The moon hung heavy and pale above them, casting eerie silver light across the abandoned road where the SUVs were parked like sleeping predators.
Elias crouched low in the brush, his hands shaking slightly as he surveyed the scene.
There were four black vehicles — two large SUVs and two sleek sedans — engines humming softly as if still alive.
He counted six men: three guarding the cars, two patrolling the tree line, and one perched atop a nearby utility post with binoculars.
Sophia, tucked beside him, whispered, "You sure about this?"
Elias glanced at the Watch.
The task blinked urgently.
> Task: Sabotage Vehicles
Reward: Financial Access (Hidden Account: $500,000)
"No," he whispered back, "but if we don't, they'll hunt us until they catch us."
Sophia smirked dryly.
"Great. Let's risk death for an imaginary half a million dollars."
---
Using his new "Quick Thinking" and "Technical Knowledge" rewards from earlier tasks, Elias formulated a hasty plan:
1. Disable at least two engines.
2. Create a distraction far from their hiding spot.
3. Steal a vehicle if possible.
He pulled out a small multi-tool he had bought with his first Watch reward money.
With it, he could cut critical wires, rupture tires, and maybe even short a battery.
The mission began.
---
Elias crawled under the first SUV like a ghost.
His heart hammered so loudly he was sure they'd hear it.
With trembling but precise hands, he located the main fuel line and severed it carefully.
Gasoline leaked onto the ground, filling the air with a sharp, pungent scent.
He moved to the second SUV.
This time, he popped the hood silently and snipped the battery cables.
One wrong move and they'll hear you, he reminded himself grimly.
He imagined his obituary:
"Local boy, Elias Carter, 18, dies trying to play MacGyver with assassins."
---
Sophia, meanwhile, crept around to the side of the road.
She found a pile of loose rocks and hurled one hard toward the opposite side.
It clanged loudly against a dumpster.
Immediately, two guards sprinted toward the noise.
Elias seized the moment.
He signaled Sophia, and they dashed toward the nearest car — one of the sedans.
Humor Amid Danger:
As they scrambled into the car, Elias accidentally set off the alarm.
WHEE-OOO! WHEE-OOO!
Sophia stared at him in horror.
"You idiot!" she hissed.
Elias grinned sheepishly as he hotwired the ignition.
"Oops."
---
Tires screeched as Elias slammed his foot on the gas.
Bullets whizzed through the night, shattering the back windshield, but he kept driving, weaving wildly down the dirt road like a drunk rally driver.
Sophia clutched the seat with both hands, half-laughing, half-crying.
"This is not how I imagined dying!"
Elias laughed, adrenaline surging through him.
"Hang on, we're not dead yet!"
---
The Watch vibrated furiously.
> Task Complete!
Reward: Financial Access Granted!
New Funds Available: $500,000
A new golden icon appeared on the Watch screen — a simple black card with no name, no number.
Anonymous money, Elias realized.
Freedom.
Power.
Possibilities.
---
As they sped away from the chaos, Sophia turned to Elias, her face lit by the dashboard lights.
"You just made yourself a very, very big target," she said gravely.
"Money like that... freedom like that... it paints a bullseye on your back."
Elias nodded, feeling the weight of her words settle over him like a heavy cloak.
He wasn't just running for his life anymore.
He was running for a future he didn't even understand yet.
---