Escape – Walk Away from the Explosion
The wind whipped against Vince's face as the motorbike screamed down the highway, cutting through the air like a blade. His knuckles were white on the handlebars, his eyes hard and narrowed beneath the shadow of his helmet. But behind those cold, calculating eyes… chaos. A storm of guilt, dread, and something far more dangerous : determination.
"What did I get them into?"
"Will Curl really go through with it? Will he…"
He shook his head violently. No time for thoughts. No time for fear.
He glanced at the watch strapped to his wrist—30 minutes.
"Just hang on. I'm coming."
20 minutes later
The engine's roar died as Vince slid the bike into a sharp stop in the parking lot. The tires screeched, leaving black scars on the concrete. He jumped off, his boots hitting the ground like thunderclaps. Every movement screamed urgency. He didn't lock the bike. He didn't look back.
Through the glass doors. Down the corridor.
Left.
Past the flickering light.
To the headquarters.
His breath was steady, but his heart raced.
Meanwhile, inside the headquarters—
Curl sat hunched over his phone, the screen glowing with the GPS tracker still pinned to Vince. 7 minutes. He leaned back, exhaling slowly. Everyone else : Lindo, Suvesh, Kgotso, Thando—waited in tense silence.
Then—boom.
A heavy rumble rolled down the hallway like a beast waking from slumber. Dust trickled from the ceiling. Heads snapped toward the sound. Eyes widened.
The door burst open.
Smoke behind him. Darkness at his back.
And Vince… stood in the doorway.
His silhouette cut through the fog. His coat fluttered. His gaze? Cold. Piercing. Unapologetically bold.
"Am I late?" he smirked, stepping inside.
"An intriguing question," Thando folded her arms. "Now tell us—did you risk everything? Your friends' lives? For what, Vince?"
Vince didn't even flinch. "As much as I'd love to entertain your lectures, I've got no time. If you want to kill them, go ahead. But know this—among the three, there's one with a mind sharper than yours. Suvesh gave me something… precious. So killing him? Would be like smashing a diamond with a brick just to see it crack."
Curl leaned forward, intrigued. "What are you implying?"
Vince held up a USB drive, gleaming faintly in the dim light. "Right here—evidence. Names. A complete list of my parents' killers. But that's not all. Thanks to Suvesh, we now know the government is onto us. They know everything."
Thando scoffed, "The government? Please—paranoia doesn't suit you."
"I don't give a damn what suits me!" Vince snapped, turning his full attention to her. "In a few days, they'll burn this place to the ground, with or without your belief. And when that happens, you'll wish you listened."
"Hmph. You sure?" Thando raised a brow.
"You want proof?" Vince sneered. "Let me fill you in, sweetheart."
"Crap, there's the Vince I despise," Curl muttered.
Vince stepped forward, fire in his eyes. "You think you're untouchable, Thando? You think you're smart? Who do you think duplicated one of your top-secret chips? Suvesh did. Yeah, that's right. So don't act high and mighty. If he wasn't valuable, I'd have tossed him aside like trash. So maybe you should watch who you underestimate."
Silence fell.
Then Vince's voice turned ice-cold. "This building? It comes down. Today. No discussions. No negotiations."
Curl's voice was soft, but it cut deep. "And how… exactly… are you planning that?"
Vince flashed his most dangerous grin. "Curl, sometimes you gotta wake up and be a psychopath. That's why you and Thando will never get me."
Thando narrowed her eyes. "Knowing you, Vince, you didn't come empty-handed."
"You know me too well," Vince grinned, spinning in a circle like a deranged ballerina. "Don't mind my earlier sass, darling. I didn't mean it—ho ho ho!"
"Tch. Drama boy," Thando muttered.
Vince halted, his smile vanishing. He turned to the door. "Let's make it simple—I asked a friend to whip up an IED bomb. Something special."
"I assume you asked Ryan," Suvesh said, barely above a whisper.
"Bingo!" Vince jumped, his voice bouncing off the walls. He spun, legs kicking high in the air. "Now—Marn, untie them."
"Clouds!" Curl commanded.
Clouds moved swiftly, untying the three.
"Yooh, my wrist hurts, baba," Lindo winced, rubbing his skin.
"Verily," Suvesh nodded.
Kgotso remained still. Silent.
Vince clapped his hands. "No time! Grab everything valuable—ditch the junk. Where's Nelson?"
"In your room," Curl replied.
"What happened?" Vince asked, suddenly serious.
"Thando shot him with a tranquilizer."
Vince burst out laughing. "Serves him right! And Nasiphi?"
"Same."
Vince shrugged. "Cool. I'll pack her stuff. Kgotso, Lindo—you're on Nelson. Thando, inform Jason. Guards—move! Curl, you know what's gold and what's garbage. Oh, and everyone—get shades. I want a moment."
Curl raised an eyebrow. "Who died and made you king?"
Then he chuckled.
Everything stopped.
Thando's eyes widened. "Haibo… You laughed?"
"Yeah," Vince added. "We're all stunned."
"Ahem. This never happened," Curl muttered. "Move out!"
The room exploded into motion.
Bags packed. Clothes grabbed. Weapons sheathed. Vince carried Nasiphi in his arms like a soldier cradling a fallen comrade. Lindo and Kgotso hoisted Nelson. The team burst outside—two parked buses, four Golfs, three BMWs, and a mission on fire.
"Jason drives the bus," Vince ordered. "I'll call Ryan."
Luggage was loaded. The unconscious were secured. Vince took a breath, stepped out into the light, and made the call.
Flashback
Ryan leaned against a workbench, eyes locked on Vince.
"Everything you need's in this box," he said, tapping the case beside him.
"Thanks," Vince replied. "I gotta move fast. My friends—"
Ryan interrupted him with a nod. "Say no more. What's the plan?"
"You plant the IED. I save the crew. You wait for my call to detonate."
They rode together. Motorbikes screamed. The wind roared.
Then—at a fork—they split. Vince took the main road. Ryan vanished into the trees.
He found a spot. Left corner of the building. Nobody around.
He knelt. Planted the IED. Duct tape, precise placement. Then backed away, his figure disappearing into the woods.
"It's up to you now, Vince," he whispered.
Back in the present—
Everyone stood a safe distance from the HQ.
Nasiphi and Nelson had woken up, groggy but alive. Vince handed them towels, smirking like a proud brother.
"I'll explain later. For now—no questions. Just trust me."
Then—shades.
Everyone lined up, sunglasses on, like some elite task force about to shoot a movie.
"Final words?" Vince asked, voice almost tender.
Thando crossed her arms. "You're insane."
Curl nodded. "Yeah. But he's our insane."
Vince looked back at the building—The Shadows of Truth, a place filled with lies, betrayal, blood.
He whispered: "You took everything from me. Time I return the favor."
"Clouds. Count us in."
"Three," Clouds began.
"Two," Jason followed.
"One," Curl finished.
"Shades on." Vince tapped the button.
BOOM.
The explosion wasn't just fire and noise. It was poetic. Flames reached skyward like vengeful angels. The building shuddered, groaned, and collapsed into dust and ash.
The team turned away. No one flinched. They walked slowly, purposefully, into the smoke-stained sunset.
Shadows behind them. Truth ahead.
Vince, still walking, spoke softly, but everyone heard him.
"Well… it's time we set forth."
Then he smiled, something dark flickering behind his grin.
"And it's time I go assassinate my parents' murderers."
A shadow passed over his face.
Only his teeth gleamed in the light.