The darkness swallowed everything.
"Move!" Alexander's sharp command broke through the void. A gunshot followed, its deafening crack ricocheting off unseen walls. My instincts kicked in, and I hit the ground, clutching my weapon.
"Marcus, where are you?" Alexander barked.
Static crackled faintly in my earpiece. "Still here," Marcus's voice came through, strained but steady. "The backup system tripped. I'm rerouting the power. Thirty seconds."
"You don't have thirty seconds!" Alexander snapped, returning fire into the shadows.
I scanned the room, my vision useless in the dark. The sounds were my only guide—footsteps rushing, the zip of suppressed bullets cutting through the air.
"Stick close," Alexander ordered, grabbing my arm.
"I'm not a liability," I said, shaking him off. My pulse hammered in my ears, but I kept my voice even.
"We don't have time for this," he growled.