CHAPTER 44: The Fugitive Part 15

CHAPTER 44: The Fugitive Part 15

Sleep was a trap. It wasn't rest, but a journey back to the orphanage basement. Cold claws piercing his chest, Adrian's laughter ringing in his ears, the frozen helplessness of death. Fénix woke up with a start, a choked gasp, sitting up abruptly in bed. The sheets were soaked with cold sweat and his heart hammered against his ribcage like a caged animal.

The room was in semi-darkness. He looked at the clock on the nightstand: 4:30 PM. He had fallen asleep after training with Lucio, seeking a rest his mind refused to grant him.

"Shit," he muttered, running a hand over his face, feeling the tension in every muscle.

He got up, his legs a bit unsteady, and went to the small sink in his room at the Enid Corp. facilities. He splashed his face with cold water again and again, trying to erase the feeling of the phantom claws and the echo of the laughter. Water dripped from his chin as he watched his pale reflection in the mirror. His eyes still had shadows from the nightmare.

"This has to stop," he told his reflection, his voice a hoarse whisper.

He dressed in practical field clothes—dark jeans, a black hooded sweatshirt, and a sturdy jacket—and left his room. Right on time, as if planned, he ran into Marcus in the hallway, who was adjusting his arm guard.

"Looks like a truck ran you over, friend," Marcus commented with a lopsided smile. "Nightmares again?"

"Something like that," Fénix replied, avoiding eye contact. "What about the mission?"

"Enid is waiting for us in reception. Says it's something simple."

They walked in silence to the main reception of Enid Corp. Enid was there, standing in front of a hologram showing a map of the outskirts of Berlin. She wore her usual executive suit, but her expression was tense, focused.

"Fénix, Marcus," she greeted them with a nod. "I know you just got back, but we have an opportunity we can't pass up."

They both approached. Enid zoomed in on the hologram, highlighting an abandoned industrial area on the city's outskirts.

"Intercepted intel," she began to explain. "Irene, Viktor's sister, has a meeting tonight. 22:00 hours. At this abandoned complex on the outskirts."

Marcus whistled softly.
"Irene... the dark sister. The one who never shows herself. Who is she meeting?"

"That's the million-dollar question," Enid replied, crossing her arms. "We don't know. It could be with an ally, an informant, or something worse. Our mission, and I want this to be very clear, is observation only. Observation only. We will place long-range listening and surveillance devices. We will gather information. No confrontations, no interventions. Understood?"

Fénix nodded, his gaze fixed on the map.
"Understood. Just eyes and ears."

"Exactly," Enid confirmed. "Lucian and Vanessa are busy with another operation, so it will just be the two of you. Marcus, you're in charge of the surveillance gear. Fénix, you're the overwatch. Stay hidden, stay silent. Any sign of trouble, you withdraw immediately and report. Clear?"

"Crystal clear, boss," said Marcus, slinging his equipment backpack.

"Fénix," Enid looked at him intently. "No heroes. This time we just observe."

"Yes, Enid," Fénix replied seriously. "No heroes."

Enid nodded, satisfied.
"Alright, get in the van. The gear is already loaded. And remember... discretion above all."

As they headed to the garage, Marcus carried the surveillance equipment and Fénix checked his weapon, making sure it was loaded and silenced.

"Hey, are you okay?" Marcus asked suddenly, breaking the silence. "Seriously, you seem... tense."

Fénix sighed, holstering his weapon.
"It's just... stuff in my head. Adrian, the orphanage... it comes back sometimes."

"I get it," said Marcus, his tone losing its usual lightness. "That shit marks you. But hey, this mission is easy. We go in, set up the toys, listen, and get out. No action. I could do it in my sleep."

"I hope so," Fénix replied with a weak smile. "I'm not in the mood for more drama today."

"I bet you're not," Marcus opened the van door. "After this, if all goes well, I'll buy you a drink. I think you need it."

Fénix got into the van, looking out the window as the city began to be tinged with the colors of dusk.
"That sounds good, Marcus. That sounds really good."

The van started, taking them towards the dark, abandoned outskirts of Berlin, where Irene's secrets waited to be uncovered, and where the promise of a simple mission would feel like a fleeting luxury before the storm broke again.

The hum of the van was the only sound in the cabin, a low, constant buzz that mixed with Fénix's accelerated heartbeat. Outside, the buildings of Berlin began to give way to more open, darker landscapes. Marcus drove calmly, humming a low tune.

But inside Fénix's mind, there was a storm.

«Shit, shit, SHIT.» The thought was an obsessive drumming, in sync with the tick-tock of the dashboard digital clock. «19:47. Two hours and thirteen minutes. That's all we have.»

He looked out the window, watching the last light of day fade, replaced by a darkness that felt heavier, more personal.

«Enid said it was simple. Just observe. Place the devices and get out. How long can it take? An hour, maybe two if there are complications...» He swallowed, dry. «But it has to be before 22:00. It has to be.»

An image imposed itself behind his eyes: the full moon, the Hunter's Moon, rising in the sky. And with it, the weight of the contract. The presence of Adam, which would become tangible, demanding.

«What if something goes wrong?» — the voice of panic whispered in his head — «What if Irene arrives early? What if there are guards? What if we have to fight? A fight means time. Time we don't have.»

He clenched his fists on his knees, feeling his palms begin to sweat.