SINGAPORE: THE HUNT
1181 Words
CHAPTER 8: SINGAPORE
Book 2 - The Hunt
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Singapore didn’t sleep.
Even at 4:17AM, the city was light. Towers of glass. Streets wet from rain. The smell of diesel and street food.
7, Maya, and Handler checked into a hotel under fake names. 12th floor. Two rooms. One door between them.
"44 hours," Handler said, dropping the folder on the bed. "Varn said server. A virus. Asian banks."
Maya was already on her laptop. "There are 3 major data centers in Singapore. All of them owned by shell companies. All of them linked to the Committee."
"Which one?" 7 asked.
"We don’t know," Maya said. "But the virus has to be uploaded manually. It’s not remote. Too much security. So someone has to be there."
Handler nodded. "Then we watch all three."
7 was at the window. He wasn’t looking at the city. He was looking at the reflections in the glass. Behind him. In the hallway. On the roof across the street.
"Someone’s watching us," he said.
Maya froze. "What?"
"Fourth floor. Across the street. Binoculars. Gone now." 7’s voice was flat. "Viper."
Handler grabbed his gun. "You sure?"
"I know how he moves," 7 said. "He’s here."
The room went quiet. Only the AC humming.
"Okay," Maya said. "New plan. We split up. Cover all three data centers. Faster."
"No," 7 said. "We stay together."
"7, we don’t have time—"
"We stay together," he repeated. "Viper wants me. If we split, he takes you."
Maya looked at him. Then nodded. "Together."
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HOUR 38
Data Center 1. Jurong.
Empty. Just servers and cold air. No sign of the virus. No sign of Viper.
Data Center 2. Tampines.
Also empty. But the security logs were wiped. Someone had been here 6 hours ago.
"Too clean," Handler said. "He wants us to think it’s here."
Data Center 3. Marina Bay.
That one was different. 40 floors. Private. Security everywhere.
And on the roof, a red light. Blinking. Once every 3 seconds.
"That’s it," 7 said.
They parked 2 blocks away. Changed clothes in the car. Maya had a press badge. Handler had a maintenance uniform. 7 had black.
"Rule 1," Handler said. "Trust no one."
"Rule 2," 7 finished. "Except me."
They moved.
The lobby was easy. Maya talked her way past security. "Interview with the CEO. He’s expecting me." She smiled. The guard bought it.
The server room was on floor 37. Keycard only.
7 took out a guard without a sound. Took the card.
Floor 37 was freezing. Rows and rows of servers. Blue lights. The hum was so loud it hurt.
And in the middle of the room, a man.
Viper.
He was leaning against a server rack. Arms crossed. Same height as 7. Same build. Same haircut. But his eyes were different. Wild.
"Took you long enough, brother," Viper said.
7 stepped forward. "Where’s the virus?"
Viper gestured to a laptop on a cart. Screen open. Code scrolling. "Uploading. 22 hours to go. Then Singapore’s banks are gone. Then the rest of Asia. Dominoes, like Varn said."
Handler raised his gun. "Step away from it."
Viper didn’t move. "You’re not going to shoot me. You had the chance in Colorado."
7 didn’t answer. He was watching Viper’s hands. Watching his feet.
Viper smiled. "You look tired, 7. 25 years in the dark and you come out to play hero? For her?" He nodded at Maya. "She’s not worth it."
"Don’t talk about her," 7 said. Low.
"Or what? You’ll kill me?" Viper laughed. "You forgot Rule 3, brother. There is no ‘we’."
He moved.
Fast.
Viper grabbed the laptop and threw it. 7 caught it mid-air. But Viper was already on him.
Fist to jaw. Elbow to ribs. Knee to the gut.
25 years of the same training. Same moves. Same speed.
They crashed into a server rack. Sparks. Alarms.
Maya was yelling. Handler was shooting but Viper was too close to 7.
Viper had a knife. Military. Same one they were both issued at 17.
He slashed. 7 blocked with his forearm. Blood.
"That’s the problem with you," Viper hissed, driving him back. "You hesitate. You feel. That’s why you’re weak."
7 headbutted him. Bone on bone. Viper stumbled.
"You’re wrong," 7 said, breathing hard. "That’s why I’m still human."
Viper charged again. Knife up.
7 caught his wrist. Twisted. The knife clattered to the floor.
They grappled. Equal. For a minute it was just grunts and blood and the sound of metal.
Then 7 got his arm around Viper’s throat. From behind. Tight.
Viper clawed at his arms. Kicked back.
"Let go," Viper choked.
"Shut down the upload," 7 said.
"Never."
"Shut it down."
Viper laughed, even while he was turning blue. "You’ll have to kill me. And you won’t. Because you’re not me."
7’s arms shook. 25 years told him to squeeze. To finish it.
Maya was behind him. "7. Don’t. Don’t become him."
Those words.
7 loosened his grip just enough. Viper gasped, tried to break free.
7 slammed him into the floor. Knee on his chest. Pinned his arms.
"Handler," 7 said. "The laptop."
Handler was already there. Slammed the laptop shut. Yanked the drive.
The upload stopped. 18 hours left. Stopped.
Viper was still struggling under him. "You i***t. They’ll just send someone else. There are always more of us."
"Maybe," 7 said. "But not today."
Security was coming. Footsteps. Shouting.
Handler grabbed Maya. "We have to go. Now."
7 looked down at Viper. His brother. His mirror.
He didn’t kill him.
He zip-tied him. To the server rack. Left him there for Singapore police to find.
As they ran, Viper shouted after them. "This isn’t over! I’ll find you! I’ll kill her first!"
7 didn’t look back.
HOUR 16
They were on a boat. Leaving Singapore. No passports. No trail.
Maya was cleaning the cut on 7’s arm. Her hands were steady.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"You didn’t kill him."
"No."
"Why?"
7 was quiet. Then: "Because if I did, I’d be him."
Maya nodded. Leaned her head on his shoulder. "You did good."
Handler was in the front, talking on a burner phone. "Yeah. We got it. Singapore is clean. Dubai is next."
He hung up. Looked at them. "Good work. Both of you."
7 stared at the water. Black. Like Colorado. Like the dark he came from.
But this time he wasn’t alone.
His phone buzzed. New burner. Unknown number.
Text message. From Viper.
`Nice try. Dubai. 72 hours. I’ll be waiting.`
7 deleted the message.
"Next stop?" Maya asked.
"Dubai," 7 said. "Committee Member #6."
"And Viper?"
"And Viper," 7 said. "He wants a fight. He’ll get one."
Handler started the engine. "Then let’s go hunting."
The boat pulled away from Singapore. The city lights faded behind them.
7 looked at his hands. Still bleeding. Still shaking a little.
25 years a weapon.
3 months trying to be a man.
He was getting there.
END OF CHAPTER 8
Next: CHAPTER 9 - DUBAI. 72 HOURS. 1 DESERT. 1 FINAL SHOWDOWN WITH VIPER.
- Writer
