The quiet that filled the safehouse was deceptive. It was the kind of silence that followed a storm, the kind that Carter knew all too well—where tension simmered just beneath the surface, waiting to explode.
Callum's fingers hovered over the radio equipment, eyes locked on the display as the data streamed out, infiltrating the airwaves, the dark web, and encrypted channels across the globe. They had done it. The leak was live. Apex's dirty secrets were spilling out into the world, and the clock had started ticking.
Carter paced near the window, his pulse quickening with every second that passed. He knew what came next. The hammer was about to fall, and it was going to fall hard.
"They'll know," Carter muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "They'll know it was us."
Maya stood beside the door, her posture rigid, her rifle slung over her shoulder. "Let them. We're ready."
Carter shot her a look. "You say that like we have an army waiting in the woods. Last time I checked, it's just the three of us and a glitchy AI."
Elle's voice crackled through their earpieces, calm as always. "I can hear you, Carter. And I assure you, I'm far from glitchy."
Carter couldn't help but smirk. "No offense, Elle. Just trying to keep the optimism in check."
Maya's eyes didn't leave the door, her voice as cold and focused as ever. "Elle, what's the status on Apex's movement?"
"I've detected multiple communications across their secure channels," Elle replied. "They're scrambling. I estimate we have approximately fifteen minutes before they fully mobilize."
Carter let out a low whistle, his grin fading. "Fifteen minutes. That's generous."
Callum stood up from the table, his face grim. "That's not long. If we stay here, we're as good as dead."
Maya nodded, already moving toward the door. "We stick to the plan. Head south, stay off the grid. Elle will guide us."
"And after that?" Carter asked, sliding his pistol into its holster. "We keep running?"
Maya's jaw tightened. "We keep fighting."
Carter let out a breath, glancing toward Callum. "You sticking with us, old man?"
Callum shot him a dry look. "I didn't come this far to bail now."
Carter grinned. "Good. Just checking."
The tension in the room thickened as the reality of their situation settled in. Apex wasn't going to stop. They had struck first, but the counterattack was coming, and when it did, it would be swift, brutal, and merciless.
Maya pulled the door open, stepping outside into the cool night air. "Let's go. We move fast and stay low."
Carter followed her out, the night feeling heavy around him. The forest was dark, the moon barely visible through the thick canopy of trees. It felt like they were running through a void, a place where time had no meaning. Each step was laced with the knowledge that they were being hunted.
--
They moved quickly through the trees, the forest closing in around them. The air was thick with the smell of earth and pine, and Carter's boots crunched softly against the underbrush as they pressed forward. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline surging through his veins as he scanned the shadows for any sign of Apex's assault team.
Maya was ahead of him, her movements silent and efficient, her rifle held close. Even in the darkness, she moved with purpose, as if every step had been carefully calculated long before she took it. Carter admired her focus, her ability to keep her cool even when the world was falling apart. But he also knew that the weight of everything was pressing down on her, just as it was on him.
Callum brought up the rear, his footsteps barely audible behind them. He was quieter than Carter expected for someone his age, but then again, Callum wasn't exactly what he appeared to be. There was a hardness to him, a survivor's edge that Carter had seen before in people who had lived through wars and worse. The man knew how to handle himself.
"How much further, Elle?" Maya whispered into her earpiece.
"We've put some distance between us and the safehouse," Elle replied, her voice steady. "But you'll need to keep moving. I've detected aerial surveillance. Apex is sweeping the area."
"Drones?" Carter asked, his voice low.
"Yes," Elle confirmed. "They're using them to scan the forest for heat signatures. You're not out of their range yet."
Carter swore under his breath. "Great. Just when I thought we'd have some peace and quiet."
Maya didn't look back. "We'll need to find cover. Fast."
Carter scanned the area, his eyes darting between the trees. The forest was dense, but it wouldn't hide them forever. The drones would eventually pick up their trail, and once they did, Apex's ground teams would close in like wolves on the hunt.
"Elle," Maya said, her voice tense but controlled, "is there any place we can take cover?"
"There's an old service tunnel half a mile ahead," Elle replied. "It should be abandoned, but it's underground. You can hide there while the drones pass."
Maya nodded. "Lead the way."
Carter's heart raced as they moved through the forest, the sound of the drones' whirring growing louder overhead. The distant hum of their engines sent a chill down his spine. He knew what would happen if Apex found them. There would be no negotiation, no mercy. They were loose ends that needed to be tied up, and Apex wasn't in the business of leaving loose ends.
As they approached the entrance to the service tunnel, a rusted metal grate half-hidden by overgrown vines, Carter could feel the weight of the situation pressing down harder. This wasn't just about survival anymore. They had lit the fuse, and the explosion was coming.
Maya crouched by the entrance, her eyes scanning the area. "We go in, wait until the drones pass, and then keep moving."
Carter nodded, glancing at Callum. "You good with tight spaces?"
Callum shot him a wry look. "I've seen worse."
Maya pulled the grate open, the metal groaning in protest. "Go."
Carter didn't need to be told twice. He climbed into the tunnel, his boots clanging softly against the metal ladder as he descended into the darkness. The air grew colder as he moved deeper, the smell of damp earth filling his lungs.
Once they were all inside, Maya pulled the grate shut, the tunnel plunging them into near-total darkness. Carter's breathing was loud in his ears, the silence of the tunnel amplifying every sound.
Elle's voice cut through the stillness. "The drones are closing in. Hold position."
Carter leaned against the wall, the cold metal pressing against his back. He could hear the faint hum of the drones overhead, the sound muffled by the layers of earth above them. It felt like being buried alive, like they were sitting in a coffin waiting for the dirt to pile on top.
"I hate this," Carter muttered, his voice low. "Being stuck underground, hiding while they hunt us like animals."
Maya's voice was calm, but there was a hard edge to it. "We stay quiet. They'll pass soon."
Carter wanted to argue, wanted to vent the frustration that had been building since this whole mess started. But he knew Maya was right. They couldn't afford to be reckless, not now.
The hum of the drones grew louder, then slowly began to fade. Carter held his breath, counting the seconds in his head, waiting for the moment they would be discovered. But the drones didn't stop. They passed overhead, moving further away with each passing second.
"They're gone," Elle said. "You're clear—for now."
Carter exhaled slowly, relief washing over him. "We're good?"
"For the moment," Elle replied. "But you'll need to keep moving. Apex's ground teams are still active."
Maya stood up, her voice sharp. "Let's go. We can't stay here."
Carter pushed off the wall, his muscles stiff from the tension. He climbed up the ladder, the cool night air hitting his face as he emerged from the tunnel. The forest was still, the sound of the drones now a distant memory.
But Carter knew better than to relax. They were still being hunted. And Apex wasn't going to stop until they were dead.