The helicopter's rotors thumped steadily as it ascended into the sky, carrying Sophia, Ethan, Zoe, and their captive, The Wraith, away from the facility. The weight of what they had just prevented pressed heavily on them, but there was no relief in the air—only the quiet realization that the battle was far from over.
Sophia sat across from The Wraith, who was still unconscious, her head slumped forward, restrained tightly by zip ties around her wrists and ankles. The woman who had nearly orchestrated a catastrophe now looked small and fragile, a stark contrast to the formidable figure they had faced in the facility. Yet Sophia knew better than to underestimate her, even in this state.
Ethan kept his gaze fixed out the window, his expression stoic, but Sophia could sense the tension still thrumming through him. The adrenaline from their mission had not fully worn off, and the close call weighed heavily on both of them.
