THE NIGHT SHIFT

WE FIGHT BACK

As I finish putting away the dishes Carter goes in our room.  When I'm done I follow him in and I find him packing his stuff.

"What's going on?" I ask confused.

"I got a call, we're flying to Broocklyn, now." He answers.

"Brooklyn? As in homeland-of-The-Organisation Brooklyn?" I question doubtful.

"Yes,I got a call from a buddy of mine, he's been thinking about leaving The Organisation for years, he had tried to convince me many times too, in the end he decided the right thing to do was to stay there as a spy. He found out that after I... well... after I killed the Oakland department Boss and helped you escape they've been trying to find us" He starts explaining.

"Well I agree thats amazing news" I joke and although he's slightly irritated by the interruption I can see the corner of his mouth curving into a soft smile.

"Anyways," he continues, "they've discovered where we are. We need to leave immediately. We'll be safer in Brooklyn, closer to my contact, and we'll have the upper hand knowing they're not expecting us to move towards them."

The gravity of the situation hits me like a wave. "Okay," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "But what's the plan once we get there?"

"We'll go to a safe house my buddy set up. It's off the grid, but close enough to the action for us to keep tabs on The Organisation's movements. We'll have to lay low for a while, gather information, and plan our next steps carefully."

I nod, feeling a mix of fear and determination. "Alright, I'll pack my things, but what about Ben?"

Carter's expression darkends thinking about leaving his old friend.

"I'll go talk to him right now, you stay here"He says before rushing out of the room and closing the door behind him.

As I start gathering my belongings, my mind races with thoughts of what's to come. The Organisation has been a shadow over our lives, and now we're heading straight into their stronghold. But there's a strange sense of relief too, finally we're taking control, making a proactive move rather than constantly running.

I make the bed before walking out of the room. I find Carter and Ben both leaning on two different walls, Ben looks sad so I understand he knows everything already and I'm truly sorry for leaving him so soon. I hug him and he tells me to call when the baby is born to which I reply with a smile, I guess I'll have to set an allarm to ring in eight months so I can call him.

"You ready?" Carter asks softly.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I reply.

We leave the house quietly, making sure not to draw any attention. The car ride to the airport is tense, both of us lost in our thoughts. As we board the plane, I can't help but glance around, half-expecting to see familiar faces. But the flight is uneventful, and soon we're descending into the heart of Brooklyn.

Once we land, Carter leads us to a nondescript car parked in the airport's long-term lot. "This is it," he says, unlocking the doors. "Our new life starts now."

The drive through Brooklyn is surreal. The city buzzes with life, oblivious to the secret war we're about to wage within its bounds. Carter navigates through the maze of streets with practiced ease until we arrive at a modest, unassuming building. "Here we are," he announces, parking the car.

We make our way inside and up to a small apartment. It's sparsely furnished, but it has everything we need. Carter's contact has clearly thought of everything. It's pretty much the same size as Ben's apartment, but it's more modern and probably costed three times as much just looking at the kitchen. Everything is so white and clean, it feels like the hospital room I woke up in almost three weeks ago.

"Get some rest," Carter advises. "We'll start our planning tomorrow. For now, let's just get settled in."

He shows me the way into a bedroom, this time it's separate. After sleeping in the same room for a long time I'm not sure I can bear being alone, but I won't say anything, though the sound of his steady breathing has been my background sound while falling asleep for weeks.

As I lie down on the unfamiliar bed, exhaustion finally catches up with me. The day's events replay in my mind, but despite the fear and uncertainty, there's a flicker of hope. We're not just running anymore. We're fighting back.

I fall asleep to the distant sounds of the city, feeling the weight of our new mission pressing down on me, but also a newfound determination to see it through. Tomorrow, we'll begin the next chapter of our lives, and for the first time in a long while, I feel ready to face whatever comes next.