POINT OF BREAK

Lena's POV As if the very walls were holding their breath, waiting for something to break, the warehouse's air is tense. I look at Finn and Jacob; their faces are set in will. My heart is racing against my ribcage, a constant cadence of anxiety and expectation. Though doubt still lurks at the margins of my consciousness, this is the moment we have been training for. Daniel murmurs once more on three, and I can see the intensity in his eyes. I nod, seeking to calm the turbulence within me. One, two, three... Before he can shout three, the warehouse echoes with a violent smash off the concrete walls. I leap, driven naturally toward Finn. My breath freezes when I observe guys walking into the light under the direction of a towering, dominating man. I breathe, the name tasting sour on my tongue. Beckett. Finn's hold on my arm gets stiff. He exhorts us to get going. My eyes cannot be taken from Beckett. He appears different—more sinister, a predatory smirk on his lips as he wanders around the room, obviously loving the anarchy. In this instant, I detest him more than I have ever despised anybody. Daniel looks around and figures the chances. "We cannot interact. Not Yet. We should gather additional data. My heart departs. "What if we miss our opportunity? Finn tells me, his voice low but strong, "We won't." "We will find a way." Beside me, I can feel Jacob's stress; his body coils like a spring. He advises us to locate a better view position. "There might be a method to hear what they intend. " Follow my lead, Daniel says." He moves for us to enter the warehouse's shadows farther down. I follow, heart thumping and excitement pumping through my blood vessels. I can pick bits of their discussion as we get closer. Beckett's voice comes above the others, confident and fluid. "We will do this operation controlling the whole network. Nobody will obstruct our path. My spine tingles with cold. His ambition is unbounded, and I get a flash of wrath under surface level. He has wrecked how many lives to reach here? "Lena," Jacob breathes, veering me off-target. We have to keep out of sight. I nod in an attempt to concentrate. Our feelings cannot rule over us. We must be strategic even if it would be difficult to control my emotions. A tremendous crash suddenly echoes the room, and I turn to see guys yelling from a side door breaking in. Beckett's men rush, weapons drawn, eyes darting about, chaos breaks out. "Everyone keep calm!" Beckett yells, his voice piercing the tumult. "We are under assault! Finn mumbles, "Damn it," drawing me in. "We have to locate a leave-off. But before we could go, I noticed among the immigrants a familiar face—one I had not seen in years. Is that...? No way, Jacob says, incredulity coloring his voice. Marcus is the old buddy of my brother, the one who vanished weeks ago in search of information about Beckett. My heart stops a beat when I consider what this implies. He's living. But why is he in this place? Finn pulls me back to reality and says, "Lena," urging We should head out. These days! I turn back to Marcus, who seems wild-eyed and is looking about the warehouse as if in search of someone. I cannot just drop him off. Wait, I say, releasing Finn's hold. "I have to talk to him." "Are you insane??" Jacob hisses and grabs my arm. "We cannot afford to gamble on it! I shake him off, adamant that I cannot let him fall into this. "I have to know he is secure. I walk out from behind the containers and head for Marcus before they can stop me. " Marcus!," I yelled, my voice cutting over the din. His head turns toward mine, and for a while we just gaze at each other, a mix of shock and relief washing over me. "Lena?" Is it your case? He yells, his voice faintly incredulous. "You shouldn't be here!!" "I know," I say, with desperation in my voice. But we have to get you gone. It's far too risky! A gunshot sounds just then, and I duck naturally. People yell and anarchy breaks out; I start to panic. Come on, too! Marcus yells and starts me toward a side exit. Behind me Finn and Jacob show, eyes wide. "What the heck are you doing?" Finn snarls and grips my arm once more. "Get him out of here!" I insist, gesturing at Marcus. "He's in danger! "Lena, we cannot divide like this!" Desperate in his eyes, Jacob begs. Then let's all depart! I turn around and yell back. "We are not behind anyone else leaving!" We have little time as the situation gets more severe. Though I feel the weight of the world bearing down on me, I resist allowing it to break me. I'm fighting for everyone who has ever suffered at Beckett, not only for my life now. Let us move! Daniel yells, pulling me back into the here-now. We start for the exit, but the mood changes quickly. Beckett's voice blasts over the anarchy. "Track them!" Prevent their escape! As I understand they know we are here, my heart races. "We have to hurry!" I yell, turning around to find Beckett's men running at us with rifles leveled. "Go, go, go!" Finn begs, his voice a hysterical whisper. We negotiate the side exit, a little road into the darkness. My lungs fill with air, yet the menace still looms behind us. The moonlight seems to be a spotlight on our escape as we break outdoors. Behind us, Beckett's men are running around looking for us in the shadows. "Across there!" Pointing at a group of trees, Daniel yells. "We can hide till they pass!" My heart racing, we hurry toward the trees and turn back to check the warehouse. Beckett's voice remains sharp and forceful, cutting over the evening. "This way!," said Pulling me further into the darkness, Jacob begs. We stop to breathe once we are tucked amid the woods. "What the devil exactly happened??" Marcus exhales while slanted against a trunk. "We were caught in Beckett's operation," Finn says, his voice firm despite the horror in his eyes. Still, we were able to go. "Thank God," Marcus whispers, relief filling his face. "I considered myself to be a goner. Men from Beckett have been tracking me since I vanished. His face clearly shows the weight of all he has experienced. "How did you find yourself here? My voice softens as I ask. "I was compiling information about Beckett's behavior. Marcus says, "I thought I was close to something big, but they caught me off guard," his eyes darkening with the memories. "I hardly made it with my life." Now you're with us, I say, resolve the building inside me. "We are not allowing him to escape with this. We have to call Beckett off. "Together," Finn says with a firm glance. "We have to reorganize and decide what to do going forward." I get unity among us when we gather close together. We are combatants, joined against a shared adversary, not only surviving. "Where do we go from here?" Looking at Daniel, Jacob queries. Breathing deeply, Daniel feels the weight of the moment hovering about him. "We have to figure out how to expose Beckett. Right now he is too strong, but we can have him taken down with enough proof. "Right," I respond, the fire of will ablaze inside me. "What do we need?" We have to get to his main office. He saves all the crucial data there, Daniel says. Still, it will not be simple. We have to be clever about it. Then let's plan, Finn adds, resolve glistening in his eyes. I can feel the weight of our goal pressing down on my shoulders as we talk about our next actions. Along with the anxiety, though, there is hope—a flutter of possibility that perhaps we could pass. Jacob says gently, "We have to be careful." "Beckett will not hesitate to kill anyone standing in his path." My heart thumping, I say, "I know." We cannot allow that, though, stop us. We owe it to everyone he is injured to retaliate. Following our strategy, we choose to divide into smaller groups to compile information and be ready for the next action. Though I feel the weight of obligation on my shoulders, I am ready to carry this load. Stepping closer while the others get ready, Finn says, "Lena." "I believe in you even though I know this is a lot to process." His comments send a wave of warmth and remind me of the link we have created during this battle. "We will get through this."