章)Located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, the state-of-the-art facility known as the Apex Correctional Center is regarded as one of the most secure prisons in the world. Covering an area of approximately 150,000 square feet, its towering fences reach heights of over 10 feet, equipped with laser defenses, pressure sensors, and attack dogs. No one has ever successfully escaped from its confines.
The inmates housed here are some of the most dangerous criminals on the planet—terrorists, arms dealers, drug lords, and neo-Nazis. Each one of them could unleash chaos with a mere flick of their wrist.
In Block A, Cell 78, a notorious inmate named Marcus Kane lies on his bunk, reciting religious verses after finishing his lunch.
Suddenly, he hears the unmistakable sound of the cell door clicking open.
Startled, Marcus jumps up, his eyes wide with disbelief. The door to his cell is ajar.
He hesitates for a moment, then, filled with exhilaration, rushes out into the corridor.
As he sprints down the hall, every door he approaches swings open with a beep, as if guiding him to freedom. Marcus feels euphoric, believing this is divine intervention—today, he will escape this hellhole and reclaim his life!
As he rounds a corner, a sultry voice crackles through the overhead speaker.
"Run 100 meters forward, then take a left. At the end of the corridor, turn right."
Confused but desperate, Marcus decides to trust the mysterious woman’s instructions. He has no other choice.
Meanwhile, in the central control room of Apex, Mia Lane glances away from the monitor, shutting off the broadcasting system. She surveys the unconscious guards sprawled across the floor.
Her earpiece crackles to life with Ethans lazy voice. "You really look disgusted, Mia."
"When did you get the ability to read my expressions?" she quips, gracefully stepping over the incapacitated guards as she exits the control room.
Ethan chuckles, "After spending so much time with you, I can tell when youre rolling your eyes or cursing under your breath."
"How much time do I have?"
With most of the prisons security focused on Marcus, the atmosphere is eerily calm. Mia approaches the window and prepares to leap outside, almost scaling the wall.
"Youve got at least half an hour," Ethan assures her.
"Good. That’s enough," she replies confidently.
—
At the same moment, in London, England, the autumn leaves swirl beautifully in the afternoon breeze. A tall, handsome mixed-race man walks hand in hand with his young son, who has just finished school. The two share laughter, filling the air with warmth.
Just a few steps away, in a nearby café, a blond man named Liam rests his chin on his hand, watching the father and son through the window. He sighs, "I really envy that guy! Once a man of war, now he enjoys the simple pleasures of life with his family, watching the sun rise and set with the ones he loves. What could be happier than that? And his wife is stunning, too!"
Liam rambles on, but the man across from him remains silent. Unable to contain himself, Liam taps the back of the mans laptop. "Ethan?"
Ethan, who had been focused on his screen, finally looks up. His face is a blend of rugged handsomeness and masculinity, devoid of unnecessary expressions. His dark eyes, seemingly calm, hide a storm beneath the surface.
Ethan gives Liam a cold glance before returning to his work. "Are you saying you havent settled down, or that your kid isnt as good-looking as his?"
"Hey! Dont say that!" Liam, a devoted husband, quickly backtracks. "Do you want to see me come home to a disaster? My pregnant wife has been on edge lately. If I upset her, Im dead!"
Ethan rolls his eyes, uninterested.
Just then, Ethans phone buzzes with an internal communication alert from Shadow, the covert organization he works for. He puts on his Bluetooth headset and answers the call.
"Thanatos," his superior, Director L, says. "Five minutes ago, [Fire Kiss] infiltrated Apex and compromised the security system, releasing the notorious inmate Marcus Kane to wreak havoc in the prison."
Ethan remains silent for a moment, raising an eyebrow.
He has heard of this name.
Fire Kiss.
A former CIA operative, she was expelled after a mission gone wrong, accused of leaking secrets and betraying the agency. After leaving the CIA, she became a professional assassin, evading capture while making it onto every intelligence agencys most-wanted list.
"All available forces at Apex are focused on capturing Fire Kiss and Kane. The FBI is on-site as well. Since she managed to enter the prison undetected, she likely has an escape plan. The hacking skills she possesses surpass all of their tech personnel, and no one can fix the compromised security system in time. The CIA needs your help remotely."
L adds, "Of course, you can choose not to get involved. This isnt Shadows jurisdiction, and Fire Kiss isnt our target."
It’s no wonder L would say that. Shadow operates independently of any national security agency, with no allegiance to any country. Their operatives are stateless, existing in a realm of their own.
Thus, they typically maintain a non-interference policy with organizations like the CIA and FBI. L has always been critical of some of their practices, so unless absolutely necessary, the CIA wouldn’t be asking for their help.
Clearly, Fire Kiss is someone the CIA is desperate to capture.
After a moment of contemplation, Ethan replies coolly, "Have them reroute the signal to me."
Once he hangs up, he turns his attention back to his computer. Liam leans in, curious. "What did L want?"
Ethans fingers fly across the keyboard as he replies, "To catch a fish."
—
At Apex prison, Marcus follows the womans instructions and arrives at a rooftop. The area is eerily empty, and panic begins to set in. Just as he wonders if he’s been played, he sees a slender arm reach over the railing.
Startled, Marcus thinks he’s hallucinating.
In the next moment, a woman effortlessly flips over the railing and lands on the rooftop.
She has fair skin and fiery red hair, her beauty striking and captivating, making it impossible to look away.
Mia crouches by the railing, flashing a charming smile at Marcus. "Hello."
Marcus stammers, "Who are you?"
Mia grins, "Fire Kiss."
Marcus blinks in surprise. "So youre the infamous ex-agent the CIA expelled? Arent you a wanted criminal?"
In this day and age, even international fugitives dare to break into prisons?
She leans on her knee, resting her chin on her hand, and says with a smile, "I didnt realize I was so famous! But I suggest you worry about your own situation first."
As Marcus notices her gaze drifting behind him, he realizes the guards are closing in. He rushes toward her, shouting, "You’re here to save me, right? Someone must have paid you to come! If you got in, you can get out. Let’s leave this hellhole!"
However, when he reaches her, he finds her standing still, showing no intention of helping him escape.
Marcus is confused. "You…"
Mia smirks.
In an instant, she pulls out a gun and aims it at Marcuss forehead.
"God wont protect you."
Mias lips curl into a cold smile as the warmth in her eyes fades.
In Marcuss shocked gaze, a gunshot rings out, and he collapses to the ground, a bullet hole in his forehead.
At the same time, guards with attack dogs burst through the door Marcus had locked. Mia holsters her gun and swiftly leaps over the railing as the guards shout in pursuit.
The blaring alarms echo throughout Apex as she races down the corridor, mentally retracing her escape route. Ethan had mentioned she had at least half an hour; she had taken less than ten minutes to deal with Marcus. The guards and their dogs are no match for her skills, and a safe exit should be a piece of cake.
Reaching the supply room where she entered, she turns the doorknob, only to find the automatic door locked.
At that moment, she sees the iron gate behind her and the one in front of her locking with a beep.
Beep, beep.
Every door in the corridor is automatically closing, and the prisons security system is rapidly rebooting.
"South?"
Mia furrows her brow, calling out to her communicator, but finds her connection with Ethan has been severed. The earpiece is silent.
A flicker of surprise crosses her beautiful face, but she remains composed. She pulls out a mini-expl