The sound hit before the sight — a deep, rhythmic thrum that rattled through the metal crates.

Riley looked up just as a black helicopter broke through the low clouds, spotlight sweeping the pier. Its rotors whipped the air into chaos, scattering papers and ocean spray like a mini storm.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Riley shouted over the roar. “We’re hitching a ride with a helicopter? What happened to blending in?”

Kade’s reply was drowned out by the sound of gunfire behind them. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a sprint. “Move!”

They bolted across the dock as the chopper descended. The pilot leaned out, waving frantically. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

A bullet sparked off a nearby crate, making Riley duck with a shriek. “They’re still shooting at us! You guys don’t have, like, a refund policy for trauma, right?”

“Keep running,” Kade said, not looking back.

“Easy for you to say! You look like you jog through gunfire for cardio!”

They reached the helicopter as a wave of hot exhaust hit them. Kade shoved the duffel into the cabin, then turned and fired two quick shots — not to hit, but to keep the gunmen ducked.

Riley scrambled in after him, nearly tripping over the seatbelt harness. “I don’t suppose this thing comes with peanuts and legroom?”

“Sit down,” he barked.

She flopped into the seat beside him, clutching the straps as the helicopter lifted off. The pier shrank below, a blur of flashing lights, armed chaos, and the black water glinting under the floodlights.

Riley let out a shaky laugh. “You know… this isn’t exactly the five-star Uber experience I was promised.”

Kade exhaled through his nose — something that almost sounded like a laugh. “You’re still alive. That’s five stars in my book.”

“Oh, so you do have a sense of humor. I was starting to think you were raised by Wi-Fi routers.”

He glanced at her, the faintest ghost of amusement in his eyes. “You talk even more when you’re scared.”

“Yeah, well, silence isn’t my coping mechanism, Mr. Mystery Spy Man.”

He looked back out the window, the city lights shrinking below them. “I’m not a spy.”

“Really? Because you drive like Jason Bourne, carry gadgets that jam satellites, and have an earpiece named Mia giving you orders. What do you call that — Uber Premium Plus?”

He didn’t answer right away. Then, finally: “Let’s just say I’m in logistics.”

“Right. Logistics that shoot back.”

Mia’s voice cut through the cabin speaker. “You both still in one piece?”

“Mostly,” Kade said. “Heading back to base.”

“Good. HQ is ready for debrief.”          

Riley frowned. “HQ? As in, like, headquarters? You do have a base. Oh my God, I did get kidnapped by government Uber!”

Kade didn’t bother arguing. He leaned back, eyes closing for the first time since the chaos began. Riley watched him, torn between awe and exasperation.

She finally said, softer this time, “You saved my life.”

His eyes opened. “You helped.”

Her mouth curved into a small smile. “I guess that makes us even, then.”

The helicopter banked left, disappearing into the night sky — two unlikely allies silhouetted against the city below.