The cabin was quiet after Elle's revelation, but it wasn't the kind of silence that brought comfort. It was the heavy, suffocating kind that filled the air with tension. Carter sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the edge of the table. His mind raced as he tried to process everything Elle had just laid out for them. A conspiracy of that scale—hundreds of people from every major sector, all connected to Apex. It was beyond anything he'd ever imagined.
Maya was still as stone, her eyes focused on the map in front of her, but Carter knew her mind was already working overtime. She didn't show it, but he could tell by the way her jaw tightened that the pressure was building. She didn't flinch under pressure, but Carter had seen enough of her to know that this was pushing even her limits.
"Alright," Carter said, leaning forward, "so we've got the names, we've got the connections. But how do we actually expose this without getting killed in the process?"
Maya's eyes flicked up to him, her voice sharp. "We leak it to the right people."
"And who are these 'right people'?" Carter asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because last time I checked, everyone with power seems to be on Apex's payroll."
"There are still people who can't be bought," Maya said firmly. "Journalists, activists, whistleblowers. People who won't look the other way just because a corporation throws money at them."
Carter shrugged, his grin a little too casual for the situation. "Sure, and while we're at it, maybe we can get a few superheroes to join the cause too. You know, just in case."
Maya's eyes narrowed. "This isn't a joke, Carter."
"I know it's not," Carter said, the grin fading. "But I'm serious—Apex owns everything. Exposing them is one thing, but surviving after that? It's a long shot."
Maya's voice was cold, unwavering. "We don't have a choice."
Callum, who had been watching the exchange in silence, finally spoke up. His voice was calm but carried the weight of someone who had seen the worst the world had to offer. "She's right, Carter. If we sit on this, Apex wins. They'll get stronger, more dangerous, and no one will be able to stop them."
Carter sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. But we'd better have one hell of an exit strategy."
Maya didn't reply, but the look in her eyes told him that she was already thinking two steps ahead, as usual. She didn't like to lose, and she wasn't about to start now.
Elle's voice came through the speakers, as steady and detached as ever. "There's one more thing. I've detected increased activity from Apex's internal communications. They're escalating their operations. They know something's coming."
Carter ran a hand through his hair, feeling the tension coil in his chest. "Of course they do. Why wouldn't they?"
"Then we're out of time," Maya said, her voice sharp. "We leak the data now."
Callum frowned, leaning forward. "Wait. If we move too soon, without a solid plan, we risk losing everything. Apex will bury the leak before it can spread."
Maya's eyes locked onto Callum, her tone firm. "Then we hit them hard. We give them everything all at once—so much that they can't bury it all. We overwhelm them."
Carter raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of faith in the system. You really think people are going to rise up the moment they see this?"
Maya didn't flinch. "If they don't, we've already lost."
Carter stared at her for a moment, then sighed, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You know, for someone so pragmatic, you've got a lot of optimism."
Maya's eyes softened, just for a moment. "It's not optimism. It's necessity."
--
The safehouse had become their makeshift war room. Callum's radio equipment was set up on the table, while Maya's laptop whirred quietly, displaying the decrypted data in long streams of text and charts. Carter paced the small room, the tension gnawing at him. He hated waiting—hated sitting still while Apex was out there, tightening the noose around them.
Callum was standing by the door, his arms crossed, watching Carter pace. He didn't say much, but there was a calm steadiness to him that Carter found both irritating and reassuring.
"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," Callum finally said, his voice low and gravelly.
Carter stopped, shooting him a grin. "Just trying to think."
Callum raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you call it?"
Carter chuckled. "Yeah, well, thinking's not exactly my strong suit. But in my defense, most of my plans involve running fast and dodging bullets."
Callum shook his head, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You'll need more than speed this time."
Carter's grin faded slightly. "Yeah, no kidding."
Elle's voice came through the earpiece, cutting through the tension. "I've finished analyzing the data. There are several key targets we can hit—journalists, media outlets, and secure channels where we can drop the leak."
Maya glanced up from the laptop. "How long do we have before Apex reacts?"
"Not long," Elle replied. "Once the leak goes live, they'll move quickly to suppress it. You'll need to be ready to move as soon as it hits."
Carter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, basically, it's a game of 'run for your life' the moment we pull the trigger."
Maya stood up, her eyes hard but determined. "We're not running this time. We're fighting."
Carter's eyes flicked to her, his grin returning. "I like the sound of that."
Maya shot him a quick glance, but there was no amusement in her eyes. "You need to be ready, Carter. This isn't a smash-and-grab. Once we hit them, there's no going back."
Carter gave a mock salute. "Ready as I'll ever be, boss."
Callum pushed off the wall, his expression serious. "I can make the drop on the radio waves. Once it's out there, we won't be able to control it. You'll have to trust the world to respond."
Maya nodded. "That's all we can do."
The weight of the moment settled over them like a dark cloud. They were about to ignite a firestorm—one that would either expose Apex for what they were or bury them all in the process.
Elle's voice came through again, this time softer. "I've detected increased Apex surveillance in the area. They're mobilizing."
Maya straightened, her voice tight. "How close?"
"Close enough. You'll need to move soon."
Carter cursed under his breath. "And here I thought we'd get a little more time to enjoy this cozy cabin."
Maya ignored his comment, her mind already focused on the next step. "We leak the data, and then we move. Fast."
Callum nodded, stepping over to the radio equipment. "I'll handle the drop. You just make sure you're ready to disappear when the heat comes down."
Maya turned to Carter, her eyes hard. "Are you ready for this?"
Carter grinned, though the tension was still clear in his eyes. "Ready to make some noise? Always."
--
The radio equipment crackled as Callum began the upload, his fingers moving swiftly over the dials. The data transfer would take a few minutes, but Carter could feel the weight of every second ticking by. He stood by the window, peering out into the darkness, watching for any sign of Apex's assault team.
"You think this is going to work?" Carter asked, his voice quieter now.
Maya stood beside him, her eyes focused on the horizon. "It has to."
Carter nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were standing on the edge of something they couldn't control. Apex was too big, too powerful. And now they were poking the hornet's nest with everything they had.
The radio equipment beeped, signaling the completion of the transfer. Callum leaned back in his chair, his expression grim. "It's done. The leak is live."
Maya exhaled slowly, her posture stiff. "Now we move."
Carter felt the tension ratchet up a notch. "What's the plan?"
Maya turned to face him, her voice calm but urgent. "We stick to the forest, head south. Elle will guide us to the next safe zone. We need to stay off the grid until the fallout hits."
"And when Apex finds out?" Carter asked, his heart pounding.
Maya's eyes were cold, determined. "Then we fight."