Statham vanished into Sector 7's neon underbelly, leaving a trail only he could control. Drones buzzed overhead, scanning faces; he'd masked his. The compliance implant pulsed green - a show of obedience Sector 7 would buy.
He hit Safehouse Delta's door, nondescript in a crumbling block. Statham keyed in, slipped inside. Shadows swallowed him.
Vex waited, wiring rigged to his wrists. "Statham." One word. Tense.
"Status?" Statham asked.
Vex exhaled. "Traced the Echelon link. Valkor's operation runs through Psych Services HQ - buried deep. Need eyes inside."
Statham's jaw tightened. "You in?"
"Yeah. But Statham... they flagged you. High-risk extraction list."
Statham pulled a mask from his jacket. "Time to make noise."
Vex raised an eyebrow. "In or out?"
Statham's smile was cold. "In. Deep."
Vex handed him a disruptor. "Plan's tight. Need access to HQ servers. Grab what we need on Valkor."
Psych Services HQ loomed ahead - fortress walls, guards keyed to kill. Statham pulled on gloves, tech whispering online.
Vex murmured, "Drones clear. Window's ten minutes."
Statham nodded. Game on.
He slipped out, darkness claiming him. Valkor. Echelon. Answers waited.
Statham merged with Sector 7's night, ready to crack HQ's doors.
He crossed streets, avoiding pools of harsh light. Gloves synched with building systems - access codes scrolling fast.
He hit HQ's service entrance, mask blending him to shadows. Guards checked routine; Statham took them down silent. Medics. Logged them as off-duty.
Vex whispered in his ear. "Servers third sub-level. Valkor's files marked 'Eyes Only'."
Statham dropped down shafts, disruptor ready. Drones swooped in; he jammed their signal. Blacked out.
He hit server doors. "Vex, slice it."
Codes cascaded. Locks clicked. Statham slipped in. Blankscreens flickered to life. Valkor's name surfaced.
...Subject: Echelon Initiative... neural mapping... test pool: Sector 7 populace...
Statham's eyes locked. _Test pool_.
...Valkor overseeing... compliance enhancement...
Footsteps echoed. Statham grabbed data. "Out."
Vex: "Drones breached safehouse. Get-away tight."
Statham bolted. HQ alarms blared. Statham dropped levels, datachip secure.
He hit streets. Drones swarmed. Sector 7 skies turned hostile.
Statham sprinted. Valkor's truth waited.
Extraction point blurred ahead. Vex waited, vehicle idling.
Statham dove in. "Move."
Vex sped off. Psych Services sirens closed in.
Statham leaned back. Datachip in hand.
Vex: "Valkor's location pinged. Sector 7 fringe."
Statham: "Take me."
Game changed...
Statham's gut tightened as he dove into the vehicle. Vex slammed the accelerator, tires screeched, and they shot into Sector 7's chaotic night . Drones buzzed like angry insects; Psych Services sirens wailed closer.
"Status?" Statham barked.
Vex's eyes darted between mirrors. "Pursuit locked on. Valkor's location pinging - old industrial docks. High-security bunker. We need firepower."
Statham pulled up the datachip's contents on his wrist screen. Echelon Initiative... compliance rates spiked post-purge... subjects flagged for "recalibration"... names flashed - ordinary people, friends, gone.
Vex swerved hard; Statham gripped the seat.
"Echelon's playing God," Vex said low. "Valkor's the puppetmaster."
Statham's jaw clenched. "End the game."
Docks loomed - crusted piers, abandoned rigs, shadows moving. Vex killed lights. They crept in.
Statham checked gear - disruptor, extra clips, demolition pack. "Cover me."
Vex nodded, eyes cold. "I'm backup."
They exited, night air thick with tension. Drones swooped low; Statham took one down, silenced gun coughing. Vex returned fire.
Bunker doors ahead - steel, guarded. Statham tossed a jammer. Locks froze. He kicked in.
Valkor.
A voice. Cold. "Statham. Expected."
Statham aimed. "Echelon ends."
Laughter. Shadows parted.
Valkor stepped into the dim light, his smile a thin, calculated curve. "Statham. You were a glitch. Now you're curiosity." He gestured to the bunker's walls, where screens flickered with data streams. "Echelon's playground. Sector 7's compliance is just the start."
Statham raised the disruptor, his finger tightening on the trigger. "Echelon ends. Now."
Valkor chuckled, eyes glinning. "You won't pull that trigger. You're curious. You want to know why, don't you?" He leaned closer, voice dropping. "You want to know about _her_."
Statham's pulse spiked. _Her_. A face flashed - a woman, laughing, gone. Shadows closed in, armed figures moving silent.
Vex burst forward, firing; Statham moved, disruptor blazing. Valkor ducked, shouting, "Contain Statham! Echelon's—"
Explosion rocked the bunker. Statham dived, Vex yelling, "Down!"
Darkness clamped shut. Trapped!!
Statham hit hard floor, Vex shielding him. Drones swarmed, blinding lights slicing dark. He yanked Vex clear, bunker's walls buckling.
Valkor's laugh cut through chaos. "Echelon owns you. _Her_ memory does."
Statham's gut twisted. _Her_. Lena. Smiling, dying. Echelon's fault.
Vex dragged him into ducts, metal screaming shut. Trapped. Breathing tight.
"Statham." Vex's whisper. "Bunker's locked down. Valkor's extracting."
Statham's eyes narrowed. "Extracting what?"
Vex's face grim. "You."
Explosion hit. Ducts shook. Falling.
Statham's voice cold. "Get us out."
Statham hit hard floor, Vex shielding him. Drones swarmed, blinding lights slicing dark. He yanked Vex clear, bunker's walls buckling.
Valkor's laugh cut through chaos. "Echelon owns you. _Her_ memory does."
Statham's gut twisted. _Her_. Lena. Smiling, dying. Echelon's fault.
Vex dragged him into ducts, metal screaming shut. Trapped. Breathing tight.
"Statham." Vex's whisper. "Bunker's locked down. Valkor's extracting."
Statham's eyes narrowed. "Extracting what?"....
Statham hit the hard floor, Vex shielding him from the blast. Drones swarmed like angry insects, their blinding lights slicing through the darkness. He yanked Vex clear, the bunker's walls buckling under the pressure. The sound of metal screeching, the smell of smoke and ozone filled the air.
Valkor's laugh cut through the chaos, a cold, calculated sound that sent a shiver down Statham's spine. "Echelon owns you, Statham. _Her_ memory does." The words were a punch to the gut, and Statham's mind reeled.
_Her_. Lena. Smiling, laughing, dying. Echelon's fault. The memories flooded back - the feel of her hand in his, the look in her eyes as she slipped away. Statham's grip on reality wivered.
Vex dragged him into the narrow ducts, metal screaming shut behind them. Trapped. The air was thick with the smell of dust and decay. Breathing was tight, and Statham's chest felt like it was crushing him.
"Statham." Vex's whisper was urgent, his face tight with tension. "Bunker's locked down. Valkor's extracting."
Statham's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. "Extracting what?"
Vex's face was grim, his eyes shadowed. "You. You're the prototype, Statham. Echelon's key."
Statham's mind reeled. Prototype? What did that mean? He thought he was just a grunt, just a guy trying to survive. But Valkor's words kept echoing in his mind - _Echelon owns you_.
The duct shook, and Statham's stomach dropped. They were moving, being taken somewhere. He tried to push Vex off, but the man held tight. "Not yet, Statham. Not yet."
The darkness closed in, and Statham's world went black. But his mind kept racing, fueled by anger and determination. He would get out. He would stop Echelon and Valkor would pay.
To be continued...