The cold mountain air bit at Chloe's face as she crouched behind a snowbank, her breath visible in short, nervous puffs. The chalet loomed ahead, surrounded by a sprawling perimeter fence dotted with motion-activated cameras and patrols.
"Eyes on the target," Marcus whispered over the comms. "Three guards at the main entrance. Two circling the east wing. Thermal imaging shows at least five more inside."
Sebastian adjusted the strap of his rifle, his gaze locked on the guards. "We stick to the plan. No noise, no mistakes."
Chloe nodded, her heart racing. She clutched her compact hacking device tightly, every step taking her closer to the unknown.
---
Infiltration
Marcus signaled for them to move. Sebastian took point, his movements silent and fluid as they approached the fence. With practiced efficiency, Marcus disabled the motion sensors and cut a small section of the wire, allowing them to slip through undetected.
Chloe followed, her senses on high alert. Every snap of a twig or crunch of snow seemed amplified in the silence.
Sebastian held up a fist, signaling them to stop. A guard patrolled just ahead, his flashlight slicing through the darkness.
With a single gesture, Sebastian motioned Marcus to take the lead.
Marcus crept forward, his knife gleaming in the faint moonlight. In one swift motion, he neutralized the guard, lowering the man's body gently into the snow.
"Clear," Marcus whispered.
They pressed on, weaving through the shadows until they reached the chalet's side entrance.
---
The First Obstacle
Chloe knelt by the security panel, her fingers working quickly to bypass the lock. The screen flashed red, then green as the door clicked open.
"Impressive," Sebastian murmured, his eyes scanning the hallway beyond.
"Let's hope I can keep it up," Chloe whispered back.
They slipped inside, the warmth of the chalet a stark contrast to the icy exterior. The interior was sleek and modern, with marble floors and high-tech security cameras that scanned every corner.
Marcus consulted his thermal scanner. "Server room's in the basement. Two guards on the stairs."
Sebastian nodded. "We take them quietly."
---
Close Quarters
The guards were chatting softly, their weapons slung loosely over their shoulders.
Sebastian struck first, his movements a blur as he incapacitated the first guard. The second guard turned, but Marcus was already on him, rendering him unconscious before he could react.
Chloe stepped over their bodies, her pulse hammering in her ears.
"Focus," Sebastian said, his voice low and steady. "We're almost there."
---
The Server Room
The server room was a fortress of steel and glass, its walls lined with racks of humming machines. A biometric scanner guarded the entrance, glowing ominously.
"This is it," Marcus said.
Chloe stepped forward, her hands trembling slightly as she connected her device to the scanner.
"Give me a minute," she muttered, her eyes fixed on the screen.
Sebastian and Marcus stood guard, their weapons ready.
"You've got company," Marcus said, his voice tight. "Two guards headed this way."
"Stall them," Chloe said, her fingers flying over the keys.
Sebastian didn't hesitate. He slipped out of the server room, intercepting the guards in the hallway.
"Hey!" one of them shouted, raising his weapon.
Sebastian moved like a shadow, disarming the first guard and knocking him out with a single blow. The second guard barely had time to react before Marcus appeared, his silenced pistol dispatching the threat.
"Clear," Marcus said, dragging the bodies into a storage closet.
---
Access Granted
Inside the server room, Chloe exhaled in relief as the biometric scanner blinked green.
"We're in," she said, pulling up the system's main interface.
Sebastian and Marcus rejoined her, their faces grim.
"Download everything," Sebastian ordered.
Chloe inserted a high-capacity drive, her eyes scanning the files as they transferred. Her heart sank as she recognized the sheer scale of Project Horizon's operations.
"This is bigger than we thought," she said. "Alaric's been funding coups, rigging elections, and destabilizing economies for years."
Sebastian's jaw tightened. "Then we need to expose him. How much longer?"
"Two minutes," Chloe replied.
---
The Alarm
Before she could finish, a deafening alarm blared through the chalet.
"They know we're here," Marcus growled.
"Get ready," Sebastian said, his weapon raised.
Chloe's eyes darted to the progress bar. "I just need sixty more seconds!"
"Make it thirty," Sebastian snapped.
The sound of heavy boots echoed down the hallway. Marcus checked his weapon, his expression grim.
"They're coming."
Sebastian nodded. "Hold them off. Chloe, stay focused."
---
The Fight
The first wave of guards burst into the hallway, their rifles blazing.
Sebastian and Marcus returned fire, their shots precise and lethal. The confined space turned the encounter into a brutal firefight, every corner a potential threat.
Inside the server room, Chloe kept her head down, her fingers working furiously. The drive's progress bar crept forward, agonizingly slow.
"Hurry!" Marcus shouted, ducking behind cover as bullets ricocheted off the walls.
"Almost there!" Chloe replied, her voice shaking.
---
Extraction
The download completed just as another wave of guards approached.
"Got it!" Chloe shouted, yanking the drive free.
Sebastian grabbed her arm. "Time to go!"
They sprinted toward the exit, Marcus covering their retreat. The chalet's alarms blared louder, and reinforcements poured in from every direction.
Outside, the team's extraction helicopter hovered, its rotors churning the snowy air.
"Go, go, go!" Marcus yelled, firing his last rounds to keep the guards at bay.
Sebastian helped Chloe into the helicopter before climbing in himself. Marcus followed, narrowly avoiding a hail of bullets.
As the helicopter ascended, Chloe clutched the drive tightly, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"We did it," she said, her voice trembling.
Sebastian placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We're not done yet."
---