The night erupted into chaos.
Gunfire cracked through the air as Jaxon's team moved in from the left, taking out guards with swift, precise shots. Andrew's squad mirrored their assault from the right, pushing forward like a tidal wave of destruction.
Celeste and Christy, in the center, wasted no time. Celeste's blade cut through the first guard's throat before he even had time to scream. Christy, armed with twin pistols, danced through the battlefield, her shots landing with deadly accuracy.
Alarms blared. The facility had been breached.
Inside the security room, Collaway's men scrambled to react, but Eric was faster. Still hiding within their systems, he sent a pulse through the network, shutting down automated defenses and causing mass confusion among enemy forces.
"Rina, what's the status on the lockdown?" Andrew's voice came through the comms, sharp with urgency.
"Almost there," Rina responded, fingers racing over her keyboard. "I'm overriding the doors, but Collaway's got failsafes everywhere."
Rea's knuckles turned white as she gripped her gun. "If we don't move fast, they'll start killing prisoners."
Jaxon's voice cut through the chaos. "Then we don't wait. We push forward now."
---
Aster moved like a phantom in the shadows, waiting for his moment to strike. He spotted a group of guards heading toward Jaxon's team. Without hesitation, he leapt down from the rafters, landing behind them like death itself.
The first never saw him coming—Aster's blade slid cleanly across his throat. The second turned, eyes wide, but Aster was faster. He grabbed the man's wrist, twisted it sharply, and drove the knife into his chest. The third raised his gun—too slow. Aster lunged, burying his knife in his gut, twisting until the life left his eyes.
The rest of Jaxon's squad arrived a second later. One of them—a burly soldier—stared at the carnage. "Damn."
Jaxon barely spared Aster a glance. "Move."
Aster fell in beside them, blood splattered across his arms, blending into the darkness.
---
The prison cells were ahead.
"Doors opening now," Rina announced.
With a loud hiss, the heavy doors unlocked. Christy and Celeste were the first inside, weapons raised.
The prisoners—some too weak to move, others bruised and battered—stared at them in disbelief.
"We're getting you out," Celeste ordered. "Move!"
A woman in the corner, barely able to stand, whispered, "Is it real?"
Christy holstered one of her guns, stepping forward. "Yeah, sweetheart. It's real. Now get up before I change my mind."
Gunfire erupted outside. Guards flooded the hallway, trying to contain the escape.
Aster was already moving, knife flashing as he cut down the first wave of attackers. Jaxon covered him from behind, his gunfire precise and deadly. For a moment, they moved like a team—until Jaxon barked, "Don't slow us down."
Aster gritted his teeth but said nothing.
Celeste, standing over the bodies of two fallen guards, turned toward the freed prisoners. "Anyone who can fight, grab a weapon."
Some hesitated. Others, faces hardened by years of suffering, grabbed whatever they could—guns, knives, even broken metal pipes.
"This isn't just a rescue," Celeste continued, reloading her gun. "We're burning this place to the ground."
---
Elsewhere in the facility, Collaway watched everything unfold through a live feed on his monitor. His jaw clenched as he saw his forces being cut down, his prisoners turning against him.
He reached for his radio. "Deploy the reinforcements. Kill them all."
From deep within the compound, a new enemy emerged—heavily armed soldiers, trained killers, the best Collaway had to offer.
The real fight was just beginning.