The guards stood in the doorway, their guns trained on Aria. Her heart pounded in her chest, and every instinct screamed at her to run, but she knew better. One wrong move, and they would shoot without hesitation.
"Step away from the computer," one of the guards ordered in a thick accent, his voice harsh and commanding.
Aria didn't move. She could feel the weight of the USB drive in her pocket, the precious data that could bring Hale to his knees, but the risk of getting caught was too great. She had to think fast—there had to be a way out of this.
Her eyes flicked around the room, scanning for any possible escape route. There was a window on the far side of the room, but it was several feet above the ground. And the door was now blocked.
"Drop your weapon," the guard barked again. Aria froze, her hands visibly shaking as she slowly raised them in the air. She couldn't afford to make a move that would escalate the situation.
The leader of the guards took a step closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. "I don't know who you are or why you think you can just walk into Hale's private facility, but I suggest you come quietly. It'll be a lot easier for you."
Aria's mind raced. She had nothing left to lose, but the data... the files had to be saved. They were her only leverage. She had to survive this, no matter what it took.
"I'm not here to cause trouble," she said, her voice calm but edged with a cold determination. "But you don't know what you're dealing with. This isn't just about me. This is about all of you. Hale—he's using all of you. You don't even know what he's hiding in this place."
The guard scoffed. "Save your breath, sweetheart. The only thing we're interested in is making sure you don't walk out of here."
He motioned to one of his men, who stepped forward to grab Aria's arm. But just as he reached for her, the lights in the room suddenly flickered and went out.
Everything went dark.
The silence that followed was deafening. For a brief moment, Aria couldn't hear anything—no footsteps, no whispers, no movement at all. She held her breath, waiting for any sound that might give her a clue as to what was happening.
Then, from the corner of the room, a faint hum began to pulse through the air—soft at first, then louder. It was an alarm.
And then she heard it—the sound of someone running. The guards cursed loudly, and the leader shouted orders, but Aria didn't wait to figure out what was going on.
In the chaos, she dove toward the window, using every ounce of her strength to jump and grab the ledge. She wasn't sure how high up she was, but she didn't care. She had no time to waste. She needed to get out.
Her fingers scraped against the cold metal as she pulled herself up, the sound of guards shouting growing fainter behind her. The window was small, but big enough for her to fit through.
She made it.
With one last burst of energy, Aria slid through the window and onto the rooftop. She took a deep breath, feeling the cold night air rush past her.
---
The compound was sprawling, a maze of buildings, gates, and walls. She couldn't afford to get caught. She crouched low, making her way across the roof, staying hidden in the shadows.
Below her, she could hear the guards scrambling, their voices sharp and panicked. She needed to find an escape route before they realized what had happened.
Her eyes scanned the horizon, and she spotted a large, armored vehicle parked on the side of the compound, just beyond the gates. She could take it. If she could get to it, she might have a chance to make it out of the facility without anyone noticing.
With a grim determination, Aria climbed down the fire escape, dropping silently to the ground. She had no idea if the guards had seen her, but she didn't care. Her instincts kicked in as she sprinted toward the vehicle, her heart hammering in her chest.
---
As she approached the vehicle, Aria's eyes flicked to the security camera above. She had no choice but to destroy it. With one swift movement, she pulled out a small object from her pocket—a smoke grenade. She activated it and tossed it toward the camera. The thick, dark smoke billowed up, covering the area in an instant.
Perfect.
She slipped into the vehicle's driver seat, hot-wiring it with the skill she had learned in her past life. The engine roared to life, and Aria slammed her foot on the gas pedal, speeding through the gates before the guards could react.
---
The vehicle tore down the narrow road, Aria's pulse racing. She glanced in the rearview mirror, watching the smoke fade behind her. For the first time in hours, she allowed herself a brief moment of relief. She was free.
But as she pushed the vehicle faster, the reality of what she had just done hit her.
She had just stolen critical evidence from one of the most secure facilities in the world. And Hale was going to be furious.
She couldn't afford to think about that now. She had to get back to Nina and figure out her next move.
---
Back in the city, Aria returned to the hideout that Nina had secured for her—a small, nondescript apartment on the outskirts. She quickly unloaded the data from the USB drive onto a secure server Nina had set up, watching as the files began to transfer.
Nina's message came through just as the last of the files finished uploading.
"You did it. I can't believe it. You're safe?"
Aria stared at the screen, her mind already racing.
"Not yet. Hale will come for me. He won't stop until I'm dead."
"We'll protect you. I'll be in touch soon."
As the files uploaded completely, Aria felt a strange sense of finality. The data was safe. The world would know the truth. But this was far from over. The battle had only just begun.
The next move would be Hale's. And she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay one step ahead of him.