Enclosed

Inside a gray Subaru, a woman gripped the steering wheel. Her sharp brown eyes darted between the rearview mirror and the standstill ahead. The heat warping the air above the vehicle’s.

A dead stop.

Sweat beaded at her brow, dripping down soaking the black niqab cloaked around her head. She reached into the back seat and touched a black-and-gray metallic case. Pausing she closed her eyes. Prayers slipped from her lips.

Drones buzzed overhead.

She spoke into her comms.

“Shit. They found me.”

“They haven’t yet. The drones are just scanning. Stay calm.”

The man’s voice crackled in her ear piece.

High above

The drones feed streamed traffic footage back to a high-rise office miles away.

The heavyset man scrambles out of his chair. His suit barely holds together. A CEO of a massive corporation and still unable to properly tailor a suit.

“She can’t go far. If she deviates, we’ll find her.”

The operator of one of the drones faces the screen.

The CEO spits

“This is out of control. If we don’t retrieve the weapon, there will be consequences. I’ll burn the whole fucking program.”

“Understood. She can’t leave the city.”

The drones continue scanning.

The woman in the niqab leaned forward over the steering wheel.

“There are four of them. They’ll find me soon.”

“Just relax. We’re getting into position. I told you before, Arie—I put you there, I’ll get you out. Turn on the radio. Breathe. Patience.”

She rolled her fingers across the wheel and clicked on the radio. Music filled the cabin, softening the weight in her chest.

“It’s an accident,” . “Looks like they’re clearing it. Just a little longer. We’ve got you covered.”

His voice calmed her. She leaned back, breathed deeply, then laughed—just a little. A crack of freedom.

“This niqab is making it worse, Terrick.”

“I know, Arie. This has been a long mission. Be proud. Be proud of your country. This weapon changes everything. We can no longer be manipulated. You stayed focused. Today… it pays off.”

“Confirming that the CEO used Pakora and its people as a testing ground… it’s… it’s just… infuriating. I wanted it to be false. He’s a monster. This man needs to be stopped Terrick.”

“He’ll get his reward—for genocide. We do this for the missing kids. The broken families. Now that we have the weapon, he’ll feel it.”

“We have to get it out. Promise me, Terrick—if it’s between me or the weapon, you take it. Use it. Send him to hell.”

“Arie… You’re making it through. With the weapon.”

The drones worked their way down the jam, halfway to Arie’s position. The sun baked the three-lane stretch in heatwaves.

In the high-rise—

“Sir, the police are nearly done clearing the crash.”

“Then it wasn’t big enough. That’s on you. Fuck. This is our only shot. Send them in. Now.”

“Are you sure, sir? Once we do, it escalates. The police will respond hard.”

“Fucking do it. Shoot the techs. Crush the data. Gas the building. Get the helo ready.”

“Understood.”

“Arie. Wake up. The accident’s almost clear. Time to vanish.”

“Thank fucking God.”

She clicked on her seatbelt. The leather on the steering wheel creaked under her grip. She turned off the radio. Up ahead, the far-left lane rolled forward—the furthest from hers. The drones climbed above the line. One lane opened wide for scanning. Two drones per side.

“Arie. Heads up. Cavalry just arrived. They’re wearing exos.”

“Fuck. No way he had time to plant them in today. Must’ve been prepping for this.”

“He knew the weapon was relocating. Doesn’t matter—you need to switch lanes or get the hell out and run.”

“I can’t get over. No one’s letting me in. I can’t outrun exos either.”

Arie screamed—Her voice strained and the veins underneath her eyes bulged. Heads turned from nearby cars concerned . The Four exos moved through traffic like sharks, stirring panic.

“Fuck it.”

“Arie, you don’t know what it’ll—”

“It’s my choice. Terrick—get it out. This’ll be over quickly.”

She reached back. Grabbed the case. Slammed in the manual code. It clicked open.She pulled out a small black tubercle, flipped it on, and held it behind her head. It beeped in a sequence and the lights went green. Spikes extended from the bottom. She pressed it into her cervical spine with precision.

The nanos exited the device and flooded her spinal fluid, embedding into every nerve channel.

Her eyes darkened. Violet rings bloomed around her irises.

She stepped out of the car and faced the exos.

A slight hesitation and then they opened fire. Some of the bullets slicked through civilians.

Ripping the door off the Subaru, she used it as a shield.She leapt onto a nearby car roof, kneeling. Bullets pinging off of the door.She launched herself, crushing the plastic and metal from the car.

Her arch and velocity? Perfect!

Slamming the first exo into concrete, folding his chestplate like foil.The flung car door sliced the second one in half—clean through body and armor. She never even looked at him.

She blitzed the third, stripping him of his weapon Point-blank. Unloaded the full magazine. His body shredded into strands of meat.

She jumped into a twisting flip behind the fourth, clenching her fist tight as she drove them through his spine.

The exerted effort slumps her to one knee. Breathing heavy and deep.

A motorcycle revved.

“Terrick.”

His name flutters from her lips as she fully thumps to her back.

Tossing his motorcycle to the ground. Sprinting to lift off her Niquib.

They locked eyes. Leaning in he didn’t blink.

Her nose, ears, and eyes bled. The price of the nanos paid in full.

Terrick Stroked her eyebrow

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. I told you I would get you out.“

He lowered his head

You… You saved everything.”

He kissed her forehead and hit the top button on the device to recall the nanos. He severed it from her neck and secured it in his pack.

The words never left her mouth. She just nodded. Closed her eyes and fell limp. He lowers her hand to her chest.

The high-rise erupted in the distance and shook the surrounding buildings.

The helicopter peeled away through the smoke.