#27: The Unseen Forces

Caio ran through the shadows, sweat dripping down his face as his lungs burned. He had been caught in the middle of the ambush and had barely managed to escape before the agents surrounded him completely. The muffled scream of one of the enemies falling behind him still echoed in his mind, but he knew that stopping now would mean his capture — or worse.

His cover was compromised. They knew who he was and, worse, they knew he was helping Lara and Dante. But this was no time to think about that. He needed to find them and, most importantly, regroup before the next phase of the plan was destroyed.

As he ran through the almost deserted streets, Caio spotted a figure in the distance, leaning against a wall illuminated by a single blue neon light. He slowed down, his instincts warning him that something was not right.

“You must be the famous Caio.” — The woman said, her voice calm, but full of an authority that made every muscle in his body stiffen.

— Who are you? — He asked, his hand slowly sliding to the knife he carried on his belt.

The woman took a step forward, revealing her face under the light. It was Alma, the mysterious hacker Dante and Lara had mentioned before.

— Relax. I'm not here to take you down. — She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, but her gaze was sharp as a blade. — In fact, if I wanted to, you would already be on the ground.

Caio narrowed his eyes, still cautious.

— How do you know who I am?

Alma gave a slight smile, one that seemed to hide more secrets than he wanted to deal with at that moment.

— I know a lot of things, kid. And I know you're in the same boat as Lara and Dante. But, just like I told them, I'm not going to get directly involved.

— So why are you here? — He asked, crossing his arms.

Alma approached, her eyes shining with an almost electric intensity.

—Because you're about to blow everything up, and that affects more people than just you. I came to make sure you at least do it right.

The New Threat

Meanwhile, Lara and Dante were hiding in another part of the city, trying to reorganize their thoughts and their next move. The surprise attack had been more intense than they expected, and the enemy forces were getting closer.

—We need Caio. — Lara said, as she quickly reviewed the holographic map. —He's our best chance of accessing the next server point without being tracked.

Dante looked at her, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.

—If he hasn't been caught.

Before they could continue, a soft noise caught their attention. A silhouette emerged from the darkness, and Lara quickly aimed her improvised weapon, her eyes alert.

— Calm down, it's my friend. — Caio's deep voice echoed through the space. He stepped into the light, breathing heavily and with a few visible scratches on his face.

Lara lowered her gun, relieved, but the tension in the air was still palpable.

— Where were you? I thought you had been captured.

— Close call. — He replied, sitting on a nearby box. — But guess what? I met someone on the way.

Before Lara or Dante could answer, Alma appeared behind him, watching the two with a neutral expression.

— Well, well, meeting complete. — Alma said, crossing her arms. — Let's get to the point.

Dante frowned.

— I thought you said you weren't going to get involved.

Alma shrugged.

— And I won't. Not directly. But apparently you need more than luck right now.

Before they could continue their discussion, a figure appeared from the side of the building, moving with precision and silence. Lara quickly relaxed when she saw the glow of Shira's distinctive visor.

“You guys are way behind schedule,” Shira said, nimbly descending and landing next to them. “I distracted the rest of the enemy team, but it won't last long.”

Lara smiled slightly when she saw her.

“Always punctual.”

Shira shrugged, her visor reflecting the streetlights.

“I'm just doing my part. But you better move fast. I won't be able to hold the line alone again.”

Caio looked at Shira, clearly surprised.

“Who is this?”

Dante intervened.

“Ally. Trust her, just like you trust us.”

Shira gave Caio a quick glance, assessing him.

“I hope you're worth it.” With that, the group quickly went back to plotting their next move, but now with Alma and Shira together, the situation seemed both more promising and more risky.