Is That Mom

Part 9 of Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Shadows of the Past

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Part 9:

A Deadly Encounter

The air was thick with tension as Ethan
approached the abandoned warehouse. Its rusted metal doors were hanging off their hinges, and the cracked windows gave off an eerie glow in the pale morning light. The whole place felt forgotten, like a relic of a time no one wanted to remember. Yet, there was something else—an undercurrent of danger that set his nerves on edge.

Sarah's note had been clear enough: come alone, trust no one. But after everything that had happened, how could he trust her either? She had vanished, leaving him in the dark yet again, and now he was walking straight into another unknown situation, risking his life for someone who might be playing him for a fool.

His grip tightened on the strap of his bag as he scanned the warehouse's exterior. The silence felt wrong-too complete, like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to snap. He had learned to trust his instincts, and right now, they were screaming at him to turn back. But he
couldn't stop now. Not when he was so close to uncovering the truth.

He stepped inside, the echo of his boots on the concrete floor reverberating through the vast emptiness. It smelled of rust and decay, the air heavy with dust. Long shadows stretched from the beams above, making it hard to tell where the walls ended and the darkness began. Ethan paused, listening for any sound, any movement that might betray the presence of another.

Nothing.

But that didn't mean he was alone.

He moved cautiously through the space, his senses on high alert. Every creak of the building sent a jolt of adrenaline through him. Sarah's instructions had been vague, but she must have known something to send him here. If this was a trap, she had to be involved-or at least aware of the danger.

A flash of movement caught his eye.
Ethan froze. At the far end of the warehouse, a shadow shifted-a figure, blending into the darkness, watching him. His heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to remain calm. He
had been followed before, but this time felt different. This wasn't just surveillance; this was a predator waiting to strike.

Without warning, the figure moved, darting between the crates stacked haphazardly in the
corner of the room. Ethan barely had time to react as the shadowy figure lunged at him, fast and silent.

Instinct kicked in. Ethan dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade that sliced through the air where his throat had been moments before. He stumbled back, heart racing, as the figure came at him again, a glint of metal catching the dim light. It wasn't just a fight-it was a hunt.

Ethan's mind raced as he scrambled for something-anything-to defend himself. He wasn't trained for this. He was just a guy looking for answers about his mother, not someone
equipped to handle ambushes in abandoned warehouses. But he wasn't going down without a fight.

His hands found a broken metal pipe on the floor, and he gripped it tightly, swinging wildly as the figure advanced. The clang of metal on metal rang out as the attacker's blade met the pipe, sparks flying. Ethan's muscles screamed in protest, his heart thundering in his chest, but he kept moving, dodging and striking wherever he
could.

The attacker was relentless, precise. Each movement was calculated, aiming to end the fight
quickly and brutally. Ethan could feel the exhaustion creeping in, but adrenaline kept him
on his feet. He had to stay alive. He had to
survive.

A sharp pain shot through his side as the blade
grazed him, cutting through his shirt and leaving a searing line of fire along his ribs. He gritted his teeth, using the pain to fuel his determination. With one desperate swing, he managed to knock the blade out of the attacker's hand, sending it skittering across the floor.

But the victory was short-lived.

Before he could catch his breath, the figure was on him again, slamming him into the concrete wall. The impact rattled his bones, knocking the wind out of him. Ethan gasped, struggling to stay conscious as the edges of his vision blurred. His head throbbed, the room spinning around him.

Through the haze, he could see the figure advancing again, this time without a weapon. Hands reached for his throat, squeezing the air from his lungs as Ethan's world began to darken.

No. Not like this.

With every ounce of strength he had left, Ethan brought the pipe up, striking the figure in the side with all his might. There was a grunt of pain, and the grip on his throat loosened just enough for him to gasp for breath. He shoved the attacker away, stumbling back as he fought to stay
upright.

The figure staggered, clutching their side, but they didn't fall. Instead, they took a step back, eyes locked on Ethan, as if sizing him up one last time. Then, without a word, the figure melted into the
shadows, disappearing as quickly as they had come.

Ethan stood there, panting, blood dripping from the wound in his side, his entire body trembling with fear and exhaustion. The warehouse was silent again, but the danger hadn't passed. Whoever had attacked him was still out there, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike again.

He slid down the wall, collapsing onto the cold concrete floor as his vision swam. Every breath was a struggle, his side burning with every movement. His hands shook as he pressed them against the wound, trying to stem the bleeding. He needed help, but there was no one to turn to. No one he could trust.

Sarah was gone. He was alone.

The reality of it hit him harder than the attack itself. He was being hunted-by people who knew far more about him, about his mother, than he did. And now, they were making their move.

Ethan's mind raced as he tried to make sense of it all. The connection between his mother's
disappearance and the experiments was undeniable. Whoever had ambushed him was part of it, part of the same shadowy group that had been pulling the strings from the start. But why? Why go after him now?

The fear that gripped him was overwhelming, but underneath it all, there was something else. A fire. A grim determination that wouldn't be
extinguished, no matter how many attacks came his way.

They wanted him to back down, to give up, but he wouldn't. He couldn't.

Not now. Not after everything he had learned.

With shaky hands, Ethan pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth against the pain. He couldn't stay here. He had to keep moving, keep fighting. The answers were out there, and he wasn't going to stop until he found them.

Even if it killed him.