Prologue
The warehouse was dark and cold. Crates were stacked high, casting long shadows. Dust floated in the air. The smell of oil and metal was sharp. Broken machinery and scattered tools littered the floor. Footsteps echoed as FBI Special Agent Marin Croft and her team moved carefully, rifles raised, scanning every corner.
"Left side clear," one of the agents murmured into the comms.
"Right side clear," another answered quickly.
Marin raised her hand, signaling for silence. Her sharp eyes swept the towering stacks of crates lining the walls. She gave a nod. Two agents stepped forward, crowbars in hand, and pried one of the crates open.
Empty.
Her jaw tightened. She motioned toward another crate. The team quickly opened another crate.
Empty.
The intel had been clear. This warehouse was supposed to be full of illegal weapons. Yet every crate they opened has nothing.
A flicker of doubt edged into Marin’s mind.
Marin’s chest tightened. "It's a setup," she snapped. "Fall back. Everyone out. Now!"
The agents didn't argue. They began pulling out, rifles raised to cover each angle.
Marin stayed behind. She was always the last to leave.
A movement caught her eye.
A man stood in the shadows at the far end.
"Freeze! FBI!" Her voice cut through the silence. "Hands where I can see them!"
The man stepped forward. He didn't raise his hands. He moved fast, coming straight at her.
Marin fired. The shot sparked against steel as he twisted away.
He slammed into her before she could fire again. His hand clamped over hers, twisting hard until the weapon tore free. In one motion, he snatched the gun from her grip.
Marin fought back. Elbow slammed into his ribs. A hard kick connected with his knee.
He barely flinched. The impact felt like hitting a wall.
Her arms shook from the effort. Every strike she landed barely slowed him.
For the first time, Marin realized this wasn't like any opponent she had faced.
He was stronger.
He drove her against a crate. Cold steel pressed into her chest.
Her own gun. Pointed at her heart
The man leaned close. His voice was low and rough.
"You should have stayed out of this."
The words sent a chill through her. There was no hesitation in his tone. This was a man who would kill without a second thought.
Before he could pull the trigger, a sharp sound cut through the air.
He jerked back with a hiss. A razor-edged object had sliced across his wrist. Blood streamed down his hand. The gun clattered to the floor.
Both of them looked down.
A red metallic card lay between them, gleaming in the dim light.
Neither spoke.
Then, an explosion came without warning.
The blast ripped through the warehouse. Heat and fire swallowed the air. Both of them were thrown backward. Marin’s body hit the concrete so hard that her ears began ringing and her vision blurred.
She tried to move, but her limbs felt heavy. Her chest burned with each breath.
Smoke filled the space. Dust rained down from the ceiling.
She forced her head to the side, searching for the man but he was already gone.
Smoke curled through the air. Marin coughed, forcing her eyes open.
A figure moved toward her. Its steps were slow, calm, as if walking in a park, not through a burning warehouse.
Followed by a soft voice singing a children's song.
"London Bridge is falling down, falling down..."
The tune was calm, almost playful. It made the wreckage feel colder.
Marin tried to lift her arm, but her body refused to move. Every muscle was heavy.
The figure drew closer. Marin felt its gaze on her.
She tried to see its face, but her eyes burned from the smoke, and the haze was too thick to reveal anything.
The only thing she could make out was that it was a girl. A small frame. Long hair falling over her shoulders.
The girl crouched, picked up the red metallic card, and held it between her fingers.
Without a word, the girl turned and walked into the shadows.
Marin’s heart pounded. She tried to call out, but no sound came.
Another set of footsteps thundered through the warehouse.
Her team.
"Agent Croft!"
That was the last thing she remembered before the darkness pulled her under.
