Prologue
“Come’on pick up! Pick up!”
‘Beep’
“Hi you’ve reached The Consortium -”
“I’ve been ambushed they’re out in daylight! Please you gotta help I have my little girl with me! Please!”
“ Sir just lead them to The Consortium we’ll handle it.”
“Thank you Thank yo-”
‘Click’
Three Hours Earlier
The sun shone down strongly on a suburban home in the middle of Atwater, California. Inside an argument was taking place.
“I just don’t feel like it’s a good idea to go out right now,” Marcus said to his ex-wife trying to play the safe side of things given his line of work.
“No she’s been excited to go to this birthday party for the last month so you need to stop being a deadbeat and take her,” Sandra replied in a weary tone tired of having the same argument over every little outing while unaware of the danger inherent to her idea. “If you can just give me one good reason why she shouldn’t go then you can stay here. So let's hear it?”
Marcus’s words got stuck in his throat as he tried to think of some way to keep his family indoors and safe without revealing his line of work.
“That’s what I thought now take her,” Sandra spoke with finality before turning and leaving.
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Marcus just lowered his head, looked to his little girl who had such hopeful happy eyes, and put on a slight grin to tell her, “Looks like we’re on our way to a birthday party.”
“Yay!” shouted Maurice
Marcus sighed and ruffled his daughter's hair, trying to mask the unease that lingered within him. The sunlight streaming through the windows painted a deceptive picture of a peaceful day, yet Marcus couldn't shake the nagging feeling, from the part of his mind that let him survive as long as he had in the business he does, that something was amiss. He glanced at the clock; it was almost time for the party.
With a heavy heart, Marcus led Maurice to the car parked in the driveway. The suburban neighborhood seemed quiet, but Marcus's instincts were on high alert. As they approached the car, he couldn't help but cast furtive glances over his shoulder, scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
The drive to the birthday party was filled with an unsettling silence. Maurice chattered excitedly about the games and cake awaiting her at the celebration, blissfully unaware of the clenched hand on the wheel and the other drifting around the parking brake. Marcus's eyes constantly darted to the rearview mirror, his mind racing through the possibilities of what could go wrong.
Upon arriving at the venue, Marcus surveyed the area cautiously. The sunlit backyard hosted a lively gathering of children and parents, seemingly innocent and carefree. Still, Marcus couldn't shake off the feeling of foreboding that clung to him like a shadow.
As Maurice ran off to join her friends, Marcus found himself on the edge, torn between the duty to protect his daughter and the desire to grant her the joy she deserved. He discreetly checked his phone, ensuring it was within reach, a lifeline in case he needed to make a quick excuse to escape.
The minutes ticked by, and Marcus tried to blend in, engaging in small talk with other parents. The distant laughter of children filled the air, momentarily easing the tension within him. However, a subtle paranoia persisted, an instinct developed from years of navigating a dangerous world.
Just as Marcus started to believe he might have overreacted, his phone vibrated in his pocket. The message displayed only three ominous words: "I found you." Panic surged through him, and he instinctively reached for Maurice, scanning the crowd for any signs of a threat.
In that moment, the sunny suburban scene transformed into a battleground for Marcus, torn between protecting his daughter and facing an unseen enemy. The birthday celebration became a backdrop to a disaster about to unfold.
Marcus moved fast ushering Maurice from the party to his truck much to Maurice’s confusion as she pouted about the party not being over. Marcus lept into his seat starting their engine before utilizing some dubious driving to get to the road where he’d be safer pulling up to a red light he speaks to his precious little girl quickly and softly “Maurice sweety I need you to do just as we practised and keep your head down and cover ears.”
It wasn’t a moment too soon as a distorted human figure smashed into Maurice's door shattering the glass reaching in to grab her only to find Marcus there with a Colt M1911 unloading a custom round full of silver flecks and ebony shaving suspended in holy water. The figures were blown back screaming as if sprayed with acid while marcus took off once more using some dubious driving. More figures started appearing in his sight on rooftops and road lights causing Marcus to pull out his phone and make a certain call.
Inside The Consortium, a desk attendant smashes the safety glass surrounding the incident alarm switch pulling it, sounding the blaring alarms, and flashing lights. The manager of the Atwater Branch of the Consortium a short fat man with a greasy combover poorely hiding his balding head mumbled to himself about ‘always wanting to do this’ before slamming a key typically women around his neck into a hole in his desk and swiftly turning it to awaken to the emergency response unit.