Chapter 1:
"Hurry it up! We're burning moonlight!"
A gruff, crackly voice exclaimed as several men and women scurried about, placing unmarked boxes onto the bed of a truck. A man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties with fiery red hair and blue eyes watched over the group before glancing down towards his wrist. "Still have about an hour before the client's deadline. Should make it with time to spare at our current rate…"
Looking back, the man watched as a tarp was placed over the top of the bed, the logo of a reputable company clearly visible while being fastened down. Satisfied with their work, the man waved everyone over. "We've got fifty minutes to complete a twenty minute drive. Remember: no speeding. No reckless driving. Nothing that would draw any attention to ourselves."
"Oh, I think it's a biiit too late for that."
The man spun around and spotted a man with jet black hair and vivid green eyes standing behind him as the intruder continued. "Sorry to let ya know this way, but we've had you on our radar for quite a while now. Now, if you all would kindly get on the ground and surrender peacefully, that would be great."
The man scoffed as he drew out his gun and aimed at the unwelcome guest. "Surrender ourselves, huh? Now why would we do that? There's nine of us and–"
"'Only one of me,' right?" The man interrupted. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not nearly confident enough to confront a group of armed criminals alone."
Giving the intruder a confused gaze, his eyes widened just before the group were almost immediately face-down on the ground, unable to get up. ""W-What's going on?!" One of the men cried, struggling to stand, yet none of them could.
"I-It's as if…as if there's something pulling down on us!"
"Quite an astute assessment."
A female voice called out as she confidently strutted her way towards the group, her body glowing softly as her right arm was extended, palm facing forward at the group. Her brown hair flowed down to just past her shoulders, her blue eyes piercing. "You're all under arrest for suspicion of smuggling illegal contraband into the country, kidnapping, extortion, and a slew of other as of yet unannounced charges. It would be wise of you all if you were to all surrender now and cooperate."
The leader of the group glared at the woman before maneuvering his left arm, which still grasped the gun despite being pinned to the ground, and aimed at the woman, pulling the trigger four times.
The pressure placed on the group immediately lifted after the shots rang out, but as the leader quickly stood up, his eyes widened as he watched the bullets levitate in the air directly in front of the woman. Her expression smug, the bullets fell harmlessly onto the ground as she stepped forward, kicking the bullets away from her feet.
"Oh so close!" She taunted as she lifted her arm again, the group once again pinned to the ground. Looking at the black-haired man, she nodded. "They're all yours."
Smirking, the man walked forward, several pairs of handcuffs now visible in his hand. As he approached the leader, the sound of the truck's engine starting reverberated through the building before peeling away, crashing through the garage door.
Laughing, the leader looked on as the truck quickly drove out of view. "Too bad for you! Our clients ALWAYS receive the goods they've paid for!" The woman sighed and gazed at her companion. "Looks like it's up to them now."
A gruff-looking man wearing a black beanie and oil-stained jacket sped down the road, the roar of the engine cutting through the quietness of the night. Glancing into his rearview mirror, he watched as the warehouse quickly decreased in size.
Chuckling to himself, the man relaxed into the driver's seat. "I knew something wasn't right. My gut feeling is never wrong."
However, the moment he let his guard down, movement in his rear-view mirror grabbed his attention before the flashing lights of law enforcement illuminated the area. "Son of a–"
"Nia was wise to have us waiting on standby, despite Lucien's boasting." A man with short brown hair and brown eyes stated as he stared ahead, following behind the truck with the siren beginning to blare. The woman next to him with silver hair and cool blue eyes rolled her eyes. "Is there ever a time his boasts actually come to fruition? Seems to fall on his face more often than actually following through."
"You REALLY don't like him…don't you Amara?"
"I knew he was bad news ever since Evra introduced him to us. He hasn't done anything to change my initial opinion of him."
The man chuckled as he stared ahead. "We're going to be approaching the main road soon. What do you think? Would it work better on the dirt road or paved?"
"Paved. Rocks and gravel could provide some traction."
"Alright. Get in contact with HQ and let them know of the situation."
As Amara took out a phone and dialed a familiar number, the man slowed his speed slightly, creating a bit of distance between the truck and themselves.
"Hey, it's us. We've got a truck going down the dirt path leading to the warehouse. Approaching the main road within a minute at most. Requesting permission to use–"
"Permission granted. We already have the heaters on standby as well as authorization to close the road. Use it as soon as you feel comfortable." A gruff sounding voice responded back.
"Understood."
Amara swiftly ended the call. "The road will be closed, plus I've already received permission."
"Good, because it's coming up right now."
The truck in front of them swerved to the right, quickly merging onto the main road and flooring it, trying to put as much distance between him and his two pursuers. However, as soon as they had gotten onto the road, Amara raised her hands and closed her eyes as the man slowed the car even more.
Her hand glowed blue before a bright blue flash illuminated the area. In front of the truck, a layer of ice coated the road. The truck immediately began swerving uncontrollably before slamming onto its side, skidding across the icy surface before smashing into a guard rail on the side of the road.
Slowly rolling to a stop on the ice, the two of them stepped out of the car, feeling the sting of the icy air as the man clung to the car's open door. Amara, meanwhile, confidently strode towards the truck, unfazed by the slippery surface. Reaching towards her chest, she pressed a button on her radio. "Truck overturned approximately seven klicks east of the exit from the building of interest."
"Copy. Road has been closed to public traffic and units are on route. Do not engage suspect unless attacked."
"Understood."
Amara looked at the overturned truck, sighing to herself. "This could have gone so much smoother…" She said as she listened to the chorus of sirens quickly approached the scene. Within a minute, the area was swarming with law enforcement, cautiously approaching the overturned truck.
After several moments, the officers had pulled the man outside of the truck, slapping handcuffs around his wrists. Immediately after, more chatter on the radio could be heard. "Suspects in the warehouse have been apprehended. From initial reports, the entirety of the smuggling ring has been brought to justice."
Hundreds of miles away, a woman with long blonde hair, crisp blue eyes, and pale skin watched on through the body cams of officers, having effortlessly hacked into their network. She sighed as she watched the members of the smuggling ring get arrested one by one. "How unfortunate. I had such high hopes for them too."
She leaned back in her chair and stared up at the concrete ceiling. "Now I've gotta find a new toy to keep me occupied, but I don't want to–"
"Oh please, we both know that you already have something, or rather someone, in mind to torment to satiate your boredom."
A young man walked into the dimly lit, sparsely furnished, room, his black hair blending in with the darkness. The woman's head flopped over the back of her chair, looking at him upside down as her hair flowed down, nearly touching the ground. "Even I don't know where he is or what he's up to, and I've spent months digging through the muck of even the most random forums and merc job boards to no avail. For being one of the most wanted men in the country, and even having a dedicated task force searching for him, he sure knows how to cover his tracks."
"And I'm sure he absolutely loves that designation that you forced upon him."
The woman chuckled as she lifted her head back up and stared at the computer screen. "That was some of the most fun I've had in my entire life! Just remembering it brings a wave of nostalgia." Her eyes closed, an expression of absolute bliss enveloped her face as her mind drifted back, listening to the screams of terror and the countless begging for mercy that was denied.
"You have one twisted and warped definition of fun if the murder of thousands brings nostalgia."
The woman's eyes snapped open as she spun around on her chair and directly stared at the man, grinning from ear to ear. "Aww don't be that way. You know you like it."
"Hardly. Either way, I'm here to inform you that I've most likely found the general location of the next piece, though not the specifics. I'm going to go to Helara and investigate in person."
Her already wide smile somehow widened even further. "Excellent! Then what are you waiting for?! Go! Get a move on!" Her voice squeaked with excitement as she shot up from the chair and forcefully ushered the man out of the room. Closing the door behind him, she's silent and still for several moments before jumping up and down, pumping her arms. "Yes yes YES! One step closer!" Rushing back to her computer, she began typing feverishly, giggling uncontrollably. Somewhere out there, her next toy was waiting to be broken… and thanks to the good news, she couldn't wait to find them.