Lena woke without panic.
That was the first thing that unsettled her.
The room was clean to the point of anonymity—soft light, neutral walls, a chair placed at conversational distance from the bed. No restraints. No weapons in sight. Even the air smelled filtered, deliberate. Whoever had designed this space understood something important:
Fear wasted leverage.
The door opened without sound.
Two figures entered, faces obscured behind matte-black masks—featureless, human only in outline. One taller, movements economical. The other lighter on her feet, posture sharp with impatience.
Lena sat up slowly.
"If you're going to ask my name," she said evenly, "you already know it."
The taller one spoke first. His voice was calm, precise.
"We don't want your name," he said. "We want everything else."
The woman—Nicky, though Lena could not know it—circled slightly, just enough to test reactions.
"Start with who are you?," she said. "Who has been protecting you?Who funds you? And why your shadow terrifies people who don't scare easily?"
Lena smiled faintly. Not defiant. Tired.
"You've got the wrong person."
Nicky stopped moving.
"Everyone says that."
"I'm serious," Lena replied. "I'm not what you think. I worked contract jobs before all these mess came up. Sometimes as security. Blah!blah!blah! Umm! You know, as a hustler you gotta do anything. That's it."
The taller man leaned forward just enough to matter.
"Three aliases don't happen by accident," he said. "Neither do your gaps. Neither do the men protecting you."
Lena met the blank lenses of his mask.
"Then you're smarter than this interrogation."
Silence settled.
Nicky exhaled slowly. "She's disciplined."
"Yes," her father replied. "Which means she expects pain."
Lena's eyes flickered—just once.
Nicky caught it.
"That's not Plan A," Mr. Stack continued.
"Plan A is time."
Nicky tilted her head. "And Plan B?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached out and tapped the wall panel. The room shifted—subtly. The light cooled. The hum deepened, barely audible but wrong, like pressure behind the ears.
Lena stiffened despite herself.
Nicky's voice softened.
"We're not here to hurt you."
"That's a lie," Lena said.
"No," Nicky corrected. "That's a choice. One you're making very hard for us."
They didn't touch her.
They didn't need to. But they knew what would be be best for her silent.
-----
Across the city, in a place that didn't officially exist, Finley waited in the dark until the door clicked twice.
Luke stepped inside, coat still damp from the rain that hadn't touched her side of the street.
"You shouldn't have come," he said quietly.
"I didn't have a choice," Finley replied.
"Rafferty's pushing harder. He wants me inside Hellfire despite all i went through the first time. Officially."
Luke's eyes sharpened.
"He thinks Hellfire is the key."
"He's sure of it," she said. "He doesn't care if I burn getting there."
Luke considered that. Then smiled—without warmth.
"He's not wrong."
Finley's breath caught.
"You know who owns it."
"I know enough," Luke said. "And I want confirmation."
"You're using me too," she said. Not accusing. Just stating.
"Yes," Luke replied. Honest as always. "But I'll tell you something Rafferty won't."
He stepped closer.
"Hellfire doesn't protect assets. It protects truths. If you get inside, you won't just be marked—you'll be watched by people who don't miss."
Finley swallowed.
"Then why send me back?"
"Because you already survived once," Luke said. "And because whatever's happening around Lena Skye—" he paused deliberately, watching her reaction "—is pulling the same gravity."
Finley stiffened. "Lena? Who's she? Is she missing?."
Luke nodded. "And everyone who matters is moving."I'll tell you who Lena Skye is once everything falls into motion. That's a promise."
He opened the door again. "Get hired. Stay quiet. And when Hellfire looks back at you—don't blink. My eyes will be watching you, you don't have to worry even if Mr Rafferty leaves you into a den. I'll come to your rescue"
Finley's eyes blinked twice as Mr Luke's words ring a bell to her ears. She never thought much about Lena since she knows nothing about her. She glanced at the door once, twice, took a deep breath then walked away. She watched the stars silently walking past the streets back to Mr Rafferty just to wait for the next day to face Hellfire Once more. She knew exactly what she was supposed to do just to get a chance in there. And tomorrow was the day. She has to take the risk for herself, for what she was promised.
The next day at the hospital, footage played in silence.
Moody leaned forward, knuckles white on the desk. Brine stood behind him, arms crossed, jaw locked so tight it ached. They had to work together for Lena. To find out what exactly happened.
There—three blocks out. The café. The delivery bay.
"Pause," Brine said.
Moody froze the frame.
A man crossed the camera's edge—just a sliver of profile. Older. Immaculate posture. Fingers hovering over a phone he wasn't using.
Brine's eyes narrowed. "Zoom."
The image degraded slightly—but not enough.
Moody let out a slow breath. "That's not a street player."
"No," Brine agreed. "That's ownership."
Moody rewound, watching the man's movement again. The way he didn't rush. The way the world seemed to part around him without noticing.
"I've seen him before," Moody said quietly. "
Brine turned.
Moody hesitated. Then: " Fuck! What the heck Brine. He's Nicky's Dad, Mr Stack."
Silence slammed into the room.
"Shit!Brine muttered"
"Oh the hell! Wait Zoom once more. Maybe we're wrong. There's no way he is the one." Brine continued
" See, the footages are real. He is the one. So it means...."Moody stated silently staring at him.
"The Silver Mark Group denied involvement," Brine said slowly.
"Of course they did," Moody replied. "This wasn't a grab. It was a recall."
Brine's phone buzzed. No signal. No number.
He didn't answer it.
"Then we're late," he said.
Moody stood. "Then we stop chasing noise."
Brine met his eyes.
"And create gravity. He got the wrong package this time. He doesn't know who he's messing with."
--------
Back in the quiet room, Lena finally spoke again.
"You won't get what you want this way," she said hoarsely.
Nicky leaned in close enough for Lena to feel her presence through the mask and the perfume she applied.
"We already have," she whispered. "We just haven't told you yet. For your information don't play with fire, it'll burn you to ashes."
Lena took a deep breath watching her slowly then replied.
" If you're too scared of me then take off your mask."
"No, it doesn't concern you."Nicky replied walking towards the door."
" Then don't lit the fire you can't put off, because right now, I'm only counting minutes, hopefully you get saved because you don't know who you are trying to provoke Madam bitch. They are coming for me."
"We'll see asshole." She snapped banging the door behind her.
And somewhere deep in the architecture of the city, Hellfire shifted—
not burning—
but waiting. Waiting to see who wins the war. It's just a matter of time.