Morning broke, but the city offered no peace. New York's rhythm continued — relentless and indifferent. Matthew Hale stood by the window, staring out at the world below, coffee cooling in his grip. The conversation from the night before still echoed in his head:
"You'll regret it, Mr. Hale."
He'd made his choice. He thought that meant freedom. But as always, freedom in this city came with a price.
A sharp knock at the door broke the stillness.
Hale opened it cautiously — no one in sight. Only a small, unmarked envelope sitting on his doormat. He crouched down, inspecting it before picking it up. Inside, nestled in soft black foam, was a data drive. No branding, no note — just a single line printed on the paper beneath it:
"It's not over."
His jaw tightened. He slammed the door and locked it. The laptop was still open on the coffee table, and despite every warning in the back of his mind, he plugged the drive in.
The screen blinked. Then static.
Then a message:
"You're already playing, Hale. The second game begins now."
(Audio file attached)
Hale clicked it. A distorted voice filled the room, smooth and cold.
"This isn't about revenge. This is about survival. We made you an offer. You said no. But refusing the game doesn't remove you from the board."
"Consider this your opening move."
Then silence.
Hale yanked the drive out, heart thudding. He turned slowly, his eyes scanning the apartment. It had never truly felt like home — but now, it felt violated.
Paranoia crept in.
He moved through each room, scanning outlets, checking under furniture, lifting lamps. And then he found it — a tiny black device tucked behind a light fixture, just above his bed.
A bug.
They'd been listening. Watching.
He crushed it in his hand.
His phone buzzed. Unknown number again.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a worn contact book. One name stood out: Red — a street-level tech head with government-grade skills and a habit of disappearing when things got too hot. Red owed him. Big time.
And right now, Matthew needed answers.