Axel Gilberto wasn’t.

He leaned against a graffiti-stained wall near the corner of a quiet block, watching the empty stretch of street ahead. The hood of his jacket was pulled up, a cigarette burning between his fingers, smoke curling around the damp air. He’d been waiting long enough for the rain to soak through his cuffs, but he didn’t seem bothered.

Footsteps echoed — steady, alone.

He flicked the cigarette away and stepped out under the glow of a half-dead streetlight. “Hey,” he called out, voice low but easy. “You got a minute?”

The figure slowed but didn’t stop right away. Axel kept his distance, hands tucked in his jacket. “Look, I know how this looks,” he said. “Guy standing out here, rain coming down, two others hanging back like creeps. Not exactly friendly vibes.”

Two silhouettes lingered in the alley behind him — Lazarus operatives, blending into the dark. They didn’t say a word.

“I’m not here to hassle you,” Axel went on. “Just talk. That’s all.”

The rain pattered harder against the cracked pavement, the city sounds softening into background noise.

“Thing is,” Axel said, “Lazarus has been watching. They think you could be useful. Don’t ask me how they decide that — I just get the names. Usually, they send a team to grab people and sort it out later. I told ’em I’d handle this one different.”

He glanced toward the van parked half a block away — blacked-out windows, engine idling. “If you walk off, I don’t stop you. But if you do, they’ll just send someone else. Someone who won’t bother to talk first.”

He took a slow breath, rain streaking down his face, his tone quiet but steady. “So here’s the offer. Come with me, we talk. You listen to what they’ve got to say. No cuffs, no force. Just a ride and a conversation. After that, you decide if you want in.”

A flicker of lightning lit the edges of the skyline. The smell of ozone hung thick in the air.

Axel nodded once, almost to himself. “I’m not gonna pretend it’s a great deal,” he said. “But it’s better than having the next crew show up uninvited.”

He took a step back, leaving space. The van’s door slid open behind him, spilling pale light onto the street.

“Your call,” he said. “Right here, right now.”

The rain fell harder, pooling around their feet as the city’s noise dimmed to a hush, waiting for an answer.