Chapter 34:The Edge Of Treachery

As the dried beads of sweat around his mouth broke free, the twinge of pain in his back turned to numbness under the new morning's light. It was tense inside the air, every person on the team sensitive but a little bit lazy. Their breath was calmed, their hearts tick, each feeling with their form the weight of what was about to transpire.

James pressed himself to the door, fingers hovering over the chill of his weapon, thoughts spiraling through every worst case he could think of. The buyer was on standby, but something about the situation seemed off. The Syndicate had eyes everywhere, and James had known for a long time that nothing was ever as it appeared. There was always a catch.

Lina was carefully stuffing the hard drive into an armored pouch, all drawn and tight with worry. She looked at James and spoke softly, as if to herself. "What if this is a trap? What if they've been observing us all along?"

James looked at her, holding her eye. "We'll find out soon enough. But if we don't take this risk, we're back to where we started. And that means the Syndicate wins."

The silence in the room was heavy. They didn't speak, but the room was filling with thoughts far more powerful than words. Then they had to leave so much behind. But in the back of James's head, there was a nagging doubt how much longer could they keep outrunning it? How long before the Syndicate found them?

It was Sarah, who had been watching by the window. "We're not prepared to go toe to toe with them. Not yet. But this could be our break."

James nodded. "Exactly. This is our chance. We have to take the buyer at their word. We don't have a choice."

Lina heaved a sigh, fiddling with the strap of her bag. "I only hope that it's not too late."

With that, they were ready. They rushed down the tight corridors of the crumbling building, eyes darting for any signs of motion. They emerged, the sun now completely up, painting the lonely ground a mottled shade of gold. It was a sharp departure from the heaviness in the air.

They hopped in the car and the engine roared as they took off towards their destination. Everyone was quiet on the drive, caught up in his or her own thoughts. The streets were almost deserted, the world blissfully unaware of the coming storm.

A crumbling warehouse on the fringe of the city was the meeting point. The most crumbling of these buildings had walls rusted and decayed. But it was an ideal spot for a clandestine rendezvous. Far from prying eyes, but close enough for a quick getaway.

A few blocks away, James brought the car to a halt and signaled the team to watch themselves. "Stay sharp," he ordered. "We don't know who we're up against here. Trust no one."

The team scattered, spreading out around the warehouse. Wren remained on a nearby rooftop, cloaked in shadow with a sniper-rifle trained on the area. Hassan and Sarah took point, trailing a few feet behind each other while scanning the area ahead for movement.

The first thing Lina did was to look around cautiously, but James held her back gently. They arrived at the side door, which was open a crack. James opened it with a creak, the door dragging across the floor echoing through the still morning air.

Inside, the warehouse felt dark and stuffy, the air heavy with the smell of mildew and rot. All that could be heard was the distant ping of falling water. James's heart raced as the tension grew with every step they made.

It was Lina's voice breaking the silence. "Do you hear that?"

James raised a hand to silence the raucous crowd. There was a faint noise of footsteps coming from the far end of the warehouse.

"They're here," James whispered.

They crept, clawing at the dark until they were closer to the cacophony. As they turned that corner, he caught sight of the figure beside a stack of crates. A man, towering and intimidating, his face hidden among the shadows. But James knew everything he needed to know and more by the unmistakable silhouette of a Syndicate member.

Before James had a chance to respond, the man said.

"You're late."

Lina stiffened, but James surged forward, his voice controlled. "We're here now. Where's the buyer?"

The man laughed darkly, emerging into the light. They were wearing the same tactical gear and equipment as the soldiers they had battled in the building, with cold and calculating eyes.

"Buyer?" the man sneered. "I am the buyer. You really thought it was going to be that easy?"

James's pulse quickened. His instincts shouted at him, but he stayed calm. "You're the Syndicate. This was a setup."

The man shrugged, smiling wryly. "You really should've known better than to trust anybody in this game. But it doesn't matter now. You're all dead anyway."

James knew he was being set up; it was a classic entrapment, the words stinging as they hit him like a slap in the face, but there was no time to react because gunfire erupted from the other side of the warehouse. Unprepared, Hassan and Sarah shot back, but the enemy's ambush was too much.

"Fall back!" James yelled, pulling Lina down to safety. But the Syndicate soldiers were closing in quickly, and the escape route they had planned was already compromised.

"Get to the car!" James ordered. "We fight our way out!"

The team regrouped and fired on the rampaging Syndicate soldiers. Gunshots echoed around the warehouse, an angry symphony of violence. They were outnumbered, but they were not going down without a fight.

Françoise kept the drive pressed into James' palm and stuck close to him, eyes round with fear but determination just the same. They had no choice now. They needed to get away, and they had to get away quickly.

As they walked toward the exit, the warehouse felt like it was closing in on them. The enemy was everywhere, trapping them in a deadly Game, cutting off their escape routes. James's mind was spinning as he ran through the options. They weren't able to fight their way through. The Syndicate was stronger than that, more entrenched.

But they could still win. All they had to do was last long enough to trick them.

As the enemy advanced through the warehouse, the team made a bloody stand, fighting tooth and nail to hold them off. It was a vicious battle, and each step felt like the walls were crushing closer towards him, squeezing the life out of him; James could feel the end of it, a fate that rested on a very fine thread of existence.

Finally they got to the back door, but it was locked. All they could hear was the sound of the Syndicate coming for them.

"We have to break through," Sarah said, her voice breaking. She was already at work on the lock, her fingers fast and methodical.

James looked back, his head spinning. It was too close to the exit, but they were never going to arrive on time unless something shifted.

And that's when it happened.

A single, well-aimed shot echoed down from the heights. The soldier on guard at the exit had been shot and killed, as Wren had squeezed off the round. We were already at the door when it swung open.

"Move!" James yelled, propelling Lina and the others through the door.

They ran to the car that was already waiting for them, the last shots still echoing in their ears. Each step felt like a race against time, a fight for survival.

When slipping into the car, James's mind was already running ahead. They'd gotten out, but the war was just beginning. The Syndicate would come for them again and next time would be worse.

But for now, they were alive. And that was enough.