Coleman: (whispering) Marcus, we can't hold out here forever. We need a plan.Marcus: (his eyes narrowing) We can’t let them corner us. Not now. Not after everything.Eva: (her voice trembling) Marcus... what if they find us?Marcus: (turning to her, his gaze softening) They won’t. I’ll get you out of here, Eva. I swear it.Eva: (eyes wide, looking at him) I believe you, Marcus.Coleman: (peeking out from behind the crates) Harris is getting cocky. We need to make our move while he's distracted.Marcus: (nodding, his voice low) We’ll split up. I’ll draw them out, you two find a way out.Eva: (grabbing Marcus's arm, her grip tight) No! I’m not leaving without you.Marcus: (his heart racing at the touch of her hand) Eva, this isn’t the time to argue.Eva: (her voice firm, unwavering) I’m not running. Not again.Coleman: (looking between them) We don't have time for this! We need to move now!Marcus: (his eyes locking with Eva’s, a deep tension building) Fine. We stay together, but you l
The next morning, the peace is short-lived. Marcus wakes up, his instincts alerting him to something wrong. He can feel the air shift—a calm before the storm. As Eva stirs beside him, the faint sound of footsteps outside the cabin pulls his attention.Marcus: (whispering urgently) Eva, wake up. Eva: (groggily) What is it?Marcus: (looking out the window, his tone serious) Someone’s coming. Eva sits up quickly, her heart racing. Coleman bursts through the door, his face tense.Coleman: (breathing heavily) We’ve got trouble. They’ve tracked us. Harris’s men... they’re coming for us.Marcus: (grabbing his gun) How many?Coleman: (grimly) Too many for a straight fight. We need to move. Now.Marcus: (glancing at Eva) We don’t have time. We’ll have to hold them off until we can make a break for it.Eva: (eyes wide) Marcus, there’s too many. You can’t fight them all.Marcus: (his voice calm, but determined) I won’t let them take you, Eva. Not after everything. Coleman: (checking his weapo
Eva’s heart pounded as she pressed her back against the rough bark of a tree. Harris, his cold smile gleaming in the dim light of the forest, was closing in. She scanned the area, desperate for a way out, but it felt like the world was caving in around her.Harris: I must admit, you and Marcus put up quite a fight. But it’s over, Eva. He’s not coming for you this time.Eva: You don’t know him. He’ll never stop coming for me.Harris: (chuckling darkly) Oh, I know Marcus better than you think. He’s probably out there bleeding to death. And once I’m done with you, I’ll make sure of it.Eva’s pulse raced, but she stood firm, eyes blazing with defiance.Eva: You won’t win, Harris. Not today.Harris’s smirk faltered for just a moment before his eyes darkened with anger.Harris: I always win. You should’ve known better than to get involved with a broken man like Marcus.Eva: You don’t get to talk about him. You don’t know what he’s been through.Harris: (stepping closer) Oh, I know plenty. A
Eva’s breath hitched as she stared at the stranger before them, the gun pointed directly at Marcus. The eerie silence in the forest was suffocating, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. Marcus kept his stance firm, shielding her, his eyes narrowing at the mysterious figure.Marcus: Who the hell are you?Stranger: Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that Harris was just the tip of the iceberg. You’ve made some enemies, Marcus. And I’m here to collect.Eva: Enemies? What does that even mean? We don’t even know you!Stranger: Oh, you will. Soon enough. Harris wasn’t the only one with a grudge. You’ve been playing in dangerous waters, Marcus, and it’s about to catch up with you.Marcus: You think a gun is going to scare me?Stranger: Oh, I’m counting on it not scaring you. But it’ll sure as hell hurt when the bullet finds its mark.Eva: This isn’t necessary! Harris is gone—whatever score you think you need to settle, it doesn’t have to be this way!Stranger: It
Washington, D.C. - 7:45 AMThe sky over Washington, D.C., was a perfect mix of blue and gold, with the early morning sun casting long shadows across the city’s iconic landmarks. The streets were alive with the hum of traffic, people hurrying to work, and tourists gathering at the National Mall. On the surface, everything seemed normal. But underneath, there was tension—a city holding its breath, waiting for the storm to hit.Inside the sleek, glass-paneled building of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), the atmosphere was anything but calm.“Everyone, listen up!” Director Richard Cole’s voice boomed through the operations room, cutting through the constant hum of computers. His sharp blue eyes scanned the room as agents quickly dropped their conversations and turned toward him. "We've intercepted another encrypted message. It confirms what we feared.""Another one?" Evelyn Hart, head of Cyber Operations, looked up from her screen, concern etched across her face. She was alrea
6 Months Earlier – Fallujah, IraqThe desert sun beat down mercilessly on the convoy, heatwaves shimmering off the rocky terrain. Inside the armored vehicle, Marcus Reed adjusted his helmet, scanning the horizon with sharp, experienced eyes. The mission briefing had been straightforward: escort high-ranking officials to a nearby base for classified talks. But something about it felt wrong to him. There was an itch at the back of his mind, a feeling that had saved his life more times than he could count.“This doesn’t sit right,” Marcus muttered under his breath, gripping the handle of his rifle tightly.Daniel Cross, his second-in-command and closest friend, glanced at him from the driver’s seat. “You’ve got that look again.”Marcus frowned. “It’s too quiet. No local traffic, no shepherds... nothing. We should’ve seen movement by now.”Daniel shrugged, trying to brush off Marcus’s concern. “Maybe it’s just one of those days.”Marcus wasn’t convinced. “No such thing. This area is alway
The cold morning air swept through the quiet streets of Arlington, Virginia. Marcus Reed stood in the corner of a dimly lit diner, his face shadowed by the brim of a baseball cap. He sipped the black coffee in front of him, though he barely tasted it. His mind was racing, flooded with the images of the betrayal he’d uncovered with Daniel’s help. The weight of his dishonorable discharge was still fresh, but now there was something else—hope. If the intel Daniel uncovered was real, there was a chance to clear his name.A chance, but at what cost?He had been sitting there for an hour, waiting. The door to the diner opened with a soft jingle of the bell, and he glanced up. His heart gave a jolt when he saw her. Evelyn Torres walked in, her sharp brown eyes scanning the room before they settled on him. Dressed in a leather jacket, with dark hair falling around her face, she exuded confidence and determination. As their eyes met, Marcus felt the familiar pull. She had always been there, ev
The sound of a distant car horn pierced the silence of Marcus Reed’s small apartment. He sat on the edge of his bed, his hands clutching his temples as the waves of pain subsided. It had been months since his accident, but the sharp, electric shocks that ran through his body were becoming more frequent. At first, he had dismissed them as aftereffects of the injury, but now, things were different. This wasn’t just pain—it was something else, something strange.The first time he noticed it was a week ago. He had been walking down the street, trying to clear his head, when he felt the same electric pulse in his chest. At that moment, time seemed to slow, and before he knew it, his hand had reached out—instinctively grabbing a coffee cup that a passerby had dropped several feet away. His reflexes had been impossibly fast, like he had known the cup was falling before it even happened.But that wasn’t the only thing.His mind had started calculating things he had never cared to think about.