Eliana and Vinzo moved stealthily, flanked by Lorenzo and Kael.
Marcus scoped ahead, his sniper rifle at the ready.
Tiberius's hideout loomed, a fortified warehouse.
Vinzo's team approached, strategizing.
"Eliana, hack the security feed," Vinzo whispered.
Eliana nodded, her fingers flying across her phone.
"Done," she said, displaying the feed.
Lorenzo and Kael took positions, covering the exits.
Marcus settled into a sniper's nest.
Vinzo led the way, Eliana close behind.
Inside, Tiberius awaited.
"Welcome, Vinzo," Tiberius sneered.
Vinzo's gaze locked onto Tiberius.
"Game's over," Vinzo said.
Tiberius chuckled.
"We've just begun."
Suddenly, alarms blared.
Eliana's eyes widened.
"What's happening?"
Tiberius smiled.
"Reinforcements."
"Reinforcements?" Vinzo repeated, his voice low and deadly.
Tiberius nodded.
"My insurance policy. You see, Vinzo, I've been expecting you."
Eliana stepped forward.
"You'll never get away with this, Tiberius."
Tiberius's gaze locked onto her.
"Ah, Eliana. Ryker's little pet. You're more resilient than I thought."
Vinzo's eyes narrowed.
"Enough talk."
Tiberius chuckled.
"Let's see how you handle a real challenge."
The warehouse doors burst open.
Heavily armed men poured in.
Lorenzo and Kael opened fire.
Marcus's sniper rifle cracked.
Vinzo shielded Eliana.
"Get down!"
Eliana returned fire.
"I've got this!"
Vinzo's gaze flicked to her.
"Stay close!"
Tiberius vanished into the chaos.
Eliana's eyes locked onto his retreating figure.
"I've got him!"
Vinzo followed.
"Wait!"
But Eliana was already gone.
Eliana weaved through the chaos, her focus fixed on Tiberius.
Vinzo's worried shout echoed behind her.
"Eliana, wait!"
She ignored him, driven by a burning need for justice.
Tiberius disappeared into a side room.
Eliana followed, gun drawn.
Inside, Tiberius waited.
"Congratulations, Eliana," he said. "You're more resourceful than I thought."
Eliana's eyes blazed.
"You used Ryker, manipulated him."
Tiberius shrugged.
"Pawns are meant to be sacrificed."
Eliana's finger tightened on the trigger.
"You're finished, Tiberius."
Tiberius smiled.
"Not yet."
He pressed a button.
The room began to fill with gas.
Eliana's eyes widened.
"No!"
Suddenly, Vinzo burst in.
"Eliana!"
He grabbed her.
"Out, now!"
They stumbled into the chaos.
Lorenzo and Kael provided cover fire.
Marcus's sniper rifle picked off stragglers.
The team regrouped.
Tiberius escaped.
Again.
Vinzo's gaze locked onto Eliana.
"What were you thinking?"
Eliana's chest heaved.
"I wasn't going to let him get away."
Vinzo's expression softened.
"I know. But we do this together."
Eliana weaved through the chaos, her focus fixed on Tiberius.
Vinzo's worried shout echoed behind her.
"Eliana, wait!"
She ignored him, driven by a burning need for justice.
Tiberius disappeared into a side room.
Eliana followed, gun drawn.
Inside, Tiberius waited.
"Congratulations, Eliana," he said. "You're more resourceful than I thought."
Eliana's eyes blazed.
"You used Ryker, manipulated him."
Tiberius shrugged.
"Pawns are meant to be sacrificed."
Eliana's finger tightened on the trigger.
"You're finished, Tiberius."
Tiberius smiled.
"Not yet."
He pressed a button.
The room began to fill with gas.
Eliana's eyes widened.
"No!"
Suddenly, Vinzo burst in.
"Eliana!"
He grabbed her.
"Out, now!"
They stumbled into the chaos.
Lorenzo and Kael provided cover fire.
Marcus's sniper rifle picked off stragglers.
The team regrouped.
Tiberius escaped.
Again.
Vinzo's gaze locked onto Eliana.
"What were you thinking?"
Eliana's chest heaved.
"I wasn't going to let him get away."
Vinzo's expression softened.
"I know. But we do this together."
Vinzo's eyes searched Eliana's.
"What were you thinking, going after Tiberius alone?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Eliana's gaze dropped.
"I couldn't let him escape. Not after what he's done."
Vinzo's fingers lifted her chin.
"I know. But we're in this together. We watch each other's backs."
Eliana's voice barely rose above a whisper.
"I don't want to be a liability, Vinzo. I want to help."
Vinzo's expression softened.
"You're not a liability, Eliana. You're my partner."
Their gazes locked.
Lorenzo cleared his throat.
"Um, sorry to interrupt, but we have a situation."
Vinzo turned.
"What is it?"
Lorenzo's expression grim.
"Tiberius's escape route. It leads to an abandoned airfield."
Kael frowned.
"He's getting out of the country."
Marcus nodded.
"Not if we move now.
The team sprang into action.
"Let's move!" Vinzo shouted, already sprinting toward the vehicles.
Eliana kept pace beside him.
"Airfield's 10 minutes out," Lorenzo called from the driver's seat.
Kael and Marcus flanked them, guns at the ready.
Vinzo's phone buzzed.
"Intel suggests Tiberius has a private jet," Marcus said.
Vinzo's jaw clenched.
"We can't let him take off."
Eliana's eyes locked onto Vinzo's.
"What's the plan?"
Vinzo's gaze never left the road.
"We split into teams. Lorenzo and Kael take the perimeter. Marcus provides sniper cover. You're with me."
Eliana nodded.
"What's our objective?"
Vinzo's voice dropped.
"We take down Tiberius. Together."
The airfield gates loomed ahead.
Lorenzo screeched to a halt.
"Go!"
The team dispersed.
Vinzo and Eliana sprinted toward the jet.
Tiberius's voice echoed.
"Welcome, Vinzo! You're just in time for departure!"
Vinzo and Eliana approached the jet, guns drawn.
Tiberius stood at the foot of the stairs, a smug smile spreading.
"You're too late," he said.
Vinzo's eyes narrowed.
"We'll see about that."
Eliana flanked Vinzo, her gaze locked on Tiberius.
"Ryker was just a pawn, wasn't he?" she spat.
Tiberius chuckled.
"A means to an end."
Vinzo took a step forward.
"Your end is here."
Tiberius sneered.
"My plan's already in motion."
Suddenly, the jet's engines roared to life.
"Take cover!" Vinzo yelled.
Eliana and Vinzo dove behind nearby crates.
Lorenzo and Kael opened fire, pinning down Tiberius's guards.
Marcus's sniper rifle cracked.
The jet's tires screeched.
"Stop the plane!" Vinzo shouted.
Eliana sprinted toward the jet.
Vinzo followed.
Tiberius disappeared into the plane.
Vinzo and Eliana burst into the jet.
Tiberius stood in the cockpit doorway.
"You'll never stop it," he sneered.
"Stop what?" Vinzo demanded.
Tiberius's smile grew.
"My legacy. The Phoenix Initiative."
Eliana's eyes widened.
"What is that?"
Tiberius chuckled.
"A new world order. Ryker was just the beginning."
Vinzo's grip on his gun tightened.
"You're not taking over anything."
Tiberius shrugged.
"Already in motion. Can't be stopped."
The jet lurched forward.
"Take him down!" Vinzo shouted.
Eliana tackled Tiberius.
Vinzo rushed to disable the plane.
Lorenzo's voice crackled over comms.
"Vinzo, we've got hostiles closing in!"
Kael's voice followed.
"Holding them off, but need backup!"
Marcus's sniper rifle cracked.
Vinzo's eyes locked onto Tiberius.
"Tell me what's happening."
Tiberius's grin grew.
"Phoenix rises... from ashes."
The plane's engines sputtered.
Vinzo's grip on Tiberius tightened.
"Last chance."
Tiberius's eyes gleamed.
"Too late... already launched."
Vinzo's face twisted.
"Launched what?"
Tiberius's smile grew.
"Phoenix's payload... global broadcast."
Eliana's grip on Tiberius tightened.
"What payload?"
Tiberius chuckled.
"Truth... and chaos."
Suddenly, screens flickered to life.
A broadcast began, revealing shocking secrets.
Government scandals, corporate corruption.
Global pandemonium erupted.
Vinzo's eyes locked onto Tiberius.
"You're insane."
Tiberius shrugged.
"Visionary."
Lorenzo's voice crackled over comms.
"Vinzo, hostiles breached perimeter."
Kael shouted.
"Fall back!"
Vinzo made a split-second decision.
"Get Tiberius. End transmission."
Vinzo, Eliana, and Tiberius disappeared into chaos.
Vinzo dragged Tiberius through the jet.
"Shut it down," Vinzo ordered.
Eliana sprinted toward the cockpit.
Tiberius struggled.
"You can't stop it," he spat.
Vinzo's grip tightened.
"Watch me."
Eliana burst into the cockpit.
"Systems override," she shouted.
The jet's engines sputtered.
"Disconnecting broadcast," Eliana called.
The screens flickered, then went dark.
Tiberius's face contorted.
"No!"
Vinzo's eyes locked onto Tiberius.
"It's over."
Suddenly, the jet lurched.
"Vinzo, we're losing altitude!" Eliana shouted.
Vinzo's gaze snapped to the controls.
"Mayday, Mayday!" Lorenzo's voice crackled over comms.
"Emergency landing!"
The jet plummeted.
Vinzo grabbed the controls.
"Hold on!" he shouted.
Eliana braced herself.
Tiberius screamed.
The jet careened wildly.
Vinzo struggled to stabilize.
Lorenzo's voice came through comms.
"Vinzo, altitude's critical!"
Kael shouted.
"Pull up, pull up!"
Vinzo's face set.
"Hold... steady..."
The jet leveled.
Eliana breathed.
"We're clear."
Tiberius glared.
"You'll never stop Phoenix."
Vinzo turned.
"It's over."
The jet touched down.
Hard.
Vinzo and Eliana exchanged a look.
"Secure Tiberius," Vinzo said.
Eliana nodded.
As they stepped out.
Lorenzo and Kael rushed toward them.
"Vinzo, we've got hostiles closing in!"
Vinzo drew his gun.
"Protect Eliana."
Suddenly.
A sniper's bullet whizzed past.
Vinzo returned fire, shielding Eliana.
"Get down!" Vinzo yelled.
Eliana crouched beside him.
"Where's the sniper?" she asked.
Lorenzo scanned the rooftops.
"North building, third floor!"
Kael sprinted toward the building.
"Cover me!"
Marcus's sniper rifle cracked.
"Got the sniper!"
Vinzo stood.
"Move, now!"
The team rushed Tiberius to safety.
Eliana's eyes locked onto Vinzo.
"Phoenix Initiative?"
Vinzo's expression turned grim.
"We'll debrief later."
Tiberius sneered.
"You'll never stop it."
Vinzo's grip on Tiberius tightened.
"It's over."
Suddenly, Tiberius's eyes widened.
"Backup protocol... activated."
A hidden device on Tiberius's wrist beeped.
"What is that?" Eliana demanded.
Tiberius smiled.
"Phoenix's failsafe."
The device detonated.
Vinzo yanked Tiberius away from the blast.
"Eliana, go!" Vinzo shouted.
Eliana sprinted, clearing the area.
The explosion ripped through the air.
Tiberius laughed maniacally.
"Phoenix rises... again."
Vinzo's eyes locked onto Tiberius.
"What have you done?"
Tiberius's smile grew.
"Global reset... initiated."
Suddenly, screens and devices around them flickered to life.
A countdown began.
"60 minutes... 59... 58..."
Eliana rushed back.
"What's happening?"
Vinzo's face twisted.
"Tiberius, stop it."
Tiberius shrugged.
"Beyond my control."
The countdown accelerated.
"30 minutes... 29... 28..."
Lorenzo and Kael rushed in.
"Vinzo, we've got multiple hostiles closing in."
Marcus's voice came through comms.
"Vinzo, satellite imagery shows—"
Static drowned out Marcus's words.
Vinzo's eyes locked onto Tiberius.
"This ends now."
Tiberius smiled.
"Too late... Phoenix spreads."
The countdown continued.
10... 9... 8...
And then, everything went black.
TO BE CONTINUED...