Elias was eating a vending machine sandwich that tasted like cardboard and regret.
It had been six hours since the fight on the roof. His shoulder was stiff, the magical healing leaving the skin tight and itchy. The Stranger sat by the window, staring out at the city through the blinds.
"We need a plan," Elias said, wiping crumbs from his mouth. "Kane failed. The Consultant knows we can hurt him now. They're going to come at us harder."
"They will not come at us physically," The Stranger said, not turning around. "The Consultant is a creature of efficiency. He just spent resources on an assassination attempt and failed. He will not waste capital on the same strategy twice."
"So what does he do?" Elias asked. "Bomb the motel?"
"No," The Stranger said. "He liquidates your assets."
Elias frowned. "I don't have any assets. I'm an escaped convict with twelve dollars and a stolen jumpsuit."
"You have one asset," The Stranger said, turning to face him. "You are the Witness. You are the one who sees the truth. If he cannot kill the Witness... he must blind the Jury."
The Stranger pointed to the old, boxy television set bolted to the wall in the corner of the room.
"Turn it on."
The Broadcast
Elias grabbed the remote and pressed power. The screen flickered to life, showing the logo of National Prime News.
The banner at the bottom of the screen was bright red: BREAKING NEWS: MANHUNT UNDERWAY.
The anchor wasn't Victor Cross—the man the Stranger had humbled in Chapter 5. It was a new face, a young woman who looked terrified and serious.
"We are receiving disturbing footage from the Aethelgard Tower incident earlier today," the anchor said. "Police have identified the suspect involved in the brutal attack on a private security consultant."
Elias’s blood ran cold.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
On the screen, a video started playing. It was grainy, clearly taken from a security camera on the roof.
But it was... wrong.
The footage showed Kane standing peacefully on the roof, looking out at the view. There was no sniper rifle. The Consultant had scrubbed the weapon from the digital file. In the video, Kane looked like an innocent man taking a smoke break.
Then, the video cut to Elias bursting onto the roof.
It showed Elias screaming. It showed Elias tackling Kane. It showed Elias stabbing his own hand into Kane’s chest while Kane fell back, looking terrified.
The audio had been doctored, too. They had removed Kane’s taunts. All the audience could hear was Elias shouting: "Feel it! Feel it!"
It didn't look like justice. It looked like a psychotic break.
"The suspect," the anchor continued, her voice trembling, "is Elias Thorne. An escaped fugitive believed to be the leader of a radical anti-corporate cult. Authorities warn that he is armed, dangerous, and mentally unstable. He is believed to be using hallucinogenic drugs to weaponize his followers."
The Verdict
Elias dropped the sandwich.
"They cut it," Elias whispered. "They cut out the rifle. They cut out the knife. They made Kane look like a victim."
"The Spin," The Stranger murmured. "The Devil does not need to lie, Elias. He only needs to edit the truth."
The TV screen changed to a photo of Elias. It was his mugshot from the prison. He looked disheveled, angry, and crazy.
"A reward of one hundred thousand dollars has been issued for information leading to his capture," the anchor announced. "If you see this man, do not approach. Call 9-1-1 immediately."
Elias walked to the window and peeked through the blinds. Down in the parking lot, a man was loading groceries into his car. The man looked up at the motel window. He paused. He looked at his phone, then back at the window.
The man started dialing.
"We have to go," Elias said, grabbing his jacket. "Now."
The Manhunt
"Where?" The Stranger asked calmly. "The city is a grid, and every screen is now a Wanted poster. There are eight million eyes looking for you, Elias. You cannot hide from the herd when the shepherd has told them you are a wolf."
"We can't stay here!" Elias shouted. "That guy in the lot just made us. The cops will be here in five minutes."
Elias paced the small room. His heart was hammering against his ribs, harder than it had during the fight with Kane. Fighting a man with a knife was terrifying. But fighting a lie? That felt impossible. How do you punch a news report?
"We need to go underground," Elias said. "The sewers, the subway tunnels... somewhere without screens."
"No," The Stranger said.
The Stranger stood up. He buttoned his grey coat. For a moment, the room seemed to stretch, the shadows lengthening around him.
"The Consultant wants us to run," The Stranger said. "He wants you to hide in the dark like a rat, proving his narrative that you are a monster."
"If we stay, we get arrested!"
"Then we do not stay," The Stranger said. "And we do not run."
The Stranger walked to the door and opened it. The bright sunlight of the afternoon poured in.
"We escalate," The Stranger said. "If he wants to use the screens to tell a lie... then we must use the screens to show the truth. We are going back to the source."
Elias froze. "The source? You mean the News Station? That place will be swarming with cops!"
"Let them come," The Stranger said, walking out into the hallway. "It is time for an interview."
The Strategy: Elias wants to hide. The Stranger wants to broadcast.
Next Chapter: We aren't running. We are breaking into the news station to hijack the signal.
Follow to see if they survive the night!