Chapter 7
Road trip
The door to the holding cell crashed open, the heavy steel slamming against the wall with a resounding boom that sent a jolt through Caleb’s battered body. The sharp tang of damp concrete filled his nose as he lifted his head, every muscle in his frame coiling tight. Two agents stalked inside, their movements controlled, faces unreadable in the flickering light. One held a pair of handcuffs, the dull metal catching the faint glow like the blade of a knife. The other rested a hand on the grip of his gun, fingers loose but ready; a silent challenge, daring Caleb or Luca to make a wrong move.
"On your feet," the first agent barked, his voice clipped and impersonal, the kind that had given orders too many times to care if they were followed willingly.
Caleb’s gaze flicked to Luca. The other man was already shifting, pushing himself up with slow, deliberate movements that made it clear he wasn't broken; not yet. Blood trailed from the split in his lip, and his right eye was so swollen it barely opened, but there was a fire in his good eye, an unspoken defiance that made something tighten in Caleb’s chest. They were in this now, together. No way out but forward.
The agents weren’t feeling patient. Hands clamped onto Caleb and Luca, dragging them up with force. Caleb hissed as his body screamed in protest, every ache from the earlier beating flaring to life like embers kicked back into flame. His knees nearly buckled, but he locked them in place, forcing himself upright. Showing weakness now was an invitation for more pain.
They were marched out of the cell, down the same narrow hallway that had swallowed them hours ago. The overhead fluorescents sputtered, casting jagged, shifting shadows on the cracked concrete walls. The air was thick, stale, heavy with the ghost of sweat and suffering. The only sounds were the dull echo of their footsteps and the metallic clink of cuffs, a steady, rhythmic reminder that they were still prisoners.
Caleb’s heart pounded as they were pushed into the backseat, the door slamming shut behind them. The agents climbed into the front, the driver glancing at them in the rearview mirror before pulling away from the building. The SUV rumbled down a dirt road, the headlights cutting through the darkness.
Caleb’s mind raced, his body tense as he tried to think of a way out. He couldn’t let them take him to wherever they were going. He couldn’t let them interrogate him again. He glanced at Luca, who was sitting beside him, his expression calm but his eyes sharp and calculating.
The SUV hit a pothole, jolting them both. Caleb’s hands clenched into fists, the cuffs digging into his wrists. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He needed to wait for the right moment.
The road ahead was dark and empty, the trees lining the sides casting long shadows. The driver was focused on the road, his hands steady on the wheel. The agent in the passenger seat was scrolling through his phone, his attention elsewhere.
Caleb shifted slightly, his fingers brushing against the edge of the cuffs. He’d been trained for situations like this, though he’d never thought he’d actually need to use those skills. He twisted his wrists, feeling for the weak point in the cuffs. It took a few tries, but finally, he felt the mechanism give. The cuffs clicked open, and his hands were free.
He didn’t hesitate. In one swift motion, he lunged forward, wrapping his arm around the driver’s neck and yanking him back. The driver gasped, his hands leaving the wheel as he struggled against Caleb’s grip. The SUV swerved, tires screeching as it veered off the road.
“What the hell...” the passenger agent started, but Caleb didn’t give him a chance to finish. He tightened his grip on the driver, his muscles straining as he fought to keep him subdued. The driver thrashed, his elbow catching Caleb in the ribs, but Caleb held on.
The SUV slammed into a tree, the impact throwing them all forward. Caleb’s head hit the back of the driver’s seat, pain exploding across his skull. He blinked, his vision swimming as he tried to focus. The driver was slumped over the wheel, unconscious or dead; Caleb couldn’t tell.
The passenger agent was already moving, his hand reaching for his gun. Caleb reacted on instinct, grabbing the agent’s wrist and twisting it hard. The gun clattered to the floor, and Caleb shoved the agent back, his body slamming into the door.
“Luca!” Caleb shouted, his voice rough and urgent. “Get the gun!”
Luca didn’t need to be told twice. He lunged forward, his hands still cuffed but his movements fluid and precise. He grabbed the gun, his fingers closing around the grip as he turned to face the agent.
The agent’s eyes widened, and he scrambled to open the door, but Luca was faster. He pulled the trigger. The agent slumped forward, blood streaming down his face.
“We need to move,” Caleb said, his voice low and urgent. “They’ll be on us soon.” he continued as the sound of approaching vehicles grew closer.
Luca nodded, his eyes scanning the area. The SUV was totaled, smoke rising from the hood. The driver was still slumped over the wheel, his chest rising and falling faintly. The passenger agent was dead, blood pooling beneath him.
Caleb grabbed the gun from Luca, his fingers tightening around the grip. He opened the door and stepped out, his eyes scanning the darkness. The road was empty, the trees looming on either side. He could hear the distant sound of an engine, but it was too far away to be a threat; yet.
“Come on,” Caleb said, gesturing for Luca to follow. “We need to get out of here.”
They moved quickly, their footsteps silent on the dirt road. Caleb’s mind raced, trying to figure out their next move. They couldn’t stay on the road, it was too exposed, he thought as he pulled Luca off the road and into the forest. They needed to find cover, somewhere they could regroup and figure out their next step.
Branches whipped past as Caleb and Luca tore through the dense underbrush, their breath ragged, boots kicking up dry earth. The shouts of Caleb’s former team rang out behind them as they finally discovered the crash, growing fainter but still too close for comfort.
Luca twisted his head to glance over his shoulder, then let out a rough laugh. “You know, I could move a hell of a lot faster if you untied me.”
“Yeah?” Caleb’s grip tightened on Luca’s arm as he yanked him forward. “Not an idiot, Moretti.”
Luca huffed; the sound almost amused despite the situation. “Debatable.”
Caleb ignored him, ears straining for any shift in the sounds of their pursuers. The woods were thick, sunlight filtering through the canopy in slanted beams, casting dappled patterns over the ground. He veered left, shoving Luca ahead of him, hoping to throw off anyone tracking them.
Gunfire cracked through the trees, splintering bark just a few feet away.
Luca ducked on instinct, jerking Caleb down with him. “Shit! They’re not playing around.”
“Did you think they were?” Caleb hissed, scanning their surroundings. His mind raced. They couldn’t outrun them forever, not like this. He needed a plan, fast.
But beyond that, he needed answers.
Luca straightened, rolling his shoulders. “If you’re gonna keep dragging me through the forest like some oversized luggage, at least try to be gentle about it.”
Caleb shot him a glare. “Would you rather I leave you here?”
Luca smirked. That same damn smirk Caleb remembered from before; before everything had gone to hell. Before they’d been on opposite sides of a war neither of them had asked for. “Tempting. But I’d rather not get shot today.”
Something about the way he said it; casual, like old times, sent a strange, unwelcome pang through Caleb’s chest.
He didn’t answer, just yanked Luca forward again as they pushed deeper into the trees. The air smelled of damp earth, the sounds of pursuit growing louder.
They were running out of time.
He had to make a choice.
Branches snapped beneath their boots as they broke through the last stretch of trees, another road appearing before them like an oasis after miles of chaos. Luca barely had a second to process it before Caleb yanked him forward, forcing him down behind the cover of a rusted road sign.
A car approached, its tires humming against the pavement, kicking up a trail of dust. Luca felt Caleb’s grip on his arm tighten.
"Oh, this should be good," Luca muttered, catching his breath. "Can’t wait to see your charming negotiation skills in action."
"Shut up." Caleb’s tone was sharp, his eyes locked onto the vehicle. As it neared, he stepped out onto the road, gun raised. The driver, an older man in a sun-faded flannel, slammed the brakes, his eyes wide with fear.
"Fuera," Caleb ordered, pulling open the door. "Ahora."
The man lifted his hands, scrambling out of the driver’s seat. "No quiero problemas; ?llévatelo!"
"Smart choice." Caleb holstered his gun and shoved Luca toward the passenger side. "Get in."
"Stealing cars, Agent Smith?" Luca smirked but complied, settling into the seat. "Gotta say, I’m impressed. First, you go rogue, now grand theft auto? What’s next, bank robbery?"
Caleb ignored him, sliding into the driver’s seat and flooring the gas. The tires screeched as they peeled out, dust curling behind them.
Luca leaned back, watching Caleb’s knuckles go white on the steering wheel. The last time they’d been this close, Luca had been nineteen, sprawled across Caleb’s bed in his shitty apartment in Brooklyn, tracing the veins on Caleb’s cock with lazy fingers while the man begged for more. The memory hit like a punch to the ribs; how easy it had been back then. How easy Caleb had been to read.
Not anymore.
Luca’s smirk widened, though something in his chest twisted. "Guess you’re officially one of us now."
Caleb didn’t answer. His gaze was locked on the road, but the tension in his jaw gave him away. The weight of what had just happened, the way his own team had turned on him, pressed down like a vise. They thought he’d betrayed them.
A bitter laugh left his throat. The sound was cold, hollow. He could still see their faces, hear the accusations, the disbelief. He trusted them. And now, they wanted him dead.
Luca shifted beside him, watching him too closely, like he could see every thought unraveling in Caleb’s head.
"You’re really going to let them chase you like this, Smith?" Luca’s voice was smooth, mocking. "The mighty DEA agent, reduced to stealing cars and running from your own team. How does it feel?"
Caleb’s grip tightened, his thumb brushing over the cool metal of the wheel. He wanted to punch something. Wanted to yell. But he couldn’t. Not with Luca sitting there, drinking it all in.
"Shut up." It came out colder than he meant it.
Luca chuckled. "Tough crowd. I’m just trying to bond here. You know, welcome you to the family." His voice dropped, softer now, but not in a way that comforted. "It’s a lot of fun, trust me."
Caleb flicked a glance at him. Luca’s smirk was still there, but there was something else beneath it; something that made Caleb’s stomach twist.
They weren’t nineteen anymore. They weren’t tangled up in stolen moments, pressed together in the dark, whispering about all the things they wanted but could never have.
Now they were here. Enemies. Reluctant allies. Or something close enough to it.
Luca stretched, shifting to get comfortable like they weren’t speeding down a road to nowhere, like their past wasn’t breathing down both their necks.
"Welcome to the dark side, Padawan," he said, almost playful.
Caleb swallowed hard. He had no idea where this was going, how much further they could run, or if there was a way back from this.
All he knew was that the road ahead was a hell of a lot longer than he’d ever expected it to be.