15 Miles: The Heist
By Rapwizzy Debaron
Episode 26: Out of the Ashes
---
A week after the fall of Nexus' command tower, the city stirred like a recovering beast. Smoke no longer choked the skyline, but scars remained—buildings reduced to rubble, streets littered with memories of gunfire, ash, and revolt.
Julian stood on a rooftop overlooking the ruins. The wind tugged at his jacket, but he remained still, silent, watching. A new resistance was rising. Posters reading "D7 Lives" and "Unchain the Grid" fluttered on cracked walls like battle flags.
Behind him, Eve approached quietly, clutching a thin tablet. "We're in the news feeds across five continents. Nations are demanding trials. The Ghost Net network's crumbling."
Julian took the device, scrolling through images—Lucian's face plastered with a red X, headlines declaring a digital liberation.
But his eyes lingered on another screen—Max's photo. Smiling. Gone.
"He should be here to see this," Julian said.
Eve nodded. "He is. Every time we breathe free."
---
At a hidden safehouse beneath the old subway terminal, the surviving D7 members gathered. Reese leaned against the wall, shoulder still in a sling, grumbling about his busted shotgun. Lyra lay on a couch, patched up and dozing, a bandage above her eye.
Carter adjusted a new prototype comms unit. "We've got intercepted chatter. Not all of Ghost Net went down with Lucian. Some splinters—remnants—are regrouping under a new name: Black Echo."
Julian's brow furrowed. "Another shadow rising to replace the one we buried."
"Looks like it," Carter replied. "And they've already hit three minor grid hubs overseas. Testing waters."
Reese spat. "Then we hit harder."
Julian stood. "We need allies. The world saw the truth, but they need a voice. We become that voice. And if Black Echo wants a war…" He grabbed his weapon and strapped it to his back. "Then we give them hell."
---
Elsewhere, deep inside a cold war-era bunker in Northern Europe, monitors lit up with D7's latest movements. A man stepped into the room, face hidden behind a silver mask.
"Julian thinks it's over," he said with a metallic rasp. "But we're just getting started."
Behind him, maps highlighted military bases, data centers, and old Nexus labs.
"Activate Phase One. Let them celebrate."
A nearby soldier saluted. "Yes, Wraith."
The screen shifted—an old photo of Max, laughing at a console. Then, a flicker—his eyes moved. Artificial intelligence? Or something worse?
Wraith tapped the screen. "Welcome back, Max."
---
Back in the city, D7 prepped for departure. New IDs, gear, and vehicles.
Eve handed Julian a small box. Inside, a thumb drive etched with Max's initials. "Recovered it from the wreckage. Might be his failsafe."
Julian pocketed it. "We'll find out soon."
The team boarded a blacked-out van, ready for the road ahead. As the vehicle pulled away, graffiti on the wall read:
"The war is digital. The resistance is real."
---
To be continued...
🔥 They thought it ended with fire. But from the ashes, revolution grows. Stay tuned, vote, and comment to fuel the fire of 15 Miles: The Heist by Rapwizzy Debaron.