Rain slicked Neon City’s streets as Ava, Jace, Lena, and Eli regrouped in the derelict garage, the hacked device in Ava’s hand faintly glowing. The figure with the second, stronger device had vanished, but its pulse haunted Ava, her implant stirring with every heartbeat. Jace’s revelation—Damian, his brother, alive and controlled by Mara—hung heavy, and Ava felt his pain, her desire to comfort him mixing with the implant’s heat, urging her closer.

“We need to find Damian,” Jace said, his voice tight, checking his reloaded pistol. “Mara’s using him to amplify the Order’s network.” His eyes met Ava’s, and the air crackled, her implant amplifying their connection.

Lena nodded, slinging her rifle. “Eli, can you track the second device?”

Eli’s cybernetic eyes flickered. “It’s broadcasting on a hidden frequency. Leads to the Spire—a skyscraper, Order’s hub.” His screens showed a towering glass monolith, its peak lost in storm clouds.

Ava’s stomach twisted, but Jace’s hand brushed her back, grounding her. “You don’t have to do this,” he said, his voice low, his fingers lingering, sparking desire. “But I’m glad you’re here.”

She turned, their lips crashing together, a hungry, desperate kiss. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her against him, and Ava moaned, her fingers tangling in his wet hair. The rain soaked them, but his heat burned, his lips trailing her neck, teasing the implant, and she gasped, her body aching for more. Their embrace was reckless, bodies pressed tight, the implant igniting every touch, promising stolen nights beyond the danger.

Lena’s cough interrupted, and Ava blushed, Jace’s grin unapologetic. “Let’s move,” Lena said, but a drone’s whir cut through the rain—Order scouts. Jace fired, downing it, but footsteps echoed, and Damian appeared, his blade drawn, eyes glowing. “You can’t save me, Jace,” he snarled, lunging.

Ava’s implant flared, showing a vision: Damian wired to a machine in the Spire, Mara beside a woman—her face Ava’s, but colder. Was it a clone, and what was Mara building in the Spire? Jace fought Damian, their blades clashing, and Ava swung her baton, but Damian knocked her back, escaping into the storm. The second device’s pulse grew stronger, and a new figure emerged—a woman, her eyes like Mara’s, holding the device. Was she Mara’s ally, and could Ava reach the Spire before her implant betrayed her?

Cliffhanger: Is the woman Mara’s ally, and can Ava resist her implant’s betrayal before reaching the Spire?

Chapter 8: Heartbeat of the Hunt

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