He panted, staring at the ground, refusing to look up. Ridley sniffled and cleaned his bloody knuckles with a towel.

  Roger, who continued to stare at the ground, barely kept his eyes open. Ridley repeatedly beat him black and blue. His vision blurred, and his entire body ached from a harsh pain that only began.

  “I didn’t want the kid to see,” Ridley said in a monotone voice. “That was the plan in the beginning. I wanted to use the kid to get you to confess.” He walked over and raised Roger’s chin. “I don’t want to hurt the kid.” He pulled his arm back and unleashed another punch to the jaw. Spit and blood flew out of Roger.

  Ridley exhaled manually through his nose, as though it was a drag.

  “See, this is where people get it wrong,” Ridley said calmly. “They think pain is the point. It’s not.” He crouched so they were eye level, forcing Roger to look at him. “It’s clarity.”

  Roger’s vision started to fade. He focused on Ridley’s boots instead, on the edge of dried mud stuck to the laces. Anything but the man’s eyes.

  “You already talked,” Ridley continued. “You just don’t know you did. Wrong answers. Hesitations. Patterns. People always leave patterns.”

  Roger swallowed, throat raw. “I… don’t know… what you want.”

  “I want nothing,” he said softly. Ridley stood rubbing his chin and smacking his lips. “You told me your story. A villager who somehow made his way into the city and is living under a false name or identification. You clearly didn’t do it alone. Who provided you with the identification you need to survive in the city?”

  Something tightened around Roger’s chest. Pressure, not pain, like the air itself had grown heavier. The restraints adjusted again, humming louder.

  Roger needed to say something. He couldn’t hold his thoughts, especially when Ridley was on the verge of throwing another punch. Even if it meant lying, Roger had to say something believable.

  “The OSO…” He said.

  “Pardon?”

  Roger found the strength to look up at Ridley. “The OSO helped. They gave me a fake ID and helped me get started with my life.”

  Ridley smiled as though he found a pot of gold. “Do you have names?”

  Roger shook his head in silence.

  “Well, that’s a shame.” He chuckled. “The OSO. They aren’t a bunch of half-witted dullards afterall. SCAR considers the OSO as a joke. However, you giving me this critical information is appreciated.”

  Roger couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Either way, he was still bound by restraints with no idea of his future. Ridley could put a bullet in his head right now, and no one would know.

  Ridley crouched. “Is the kid involved with the OSO?”

  “No… I met him through someone.”

  “Who?”

  Roger used a decent amount of strength and shrugged. “I… don’t know.”

  Ridley’s smile disappeared. “You don’t know,” he repeated quietly. He straightened, taking a step back, giving Roger just enough space to breathe. “That’s interesting,” Ridley said. “Because you’ve been very good at knowing things up until now. Schools you didn’t attend. Names you didn’t grow up with. But suddenly, when it comes to Avery, your memory goes blank.”

  The restraints hummed again. Roger clenched his jaw. “I’m telling the truth,” he said. “I met Avery through someone from the OSO.”

  Ridley studied him in silence. “You know what clarity looks like?” Ridley asked after a moment. “It’s when the story doesn’t change, even when the pain does.”

  He reached out and pressed two fingers lightly against Roger’s temple. No force or violence.

  “If you’re lying,” Ridley continued, “you’ll break eventually. Everyone does. But if you’re telling the truth, then I have a lot to figure out.”

  Roger forced himself to meet Ridley’s gaze. “He’s kind.”

  For the first time, something flickered across Ridley’s face. Not doubt, but consideration.

  “Kind? That I know. He’ll go out of his way to help people, even if it’s inconvenient for him.” He shook his head and groaned. “To think he made a grave mistake… could it really be because he’s… kind?”

  He tapped a few buttons on his phone. The restraints loosened just a fraction, enough to keep Roger’s hand from bursting.

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Here’s what’s going to happen,” Ridley said. “You’re going to sit here and think very carefully about whether you’ve forgotten any names. Any faces. Any favors.”

  The lights dimmed another notch.

  “I’ll talk to Avery myself,” Ridley added. “See how consistent your story is.” He held his phone flat in his palms, towards his face. “Connect me with Unit 9.”

  “Connecting………………. Unit 9. Successfully connected.”

  “Status,” Ridley said immediately.

  “East wing,” Unit 9 replied. “Two perimeter units reported hostile movement in the woods. I’m en route to confirm.”

  Ridley’s jaw tightened. “Define hostile.”

  “They’re apparently taking on an A-tier unit.”

  Ridley didn’t like that. He ended the call without another word.

  “Connect me with Unit 8.”

  “Connecting………………. Unit 8. Successfully connected.”

  “Status.”

  “Avery’s still secured,” Unit 8 said. “No resistance. No questions. Hasn’t moved.”

  “Has he said anything?”

  “No, sir.”

  Ridley closed his eyes briefly. “You’re inside the building.”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Stay with him. Do not leave his side.”

  The line went dead.

  Ridley immediately tapped his phone again. “Connect me with Greg.”

  “Connecting………………. Greg. Successfully connected.”

  There was a pause, then a groan on the other end.

  “Greg,” Ridley said sharply. “Report.”

  “There’s someone in the building,” Greg said. “Female. She tore through my crew like they were amateurs.”

  Ridley’s fingers tightened around the phone.

  “One person?”

  “Yeah. At least that’s what we went against.”

  Ridley didn’t swear. That worried him more than if he had.

  “Understood,” he said calmly. “Listen carefully. We’re aborting.”

  He pulled up a group channel, his tone flat but absolute.

  “All units, this is Ridley. We are compromised. New orders effective immediately.” Unit 9,” Ridley continued, “you and the two east-wing units will secure Roger and me. No engagements. No heroics. Straight to the vehicles.”

  “Copy,” Unit 9 responded.

  “Unit 8,” Ridley added, “you are escorting Avery. Direct route out. If anything obstructs you, disengage and withdraw. Do not pursue.”

  “Copy,” Unit 8 said.

  “Greg. Get your crew and leave.”

  Ridley ended the transmission and slipped the phone away.

  “So,” Ridley muttered to himself, the paranoia finally surfacing, “someone thinks they’re clever.”

  Then—

  Click.

  Footsteps.

  Roger’s head lifted. He couldn’t see much through the blur.

  Ridley turned toward the sound.

  “Whoever you are,” he called out, “you’re very lost.”

  A figure stepped into the light.

  Sydney didn’t bother hiding herself anymore.

  Her jacket was unzipped, dusted. In her hand was a compact matte-black pistol. Her expression was too calm for someone standing alone in enemy territory.

  “Funny,” she said. “I don’t think I am.”

  Ridley’s eyes flicked over her in a heartbeat. “Who are you?”

  Sydney shrugged lightly. “My identity isn’t important.”

  Roger’s heart stuttered. He knew that voice.

  Ridley glanced briefly at Roger, then back to her. “You’ve caused a lot of inconvenience tonight.”

  “I get that a lot,” Sydney replied. Her gun never wavered. “Let him go.”

  Ridley laughed once. It was short, yet sharp. “You walk into my operation, disable my units, and demand terms?”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “You’re confident for someone standing between a hostage and me.”

  Sydney’s eyes flicked to Roger for just a moment, enough for him to see it.

  “You’ve already lost some units,” she said. “Your people are down or distracted. And if you pull that gun,” she tilted her head slightly, “you won’t finish the motion.”

  The restraints around Roger hummed louder in response to the spike in tension.

  Ridley stared at her for a long moment.

  Then, slowly, deliberately, he took his hand away from his sidearm.

  “Interesting,” he said quietly. “You are quick to the point.”

  “I’m here to end this.”

  Ridley exhaled through his nose. “So,” he said, eyes never leaving Sydney, “you must be the problem Greg couldn’t explain.”

  Sydney’s finger rested lightly on the trigger. “I don’t know who Greg is.”

  “Did he not mention his name? He loves introducing himself.” Ridley reached around his nape, his finger pressing a small button on his chain.

  Sydney gripped her gun tighter. “I won’t need to find out.”

  BOOM

  Something flew straight through the side wall, leaving rubble and dust to scatter. A mechanical sound zoomed towards Sydney, striking her body, which made her collapse to the ground a few feet away.

  It loomed through the dusty smoke.

  A SCAR agent.

  Ridley smiled. “Unit 9. Or, shall I call you by your name?”

  “Either way works, sir.”

  “Forget it. We’ve been compromised. Take him.” He turned towards Roger. “If you fucking try to run, we will gun you down. Got it?” His voice changed into full hostility.

  Roger nodded.

  “I don’t want a nod. Say you understand.”

  “I—I understand,” Roger repeated.

  “Good. Now let’s get out of here.”

  Before doing so, he walked up to Sydney, who was on the ground, holding her temple, groaning. Ridley squatted. “I admire your courage. Truly, I do. No one has ever… done… or even imagined what you’re trying to accomplish. And I applaud you.” He stood, dusting off his sleeves. “I will do you the favor and not kill you. Though I can’t say the same for what’s to come.” Ridley kept his smile and commanded Unit 9 to escort him and Roger back to the vehicles.