《The Line of Defense》


 The Crack in the Screen

    The world wasn¡¯t falling apart at least not visibly.


    Markets buzzed, phones pinged, and screens glowed into the late hours. Life trudged on for most people.


    But for Amir, the cracks were everywhere, creeping into the edges of everyday reality.


    And it all began with a single notification.


    Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the dusty window of his shared apartment. The city felt unusually quiet, as if holding its breath.


    Amir sat with his back against the wall, his phone in hand, scrolling through headlines.


    Politics. Celebrity scandals. Stock market swings.


    Just noise.


    Then


    A bold red banner flashed across his screen.


    Breaking: Riots Erupt in Downtown Over Water Crisis!


    His heart clenched. The thumbnail showed thick smoke rising over a crowd of people.


    He recognized that skyline.


    His city.


    With a tap, the video filled his screen.


    Shaky. Frantic.


    People running. Shouting. Tear gas clouds swallowing the streets.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    A man hurled a bottle at riot police.


    The comment section was already a battlefield:


    "This is what happens when the government fails!"


    "Corporations are hoarding water, wake up!"


    "Climate activists caused this mess!"


    Yet¡­ something felt off.


    Amir replayed the video, this time focusing on the details.


    A security van sped past in the background.


    His gut twisted.


    He knew that van.


    He had seen it before.


    Rewinding, he froze the frame. Squinting, he scanned the faded date stamp on the side.


    Two years ago.


    His grip tightened on his phone.


    Fake news.


    Someone had taken old footage, spliced it together with dramatic cuts, and thrown it online like a grenade.


    Then


    His phone buzzed.


    Lina: Stay inside. Downtown¡¯s crazy


    He jumped up, reaching for his jacket.


    But his feet stopped before he reached the door.


    He had seen how this played out before.


    Misinformation could spread faster than truth, turning fear into fire.


    This wasn¡¯t just a careless mistake.


    It was deliberate.


    But by who? And why?


    The city streets were tense when he finally stepped outside.


    Whispers floated from balconies.


    Shop owners locked their doors earlier than usual.


    Drones hovered overhead, their blinking lights reflecting off glass windows.


    At the corner caf¨¦, two men argued over a phone screen.


    "It¡¯s the activists¡¯ fault!"


    "No, it¡¯s the corporations!"


    Amir pushed forward, his mind racing.


    If someone wanted to destabilize the city, planting fake news was a clever start.


    And the worst part?


    It was working.


    Amir wasn¡¯t a journalist.


    He wasn¡¯t a hacker.


    Just a college dropout with a sharp eye for patterns.


    And right now, noticing might be enough.


    Near an alleyway, a small crowd had gathered.


    Murmurs filled the air.


    Amir followed their gazes


    Graffiti. Splashed across the wall.


    A symbol.


    A minimalist design just a circle with a single line cutting through it.


    Beneath it, scrawled in bold letters:


    ¡°The Line. Truth Will Rise.¡±


    Amir frowned.


    He had seen that symbol before.


    Online forums. Deep web whispers.


    The Line.


    A decentralized movement fighting misinformation.


    A group shrouded in secrecy half myth, half reality.


    A man leaned against a lamppost nearby.


    Amir turned to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    The man


    ¡°Some underground group. They¡¯ve been leaving this stuff everywhere.¡±


    That night, Amir sat hunched over his laptop.


    Encrypted chat rooms. Ghost websites.


    Every lead pointed back to The Line.


    Activists. Hackers. Journalists.


    Some called them saviors. Others branded them vigilantes.


    Then


    A notification flashed across his screen.


    LIVE STREAM: DOWNTOWN IN FLAMES.


    Amir clicked.


    The video loaded.


    A city block bathed in orange light.


    Smoke curling into the sky.


    Sirens wailing in the distance.


    And then


    His sister¡¯s voice cracked through the speaker.


    Lina: Amir, I¡¯m stuck in this mess! People are losing it. Please,


    help!


    His stomach dropped.


    His decision was made for him.


    The world wasn¡¯t falling apart.


    But if no one did something¡ª


    It would.


    And Amir wasn¡¯t about to sit back and watch.

 THE CRACK IN THE SCREEN (2)

    The air was sharp with the smell of burning plastic and melting metal. Amir ran through the narrow streets, avoiding the panicked crowds running in all directions. The cries of the people mixed with the sounds of sirens, as if the city had turned into a hive of chaos. His phone was still clutched tightly in his hand, with his sister Lina''s live broadcast open, but the image was shaky, and the audio was broken.


    "Where exactly are you?!" he yelled into the phone as he climbed over a concrete barrier to avoid a crowd moving toward him.


    "Near the old post office! There are people... oh God!" Her voice suddenly cut off, replaced by a deafening silence.


    Amir felt a cold shiver run through him. He remembered that the post office building was only ten minutes away by foot. His teeth clenched as he moved forward, but a group of young men armed with sticks and rocks suddenly blocked his path. One of them raised his hand and shouted, "This is for the water!"


    "I''m not against you!" Amir tried to explain, but his voice was drowned in the noise. One of them shoved him hard, nearly knocking him over, but a hand gripped his arm suddenly and yanked him into a dark alley.


    "Are you looking for death?!" a harsh voice barked.


    Amir turned to see a man wearing a black jacket and a mask that covered half his face. On his chest was the same circle-and-line symbol Amir had seen before.


    "Who... who are you?" Amir gasped.


    "Not the time for questions!" The man''s tone was military-like, and he pointed to a backpack slung over his shoulder. "If you want to save your sister, follow me. Otherwise, get out of the way!"


    Amir had no choice. The man began running toward an abandoned building, and Amir followed, his heart pounding in his chest. Inside the building, a small group of people surrounded monitors and laptops. One of them, a grim-faced man with a full mask, looked up and said, "You''re late, Karim!"Stolen story; please report.


    "We have a guest!" Karim replied with a sarcastic tone, pushing Amir forward.


    The masked man looked at Amir with challenge in his eyes. "And who is this?"


    "Someone who saw the cracks... like us!" Karim responded as he removed his mask, revealing a face marked with scars.


    Amir tried to catch his breath. "I... my sister is trapped. I need to get to her!"


    The masked man exchanged a glance with Karim and nodded at a young man sitting behind a screen full of strange symbols. "Ali, find any cameras near the old post office."


    The young man quickly began typing on the keyboard. Moments later, footage appeared on the screen, showing Lina trapped with a crowd of people in a narrow alley, as nearby buildings were engulfed in flames.


    "There!" Amir pointed with a shaking hand. "How do we get to her?"


    Karim pulled out a paper map from his pocket, marked with red and blue lines. "The main street is filled with crowds, but there''s a back alley from here," he pointed to a winding path. "But you''ll need help."


    "Why are you helping me?" Amir asked bluntly.


    The masked man interrupted him sharply: "Because you''ve seen the truth. And because we can''t fix the cracks alone." He then placed a small device in Amir''s hand. "This will guide you. But beware... some want the chaos to continue."


    Amir didn''t understand everything, but he gripped the device and exited the building with Karim. The air was thick with smoke now, and distant explosions shook the ground.


    Using the device, they found the back alley that seemed abandoned. But suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them.


    "Stop! You''re with the (Line), aren''t you?!"


    Amir turned to see three men in black clothes approaching, holding small devices that looked like guns.


    "Run!" Karim shouted, shoving Amir ahead.


    They sprinted wildly, but the men were faster. One of them fired an electric dart that nearly hit Amir, but Karim swerved and pushed him into a trash bin, then pulled something from his pocket and threw it toward the attackers. A small object exploded, creating a cloud of white smoke.


    "Go!" Karim growled, pulling Amir''s arm.


    They continued running until they reached the alley where Lina was trapped. Flames were getting closer, and the alley was too narrow.


    "Lina!" Amir shouted, rushing toward her as the crowd scrambled to escape.


    His sister turned, her eyes full of tears. "Amir! How...?"


    "No time to talk!" he replied, pushing her toward the alley they had mapped out.


    Karim stood at the entrance, holding off the attackers with a device that looked like an electric staff. "Go! I''ll catch up!"


    Amir and Lina ran through the narrow alley until they reached a quieter area near the city''s river. The sounds of chaos began to fade, but the smell of smoke still filled the air.


    "Who were those people?" Lina asked, trembling.


    Amir looked down at the small device in his hand, where a message had appeared on the screen: "Now you know part of the truth. If you want more, come to the next address at dawn. ¡ª The Line."


    He gazed up at the sky, where faint stars began to appear behind the smoke clouds. The world around him was crumbling, but for the first time, he felt there might be hope.


    "I''ll explain later..." he whispered, hearing the sound of approaching ambulance sirens.


    But deep inside, he knew this wasn''t the end. It was just the beginning

 THE CALL OF DOWN

    The faint light before dawn flickered through the small apartment¡¯s windows. Amir and Lina sat on the kitchen floor, their tea cups now cold in their hands. Amir studied the small device the masked man had given him. There was nothing but a set of coordinates on the screen, leading to somewhere in the outskirts.


    Lina¡¯s voice broke the silence, trembling slightly. ¡°We can¡¯t go... this is madness!¡±


    Amir looked at her, trying to calm her down. ¡°But they saved you. If they know who¡¯s behind the fake videos, maybe we can stop this chaos.¡±


    Lina grabbed his wrist, her eyes wide. ¡°You¡¯re not seeing it. What if they¡¯re part of the game? What if they¡¯re the ones creating the chaos?¡±


    Her words hit him harder than he expected. He looked down at the device again. The circle and line symbol flashed in his mind, reminding him that they were tangled in something bigger than just fake videos.


    By the time dawn came, they found themselves in front of an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. The walls were covered in cryptic writings, the same circle and line symbol scattered among them like a warning. The heavy iron door creaked open as they approached, almost as if it was waiting for them.


    Amir pushed the door open with his shoulder.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± he called out.


    Only their own footsteps answered. Inside, the dim lights of broken monitors flickered on the upper floor, casting eerie shadows. The scent of decay hung in the air as they cautiously climbed the rusty stairs.


    They reached a room filled with strange transmission devices and tangled wires.


    A voice echoed through the room.


    ¡°Welcome, guests.¡±


    Amir spun around, his heart racing. The masked man stood before them, a smirk on his face.


    Karim, the scarred man, stood silently by his side, his eyes burning with a challenge.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Why us?¡± Amir demanded, his voice strained, but trying to mask his fear.


    Before anyone could answer, an elderly man stepped forward, his wrinkled face etched with experience.


    ¡°Because you noticed the deception when no one else did. Because you are... different.¡±


    ¡°Different?¡±


    Amir repeated, confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary person!¡±


    Karim laughed, the sound cruel and mocking.


    ¡°Ordinary people don¡¯t run from armed militias to save their sister.¡±


    The tension in the room thickened as they sat around a metal table. Chomo, the elderly man, leaned forward.


    ¡°The Line is not just a group. It¡¯s a network of activists, hackers, and informants. Their mission is to track down the sources of disinformation and destroy them before it spreads.¡±


    Amir¡¯s stomach churned


    ¡°But the video... the one we saw. Was that part of it?¡±


    Chomo nodded grimly


    ¡°That was just the beginning. Fake news is a weapon used to destabilize. Someone wants to overthrow the system, and they¡¯re using information to do it.¡±


    Amir swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat, he said


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Before Chomo could answer, a red light exploded in the room, and an alarm blared, cutting through the tension like a blade.


    ¡°They found us!¡± Karim shouted, scrambling to his feet.


    The monitors flickered to life, showing black cars without license plates gathering outside the factory. Dozens of armed men stepped out, holding massive tracking devices.


    ¡°There¡¯s a secret exit!¡± Chomo shouted, pointing to a back door. ¡°Go! We¡¯ll meet at the secondary location!¡±


    Amir and Lina ran through dark, cold tunnels, their breaths coming out in visible gasps. Behind them, explosions echoed, followed by screams. They didn¡¯t stop running, even when Lina pointed to a wall at a crossroads.


    ¡°Look!¡± she whispered, breathless.


    On the wall was the symbol. The circle and line. Glowing faintly in the darkness.


    ¡°Follow it!¡± Amir said urgently, remembering Chomo¡¯s warning.


    They continued running, emerging from the tunnels and onto the roof of a nearby building. The first rays of the morning sun bathed the city in an eerie orange hue. But the view made their hearts stop. The entire city was engulfed in a thick, black smoke. In the distance, columns of fire rose from peaceful neighborhoods.


    Lina¡¯s phone buzzed in her hand. She checked it quickly, her eyes widening in shock.


    ¡°New video¡­ ¡®Military Coup The Government Falls in the City!¡¯


    " she read aloud, watching the comments flood in by the thousands.


    Amir¡¯s fingers tightened around the small device Chomo had given him. A new message appeared on the screen:


    ¡°They know you know. You¡¯re the next target.¡±


    He looked at Lina, then out at the burning city. The options were narrowing fast¡ªescape or face the forces behind this chaos.


    ¡°We need a plan¡­¡± Amir whispered, as the wind carried the acrid smell of smoke toward them.


    But deep down, the real question wasn¡¯t the plan. It was whether it would be enough to stop those who were playing with fire.

 THE EDGE OF TRUTH

    The rooftop wind whipped ash into Amir''s eyes as he stared into the inferno of a city that once thrived. Lina''s hands trembled around her phone, the screen casting a ghostly glow that illuminated the coup video, a digital echo of chaos.


    "Secondary location¡ªwhere?" she hissed, her voice fraying at the edges.


    Amir tapped the device salvaged from Chomo. New coordinates blinked: Dock 17, Warehouse District. He recalled the faded shipping yards along the river abandoned, a labyrinth steeped in shadows. Perfect for ghosts.


    "We need to move. Now."


    They descended the building''s fire escape, their footsteps swallowed by the distant roar of collapsing structures. Midway down, a metallic clang echoed from the alley below. Amir froze, pulling Lina against the wall, a primal instinct surging within him.


    Two figures clad in black tactical gear swept flashlights across the rubble. One spoke into a comms device: "Targets last seen near Sector 6. Deploy drones."


    Amir''s pulse quickened.


    They''re hunting us like prey.


    He gestured to Lina


    Stay low.


    They crawled into the adjacent alley, but a drone buzzed ominously overhead. Its red lens swiveled toward them, a mechanical predator on the prowl.


    "Run!"


    They sprinted, the drone''s spotlight slicing through the haze of smoke. A gunshot rang out the drone erupted into a shower of sparks. Amir spun to see Karim emerging from the ruins of a shattered storefront, a smoking pistol in hand.


    "You''re terrible at subtlety," Karim said with a mocking smirk, tossing Amir a black hoodie. "Change. Now."


    As they stripped off their ash-coated clothes, Lina glared at Karim


    "Why''s The Line hiding? If you''re the ''good guys,'' why not fight back publicly?"


    Karim''s scarred face hardened


    "Because the truth doesn''t win wars. Strategy does."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Dock 17 reeked of rust and saltwater, an underbelly of the city''s decay. Inside a corroded shipping container, Chomo hunched over a holographic map of the metropolis. Red dots pulsed where fires raged; blue ones marked safehouses, fragile beacons in the encroaching darkness.


    "They''re using EchoTech servers," Chomo muttered, not bothering to look up as they entered. "The coup video''s origin."


    Amir stiffened at the mention of Echo tech the megacorp that monopolized the city''s data grids. Of course.


    Lina crossed her arms defiantly. "So some corporate execs are staging a takeover? Why?"


    "Not execs," a new voice rasped from the shadows.


    A man stepped forward, his face partially obscured by a hood. Burn scars wound down his neck like dark vines. "EchoTech''s a front. The real power belongs to a splinter group


    The Silhouette


    They manufacture crises to justify militarized control. Profits from chaos.


    Amir''s mind raced, pieces falling into place


    "The fake riot video, the coup all designed to scare people into surrendering their freedoms for ''safety.''"


    Chomo nodded, grim resolve in his eyes


    "And The Silhouette''s next move goes live tonight."


    He tapped the hologram. A countdown glowed ominously: 03:27:14.


    "A broadcast," the scarred woman confirmed. "A speech declaring martial law. Once it airs, the city falls. For good."


    The plan was madness: infiltrate EchoTech''s server farm, buried beneath the corporate tower.


    Amir''s role?


    Disable the security grid using a codebreaker device from The Line. But Lina refused to stay behind.


    "You''ll die without me,"


    She insisted fiercely, pocketing a shock stick Karim reluctantly handed her.


    They moved at midnight, the streets an eerie silence enveloping them like a shroud. The tower loomed ahead, its glass fa?ade reflecting the distant flames as if mocking their plight. Karim hacked a service entrance, and they slipped into the basement''s cold underbelly, where shadows danced among the humming servers.


    The machines pulsed like a mechanical heartbeat. Amir plugged in the codebreaker. The screen flashed


    Decryption in progress


    5%


    A shout echoed from the hall. Heavy boots thundered toward them.


    "They''re here!" Lina hissed urgently.


    Karim shoved Amir behind a server rack


    "Keep working. We''ll hold them off."


    Gunfire erupted


    Amir''s fingers flew over the keys


    40%


    Lina ducked as a bullet sparked against the wall inches from her.


    75%.


    A grenade rolled into the room.


    "Down!"


    Karim shouted as he tackled Amir, the blast shredding servers into deadly shrapnel. The codebreaker screen cracked


    90%.


    With a surge of adrenaline, Amir lunged, slamming his palm onto the device


    100%


    Lights flickered and died.


    The servers fell silent, a grave stillness settling like a shroud.


    "Go!" the scarred man screamed, blood streaking his arm like a morbid tattoo.


    "The broadcast tower top floor. Stop it!"


    The elevator shaft was a vertical tomb, darkness closing in around them. They climbed, hands raw on the cables, pushing through the dread weighing upon them.


    The rooftop access door creaked open to the glow of a live broadcast studio. A man in a tailored suit stood at a podium, rehearsing lines with chilling calm.


    "regrettably, to ensure order, we must temporarily assume control"


    Amir''s rage ignited, a wildfire consuming his fear. He sprinted forward, Lina a fierce shadow at his heels. The man''s cold eyes widened in disbelief. Security lunged, but Lina''s shockstick crackled alive, illuminating the chaos.


    Amir seized the podium, smashing it into the control panel. Screens fizzed and went black, plunging the studio into darkness.


    But the man smiled, a serpent''s grin


    "You think this changes anything? The Silhouette is everywhere. Even within your precious Line."


    A gunshot rang out, a thunderclap that shattered the moment.


    Amir flinched, bracing for impact but the bullet wasn''t for him.


    The scarred man stood in the doorway, smoke curling from his pistol. The Silhouette spokesman collapsed in a heap.


    "Lies die in the light," he declared, tossing Amir a bloodstained USB.


    "Their plans. Expose it all."


    As they fled, Amir glanced at the USB. The label read: Project Rebirth.


    But on the streets below, a new sound rose not sirens.


    Cheers, a tide of defiance.


    The Line''s symbol illuminated every screen and billboard, a beacon of truth piercing the shroud of deception. The truth, raw and unfiltered, poured into the world with an electric fervor.


    Karim clapped Amir''s shoulder, a fierce determination glinting in his eyes


    "Phase one''s done. Now the real war begins."

 THE FRACTURE WITHIN

    The USB felt like a live wire in Amir¡¯s palm


    Project Rebirth


    The words pulsed in his mind as he and Lina crouched in the back of a stolen delivery van, its engine rattling toward The Line¡¯s new safehouse.


    Karim drove, his knuckles white on the wheel. The scarred man Yami, he¡¯d finally growled his name sat opposite them, cleaning his pistol with methodical precision.


    ¡°Play it,¡± Lina demanded, nodding at the USB.


    Yami''s gaze snapped up


    ¡°Not here. Walls have ears now.¡±


    Amir¡¯s jaw tightened


    Trust was crumbling faster than the city.


    Safehouse Gamma was a derelict subway station, its tunnels repurposed into a war room.


    Chomo waited at a makeshift desk, his face illuminated by a flickering lantern.


    ¡°You survived,¡± he said, though it sounded more like an accusation.


    Amir slammed the USB onto the desk.


    ¡°What¡¯s Rebirth? And why does The Silhouette think you¡¯re hiding something?¡±


    Chomo¡¯s eyes darkened. He plugged in the USB.


    The hologram erupted a blueprint of a massive, cylindrical structure buried beneath the city.


    ¡°Project Rebirth: Atmospheric Purification System,¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    a robotic voice intoned


    ¡°Activation will neutralize airborne pathogens and pollutants.¡±


    Lina frowned ¡°That sounds¡­ good?¡±


    Yami snorted. ¡°Keep watching.¡±


    The hologram shifted. A chemical formula spun in the air C12H24O6S3


    ¡°Nano-toxins,¡± Chomo whispered. ¡°Rebirth isn¡¯t a purifier. It¡¯s a disperser. Release this into the atmosphere, and it¡¯ll bind to oxygen. Anyone without the antidote serum...¡±


    ¡°Dies,¡± Amir finished, cold creeping into his veins. ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Population control.¡± Yami leaned forward, his scars twisting in the lantern light.


    ¡°The Silhouette¡¯s investors want a clean slate. New world, handpicked survivors.¡±


    Lina recoiled. ¡°And The Line knew about this?¡±


    Chomo¡¯s silence was answer enough.


    The Argument erupted like a detonated mine.


    ¡°You¡¯re sitting on a genocide plan and didn¡¯t think to mention it?!¡± Lina shouted, kicking a chair.¡° We needed proof!¡± Chomo barked.


    ¡°Without the USB, we were just conspiracy theorists!¡±


    Amir stepped between them. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now. How do we stop it?¡±


    Yami tossed a photo onto the table¡ªa sleek, silver briefcase handcuffed to a man in a tailored suit. EchoTech CEO: Elias Vorne. ¡°Rebirth¡¯s activation codes are biometric. He¡¯s the key.¡±


    Karim smirked. ¡°Assassination?¡±


    ¡°Extraction,¡± Yami corrected. ¡°We need him alive to reverse the codes.¡±


    The plan was razor-thin: Infiltrate Vorne¡¯s penthouse during his midnight board meeting. Disable security. Get out before The Silhouette¡¯s reinforcements arrived.


    Amir¡¯s role? Hack the penthouse¡¯s surveillance. Lina refused to stay behind¡ªagain.


    ¡°I¡¯m done hiding,¡± she said, strapping a stun gun to her thigh.


    The Penthouse was a glass fortress atop EchoTech Tower. Amir crouched in a service elevator, his laptop wired into the building¡¯s security grid.


    ¡°Cameras looped,¡± he whispered into his comm.


    ¡°Move,¡± Yami¡¯s voice crackled.


    They slipped into a ventilation shaft, the meeting¡¯s murmur rising below. Vorne stood at the head of a marble table, the briefcase gleaming beside him.


    ¡°Phase One complete,¡± Vorne announced. ¡°Rebirth launches at dawn.¡±


    Amir¡¯s fingers flew over his keyboard¡ªdownload the data, find the antidote formula.


    A board member frowned at his phone. ¡°Security breach in Sector¡±


    Yami dropped from the ceiling, pistol raised


    ¡°Nobody move!¡±


    Karim tasered guards while Lina lunged for the briefcase. Vorne scrambled back, slamming a panic button.


    Sirens blared.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Lina yelled, snapping the briefcase free.


    But Vorne smiled. ¡°You think we¡¯d store the real codes here?¡±


    The hologram on the table flickered. A countdown materialized: 01:59:59


    ¡°Remote activation,¡± Vorne hissed. ¡°Rebirth goes live, and you¡¯ve just killed us all.¡±


    The Escape was a blur of gunfire and shattered glass. They rappelled down the tower, the briefcase heavy on Lina¡¯s back. Yami covered their retreat, his bullets buying seconds.


    In the van, Amir scoured the downloaded data. ¡°The antidote¡­ it¡¯s not a serum. It¡¯s a frequency. Broadcast at 872 MHz to destabilize the toxins.¡±


    Chomo¡¯s voice cut through the comms


    ¡°Use the emergency radio tower. But it¡¯ll take time to calibrate!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time!¡± Lina screamed as the countdown hit 00:43:12.


    Yami grabbed Amir¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s another way. The Line¡¯s¡­ prototype.¡± His voice faltered. ¡°A resonance bomb. It¡¯ll emit the frequency in a blast radius¡ªbut it¡¯s unstable.¡±


    ¡°How unstable?¡± Karim asked.


    ¡°City-block-leveling unstable.¡±


    Amir stared at the briefcase. The weight of the choice crushed him¡ªsave the city by risking annihilation, or gamble on a tower they might not reach in time


    The Decision split The Line.


    Chomo argued for the tower. Yami and Karim for the bomb. Amir stood in the safehouse, the device¡¯s red activation button in front of him.


    Then¡ªa gunshot.


    Chomo collapsed, a bullet in his leg.


    Yami stood in the doorway, his pistol smoking. ¡°We¡¯re out of time.¡±


    Amir¡¯s finger hovered over the button.


    The countdown hit 00:00:00.


    To Be Continued