the shoulder. "See you around, Johnson." He winked before turning away.

Aaron stared at the card.

Hera caught his eye from across the room, a knowing look resting on her face.

"Don't you even." Aaron said.

Hera raised her hands, shrugging.



Thompson sat at the bar, staring at his drink.

Jerome leaned against the counter beside him, arms crossed. "You gonna tell me what’s up?"

Thompson exhaled slowly. "You were right."

Jerome blinked. "About what?"

"There are some things I need to work out."

Jerome nodded, as if he’d been expecting that. "Good."

Thompson glanced at him. "Good?"

"Yeah," Jerome said. "Because I know a therapist. Dr. Talia Drake. I’ll set up a session with her."

Thompson’s lips pressed into a thin line.

Jerome narrowed his eyes. "Tom."

Thompson sighed. "It’s just therapy."

"Exactly." Jerome answered.

Thompson lifted his glass, taking a long sip. "What’s the worst that could happen?"