Chapter Two: A Reluctant Alliance (Shadows of Orion)

Out of the Woods

Maya’s rental car was a beat-up sedan that seemed one pothole away from collapsing entirely. Sam tossed his duffel into the backseat and slid into the passenger seat, eyeing the dashboard covered in empty coffee cups and candy wrappers.

“This is your ride?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Sorry, your chopper’s in the shop,” Maya shot back, firing up the engine.

As they pulled onto the gravel road, Sam leaned his head back, staring at the endless line of trees disappearing into the night. He didn’t ask where they were going; he knew better than to expect a straight answer from someone like Maya.

“You got a plan, or are we winging this?” he asked.

“We’re meeting someone who has intel on Orion,” Maya said, her eyes fixed on the road. “A hacker who goes by the name Blink.”

“Blink?” Sam snorted. “Let me guess. Lives in a basement, hasn’t seen daylight in years?”

“Actually, she runs a yoga studio in Seattle,” Maya said.

“Of course,” Sam muttered. “Yoga and hacking—natural combo.”

The Meeting

Blink’s studio smelled like incense and bad decisions. Sam followed Maya through rows of yoga mats and motivational posters. At the back of the studio, a petite woman in her early 40s was doing a headstand while typing furiously on a laptop.

“Blink,” Maya called.

“Namaste,” Blink said without looking up. She flipped onto her feet in one fluid motion, closing the laptop with a flourish. “You must be the muscle.”

“Depends who’s asking,” Sam said.

Blink grinned. “Oh, he’s grumpy. I like him.”

“Focus,” Maya said, holding up the flash drive. “Rachel Kincaid. What can you tell us?”

Blink plugged the drive into her laptop, her fingers flying across the keyboard. A flurry of code scrolled across the screen as Sam watched, thoroughly lost.

“This is bad,” Blink muttered.

“Define bad,” Sam said.

Blink glanced up, her expression unusually serious. “Orion’s got their hands on tech that makes cyberwarfare look like child’s play. Rachel was trying to stop them from finishing a prototype.”

“And where’s Rachel now?” Maya asked.

Blink hesitated. “I can trace her last known location to a lab in Denver. But if she’s still there, it’s not by choice.”

Sam’s jaw tightened. He glanced at Maya, who nodded.

“Then we’re going to Denver,” Sam said.

“Hold on,” Blink interrupted. “You can’t just waltz in there. That place is crawling with Orion operatives. You’ll need a plan. And gear.”

“What do you suggest?” Maya asked.

Blink smirked. “I’ll make some calls. You two better be ready for a fight.”

Tension on the Road

Back in the car, the atmosphere was tense. Sam could feel Maya’s eyes on him as he checked his pistol, loading it with practiced ease.

“You really think we can do this?” she asked.

Sam shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what I think. If Rachel’s in there, I’m getting her out.”

Maya sighed, gripping the wheel tighter. “You know, you’re not the only one with skin in this game. Orion killed my partner last year. I’ve been hunting them ever since.”

Sam glanced at her, surprised. “And here I thought you just liked bossing people around.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Maya shot back.

They drove in silence for a while, the tension giving way to quiet determination. The road ahead was long, and the dangers were many, but they both knew there was no turning back.

A Glimpse of Orion

As they approached Denver, Blink sent them an encrypted file: blueprints of the lab and a list of known operatives inside. The facility was more fortified than Sam expected—armed guards, surveillance drones, and enough security tech to make Fort Knox jealous.

“This isn’t a rescue mission,” Maya said, scrolling through the data. “This is a suicide mission.”

Sam cracked a smile. “Good thing I’ve got nothing to lose.”

Maya rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“Gets the job done,” Sam said, his tone light but his gaze hard.

The lab loomed on the horizon, a cold, sterile fortress against the darkening sky. Sam tightened his grip on his weapon, the weight of the mission settling over him.

Whatever happened next, there was no turning back.