The desert stretched out endlessly, its silence broken only by the faint hum of the wind. Alistair crouched low behind the ridge, binoculars pressed to his eyes as he studied the compound below. The moonlight cast long shadows over the crumbling walls and debris-strewn yard. The facility, though old and weathered, had signs of life—small patrols moving at intervals, and faint lights glowing from the interior. It wasn't abandoned. It was waiting.
"Three entry points," Alistair murmured, his voice barely audible. He adjusted the focus on the binoculars, highlighting the western gate, the breach in the eastern wall, and a partially collapsed roof on the northern side.
Cross's voice came through the comms, quiet but clear. "Perimeter's light—two guards at the west gate, three on patrol near the eastern wall. One's smoking, real disciplined."
Alistair glanced back at Sparks, who sat a few feet behind him, her tablet balanced on her lap. The glow from the screen illuminated her focused expression as her fingers moved swiftly over the keys. She had been working to infiltrate the compound's systems for the past hour.
"It's quiet," Sparks muttered, her tone uneasy. "Too quiet."
"What do you mean by 'too quiet'?" Alistair asked, lowering the binoculars.
"I mean it's almost like they've gone dark on purpose," she replied. "No idle chatter, no status reports—nothing. Either they're incredibly disciplined, or they're trying to lure us in."
"That's not comforting," Ox rumbled, his deep voice laced with dry humor. The massive soldier adjusted his grip on his weapon, his sharp eyes scanning the area. "If it's a trap, at least it'll be a good one."
Alistair's jaw tightened as he turned his gaze back to the compound. "We're not here to be comforted. We're here to get the job done. Sparks, which entry point gives us the best cover?"
"The breach in the eastern wall," she replied without hesitation. "It's narrow enough to funnel anyone chasing us, and I'm not picking up any immediate heat signatures nearby."
"Good. Ox, you're on Sparks' six. Cross, stay in position and give us overwatch. Zara, you're with me."
The squad acknowledged their orders with quiet nods. Alistair took one last look at the compound before signaling the team to move. They descended the ridge in silence, their movements precise and practiced. The sand shifted beneath their boots, muffling their steps as they approached their target. The air grew colder, the shadows deeper, and Alistair couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
He froze mid-step, his hand tightening on his rifle as his eyes darted to the edge of his vision. There, just for a moment, he thought he saw something—a flicker of orange, low to the ground. He turned sharply, his heart pounding, but there was nothing there. Just sand and shadows.
"Something wrong, boss?" Ox asked, his voice low but steady.
Alistair hesitated before shaking his head. "Nothing. Let's keep moving."
The breach in the eastern wall came into view, its jagged edges casting sharp, uneven shadows in the moonlight. Two guards stood nearby, their postures relaxed as they chatted quietly. One of them leaned against the wall, a cigarette glowing faintly in his hand.
Cross's voice crackled softly in Alistair's earpiece. "Two targets at the breach. One armed, one unarmed. You're clear to engage."
Alistair motioned for the team to hold, his hand signaling for Ox to circle around while Sparks and Zara stayed back. He moved forward silently, his steps slow and deliberate. The guards didn't notice him until it was too late. Alistair struck fast, his hand clamping over the first guard's mouth as he drove his knife into the man's side. The body slumped to the ground without a sound.
The second guard turned, his cigarette falling from his lips as his eyes widened in alarm. He reached for his weapon, but before he could draw it, Ox was on him. The towering soldier grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him off the ground with ease. The guard's struggles ceased with a sickening crack as Ox slammed him into the wall.
"Clear," Alistair whispered, motioning for the others to move up. Sparks crouched beside the breach, her tablet out as she scanned the surrounding area.
"No alarms," she reported, her voice hushed. "But we need to be quick. If they notice these two missing…"
"They won't," Alistair said firmly. He turned his attention back to the breach, scanning the courtyard beyond. The area was littered with debris and abandoned equipment, the faint hum of machinery audible in the distance. "Cross, status on the patrol?"
"Still moving south. You've got a few minutes before they double back," Cross replied.
Alistair nodded. "Understood. Sparks, Ox, move in. Zara, stay close."
The squad slipped through the breach one by one, disappearing into the shadows of the compound. The tension in the air was palpable, every sound amplified as they moved deeper into enemy territory. Alistair's grip on his rifle tightened, his senses on high alert.
The compound was silent, save for the faint hum of machinery echoing through its steel corridors. The squad moved as shadows, their steps deliberate and soundless. Sparks led the way, her tablet held close, its screen glowing faintly as she navigated the security grid. Behind her, Alistair scanned the dimly lit hallways, his rifle raised, every nerve on edge.
They passed rows of rusted machinery and long-abandoned workstations, each corner and shadow a potential hiding spot. The air was heavy with dust and the metallic scent of oil, the kind of smell that clung to your skin and clothes long after you left.
"Clear," Sparks whispered, her voice barely audible as she motioned for the others to follow. "The main security grid is offline, but there's localized surveillance. We need to be careful."
"We always are," Ox rumbled softly from the rear, his eyes sharp as he watched their six. "Just tell us where to go."
Sparks pointed to a corridor branching off to the left. "The access point is through there, third door on the right. The server room should be just beyond it."
Alistair nodded, signaling for the team to move. As they advanced, a faint scratching sound reached his ears, subtle but persistent. He froze mid-step, his heart skipping a beat. The sound seemed to come from the corridor ahead, where the shadows danced and flickered under the dim emergency lights.
"What is it?" Zara whispered, her gaze following his.
Alistair didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped forward cautiously, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the hallway. There it was again—a flicker of movement, low to the ground. His grip on his rifle tightened.
The orange cat appeared as if from nowhere, its amber eyes gleaming in the dim light. It was perched atop a broken console, its gaze fixed on Alistair with an intensity that sent a chill down his spine. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, the world narrowing to just him and the cat.
"Boss?" Ox's voice broke the spell, pulling Alistair back to the present. He blinked, and the cat was gone.
"Nothing," Alistair said quickly, though his voice carried a note of unease. "Let's keep moving."
The team pressed on, the tension in the air thick enough to cut. Alistair couldn't shake the image of the cat from his mind. It had been there before, during the approach to the compound. He was sure of it. But what was it doing here? And why did it feel like it was watching him?
They reached the corridor Sparks had indicated, the faint hum of the servers growing louder with each step. Sparks paused at the third door on the right, her fingers flying over her tablet as she worked to bypass the lock. A faint beep signaled her success, and the door slid open with a soft hiss.
"Stay sharp," Alistair murmured, motioning for the team to enter. The room beyond was dimly lit, rows of server racks humming quietly in the darkness. Sparks immediately moved to the nearest terminal, plugging in her tablet and typing furiously.
"Give me a minute," she said, her tone focused. "I need to bypass their encryption."
Alistair nodded, his eyes scanning the room. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The shadows seemed to shift and ripple, and every now and then, he thought he caught a glint of amber light in the corners of his vision.
"Movement," Cross's voice crackled softly over the comms. "Two hostiles, northwest corridor. They're heading toward your position."
"Take them out if you have a clear shot," Alistair replied.
"Already on it," Cross said. A moment later, the muffled sound of gunfire echoed through the comms, followed by a brief silence. "Two down. You're clear for now."
"Good work," Alistair said. He turned his attention back to Sparks, who was still working on the terminal. "How's it coming?"
"Almost there," she replied, her fingers never slowing. "They've got layers of encryption, but nothing I can't handle."
A soft beep signaled her success, and Sparks let out a quiet breath. "We're in. I'm pulling the data now."
Before Alistair could respond, Cross's voice came through again, sharper this time. "Boss, you've got company. Multiple tangos moving toward the south entrance. Looks like they're regrouping."
"Copy that," Alistair said. "Ox, cover the door. Zara, stay close to Sparks."
As the team prepared for a potential firefight, a new voice crackled through the comms—a deep, mocking tone that sent a chill down Alistair's spine.
"So predictable," the voice said. "You really thought you could walk into my house and take what you wanted?"
Alistair's jaw clenched as he scanned the room, his eyes narrowing. "Who is this?"
The voice chuckled. "Your worst nightmare, Commander. And you've just walked into my trap."
A flicker of movement on the security monitors caught Alistair's attention. He stepped closer, his breath catching as he recognized the figure on the screen. It was their target—the insurgent leader—standing in a nearby chamber surrounded by armed guards.
"Boss, we've got eyes on him," Sparks said, her voice tense. "He's in the southwest sector, just a few corridors over."
Alistair's gaze hardened as he turned to the team. "That's where we're going. Sparks, grab what you can and move. We've got a target to neutralize."
As the squad prepared to move out, Alistair caught one last glimpse of the orange cat, perched silently on a server rack. Its amber eyes seemed to glow with an otherworldly light, and for a brief moment, he felt a strange sense of calm. Then it was gone, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as it had appeared.
"Let's move," Alistair said, his voice steady despite the unease in his chest. The team filed out of the server room, their weapons at the ready as they moved toward the southwest sector.