The sound of gunfire was relentless. Bullets slammed into the cabin's walls, tearing through wood and sending splinters flying in every direction. Carter crouched low by the back door, his pistol gripped tightly in his hands. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he tried to keep his breathing steady, but the deafening chaos outside made it impossible.
"This isn't working," Carter muttered, glancing toward Maya, who was positioned by the front window, firing short, controlled bursts from her rifle.
Maya's expression was hard as stone. She barely looked at him, her eyes trained on the assault team outside. "We hold them off as long as we can," she said, her voice steady, even in the chaos. "No retreat."
Carter swore under his breath and ducked as another volley of bullets slammed into the wall just above his head. "Yeah, I heard that part. You got a Plan B? Because Plan A is looking a lot like suicide."
Maya's jaw tightened, but she didn't respond. Instead, she reloaded her rifle with quick, practiced movements and fired again. Her breathing was controlled, almost robotic—like she'd been through this a thousand times before and was already calculating her next move.
"Elle," Maya snapped into her earpiece, "how many are left?"
Elle's voice came through, calm and precise as ever. "Six hostiles remaining. They're repositioning to flank you from both sides."
Carter let out a dry laugh. "Perfect. Just what we needed."
"I don't need commentary, Carter," Maya shot back, her tone sharp. "Stay focused."
Carter rolled his eyes but kept his grip tight on the pistol. Maya was all business as usual, even when they were seconds away from being overrun. She never wavered, never hesitated. It was one of the things Carter admired about her—and also one of the things that drove him crazy.
"Great," Carter muttered. "I'll just wait here for my inevitable death."
Maya shot him a glare. "If you've got a better idea, I'm all ears."
Carter flashed a lopsided grin, even though the tension in the air was suffocating. "Oh, you know me—I'm full of terrible ideas."
Another burst of gunfire erupted outside, cutting their conversation short. The windows shattered as bullets tore through the cabin. Carter pressed himself against the wall, gritting his teeth. They were outnumbered and outgunned, and the assault team wasn't showing any signs of letting up.
Elle's voice chimed in again, this time with more urgency. "They're deploying drones. I'm detecting multiple aerial units moving toward your position."
Carter cursed. "Drones? Seriously?"
Maya didn't flinch. She reached into her jacket and pulled out one of the EMP grenades, tossing it to Carter. "We take out the drones first. You know what to do."
Carter caught the grenade, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, yeah. Throw the shiny ball, save the day. Got it."
He ducked low and made his way toward the back door, his heart pounding in his chest. The sound of the drones' whirring grew louder, a menacing hum that sent a chill down his spine. Carter wasn't one to spook easily, but even he knew that once the drones were in play, things would get ugly fast.
He pushed open the back door just enough to peek outside. The drones were visible now—sleek, black machines hovering just above the treetops. Their mounted weapons glinted in the moonlight, and Carter could feel the air shift as they zeroed in on his location.
"Here goes nothing," Carter muttered, pulling the pin on the EMP grenade.
With a quick flick of his wrist, he hurled the grenade toward the drones. It sailed through the air, landing with a soft thud just below them. A second later, the grenade detonated with a sharp, high-pitched whine. The drones sputtered, their lights flickering before they dropped out of the sky, their systems fried by the EMP blast.
"Nice throw," Elle commented dryly through the earpiece.
Carter grinned, but his victory was short-lived. The moment the drones hit the ground, the assault team opened fire again, pinning him down at the back of the cabin.
"I hope you've got more tricks up your sleeve, Maya!" Carter shouted over the gunfire as he scrambled to find cover.
"Always," Maya called back, her voice steady. She pulled out another EMP grenade, this time aiming for the soldiers advancing from the side of the cabin. The explosion sent them scrambling for cover, but it only bought them a few seconds.
Carter could hear the assault team regrouping. Heavy footsteps pounded against the dirt outside, and the faint crackle of radio chatter filled the air. They were closing in.
--
"We need an exit!" Carter yelled, ducking as another round of bullets ripped through the walls. "Or we're gonna be a pile of bodies by morning!"
"I'm working on it," Maya snapped, her tone clipped. She was at the front window, her rifle trained on the attackers. The fire in her eyes never dimmed, even as the odds stacked higher against them.
Carter admired her determination, but he wasn't feeling too optimistic. The assault team had them boxed in, and if they didn't move fast, the next wave would crush them.
Elle's voice cut in again, this time with a more urgent tone. "Carter, Maya—I've pinpointed a weak spot in their formation. You can break through if you move now. I'm opening the route."
Maya's eyes flashed toward Carter. "You heard her. Let's go."
Carter didn't hesitate. He grabbed the duffel bag, slung it over his shoulder, and moved toward the back door. Maya followed close behind, her rifle at the ready. The moment they stepped outside, the cold night air hit them like a slap in the face, but they didn't stop. They couldn't afford to.
Elle guided them through the darkness, her voice crisp in their ears. "Head south. There's a gap in their perimeter near the edge of the forest. It's your best shot."
"Best shot?" Carter muttered. "That's comforting."
Maya was already moving, her steps quick and purposeful. "Stay low. Keep moving."
Carter followed, his mind racing as they darted through the trees. The sounds of gunfire and heavy footsteps faded behind them as they put more distance between themselves and the cabin, but Carter knew better than to relax. They were in the clear for now, but Apex wouldn't give up that easily.
"Elle," Maya said, her voice tight, "any sign of pursuit?"
"Not yet," Elle replied. "But it's only a matter of time before they regroup. You need to keep moving."
Maya didn't need to be told twice. She pushed forward, her eyes scanning the dark forest for any sign of danger. Carter kept pace with her, his grip on the duffel bag tight. His heart was still racing, but he forced himself to stay focused.
"How far do we have to go?" Carter asked, his voice low.
"There's a safehouse about two miles from here," Elle said. "It's off-grid, and Apex doesn't know about it. You'll be safe there—for now."
Carter shot a quick glance at Maya. "For now?"
"They'll track us again eventually," Maya said, her voice calm. "But we'll have time to regroup."
Carter smirked. "And here I was hoping for a vacation."
Maya's lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile, but it disappeared just as quickly. "Let's just survive the night first."
They moved quickly through the dense forest, the branches and underbrush whipping at their clothes as they ran. The moonlight barely filtered through the canopy of trees above, casting long, shifting shadows on the ground.
Carter's mind raced with the events of the night. They'd gone from a simple infiltration to a full-scale shootout, and now they were running for their lives through the forest, hunted by one of the most powerful organizations in the world. And yet, somehow, they were still standing.
"You know," Carter said, his breath coming in short gasps, "I've been in some pretty bad situations before, but this... this might top the list."
Maya shot him a glance, her eyes sharp but focused. "You'll survive. You always do."
Carter chuckled, even though his lungs were burning. "Yeah, well... let's hope you're right."
They kept moving, their footsteps barely audible over the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. The safehouse was close—Carter could feel it. But as they pushed forward, the weight of everything they were up against pressed down harder.
Apex wasn't going to stop. Not until they had Elle. Not until they had full control.
And Carter wasn't about to let that happen.