The dust had barely settled from the explosion when panic gripped the air. The team stood frozen, staring at the wreckage, unable to believe what had just happened. Evelyn had stayed behind to disarm the bomb, and now, there was no sign of her.
"Sana, stay here!" Rylan barked, his voice firm despite the despair in his eyes.
"No, we can't leave her!" Sana argued, attempting to limp toward the rubble despite her injury.
Rylan grabbed her arm gently but firmly. "I'll go back. Stay safe. Zara, help her!"
Before anyone could stop him, Rylan disappeared into the smoke-filled debris, shouting Evelyn's name.
The seconds felt like hours as Rylan scrambled through the wreckage, his hands raw from clawing at jagged pieces of concrete and steel. His mind raced with guilt and determination. He couldn't let another person die not after all they had been through.
"Evelyn! Can you hear me?" he called out, his voice echoing in the emptiness.
A faint, muffled sound reached his ears. It was weak but unmistakable. "Here..."
His heart leaped. Evelyn was alive.
Rylan followed the sound, shifting pieces of debris with renewed energy. Finally, he found her, pinned under a steel beam, her face pale but defiant. The bomb had gone off, but she had managed to shield herself in a small pocket created by the rubble.
"I told you to get out," Evelyn muttered, her voice weak but filled with her usual sarcasm.
"And miss saving your life? Not a chance," Rylan shot back, a wry smile breaking through his tension.
The beam trapping Evelyn was heavy, and Rylan strained to lift it. He called out for help, but the others were too far away. His muscles screamed in protest, but he didn't stop.
"Rylan... just leave me," Evelyn said, coughing.
"Shut up," he growled. "We're both getting out of here."
With one final burst of strength, he shifted the beam enough for Evelyn to crawl out. She groaned in pain, clutching her ribs, but she was alive.
"Let's go!" Rylan shouted, pulling her to her feet.
But just as they began to move, a new sound filled the air a faint beeping.
Rylan froze, his eyes widening. "No. Another bomb?"
Evelyn's face darkened. "Orion must have planted backups. We don't have time!"
Meanwhile, outside the wreckage, Zara's tech device started flashing. She gasped, realizing what it meant.
"Sana, there's another device!" she exclaimed.
"What? Where?" Sana asked, fear gripping her.
"It's still active inside the building. Rylan and Evelyn are in there!"
Sana's heart sank. "We have to warn them!"
Zara frantically tried to reach Rylan through the communicator, but the signal was weak. "Come on, pick up!"
At last, Rylan's voice crackled through. "We know. We're moving as fast as we can!"
Zara clenched her fists. "You have less than two minutes before it detonates."
Inside the rubble, Rylan and Evelyn moved as quickly as their injuries allowed. Each step was agony, but the knowledge that another explosion was imminent fueled their determination.
"Almost there," Rylan said, though he wasn't sure if he was reassuring Evelyn or himself.
The beeping grew louder, each sound like a ticking clock counting down to their doom.
They reached a collapsed wall blocking their path. Rylan tried to push it aside, but it wouldn't budge. Evelyn, despite her pain, pointed to a narrow gap they could crawl through.
"It's tight, but it'll lead us out," she said.
"You first," Rylan insisted.
Evelyn hesitated, then nodded. She squeezed through the gap, wincing as the sharp edges tore at her clothes and skin. Rylan followed, his larger frame making it even more difficult.
As they emerged on the other side, the exit was finally in sight. But the beeping was faster now seconds away from detonation.
"We're not going to make it," Evelyn whispered.
"Yes, we will!" Rylan shouted, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward.
Sana and Zara watched anxiously, their eyes fixed on the building. The beeping grew louder, echoing through the ruins.
"Come on, come on..." Sana muttered under her breath, tears streaming down her face.
Suddenly, two figures burst through the smoke Rylan and Evelyn, battered but alive. The sight of them brought a wave of relief, but it was short-lived.
"RUN!" Rylan screamed, dragging Evelyn forward as fast as he could.
The final bomb detonated with a deafening roar. The shockwave sent them flying, and debris rained down around them.
When the dust settled, Sana and Zara rushed to where they had seen Rylan and Evelyn fall. They found them lying unconscious, covered in dust and blood but breathing.
As they began to help them, Zara's device beeped again. This time, it wasn't a bomb it was a transmission.
A distorted voice crackled through. "You think this is over? You've only just begun to understand what you're up against."
The team exchanged wary glances, their relief replaced by a chilling realization. Orion wasn't finished with them yet.
The fight wasn't over. It had only just begun.