The next evening, the air around the old docks smelled like rain and oil. Lucien walked along the cracked pavement toward a rusted warehouse. The metal walls echoed faintly with the sound of waves crashing somewhere in the distance.
He stepped inside. The light was dim. A few bulbs hanged from long wires, flickering every now and then. A table sat in the middle of the open space, and six people were gathered around it.
Silas Crowe sat at the head. His presence filled the room like quiet authority. When he saw Lucien, he smiled faintly.
"Glad you made it," Silas said, gesturing toward the others. "Everyone, this is Lucien. He'll be joining us for tonight's job."
Lucien gave a small nod.
Silas went around the table, introducing the team.
"Gideon Thorne," he said first, a tall man covered in tattoos from his neck down to his wrists. Each one looked like it carried a story you wouldn't want to hear.
"Julian Strome," he continued. A slim man in glasses barely glanced up from the laptop in front of him. His fingers were already tapping across the keys.
"Ava Collins," Silas said. The girl leaned back in her chair, a piercing glinting at her lip. She smirked when she caught Lucien's eyes.
"Daniel Hart," Silas said next. The muscular one, arms crossed, silent but watchful.
"And Emily Rhodes," he finished. She was wearing too much perfume, too much makeup, and just enough attitude to fill the space.
Once everyone was introduced, Silas spread a large sheet across the table, a blueprint.
"This," he said, tapping a finger at a red circle drawn on the paper, "is the Eastview Museum. Inside it hangs something I want."
He reached into a folder and took out a photograph of the painting which showed a man and a woman reaching toward each other, holding something bright between their hands.
"It's called Echo Without End," Silas said softly. "You'll steal it."
He explained the plan with sharp precision. Each member had a role. Gideon, Ava, Daniel, and Emily would go inside. Julian would handle the systems, alarms, cameras, communications.
Then Silas turned to Lucien. "You'll be the getaway driver. You bring them out, clean and fast."
Silas Crowe pointed his hands toward the corner of the warehouse, where a black van waited in the shadows. "It's fast. Don't scratch it."
They rolled out an hour later. Lucien drove the van, his hands steady on the wheel. The others sat in silence behind him, checking their gear.
From the back, Gideon spoke. "You're the key tonight, Lucien. When I call, you come. No delays. Understand?"
Lucien's eyes stayed on the road. "I understand."
The museum stood tall and quiet under the moonlight. The van stopped a block away. Gideon, Ava, Daniel, and Emily slipped out, dark clothes blending into the night.
Lucien and Julian stayed inside. Julian flipped open his laptop, the glow lighting his face. "Cameras, motion sensors… and alarms," he muttered as his fingers flew over the keyboard. "Give me a sec."
Inside, the team moved quickly. They passed through corridors lined with marble statues and paintings.
When they reached the display room, Ava stared at the target. "So this is it," she said under her breath. "Silas really likes weird art."
Daniel cracked a grin. "Shut up and grab it."
The glass case shattered as Gideon smashed it open and instantly, the alarm screamed through the museum.
"What the hell?" Gideon barked into his earpiece. "Julian! You said you disabled it!"
Julian froze. "I...I did! I don't know why it triggered!"
From the hall, a voice shouted, "Who's there?"
"Move!" Gideon yelled. They ran, clutching the painting.
"Lucien! Get here, now!"
Lucien started the van, engine growling. The museum doors burst open. The four came running out, guards chasing behind them, flashlights cutting through the dark.
Lucien slammed his foot on the gas, swerving the van up to them. They jumped in as bullets cracked against the metal. Lucien turned hard, tires screaming against the pavement.
"Police are coming!" Emily shouted.
"Lose them!" Gideon ordered.
Lucien didn't answer. He just drove, sharp corners, backstreets, sliding through alleys until the sirens grew distant and died away.
Finally, Gideon said, "Here. Stop."
Lucien pulled over in an empty, silent street.
"This will do," Gideon muttered, getting out. The others followed.
Lucien looked at him. "What now?"
Gideon smiled. "You did good tonight, man. Real good."
Lucien felt something shift in his chest, an unease. "So what's next?"
Gideon raised the gun slowly.
Lucien froze. "Wait..."
The gun went off.
Lucien stumbled backward, clutching his side. Warm blood soaked through his shirt.
"No hard feelings," Gideon said quietly. "We just don't need you anymore."
He fired again.
Lucien hit the ground, vision blurring. The sound of footsteps faded. The night swallowed everything.
His body trembled, his breathing shallow. His mind drifted.
He thought of the hospital room. The pale face on the bed.
I can't die yet, he thought weakly. Elara… I'm sorry.
Then darkness.