Old Warehouse

It was indeed a safe haven, there was no single call until midnight, Lyra was sleeping on the bed while Stephen was outside the whole time not closing his eyes for a minute. He had lived carelessly but now that he have someone to protect, he was ready to give his life for her.

Justin had heard of the relationship between Stephen and Lyra and had wanted to lure Lyra with an offer, his intentions was to lock her up and get Stephen with it, he was determined to kill Stephen this time, for if he delayed further, the police might hear about his illegal activities which he worked hard enough to keep a secret.

As the night wore on, Stephen's vigilance never wavered. He paced back and forth outside the cottage, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of danger. He knew Justin's tactics all too well, and he was determined to protect Lyra at all costs.

Inside the cottage, Lyra slept fitfully, her mind still reeling from the revelations of the day. She had never imagined that Stephen's past was so complicated, so dangerous. But as she drifted off to sleep, she felt a sense of gratitude towards him, for putting his life on the line to keep her safe.

Meanwhile, Justin's anger and frustration grew with each passing minute. He had been so sure that Lyra would fall for his trap, that she would come crawling to him for help. But now, it seemed that she had found an unlikely ally in Stephen.

Justin's mind raced with schemes and plans, his determination to destroy Stephen and Lyra growing by the minute. He would stop at nothing to achieve his goal, even if it meant putting his own life at risk.

As the clock struck midnight, Stephen's phone suddenly rang, shattering the silence of the night. He answered immediately, his voice low and urgent.

"Stephen, you're a hard man to find," Justin's voice sneered on the other end of the line. "But I've got a proposition for you. Meet me at the old warehouse at 2 am, and we'll settle this once and for all."

Stephen's grip on the phone tightened, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew that Justin was not a man to be trusted, but he also knew that he couldn't ignore the threat.

"I'll be there," Stephen said, his voice firm.

And with that, the line went dead, leaving Stephen to wonder what lay ahead.He waited for Tyler's call until 1 am but Tyler didn't call, when he called, Tyler's number was unreachable, Stephen was unable to process what has been going on with Tyler, "has Tyler betrayed him? What game would Tyler be playing?", his mind raced with questions as he went inside the house, walked towards the room and quietly opened the door to see if Lyra was fine and she was, he shut the door quietly not wanting to wake her up, and locking the house, he left with the car, at full speed, he drove to the old warehouse and it was 1:30 am, he came down from the car, with his gun in his hand.

Entering the ware house which was dimly lit, Stephen saw Justin sitting alone, drinking whiskeyStephen's eyes narrowed as he approached Justin, his gun trained on him. "Where's Tyler?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing.

Justin looked up, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Ah, Stephen. Always so quick to jump into things. Tyler's... indisposed. Let's just say he's no longer a problem for us."

Stephen's grip on his gun tightened, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios. "What have you done to him, Justin?"

Justin chuckled, taking a swig of whiskey. "Oh, don't worry about Tyler. He's just... relocated. Permanently."

Stephen's eyes blazed with anger, but he kept his cool, knowing he needed to keep Justin talking. "What do you want, Justin? Why have you been playing this game with Lyra and me?"

Justin leaned forward, his eyes glinting with malice. "You see, Stephen, I've been waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And now, with Lyra in the picture, I have the perfect leverage to finally take you down."

Stephen's finger twitched on the trigger, but he hesitated, knowing he needed to hear Justin out. "What do you mean?"

Justin's smile grew wider. "You'll find out soon enough. But first, let's take a little walk."Justin gestured to a door at the far end of the warehouse, his eyes gleaming with a sinister intent. "Shall we, Stephen? The show is about to begin."

Stephen's instincts screamed at him to be cautious, but his need for answers propelled him forward. He followed Justin, his gun still trained on him, as they walked towards the door.

As they approached, the sound of muffled voices and faint screams grew louder. Stephen's heart raced with anticipation and fear.

Justin opened the door, revealing a dimly lit room filled with rows of cages. And in those cages, Stephen saw people he knew - friends, acquaintances, and even some of his former business associates.

"Welcome to my collection," Justin said, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure. "You see, Stephen, I've been building a little insurance policy, just in case you decided to cross me. And now, with Lyra by your side, I have the perfect leverage to keep you in line."

Stephen's mind reeled as he took in the horror before him. He knew he had to act fast, or risk losing everyone he cared about.

"You're insane, Justin," Stephen spat, his gun still trained on him. "This ends now."

Justin chuckled, his eyes glinting with madness. "Oh, it's only just beginning, Stephen. And you're the star of the show."

Justin snapped his fingers, and the doors to the cages swung open. The prisoners stumbled out, their eyes vacant, their movements robotic.

"Behold, my mind control experiment," Justin gloated. "With this technology, I can control anyone, anywhere. And soon, I'll have the whole city under my command."

Stephen's horror turned to disgust. "You've gone too far, Justin. This is over."

Justin sneered. "Not until you join my collection, Stephen. You see, Lyra is already mine. She's been mine from the start."

Stephen's eyes widened in shock. "What have you done to her?"

Justin chuckled. "Oh, just a little mind control serum. She's mine now, body and soul. And soon, you'll be too."

Stephen's gun trembled with rage. He knew he had to act fast, or lose everyone he loved. With a fierce determination, he aimed his gun at Justin...

(To be continued)