AFTER ASHES

One Month Later – Location: Classified Safehouse

Evelyn: "I still can’t believe it. Marcus... gone."

She sat on the edge of a small wooden table, looking out the window. Her eyes were red, the fatigue visible on her face.

Thomas: "He made the ultimate sacrifice, Evelyn. We owe him everything."

Thomas’s voice was hoarse, and his hands trembled as he lit a cigarette, taking a long drag.

Evelyn: "It doesn’t feel real. One minute we were yelling at him to run... the next..."

She paused, her voice cracking.

Thomas: "He saved millions. There’s no bigger legacy than that."

A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of Evelyn tapping her fingers nervously against the table.

Evelyn: "Did you ever think... maybe we could have done something differently? Maybe... we missed something."

Her voice was filled with guilt, her words lingering in the air.

Thomas: "You can’t think like that. Marcus made his choice. It was the only way."

Thomas’s voice was firm, but deep down, he too struggled with the same questions.

Evelyn: "I just keep replaying that moment... the explosion. It’s like I can still hear it."

She looked down at the table, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Thomas: "I know. I hear it too. Every damn night."

Suddenly, a soft knock echoed through the room. Both Thomas and Evelyn tensed up, exchanging wary glances.

Evelyn (whispering): "Who could that be?"

Thomas: "I’ll check."

He cautiously approached the door, his hand resting on the gun holstered at his side. Slowly, he opened it.

Voice from the shadows: "Is this how you greet an old friend, Thomas?"

A figure stepped forward into the dim light.

Evelyn (gasping): "No... it can’t be."

Thomas (eyes wide): "Marcus?!"

His voice was barely above a whisper, disbelief and shock written all over his face.

Marcus Reed stood before them, alive, though scarred and worn from his ordeal. His hair was longer, his face rough with a scruffy beard, and his eyes carried a weight of exhaustion.

Evelyn: "But... we thought..."

She stumbled over her words, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

Marcus (smiling faintly): "Thought I was dead, didn’t you?"

He stepped inside, leaning against the wall as if the effort of standing was almost too much.

Thomas (in disbelief): "How? How did you survive the explosion? We saw the whole place blow up!"

Marcus (with a weak chuckle): "Let’s just say I had a little help. Some old friends decided they weren’t done with me yet."

Evelyn: "Old friends? What are you talking about? We searched everywhere, Marcus. We didn’t find any trace of you."

Marcus winced slightly as he shifted his weight, clearly still recovering from injuries.

Marcus: "I was pulled out at the last second. An underground group... they’ve been watching us for years. They wanted me alive, for reasons I still don’t fully understand."

Thomas: "You’re telling me a secret organization saved you? Why would they do that?"

Marcus: "That’s what I’m trying to figure out."

His voice grew darker, more serious. "They didn’t save me out of kindness. They have their own agenda. And they want something from me... something I’m not sure I can give."

Evelyn: "Marcus... we thought you were dead for weeks. Why didn’t you contact us?"

Marcus: "They wouldn’t let me. I’ve been kept in a secure facility, cut off from the world. I just managed to get out."

Thomas: "You escaped? From them?"

Marcus: "Barely. They underestimated me, thought I was too weak after the explosion. I took my chance and ran."

Evelyn: "But why now? Why come back to us?"

Marcus: "Because whatever this group is planning... it’s big. They know about Kane, they know about the bioweapons, and they know about the system I used to disarm them. And they want control of it."

Thomas: "Control of the system? But you deactivated it. It’s gone, right?"

Marcus: "Not exactly. The system isn’t as simple as I thought. There’s more to it than just a weapon disarmament code. It’s part of something much bigger. Something they’ve been working on for decades."

Evelyn: "So, they saved you because they want to use you for something? But why now?"

Marcus: "Because they believe I’m the key to unlocking the rest of the system. And if they get their hands on it... we’re all in danger."

A tense silence filled the room as Evelyn and Thomas absorbed what Marcus was saying.

Thomas: "What do we do now?"

Marcus: "We prepare. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot."

Evelyn: "You think they’ll come for you?"

Marcus: "They already have. It’s only a matter of time before they try again. And this time, they won’t stop until they get what they want."

Thomas: "We need to move. Now. If they know where you are, they’ll be here soon."

Marcus: "It’s not just me they’re after. They’ll come for anyone who knows about the system. Anyone who’s connected to this."

His eyes locked onto Evelyn and Thomas. "That means you two."

Evelyn (nervously): "We’re targets too?"

Marcus: "I’m sorry, but yes. You helped me, and that makes you a threat to them. We need to stay one step ahead, or we’re all dead."

Thomas: "So where do we go?"

Marcus: "I know a place. It’s off the grid, but we’ll have to move fast. They won’t give us much time."

Evelyn: "How long do you think we have?"

Marcus (grimly): "Not long enough."

Suddenly, the sound of a car screeching outside broke the tense atmosphere. The three of them exchanged a glance.

Thomas (pulling his gun): "We’re not alone."

Marcus: "Looks like they found me sooner than I thought."

Evelyn: "We need to get out of here!"

She grabbed her gear, moving quickly to the back door.

Marcus: "No. We fight."

Thomas: "Fight? Against who? We don’t even know how many there are!"

Marcus: "We don’t have a choice. If we run now, they’ll follow. We end this here."

His voice was steady, determined.

Evelyn: "But Marcus, you’re not fully healed yet. You can’t—"

Marcus: "I don’t have to be at full strength to take them down. I’ve fought worse."

The door burst open, and several armed men stormed in, guns raised.

Leader of the group: "Marcus Reed. You’re coming with us."

Marcus (smirking): "I don’t think so."

With lightning speed, Marcus grabbed a gun from the table and fired at the men. Bullets whizzed through the air as chaos erupted inside the room. Evelyn and Thomas took cover, returning fire as the fight intensified.

Thomas (shouting over the gunfire): "We’re outnumbered, Marcus!"

Marcus (calmly): "Doesn’t matter. We’re getting out of here."

As the firefight raged on, Marcus’s mind raced. He knew this was just the beginning. The group that had saved him was more powerful than he had imagined, and now they were coming for him with everything they had.

But he wasn’t going down without a fight.

Evelyn (yelling): "We need a plan!"

Marcus: "I’ve got one. But you’re not going to like it."

Thomas: "What is it?"

Marcus: "We let them take me."

His voice was calm, almost too calm for the situation.

Evelyn (horrified): "What? Are you insane?"

Marcus: "It’s the only way. I’ll buy you time to get away. Once they take me, I’ll figure out where their base is. Then you can come after me."

Thomas (angry): "That’s suicide!"

Marcus (firmly): "It’s the only way. Trust me."

The room fell silent as the decision hung in the air.