Page 2 of Lucky

My phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me from my reverie. The sudden noise cuts through the air like a siren, pulling me back to reality. I glance at the screen, and a jolt of urgency shoots through me when I see the name; it’s Ryder.

Ryder. A tech genius, hacker, and the kind of friend who could find answers where others saw only dead ends. He's been instrumental in helping us anytime we need intel on anything and anyone anytime we need it. My heart races with anticipation; this could be the break we’ve been waiting for.

I swipe to answer. “Ryder. You got something for me?”

“Yeah, man, how soon can you get here?” Ryder’s voice is tight, the usual laid-back tone replaced by something more urgent.

“I’m on my way. What’ve you got?” I’m already shifting into gear, the engine roaring to life beneath me. My pulse quickens. Whatever it is, it sounds big.

“I’ve found tapped into a live feed. It…could be something.” Ryder’s voice grows serious, all business now. “Get here, Lucky. This could be it.”

I don’t waste a second. I slam my foot on the gas, the tires screeching as I tear out of the clearing. Dirt and debris fly behind me, the headlights cutting through the shadows as I race toward Ryder’s place. My mind churns with possibilities as I wonder if this is the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for.

As I speed through the streets, the city blurs by, the neon lights flickering like ghosts of the life I once thought was mine. It’s all noise, all meaningless, until we get answers. Until I bring Mia’s sister home. She and my brother Brando have been going from strength to strength since that whole fiasco with Frank Falcone, but the sadness in Mia’s eyes is undeniable.

I pull up to the building Ryder calls his “cave” just a few minutes later—an unassuming, nondescript apartment complex that looks like it’s barely holding itself together. The paint on the walls is chipped, the bricks weathered by time. Above the door, a small sign reads ‘Ryder’s Electronics’, but I know better. This place is a front for Ryder’s real work—a tangle of servers, hacking tools, and covert operations spread out over multiple floors.

Ryder is already waiting by the door when I arrive, his face lit by the dim hallway lights. He waves me in, his expression a mix of concern and urgency. Something’s off. Whatever he’s found, it’s important.

“Come on,” he says, leading me into the heart of his operation. His workspace is a chaotic labyrinth of cables, screens, and half-empty coffee cups. The faint hum of servers fills the room, and I immediately catch the scent of stale pizza and cigarette smoke. It’s a mess, but it’s Ryder’s mess—and in a strange way, it works.

“Show me,” I say, my voice clipped, betraying the edge of urgency gnawing at me. This could be the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for. I can feel the weight of it pressing on me, the need to find Maxine—Mia’s sister—before it’s too late. She’s already lost one sister, and I’ll be damned if I let her lose another.

Ryder sits down in front of his main computer, his fingers flying across the keys as he pulls up a live video feed. The screen flickers for a moment before it stabilizes, revealing a dimly lit room. Shadows stretch across the walls, and the atmosphere is thick with a sense of foreboding. My gut tightens, and I lean forward instinctively, my eyes scanning every corner of the feed.

“It’s a black-market auction,” Ryder explains, his voice tinged with an underlying urgency. “I hacked into their system to see what they were selling. Look.”

He pauses, his gaze narrowing. The camera zooms in on a girl in the center of the room, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear. Her hair is a tangled mess, matted to her face as though she’s been through hell. She’s wearing a torn dress, her hands bound in front of her, trembling slightly. My heart stops in my chest. My worst fear is staring me in the face.

“Maxine,” I whisper, barely able to believe my eyes.

Ryder looks at me, his expression grim. “It’s her, Lucky.”

I don’t know whether to feel relief or dread. Maxine is alive—she’s alive—but how much longer will she stay that way? The auction is already underway, and time is running out. They won’t keep her in this location forever. The screen flickers, thenumbers scrolling by as bids come in, and the mood in the room turns darker still. There’s a palpable sense of urgency in the air.

“Where is she?” My voice cracks as I ask the question that has been gnawing at me since I first laid eyes on the screen. This is it. I’m going to bring her home.

Ryder shakes his head, his brow furrowed. “No location. I’m working on it.”

“Work harder, Ryder. We don’t have time for this,” I snap. I’m on the edge now, my patience running thin. I can’t lose another sister, not after everything Mia’s already been through. I can’t do that to her.

Ryder glances at me, frustration flickering across his face. “I’m working on it. Just give me a second to trace the feed back to its source. But we don’t have much time—they’ll move her once the auction ends.”

“How long?” I demand.

“Forty-eight hours,” he says, his voice a little tight. “Maybe less.”

“Get me a location, Ryder. A name. Anything,” I urge, my heart pounding in my chest.

Ryder’s fingers fly across the keyboard, but my mind is already racing ahead. Forty-eight hours. That’s all we have to find Maxine and get her out before she disappears again. We can’t let this slip through our fingers.

Then, just as the weight of despair starts to settle over me, the screen flickers again. A large, burly figure steps into view. He’s dressed in dark clothing, a mask covering his face, and an aura of menace radiates from him as he approaches the girl. My hands clench into fists, the urge to leap through the screen and crush the man’s throat almost overwhelming.

“Who the hell is that?” I demand, my voice rough with rage.

Ryder squints at the screen, but his confusion mirrors mine. “I don’t know, man.”

The camera zooms in on the girl’s face. The terror in her eyes is unmistakable—Maxine is scared, but she’s not broken. She’s still fighting. And that’s a spark of hope in the middle of all this darkness.

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