Run With The Devil

The Plan in Motion

Deon's pov

I stand at the head of the table, the dull hum of the overhead lights casting long shadows across the room. My men are gathered around, eyes sharp, waiting for my word. The map of the lab is spread out before us, every exit, every security checkpoint, every hidden corner. We've studied it for weeks now, memorized every detail.

Tonight, we go in.

I take a slow drag from my cigarette, the smoke curling in the air as I watch them. They know the risks. They know what happens if we screw this up. But none of them look nervous. They've done jobs like this before, but even they can feel it-this one is different.

"The lab," I say, breaking the silence. "Isn't just about the money. There's something else going on in there. Something they've buried deep."

I see Angelo's eyes flicker up, the hint of a question on his face, but he keeps his mouth shut. Good. They've learned not to question me too much. I've been leading them for years, building this empire from the ground up, and I didn't get here by playing it safe.

"Subjects," I say, flicking ash into the tray. "People, if you can even call them that anymore. They're experimenting on them, using them to test these drugs, these serums. Some of them are still alive. Barely."

I see a few glances exchanged around the table, but no one speaks. This isn't news to them; I've told them enough to understand the basics. But the details-the real reasons-those are mine. They don't need to know everything. Not yet.

"They've got a girl in there," I say, letting the words settle. "019. She's different. Survived longer than the others, built to handle more. We're bringing her out."

Silence. Then Angelo speaks up, his voice low. "Boss, what's so special about her? We've dealt with labs before, taken what we needed and burned the rest. But you've got us pulling a girl out this time?"

His tone isn't disrespectful, but it's close. I meet his eyes, holding his gaze until he looks away. Angelo's been with me a long time, and he's never doubted my decisions, but I can see the question hanging there. Why her? What's the point?

"I don't explain myself," I say, my voice cold. "But I'll tell you this: the serums they're testing, the things they've been doing to these people, it's not just about money anymore. It's power. Control. And 019-she's the key."

Vincent shifts in his seat, but he doesn't say anything. I can feel the tension in the room thickening, but I don't care. They'll follow my orders. They always do.

"The lab is ours after tonight," I continue. "We take everything we can carry, burn the rest. But the girl comes with us. Alive."

I don't say it out loud, but something about her-about the way she's survived-has been gnawing at me. They've been pushing her harder than anyone else, testing her limits, and she's still breathing. There's something they've made in that lab, and if they think they can hide it from me, they're wrong.

Angelo leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Security's tight. They've got more guards than we've ever seen around a place like this. Armed to the teeth, too. We're gonna have to move fast."

"I know," I say, stubbing out the cigarette. "That's why we're going in hard. No warnings. No chances for them to regroup. We hit them fast and take what we need before they even know we're inside."

Vincent nods. "We've got the team ready. Marcus has the tech side covered-cameras, alarms, everything. We'll be in and out before anyone outside even realizes."

"Good." I walk around the table, my eyes on the map. "Once we're inside, I want teams on every level. Find the vault, clear the labs, and make sure nothing useful gets left behind."

I pause at the photo of the girl, 019, staring back at me from the file. There's something in her eyes that won't let me forget her. It's like she's waiting. For what, I don't know. But we'll find out soon enough.

"You get me that girl," I say, my voice low but firm. "Whatever happens, she leaves with us."

They all nod, but I can see the questions still hanging in the air. Why her? Why not just take the drugs and leave the rest to rot?

They don't need to understand. I do.

As the men stand to leave, I stop Vincent with a glance. He waits, and once the others have cleared the room, I turn to him. "There's something else."

He listens, his expression unreadable, but I know he's paying attention. "The girl," I continue, "she's not like the others. Whatever they've done to her, it's made her more than just another experiment. I don't know how far it goes yet, but I need to find out."

Vincent nods slowly. "And what if she's dangerous?"

I meet his gaze, my expression hard. "Then we deal with her. But not until I know exactly what she is."

He doesn't argue, just nods and walks out, leaving me alone with the map and the thoughts swirling in my mind.

I light another cigarette, inhaling deeply as I stare at the layout of the lab. I've seen plenty of things in my life, things most people wouldn't survive. But this lab-these experiments-there's something darker about it. Something that makes even me pause.

I don't like questions I can't answer, and right now, there are too many of them swirling around 019.

But by the end of the night, I'll have my answers.

And if anyone gets in my way, they'll wish they hadn't.