CHAPTER 6: EMBERS OF RESISTANCE
Scene 1: Safehouse Arrival
The stolen transport rumbled to a stop outside a weathered cabin deep in the Louisiana bayou. The night was thick with the scent of damp earth and moss, but to Maya, it smelled like survival.
Hawthorne was the first to jump out, scanning the surroundings with his rifle. “No signs of pursuit, for now.”
Maya climbed out, with the heat of battle still thrumming beneath her skin. The rescued test subjects staggered behind her, weak but alive. She could feel their exhaustion, their flames barely flickering.
“We need to get them inside,” she said.
Hawthorne agreed. “I’ll check the perimeter. You get them settled.”
Maya led the group into the safehouse. It was simple—old furniture, dim lanterns, and a fireplace that hadn’t seen flames in years. But it was safe.
For now.
Scene 2: Damage Assessment
Maya moved between the survivors, checking wounds. The young man who had been shot, Lucas, was pale but stable. The others sat in silence, with haunted eyes.
She knelt beside Lucas, pressing a cloth to his wound. “How do you feel?”
His voice was hoarse. “Like I got shot.”
Maya forced a smile, but her heart ached. These people weren’t soldiers. They were victims. And now they are fugitives, just like her.
She sat back, exhaling. “We need a plan.”
One of the women, Nadia, looked up. “Wallace won’t stop. He’ll hunt us forever.”
Maya looked at her. “Then we make sure he never gets the chance.”
Scene 3: Hawthorne’s Intel
Hawthorne returned an hour later, carrying a small satellite laptop. He dropped it onto the cabin table. “Found this in the transport. It’s encrypted, but if I can break it—”
“We will get Wallace’s next move,” Maya finished.
He agreed. “If he’s ramping up operations, we need to be ahead of him.”
Maya clenched her fists. “We don’t have the numbers to take him on directly.”
“Maybe not,” Hawthorne admitted. “But we can disrupt him.”
Maya stared at the laptop, flames were curling at her fingertips.
She was done running.
Scene 4: The Message
They hacked into Ember’s network by morning. Hawthorne worked on the keys, muttering curses under his breath.
Then, came success.
A live feed opened, showing Wallace in a high-security facility. He was speaking to an unseen figure.
“We’ve lost the Louisiana site,” he admitted, sounding irritated. “But we still have other assets. The trials continue.”
Maya’s blood ran cold.
Other sites, more people being experimented on, more fires waiting to be lit.
Wallace continued. “Increase security. If Maya’s alive, she’ll come for us. And when she does…” He smirked. “She’ll be our final test subject.”
Hawthorne shut the laptop. “Well, that’s not ominous.”
Maya exhaled slowly. “Then let’s give him what he wants.”
Scene 5: The Decision
The survivors gathered around as Maya explained. “We can’t hide. If we do, Wallace wins. We have to hit Ember where it hurts.”
Lucas winced but nodded. “We’re in.”
Hawthorne frowned. “You’re talking about going to war.”
Maya looked at her. “What else is there?”
He sighed, “Fine. But we need resources, intel, allies.”
Maya turned to the survivors. “Do any of you know where Ember’s other sites are?”
Nadia hesitated. “I… I think I do.”
Maya’s heart pounded. “Then we start from there.”
Scene 6: The Road to War
By nightfall, they had build up a plan.
Hawthorne secured an old van, and they loaded up supplies—food, weapons, whatever they could scavenge. Maya sat in the back, staring at the laptop.
Wallace’s words haunted her.
She wasn’t just a threat to him. She was a target.
Hawthorne glanced in the rearview mirror. “Are you ready for this?”
Maya let her fire flicker in her palm.
“More than ever.”
Scene 7: The First Strike
They reached the next Ember site—a processing hub near Houston. It was smaller than the Louisiana facility, but no less dangerous.
Maya and Hawthorne scouted the perimeter. Armed guards patrolled the gates, while drones circled above.
Hawthorne whispered, “Too many to fight head-on.”
Maya smirked. “Who said anything about fighting fair?”
She raised a hand. Fire coiled around her fingers, then surged outward, igniting a fuel station near the entrance.
Alarms screamed and chaos erupted.
Maya grinned. “Let’s go.”
Scene 8: Rescue and Retribution
Inside, Ember workers scrambled to contain the fire.
Maya and Hawthorne moved fast, taking down guards and unlocking containment cells. More test subjects, who are weak, scared, but alive.
“We’re getting you out,” Maya promised.
Some hesitated. Others reached for her, with fire flickering in their palms.
They weren’t just survivors. They were fighters.
And they weren’t alone anymore.
Scene 9: The Showdown
As they escaped, an Ember security team blocked the exit.
Maya stepped forward. “Move.”
The lead soldier smirked. “Or what?”
Maya’s fire exploded.
The ground cracked. The air shimmered with heat.
The guards hesitated—then ran.
Maya exhaled, and the fire dimmed.
Hawthorne whistled. “Remind me never to piss you off.”
Scene 10: The Rising Storm
They drove through out the night, the rescued test subjects huddled together.
Maya sat beside Hawthorne, watching the flames still burning in the distance.
“This isn’t over,” she said.
Hawthorne agreed. “No, it’s just beginning.”
Maya closed her eyes, as the fire warmed her skin.
Wallace had started this war.
She would end it.