The helicopter blades roared above them as the cabin trembled from the force of the explosion outside. Nathan grabbed Zara's arm and pulled her away from her laptop as smoke began to fill the air.
"They've found us!" Zara shouted, panic clear in her voice.
Nathan scanned the room, his mind racing. "Everyone, move! We can't stay here. They'll blow this place to pieces!"
The team quickly gathered their gear as the sound of boots hitting the ground echoed in the distance. Through the shattered windows, shadows of Lucien's mercenaries closed in.
Rylan, the newest and most uncertain member of their team, stepped forward. "Follow me. There's a hidden exit beneath the cabin. It'll buy us time."
Nathan hesitated. "You didn't think to mention this earlier?"
"I didn't think we'd need it," Rylan snapped, pulling back a loose floorboard to reveal a dark, narrow tunnel. "Go now, or we're all dead!"
The team didn't waste another second. One by one, they crawled into the tunnel, Rylan leading the way and Nathan covering the rear. The air was damp and heavy, and the tunnel stretched farther than they could see. The sound of gunfire erupted above them as Lucien's men stormed the cabin.
"They're inside!" Elias whispered, his voice tight with fear.
"We'll be clear soon," Rylan assured them, his voice echoing in the narrow space.
Zara stumbled in the darkness, clutching the drive tightly to her chest. Sana steadied her, whispering, "We'll get through this. Just keep moving."
The tunnel finally opened up into a small underground chamber. Rylan stopped abruptly and motioned for silence. Above them, the faint hum of voices could still be heard.
"They're sweeping the area," Rylan muttered. "We have a few minutes at most."
Zara set her laptop on the ground and quickly connected the drive, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "If they're tracking us, I can throw them off for now. But we need to act fast."
"What's our next move?" Sana asked, her eyes darting between Nathan and Rylan.
Rylan pulled up a small device from his pocket, projecting a 3D map of Lucien's compound. "We're out of time to strategize. Lucien's base is locked tight, but the drive holds the codes to override his defense system. We need to use it before he locks us out permanently."
Elias frowned. "You're saying we go straight into his stronghold?"
"It's our only option," Rylan said. "He's deploying everything he has to hunt us. The longer we wait, the stronger his position becomes."
Nathan's jaw tightened. "Then we move. Zara, can you keep us off his radar long enough to reach his compound?"
"I'll try," she replied, typing furiously. "But I'll need time to bypass his surveillance completely."
"We don't have time," Rylan countered. "We go now, or we lose everything."
Nathan glanced at the map, then back at his team. "All right. We hit Lucien head-on. But we stick together. No one gets left behind."
Using the underground chamber as a temporary hideout, the team pieced together a high-risk strategy. Lucien's compound was surrounded by automated defenses, but Rylan assured them the codes from the drive would neutralize them if they could get close enough.
"Once we're in, Lucien will try to destroy the drive," Rylan said. "We have to protect it at all costs."
Nathan nodded. "Elias and Sana, you'll secure the perimeter. Zara, you stay with me. We'll upload the codes."
"What about me?" Rylan asked, his tone laced with defiance.
Nathan met his gaze. "You're leading us in. Don't make me regret trusting you."
The team emerged from the tunnel under cover of night, slipping through the dense forest that surrounded Lucien's base. Zara worked on her laptop as they moved, feeding false signals into Lucien's surveillance systems.
"They'll think we're heading north," she whispered. "That should buy us a little more time."
The group reached a ridge overlooking the compound. From their vantage point, they could see the sprawling fortress, illuminated by rows of searchlights and patrolled by armed guards. Drones hovered in the air, scanning the area.
"This is a suicide mission," Elias muttered.
"No," Nathan said firmly. "It's a mission we can't afford to fail."
Using the codes from the drive, Rylan disabled the outermost layer of defenses, allowing the team to sneak through a hidden entry point. They moved in silence, sticking to the shadows as guards passed by just meters away.
Inside the compound, the tension was palpable. Every corner they turned felt like a potential ambush. Zara clutched her laptop tightly, her heart pounding.
"This place is a maze," she whispered. "Are you sure you know where we're going?"
Rylan shot her a glare. "I worked here for years. Trust me."
Nathan kept his weapon raised, his eyes scanning every hallway. "We trust you for now. But if you're lying"
"I'm not," Rylan interrupted, his tone sharp. "Keep moving."
Finally, they reached a heavily guarded control room at the heart of the compound. The door was secured by a biometric lock, but Rylan stepped forward, placing his hand on the scanner.
The door clicked open, revealing a high-tech chamber filled with monitors and servers.
"This is it," Rylan said. "Once we upload the codes, Lucien's defenses will go down."
Zara rushed to the main terminal, connecting the drive. "Cover me," she said, her fingers flying over the keyboard.
As the upload began, alarms suddenly blared throughout the compound.
"They know we're here," Rylan said, his voice tense.
Nathan nodded. "Get ready. This is going to get ugly."
The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder as Lucien's guards converged on the control room. Zara's progress bar crawled forward, the upload painfully slow.
"We need more time!" Zara shouted.
"We don't have it!" Elias replied, firing at the first wave of guards who burst through the door.
Sana and Nathan joined the fight, holding the line as the room filled with gunfire and smoke. Rylan grabbed a weapon from a fallen guard and took position beside Nathan.
"This is why I left Lucien," Rylan said grimly. "He's relentless."
As the upload reached 90%, the monitors in the room flickered. Lucien's face appeared on the main screen, his cold smile sending a chill through the room.
"You think you've won?" he sneered. "You're only playing into my hands."
Before anyone could react, the room shook violently. The lights flickered, and Zara's laptop sparked.
"What's happening?" Nathan demanded.
Lucien's voice echoed through the speakers. "You didn't think I'd leave my most valuable system unprotected, did you? Welcome to my trap."
The floor beneath them began to tremble, and a hidden hatch opened, revealing a deep, dark shaft. Alarms blared louder, and the control room seemed on the verge of collapse.
"We need to move!" Rylan shouted.
But Zara cried out, "The upload isn't finished!"
Nathan faced an impossible choice—stay and finish the upload, risking their lives, or retreat and lose their only chance to defeat Lucien. The room continued to shake, dust and debris falling around them.
"Decide, Nathan!" Sana yelled as more guards approached.
Nathan's heart pounded as he made the call, his voice cutting through the chaos: "We finish this. No matter what."
The screen flashed, the progress bar inching closer to 100% as the team braced for the fight of their lives.