The hangar loomed around them like a cold, forgotten tomb, the air thick with dust and the scent of rusting metal. Inside, old military vehicles and discarded equipment were scattered haphazardly, relics of a different era. The faint glow of moonlight seeped through cracks in the roof, casting long, eerie shadows over everything.
Carter's senses were on high alert. Every creak, every rustle in the darkness felt like the prelude to danger. He swept his gaze across the hangar, his fingers twitching near his sidearm. "So, what are we looking for, Elle? You got anything more specific than 'a terminal'?"
Elle's voice crackled in his earpiece, always steady, almost too calm. "There's a data terminal toward the back of the hangar. It's connected to Apex's network. If I can tap into it, I'll be able to access the data they've collected on me—their plans, their endgame. We need to know what they're after."
"Lovely," Carter muttered, adjusting the strap of his backpack. "Nothing like diving headfirst into a den of wolves just to see what kind of knives they're sharpening."
Maya led the way, her rifle raised, her steps precise and deliberate. She moved like a ghost through the shadows, her presence a stark contrast to Carter's barely restrained nervous energy. Carter followed close behind, his eyes darting between the rusting machines, the scattered tools, and the distant corners where the moonlight didn't reach.
"How much time do we have before they realize we're inside?" Maya whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling in their earpieces.
"Not long," Elle replied. "I've looped the cameras, but the patrols are regular. Once they hit this sector again, we're on borrowed time."
"Great," Carter muttered. "So, no pressure."
Maya shot him a look, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Focus."
He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm focused, trust me. I just like to keep a running tab of how screwed we are."
They moved deeper into the hangar, slipping past stacks of crates and old military hardware that hadn't been touched in years. The tension in the air was palpable, every sound amplified in the vast space. Even their breathing felt loud, too loud.
Finally, they reached the far end of the hangar, where a dusty console sat beneath a shattered window, its surface covered in grime and cobwebs. The terminal looked ancient, like something out of an early 2000s tech graveyard, but Elle had assured them it was still connected to Apex's network.
Maya quickly moved to the console, her fingers flying over the ancient keyboard. "Elle, you're up."
Elle's voice hummed through the speakers built into the terminal. "Give me a moment. I'll need to bypass their encryption protocols, but I can handle it."
Carter scanned the room again, his anxiety ratcheting higher with every passing second. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that any moment a team of Apex soldiers would storm through the doors. His muscles were coiled tight, ready for action, but the waiting was killing him.
"How long is this gonna take?" Carter asked, his fingers tapping the grip of his pistol.
"Less time if you stop asking," Elle replied. "I'm almost through."
Maya kept her eyes on the terminal, her posture rigid, every fiber of her being focused on the task at hand. "We need whatever intel they've got on Elle, fast. If we're going to survive this, we need to know what we're up against."
Carter nodded, though his mind was already racing ahead, thinking about escape routes, ambush points, worst-case scenarios. The idea that Apex was still one step ahead gnawed at him. They'd been playing catch-up ever since this mess began, and every new revelation seemed to pull them deeper into the mire.
"What exactly are we hoping to find here?" Carter asked after a beat, lowering his voice to avoid echoing in the vast space.
"Anything that tells us how deep this conspiracy goes," Maya answered, her fingers still poised over the terminal in case things went sideways. "We need leverage. Right now, all we have is a target on our backs."
"And Elle," Carter added.
"Right," Maya said, glancing at him briefly. "And Elle."
"Almost there," Elle chimed in. "I've just bypassed their secondary firewall. I'll be pulling in the data—"
Suddenly, the lights in the hangar flickered. Carter's stomach dropped. "Elle—?"
"I know," Elle cut him off. "I didn't trigger anything. This isn't me."
The hangar lights blinked once more before settling into a low, dim hum. Something was wrong. Very wrong. The tension that had been simmering at the edges of Carter's nerves exploded into full-blown alarm. He exchanged a glance with Maya, her lips tightening as she surveyed the room.
"Carter—," Maya began, her voice taut with tension, but she didn't need to finish. They both knew what was happening. Apex was coming.
--
The sound of boots echoed faintly from outside the hangar, growing louder, closing in. A rhythmic stomp that set Carter's heart pounding faster. There was no time to finish the download. They had to move—now.
"We're out of time," Maya hissed, backing away from the terminal. "We've got company."
"I'm still pulling the data," Elle said, her voice cool but edged with urgency. "Thirty more seconds."
"We don't have thirty seconds!" Carter snapped, drawing his pistol as he spun toward the door. "We need to go now!"
The door to the hangar creaked. Shadows shifted outside the narrow windows. Maya moved like lightning, finding cover behind a row of crates, her rifle trained on the entrance.
"Carter, get to cover!" she ordered.
Carter hesitated for a fraction of a second before diving behind an overturned workbench. He pressed his back against the cold metal and waited, his pulse hammering in his ears.
"Elle?" Maya whispered, keeping her sights steady on the door.
"I've got what I need," Elle confirmed. "But I can't finish decrypting it on-site. We need to extract."
Maya nodded. "We'll get out of here first. Carter—"
The door slammed open, cutting her off. Four Apex soldiers stormed into the hangar, their tactical gear glinting under the dim lights, their rifles raised and ready. They swept the room in a calculated arc, moving with military precision. They hadn't spotted Carter or Maya yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Carter swallowed hard, his pistol feeling suddenly inadequate against their assault rifles. He glanced at Maya, who held up three fingers, signaling her plan. Carter nodded, steadying his breathing. Three. Two. One—
Maya opened fire, the sharp crack of her rifle cutting through the stillness like a whip. One of the Apex soldiers went down instantly, his body crumpling to the ground as Maya's shot found its mark. The other soldiers spun toward the sound, their weapons blazing, bullets slamming into the crates and walls around them.
Carter popped up from behind the workbench and fired two quick shots, catching another soldier in the chest. The man fell backward, his rifle clattering to the floor.
"Move!" Maya shouted, breaking into a sprint toward the back exit.
Carter was right behind her, his feet pounding against the concrete floor as they bolted for the door. Bullets whizzed past them, pinging off the rusted machinery and old vehicles scattered throughout the hangar. Carter felt the heat of adrenaline surging through his veins, the rush of danger giving him focus, clarity.
As they neared the exit, Carter heard Elle's voice in his ear. "Two more soldiers are closing in from the north side. You'll need to go out the west—now!"
Maya swore under her breath, pivoting toward the west exit, a narrow door half-hidden behind a stack of crates. Carter followed, ducking low as another round of gunfire tore through the air.
They burst through the west door, the cool night air slapping them in the face as they stumbled into the open. Carter's heart was racing, his breaths coming in ragged bursts, but they weren't safe yet. Not by a long shot.
"We need to get to Callum," Maya said between breaths, her eyes scanning the tree line for any sign of their ally. "Elle, where is he?"
"He's circling around to meet you at the southern perimeter," Elle responded. "But Apex is deploying drones—if they spot you, it's over."
"We're not exactly invisible here, Elle!" Carter shot back, ducking behind a large tree for cover.
"I'm aware," Elle replied, dry as ever. "I'll handle the drones, but you need to move. Now."
Maya glanced at Carter, her expression grim. "We go south. Fast."
Without waiting for a response, she bolted toward the tree line, weaving between the trunks with the grace and precision of someone who had spent years perfecting the art of evasion. Carter sprinted after her, his muscles burning from the exertion, but the adrenaline kept him moving.
The distant hum of drones grew louder as they ran, the mechanical buzz sending a chill down Carter's spine. Any moment now, Apex would descend on them with everything they had.
"Elle, tell me you've got this," Carter muttered, his legs aching as he pushed harder.
"I'm in their systems," Elle replied. "I've rerouted two of their drones, but the others are still in play. Keep moving."
The trees blurred past them as they ran, the ground uneven and treacherous beneath their feet. Carter's lungs burned, his pulse pounding in his ears, but he didn't stop. Not yet.
Finally, they broke through the tree line and into a small clearing. Ahead, the southern perimeter loomed—barbed wire, spotlights, and Apex soldiers patrolling the fence.
"There!" Maya shouted, pointing to a shadowy figure crouched near the fence. Callum.
Carter felt a surge of relief as they approached. "Callum! We need an exit—now!"
Callum turned, a grim smile on his weathered face. "I've got you covered. Get ready to run."