Jake leaned forward, his eyes scanning the map spread before them. The mission had been successful, but the enemy had regrouped faster than they had anticipated. Every move they made seemed to trigger a counterattack from the loyalists, and now the mercenaries were scattered across the city, fighting to maintain their foothold.Reeva was the first to speak, breaking the silence. “We’ve done enough damage. But we’re not hitting them hard enough. They’ve got new recruits, new weapons, and they’re starting to organize. If we don’t stop them now, they’ll outlast us.”Jake nodded, his fingers tapping against the table as he thought. The battle for the city was no longer just about breaking the Council’s power. It was about stopping the rising tide of resistance, the faction of mercenaries that had found a new strength in their desperation. If they didn’t cut off the head of the snake soon, the whole city would fall into chaos.“I agree,” Jake said, his voice low and steady. “But we need to

Jake stood in front of the window, all that remained was the shadow of the Council and the people too afraid to act.But that was changing. Every day, the whispers grew louder, the people began to stir, and more and more eyes turned toward the resistance. Jake could feel the shift in the air. They weren’t just fighting the Council anymore. They were fighting for the future of the city.The door behind him creaked open, and Reeva stepped inside, her boots clicking against the floor. “We’ve got news,” she said, her voice steady but with an edge to it. “The loyalists are planning a counterattack. They’re regrouping faster than we expected.”Jake turned to face her, his brow furrowed. “How soon?”“Soon enough. They’ve been consolidating their forces. There’s a weapons cache in the industrial sector—they’re moving it tonight. If we let them, it’ll give them the firepower to push back hard.”Jake nodded, his mind already racing with the possibilities. The cache was a key piece in the Counci

The city was at war, but Jake had known that for a long time. What he hadn’t expected was how fast everything would escalate. The safehouse had become their home base, their center of operations, but it was also a place of constant tension. There was no rest anymore. No breaks. Every decision felt like it could be their last. Jake couldn’t afford to let his guard down—not even for a second.He paced the small, dimly lit room, his mind still working through the events of the night. The communications hub had been a success—another victory to add to their growing list. But that wasn’t enough. The Council was still standing, still dangerous, and they were getting smarter.“Elena,” Jake said, his voice low as he turned toward her. She had been pouring over the latest intelligence, her fingers moving quickly over her tablet. “Any word from the inside?”Elena looked up, her face grim. “Nothing we didn’t already know. They’re regrouping, but they’re also trying to find out who’s behind all

Jake had never been one to bask in victory for long, and he wasn’t about to start now. Sitting around a battered table, surrounded by his team, he quickly laid out the next move.“We’ve weakened them,” Jake began, his voice low, “but they’ve still got resources, and we don’t know where the rest of their leadership is hiding. Our priority now is to find the remnants of their network and finish what we started. We don’t let them regroup.”Lina was the first to speak up, her eyes sharp. “You think they’ll come after us now that we’ve got their leadership? They’ll have backup plans, people waiting in the wings.”“That’s why we keep moving,” Jake replied, looking around the room. “We stay ahead of them, we take control of every asset we can, and we don’t leave anyone behind. The people are starting to rally, but we need to make sure the Council has no chance of coming back.”Reeva, always the pragmatist, leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. “And what about the other factions? We’ve made

Jake stood at the center of the safehouse, staring at Caleb. His hands were cuffed, but even in that state, Caleb’s smugness hadn't faded. His eyes gleamed with that same cold confidence that had once made him a useful ally—and a dangerous enemy. Jake had always known Caleb was a survivor. He had underestimated how far Caleb would go to make sure his survival came first.“Why the hell are you doing this, Caleb?” Jake’s voice was low, controlled. “Why go this far? You were with us. You knew what we were trying to do.”Caleb leaned back against the wall, his face a mask of indifference. “I don’t know, Jake. Maybe I just got tired of waiting around for you to make the right move. You wanted to save people. Me? I was looking for the right opportunity. And when the Council crumbled, I saw it—an opening. I didn’t want to be a part of your idealism. I wanted power. And now I’ve got it.”Jake shook his head, frustrated. “This isn’t power, Caleb. This is madness.”A chuckle escaped Caleb’s lip