Shadows of Deception

The warehouse stood at the edge of the industrial district, a looming structure of steel and shadow. The SynTech logo was barely visible on the outer gates, a subtle but chilling reminder of the power that lay inside.

Ethan adjusted his earpiece as he and Izzy crouched behind a row of abandoned shipping containers. Sarah, stationed in a nearby surveillance van, spoke through the comms.

"You’ve got two guards patrolling the east entrance. Cameras on every corner. This place is locked down tight."

Ethan smirked. "Good thing I don’t do easy."

Izzy, dressed in all black, adjusted her bag. "Are we sure about this?"

"We have to be," Ethan said. "Dr. Wells is in there, and if we don’t move now, we may never get another shot."

Sarah’s voice came through again. "I’ve hacked their external security feed. You have a five-minute window before they reset the system. Move fast."

Ethan nodded and signaled Izzy. They slipped through the shadows, keeping low. Ethan reached into his jacket and pulled out a small EMP device.

"Three… two… one…"

He pressed the button, and the streetlights near the eastern fence flickered before going dark.

"Go."

They sprinted forward, vaulting over the fence. Ethan landed in a crouch, scanning the area. Two guards were rounding the corner.

Ethan moved fast, catching the first guard in a chokehold and dragging him behind a crate. Before the second could react, Izzy jabbed him with a tranquilizer she had swiped from her lab.

He barely had time to look surprised before slumping to the ground.

Izzy exhaled. "That was… surprisingly effective."

Ethan grinned. "You’ve got potential, Doc."

"Thirty seconds before power comes back," Sarah warned.

They moved to a service entrance, where Izzy worked on the electronic lock. The device beeped, and the door clicked open.

Inside, the air smelled of disinfectant and machinery. The walls were lined with glass observation rooms, each containing high-tech equipment. Ethan’s stomach twisted—this wasn’t just a lab. This was a testing facility.

Izzy scanned the files on a nearby terminal. "These aren’t just research notes. They’re progress reports. They’ve already begun human trials."

Ethan’s jaw clenched. "Then we don’t have much time."

Footsteps echoed down the hall. Ethan pulled Izzy into a side corridor just as two men in white coats passed, deep in conversation.

"Subject 47 is responding well to the neuro-implant. His memories are almost completely rewritten."

"Good. Kane will want a full report by morning."

The men disappeared through a secured door, and Ethan exhaled. "Looks like Kane’s more involved than we thought."

Izzy was still staring at the screen. "Ethan… there’s a file here. It’s labeled ‘Blackwood.’"

Ethan’s blood ran cold. "Open it."

The file loaded, revealing old mission logs, psychological assessments, and… something else.

Video footage.

Izzy hesitated before playing it. A grainy image filled the screen—Ethan, strapped to a chair, his eyes unfocused. A voice off-screen spoke.

"Agent Blackwood, can you hear me?"

Ethan in the video barely reacted.

"Your name is Ethan Blackwood. You serve SynTech. You follow orders without question."

Ethan’s head twitched, as if resisting.

The voice grew colder. "Wipe the last 48 hours. Reinforce loyalty. Override hesitation."

The footage cut out.

Izzy turned to Ethan, horrified. "They… they were controlling you."

Ethan forced himself to breathe. "Not anymore."

Sarah’s voice came through the comm. "Guys, I don’t want to rush you, but security just reactivated. You’ve got company."

The alarms blared before she even finished speaking.

Red lights flashed as the facility went into lockdown. Steel barriers slammed over the exits, and the sound of approaching footsteps filled the halls.

Ethan pulled out his gun. "Looks like we’re doing this the hard way."

Izzy grabbed a flash drive and copied as many files as she could before unplugging the system. "We have to get to Dr. Wells."

Ethan scanned the hallway. "This way."

They moved quickly, dodging between cover as security forces flooded the corridors. Ethan took down two guards with precise shots, while Izzy clutched the drive like her life depended on it.

As they neared the holding cells, a familiar voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Going somewhere, Blackwood?"

Ethan turned.

Standing at the end of the hallway was a man he never thought he’d see again.

Caleb Voss.

His former partner. His betrayer.

Caleb smirked. "You look good for a dead man."

Ethan’s grip tightened on his gun. "I could say the same about you."

Caleb raised a pistol. "Put it down, Ethan. You know how this ends."

Ethan glanced at Izzy. "Run."

Izzy hesitated, but when Caleb pulled the trigger, she took off down the hallway. Ethan dodged behind a console as bullets ricocheted off the walls.

Caleb moved closer. "You should’ve stayed in the dark, Ethan. But now? Kane wants you back."

Ethan fired back, forcing Caleb to take cover. "Not happening."

The facility shook as an explosion rocked the upper floors. Sarah’s voice came through the comms, urgency in her tone. "I set off some charges as a distraction. You need to move—now!"

Ethan took the chance and bolted down the hallway. Caleb fired again, but Ethan dove into the next corridor, slamming the door shut behind him.

Izzy was waiting near the cells. "Did you—?"

"No time," Ethan said. He shot the lock off the cell door. Inside, a frail figure stirred.

Dr. Adrian Wells.

He looked up, eyes dazed. "Who…?"

Izzy rushed to his side. "Dr. Wells, we’re getting you out of here."

More guards were approaching. Ethan pulled a grenade from his belt. "Cover your ears."

He tossed it. A flash of light and a deafening bang filled the hallway. By the time the guards recovered, Ethan, Izzy, and Wells were gone.

They sprinted through the facility, dodging gunfire as the entire building went into chaos.

Sarah’s voice came in. "Exit’s clear. I’ve got a car waiting. Move!"

They burst through the loading dock just as Sarah screeched to a halt in an unmarked SUV. Ethan threw the door open, shoving Wells inside. Izzy followed, and Ethan jumped in as bullets pinged off the chassis.

Sarah floored it. "I take it things didn’t go smoothly?"

Ethan exhaled. "You could say that."

As they sped away, Izzy looked at Ethan. "What now?"

Ethan glanced back at the burning facility.

"We find Kane."

And this time, he wasn’t getting away.