FORBIDDEN INSTINCTS

Into the steel dragon

The old iron railyard sat like a rusted skeleton against the ink-black expanse of the outer sector. Heavy fog rolled off the river, wrapping around the towering cranes and silent freight cars in a thick, gray shroud.

​Maya knelt behind a stack of rusted steel girders on the perimeter ridge, a pair of night-vision binoculars pressed to her eyes. Rain tapped a steady, nervous rhythm against her hood.

​"Three guards on the perimeter walk," Maya whispered into the radio comm pinned to her collar. "Two more posted by the primary freight engine. No sign of heavy artillery yet."

​"They're keeping a low profile," Julian’s voice rasped in her ear, steady and unnaturally calm. "Mercer knows if the Council sees armored vehicles in a civilian yard, the game is up. Stay low. I'm moving into position by the primary junction."

​Maya adjusted her focus. Down on the tracks, a sleek, unmarked black train engine sat idling, its dark exhaust plume blending seamlessly into the foggy night. Workers in unmarked tactical gear were frantically loading steel crates into the secondary cargo bay.

​"Julian," Maya murmured, her heart taking a sharp step up in cadence. "They’re loading faster than the ledger’s timetable predicted. They’re preparing to depart early."

​A brief pause hung on the line before Julian answered. "Change of plans. We move now. Cover the eastern line; don't let anyone reach the manual switchboard."

​Maya didn't hesitate. She slipped over the ridge, her boots finding quiet purchase on the wet gravel. Every sense felt hyper-attuned to the night—the bite of the freezing wind, the metallic tang of steam in the air, and the electric thrill of working alongside a man who trusted her implicitly in the dark.

​She reached the shadow of the train's rearmost car just as a guard rounded the corner. Before the guard could raise his weapon, Maya stepped forward, using the guard's momentum to vault him against the steel plating and disarm him with a sharp, practiced strike. He hit the ground cold.

​She caught her breath, her hand pressing against the cold steel of the train car. Down the line, a sudden muffled scuffle cut through the fog, followed by the dull thud of Julian taking down two enforcers in rapid succession.

​A moment later, his tall figure emerged from the mist, his dark eyes instantly sweeping over her to ensure she was unharmed.

​"Nice work," he murmured, stepping close enough for his shoulder to brush hers in the dark.

​"I told you I wasn't going to freeze," Maya replied, a faint, breathless smile touching her lips.

​"Engine's prepped to haul," Julian said, his gaze locked on hers with a fierce, quiet intensity. "We hit the control room, lock the tracks, and broadcast the ledger's manifest across the public network. Once it hits the airwaves, Mercer is finished."

​Maya nodded, clutching the encrypted drive containing the decrypted ledger tightly in her fist. "Lead the way."