Midnight Code

Laila barely had time to sling her backpack over her shoulder before Aziel yanked her toward the back entrance. His movements were sharp, calculated, like a man who had been in too many life-or-death situations before.

Outside, the distant crunch of boots against gravel sent a pulse of urgency through her veins. Khaled's men weren't hesitating.

Aziel pressed a finger to his earpiece. "Zayd, status?"

Static. Then—

"You've got about thirty seconds before they breach the front," Zayd's voice came through, tight with urgency. "Stairwell is clear, but your best exit is the service tunnel. I've got a car waiting."

Aziel grabbed Laila's wrist and pulled her toward the hallway leading to the service exit. "We go underground."

Laila tightened her grip on the gun Aziel had tossed her earlier. "And if they follow?"

Aziel smirked. "Then we give them a welcome they won't forget."

A slam echoed from the front of the building. The lock breaking.

They had no time.

Aziel pushed open the door to the service tunnels, a narrow, dimly lit passage that reeked of metal and damp concrete. They darted inside just as a voice shouted from the main hall—

"They're in the back! Move!"

Laila's pulse roared in her ears as she sprinted after Aziel. They moved fast, the tunnel stretching ahead like an endless corridor of uncertainty. The walls vibrated slightly—probably from the city traffic above—but every step felt heavier, every second louder.

Then—footsteps behind them. Fast.

"They're already in the tunnel," she hissed.

Aziel didn't break stride. "Let them come."

Laila knew that tone. He had a plan.

She spotted the emergency light ahead—an old exit door that likely led to a discreet alley where Zayd was waiting. But just as relief started creeping in—

Gunfire.

Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted off the walls. Laila threw herself against the side of the tunnel, pressing into the shadows as Aziel did the same. The men weren't firing to kill—they were herding them.

Aziel met her gaze, a flicker of understanding passing between them.

They wanted them alive.

Laila's grip on the gun tightened. Not happening.

Aziel reached into his jacket and pulled out a small device. "Cover your eyes."

Laila barely had time to react before he tossed it down the tunnel.

A flash grenade.

The explosion of white light sent Khaled's men stumbling, their yells echoing through the narrow passage.

"Move!" Aziel barked.

Laila didn't need to be told twice. She sprinted forward, Aziel close behind. The exit door slammed open under his force, revealing the alley—

And Zayd, waiting in a sleek black SUV, engine running.

"Get in!" he yelled.

Laila barely got the door shut before Zayd floored the gas. The tires screeched against the pavement, the car jolting forward. She turned her head just in time to see Khaled's men burst out of the tunnel—too late.

They were already gone.

But Laila knew this was far from over.

She turned to Aziel, whose expression was unreadable as he pulled out his phone. "We need to hit back," she said.

Aziel met her gaze, a dark promise in his eyes. "Oh, we will."

He tapped his screen, dialing a number.

"Khaled wanted a war?" Aziel said coldly. "Then let's give him one."