Ethan pulled the stolen van into an empty alleyway close to the perimeter of Celestial Garden and cut the engine. He knew from Jason's information that there was no sense in trying to force their way in; doing so would be suicidal. Yet, driving on the streets was now even more dangerous. He felt truly cornered, but surrender was not an option.

He turned to Sarah. "Do you regret coming with me?" Ethan asked her, his expression grim. "You're an accomplice to multiple felonies now, and you could end up in prison forever."

"No," Sarah said, her voice firm. "I will do whatever it takes with you, regardless of the consequences."

Ethan leaned over and pulled her in, giving her a deep, wet French kiss. It was intensely passionate, leaving her gasping for breath, her eyes glazed over and completely aroused.

Ethan pulled away, wiping his lips. "Good," Ethan said, his voice hardening with resolve. "It's time for even more madness."

Ethan moved to the back of the van, opening the side door. He reached in, lifted the handcuffed Officer Sparks off the floor, and dragged her out into the alley.

"Tell me what the hell is really going on," Ethan demanded, his voice low and dangerous as he held her tightly. "I truly don't want to hurt a pretty officer like you, but if you force me, I can promise you I will have no mercy."

Agent Sparks reacted instantly. She twisted her face and spat directly into Ethan's face. "Try me, idiot!" she hissed, defiance blazing in her eyes. "I won't fall that easily without a fight!"

Ethan slowly ran his tongue across his lips, licking away the saliva. He looked at her with a chilling, predatory gaze. He moved impossibly close, pressing his body against hers, using his intimidating size and power to crush her defiance without laying another hand on her.

Ethan thought: This woman is under orders, but she is terrified. She is looking at me like I'm a monster, and I like it.

The intensity of his stare, the raw scent of adrenaline and gunpowder on his body, was its own form of assault.

"Last chance, Sparks," Ethan warned, his face serious. "I swear I will make you truly suffer if you don't cooperate."

The officer stubbornly turned her head away. Ethan, furious but unwilling to commit murder, sighed and decided on a change of venue.

"Help me with her," Ethan instructed Sarah.

"How? What should we do?" Sarah asked, confused.

Ethan didn't answer. He carried Sparks to a nearby service staircase. Sarah followed as they ascended to the roof. From there, a portion of Celestial Garden was visible, and in the distance, the recognizable lights of MIT glowed—a sudden, sharp reminder of his friends and Hailey, whom he could not, under any circumstance, involve in this chaos.

Ethan sat down on a crate while Sparks remained on the ground, still handcuffed. Ethan asked her again, his voice dangerously low, "Who sent you to arrest me, and under what charges?"

She finally answered, her voice tight with resentment. "It's a superior order. It comes from Congressman Vance. The charges are invasion of private property, armed robbery, and injury to a security guard."

"That's bullshit," Ethan scoffed. "I haven't touched anyone. That damn Congressman is a son of a bitch who uses his power to oppress others."

"That no longer matters," Sparks retorted, her gaze cold. "You now have possession of a firearm, aggravated assault with injury, attempted murder of an officer, and if you continue, kidnapping. Should I keep enumerating your crimes?"

Ethan dropped his gaze. "You fired against an unarmed civilian," Ethan argued. "You are not clean."

"You charged me!" Sparks countered. "I had to shoot you! I don't know how the hell you are still standing after taking those bullets."

Ethan didn't bother arguing. He slowly pulled off the oversized T-shirt he had borrowed from Sarah's father, displaying his unblemished, muscled torso. "I'm special," Ethan told her, a hint of dark pride in his voice. "Your bullets don't do anything to me. If you want to hurt me, you need a high-caliber rifle, hehe."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Sparks asked, surprise replacing her hostility.

"To show you that I'm not the bad guy," Ethan said, standing up. "I am not a threat, and if I am, it's not because of the lies they tell you."

Ethan walked over and knelt beside her. He reached out and slowly unlocked the handcuffs.

"Are you going to give me my gun?" Sparks asked immediately, rubbing her wrists.

"I'm kind, not stupid," Ethan said, shaking his head.

"Well, I don't think you're too smart to assault an officer and then release her," Sparks replied, testing the air.

"Is there any way we can forget this ever happened and you can pretend you didn't see us?" Ethan asked, his voice now pleading, dropping the aggression. "I don't want to have to hurt a beauty like you."

"Well, I can pretend," Sparks said, standing up and dusting off her uniform. "But how will it be possible? I appeared here, my car is incredibly far away, and my police colleagues must be actively searching for me."

Ethan sighed, a deep exhalation of sheer frustration. "Sighhh... you're right. Things look pretty fucked up for me, don't they?"

"Surrender," Sparks urged him, her voice taking on the tone of a professional negotiator. "If you go to trial now, you might be able to clear yourself of the prosecutor's charges and avoid prison. But if you keep dragging this out, the charges will increase, and even if they exonerate you from Vance's bullshit, you'll still end up in jail for what happened today."

Ethan was thinking deeply, wrestling with the idea of surrendering. The situation had changed drastically: one thing was to operate covertly, and another entirely was to be actively hunted by the police, which made things look truly fucked up.

Ethan took one last look at Celestial Garden, so close yet so impossibly far.

"Alright, alright," Ethan said, his shoulders slumping in temporary defeat. "I'll surrender. You win."

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