The warehouse was cold, dim, and quiet too quiet for a place that once buzzed with Devon's usual post-mission tension. A faint hum came from a locked server case in the corner, barely audible. Devon sat alone, fingers interlocked, his mind miles away.
The loss of Harry still echoed deep within him.
Deckard Shaw leaned against the concrete wall, eyes narrowed on his twin brother. "You sure you're up for this? You've barely said a word since Belarus."
Devon didn't look at him. "I'm not hunting Cypher because I want to, Deck. I'm hunting her because Harry died because of her setup. Owen got dragged in because of her. And I won't lose anyone else."
Deckard nodded once. "Then let's finish it. She's in the wind. IMF says she slipped custody during a convoy transfer. I've traced one of her people to Lisbon."
Devon stood, a calm rage simmering under his surface. "Then we go there first."
Deckard stepped forward. "Before we move... there's something you should know. I found out it was Toretto's crew who handed Owen over. Don't know if they knew who they were dealing with, but they're part of this mess. I'm going to have words with them."
Devon's expression didn't change. "We deal with them later. For now, Cypher takes priority."
Lisbon, Portugal
The twin brothers stalked through the night like wolves.
Devon had already tapped into several satellite relays using a private AI system his own development project that none of the crew knew about. It responded only to him, feeding encrypted data directly into his neural HUD.
No name. No interface. Not even Deckard knew. He trusted no one with it.
He muttered under his breath, the system's silent response appearing in blinking data:
INFILTRATED SAFEHOUSE HEAVILY GUARDED UNCONFIRMED PRESENCE: TARGET [CY-001]
He turned to Deckard. "We move in fast."
The two approached a run-down villa. Inside were seven armed guards former mercs, by the looks of them. Devon and Deckard moved like phantoms, clearing the building room by room with precision.
In the basement, a server rack pulsed faintly. A familiar symbol glowed on a lone tablet: a red swirl with a central eye Cypher's calling card.
"She's already pulled data," Devon muttered. "Encrypted, but not gone."
Deckard swept the space with a glance. "She's always one step ahead."
"Not anymore."
Devon tapped his wrist drive, and silently, his AI decrypted the server's last-accessed logs. It compiled a trail flights, aliases, digital footprints.
TRACE CONFIRMED DESTINATION: CAIRO PURPOSE: ARMS AUCTION AI MODULE SALE
"She's trying to sell something," Devon said, frowning. "But not the God's Eye. She never got that far. She's shopping something else. Maybe an AI enhancement module. Probably experimental."
Deckard grunted. "Another tool for a war we didn't ask for."
Devon nodded. "Exactly. We intercept before she offloads it."
Cairo, Egypt
The auction was a mirage high-tech gear, weapons, and shadow clients hidden beneath the sands. Devon and Deckard moved through the underground black market with forged identities, eyes locked on the stage.
She was there.
Cypher. Draped in sleek tech-fibre robes, standing next to a glowing briefcase. Inside: a sealed AI processor, possibly an evolution of what she tried to steal before.
Devon's private system blinked data into his HUD:
TACTICAL SCAN ACTIVE GUARDS: 11 ENTRY POINTS: 3 RECOMMENDED INTERCEPT: 35 SECONDS
He signalled to Deckard.
They hit hard and fast. Flash charges, smokescreens, disarms one after another, down went the guards. Cypher made a break for it, but Devon was already moving. He tackled her to the ground, disarming her before she could trigger the failsafe.
"Where's the rest of it?" he growled.
She sneered. "You think you're in control, Devon? You're still just catching up."
"I don't care about the tech," he lied. "I care about what you did to my brother. And what happened to Harry. You set those dominos in motion."
"You want revenge?" Cypher whispered. "You're no better than me."
Devon slammed her against the crate. "Difference is, I finish what I start."
Deckard restrained her, while Devon grabbed the processor case.
Before they could extract her, a hidden blast detonated nearby Cypher's failsafe. The confusion allowed her to break free with a smoke flare and disappear into the chaos.
Deckard cursed. "Every time, she vanishes like a ghost."
Devon watched the smoke fade. "This was never about the sale. She wanted us to show up. This was a message."
Hours Later — Desert Outskirts
Devon and Deckard were pinned behind a burned-out vehicle, automatic fire ripping the sand apart.
A group of hired guns Cypher's were in hot pursuit.
"We need a distraction!" Deckard shouted.
Devon pulled two EMP mines from his pack, nodded once, then darted out across the sand. Bullets whizzed past him as he slid under a ruined column, planting both mines and triggering the pulse.
The attackers' drones and weapon systems sparked violently before dying.
"Move!" Devon shouted.
The two brothers charged through the smoke and flame, mowing down the remaining guards. As the last enemy fell, silence returned to the desert.
Devon exhaled, adrenaline fading.
"She's scared," he muttered.
Deckard looked at him. "Good. Let her run."
Devon opened the processor case, eyes narrowing. "She just gave us the bait. Now we pull the line. And when she bites.
"We end this," Deckard finished.
Devon Shaw – Core Abilities & Skill Levels
Hacking – Level 10/10Capable of breaching black-level military systems, global satellite networks, and AI-secured data vaults. Invented his own AI infiltration system that rivals government mainframes.
Driving – Level 9/10Elite-level driver with mastery in street racing, tactical pursuit evasion, off-road mobility, and precision manoeuvre under extreme conditions.
Hand-to-Hand Combat – Level 8/10Trained in Krav Maga, close-quarters combat, and knife fighting. Skilled enough to take on multiple armed opponents in confined environments.
Firearms Proficiency – Level 8/10Expert marksman with pistols, SMGs, sniper rifles, and custom-modified firearms. Precision shooter with tactical reflexes.
Stealth & Infiltration – Level 9/10Specializes in covert operations, bypassing high-security systems, silent entry/exit strategies, and sabotage without detection.
Engineering & Tech Design – Level 9/10Builds custom EMP devices, vehicle enhancements, weapon mods, and neural HUD systems. Created stealth gliders and AI-enhanced vehicles.
Leadership & Tactical Planning – Level 10/10Exceptional strategist, capable of running multi-phase global operations with tight coordination under pressure. Respected by elite operatives.
Multilingual Skills – Level 6/10Conversationally fluent in English, Russian, Arabic, and Mandarin. Uses languages primarily for field ops and decoding.
System Integration & AI Manipulation – Level 10/10Creator of a private, untraceable AI system (precursor to Skynet). Able to integrate AI into combat ops, vehicles, and data warfare tools.