The eerie silence of the abandoned factory was shattered only by the soft shuffle of footsteps. Sam could feel her heart pounding in her chest as her senses sharpened. She was used to this — the adrenaline, the tension, the danger. But tonight, something felt different. She wasn't just hunting Raymond; she was also being hunted.
As she scanned the dimly lit room, her mind raced. There have been too many surprises lately — too many unexpected players entering the game. And now, as the shadows shifted, another surprise emerged.
A figure stepped out of the shadows, and Sam's stomach dropped. She immediately recognized her — **Isabella**. Once her trusted partner in law enforcement, Isabella had disappeared without a trace years ago. Now, here she was, armed and dangerous, working for The Broker.
**"Isabella?"** Sam's voice cracked slightly, the shock clear in her tone.
The woman before her looked as cold and calculating as ever. Her sharp features were illuminated briefly by the flickering overhead lights, and Sam could see the faint smirk on her face.
**"Sam,"** Isabella greeted her casually, as if they were old friends meeting for a drink. **"I always knew we'd run into each other again. Just never thought it would be like this."**
Sam tensed, her grip on her gun tightening. She hadn't seen Isabella in years, and now she understood why. Isabella had switched sides — she was working for The Broker, and her target was none other than Sam.
**"I thought you were dead,"** Sam muttered, her voice low and cautious.
**"Dead?"** Isabella chuckled, shaking her head. **"No, Sam. Far from it. I've just been… working for someone who appreciates my skills a bit more than the law ever did."**
Before Sam could react, Isabella lunged, her movements swift and precise. Sam barely had time to raise her arms in defense before Isabella's fist connected with her rib cage, knocking the wind out of her. The fight had begun.
---
**Across the room, Lily and Mike were facing their own battle.** Two of Isabella's men had entered the fray, and they were not holding back.
Lily, quick on her feet, dodged a punch aimed at her head and countered with a sharp kick to the attacker's knee. The man stumbled, but he quickly regained his balance and swung at her again, this time with a knife in hand.
**"Mike, behind you!"** Lily shouted as the second man lunged at Mike with a crowbar.
Mike, though not as skilled in combat, managed to duck just in time. **"I'm not cut out for this!"** he yelled, scrambling to grab a makeshift weapon — a rusted metal pipe lying nearby.
Lily's eyes narrowed as she faced off against the man with the knife. She wasn't about to let these thugs take them down. With a swift movement, she disarmed the man, knocking the knife from his hand and delivering a powerful punch to his jaw. He went down hard, his head hitting the concrete floor with a thud.
Mike, now armed with the pipe, swung wildly at the second man, managing to land a hit on his shoulder. The man grunted in pain but quickly retaliated, grabbing the pipe and yanking it from Mike's grip.
**"Help!"** Mike called out, clearly struggling against the stronger opponent.
Lily, having already subdued her attacker, turned her attention to Mike. With a running start, she tackled the man from behind, sending both of them crashing to the ground. The man groaned, trying to push her off, but Lily was relentless, landing blow after blow until he stopped moving.
**"Are you good?"** Lily asked, breathing heavily as she stood and offered Mike a hand.
**"I think so,"** Mike replied, still panting from the adrenaline. **"This was not part of the plan."**
---
**Back in the center of the factory, Sam and Isabella's fight continued with brutal intensity.** Every punch, every kick was fueled by years of betrayal and unresolved tension.
**"Why, Isabella?"** Sam grunted, dodging a roundhouse kick aimed at her head. **"Why work for The Broker?"**
Isabella didn't answer right away, instead launching another flurry of attacks. Sam barely had time to block, her muscles screaming in protest at the effort. Isabella was good — better than Sam remembered. Years of working, on the other hand, had clearly honed her skills.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Sam managed to land a solid punch to Isabella's stomach, causing her to double over in pain. Taking advantage of the moment, Sam grabbed Isabella's wrist, twisting it until the gun she had been holding clattered to the ground.
**"It's survival, Sam,"** Isabella spat, breathing heavily. **"The law? Justice? It's all a lie. Out here, it's kill or be killed. The broker gave me a way out."**
**"You had a choice!"** Sam snapped, her voice filled with anger. **"You didn't have to be that."**
Isabella glared at her, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. **"You were always too naive, Sam. Thinking there's a right side to all of this. But you'll learn. Sooner or later, you'll learn."**
The fight wasn't over yet. Isabella, despite being weakened, made one last desperate attempt to overpower Sam. But Sam was faster. With a swift, well-timed move, she tackled Isabella to the ground, pinning her down.
"Tell me,"** Sam demanded, her voice ice-cold. **"What's The Broker planning next?"**
Isabella struggled beneath her, her face contorted in pain, but she knew she had lost.
"Fine,"** she hissed, her breath ragged. "You want to know? The broker's set a trap for you. He's expecting you, Sam. He's always one step ahead. You're already walking into it."**
Sam's heart raced as Isabella's words sank in. A trap. The broker had known all along that she was coming for him. And now, he was ready.
Sam felt the weight of exhaustion settling into her limbs, but she couldn't stop now. With a final surge of strength, she lunged forward and delivered a hard blow to Isabella's side, sending her crashing to the ground. The thud echoed through the warehouse, and Isabella's body went still. Sam stood over her, chest heaving, as she bent down to check her pulse. Unconscious — but alive.
"Lily! Mike!" Sam called out, her voice hoarse from the fight. She waited, listening for any signs of life from the other room. For a moment, there was nothing but silence, and her stomach twisted with worry.
"Lily! Mike, answer me!" she shouted again, louder this time.
After a few tense seconds, a voice came back, faint but clear. "We're here! Just give us a sec!"
Relief flooded through Sam as she heard them approaching. Moments later, Lily and Mike emerged from the doorway, both looking worse for wear. Mike was clutching his side, breathing heavily, while Lily wiped blood from a cut on her forehead.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked, her eyes scanning them both for serious injuries.
"Barely," Mike muttered, wincing as he leaned against the wall. "If it wasn't for Lily, I'd be dead right now. That guy almost got me."
Lily gave a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "We handled it. What about you? Did you get anything out of her?"
Sam nodded grimly, her gaze shifting to Isabella's unconscious form. "Yeah. She cracked. The broker set a trap. He's expecting me. We've been playing into his hands this whole time."
Lily's face paled, her hand tightening into a fist. "A trap? Are you serious? He's known this entire time?"
"Looks like it," Sam said. "Isabella confirmed it right before she went down."
Mike shook his head, clearly disturbed. "That's bad. Real bad. If The Broker's one step ahead of us, we're walking straight into whatever he's got planned." He took a deep breath, wincing as he did. "I hate to bail on you guys, but I need medical attention. That last hit... it was bad. Lily really saved me."
Sam gave him a nod, her expression softening slightly. "Go. Get yourself patched up. We'll figure out the next step."
Mike gave a weak smile. "Thanks. Good luck with… whatever's next." With that, he carefully limped out of the warehouse, leaving Sam and Lily alone in the eerie quiet.
The moment he was gone, Sam turned to Lily, her eyes hardening once more. "We can't stay here. The longer we do, the more dangerous it gets."
Lily nodded in agreement, though the weight of the situation hung heavily between them. "Let's get out of h
ere before more of The Broker's people show up."
Without another word, they headed for the door, leaving the warehouse behind, the tension of their next inevitable move lingering in the air.