I pointed at the screen and smiled. “We’re going to attack when they don't expect it.”Noah stared at me like I had lost my mind. He looked at the weapons, then back at me. His eyebrows went up in disbelief. “You’re serious,” he said.“I always am.”“Ethan, look at yourself,” Noah argued, stepping toward me. “There are dozens of them, and you can barely stand up without shaking.”“That is exactly why it’s going to work,” I said, leaning against the desk for support. “They think we’re trapped animals. They expect us to hide in a corner, and that’s their biggest mistake.”Noah paced the small room, then he stopped and sighed. “Okay. Let's say I don't think you're crazy. What’s the plan?” I leaned over the glowing screen. My finger was trembling from the pain, but I forced it to steady as I tapped the map. “This building isn’t our shield,” I explained. “It’ll be the bait. We’re using it to lure them into a trap.”Noah crossed his arms. “You’re gonna have to explain that.”“They’ll ent

We were only meters from impact when the lights suddenly came on and the ground ahead split open.I slammed hard on the brakes, but it was too late; the SUV went downward into the path below. I put the car in reverse and drove backward, but before I could reach the exit, the panel had shut.Noah tried to scream, but no sound came out. He was frozen, paralyzed by the sheer terror of what was happening. As the panel closed and the ramp dropped, we slammed into a stack of wooden platforms, and the sound was deafening, as hard boards snapped like toothpicks under the weight of the car.But it didn't slow us down, the SUV kept reversing at a high speed, but we were descending into the narrow tunnel. I didn't hesitate, I switched gear and stomped my foot on the gas pedal, and the car shot forward like a missile into the dark path.Noah was trembling so hard he looked like he was going to have a seizure. His fingers dug deep into the seats, and his chest moved up and down in ragged, desper

But Why now? Why did this have to happen when I was at my weakest, and with Noah to protect? It didn’t make sense. Albert had a code, he never attacked a man who couldn't fight back. He called it cowardice, and Albert wasn't a man who broke his word no matter the circumstances.Was someone else pretending to be him? If so, how did they get into my lair? And how did they learn to mess with my head like this?I needed answers, but the immediate danger came first. I had already taken down twelve men, but more were hiding throughout the facility. I glanced at my dashboard. The screen was still frozen with that error message. And without having a view from my system, I was moving blindly and that meant I couldn't track their movements or find the best way to get the jump on them.But from what I remembered on the cameras, there were a few men thrashing my place and going through my stuff in the armory. If they were smart, they’d be on high alert after hearing my gunfire.I slammed my foot

They were watching my every move, and at any given time, they could all fire at once. The armored vest may be hard enough to stop the bullets, but it was just metal and fiber. If all those shooters pulled their triggers at once, the sheer force would crush my ribs and throw me back like a broken doll. I took a breath, trying to steady the quick rhythm of my heart, and peeked over the opposite edge of the concrete slab. I brought the scope to my eye, and for a second, my lungs felt so tight I couldn't breathe.The darkness was completely occupied with so many men, they shifted slowly and moved quietly and crouched behind the pillars and old machinery like professionals without talking or making a sound.I sat back down, resting my spine against the cold stone. For the first time since I stepped into this nightmare, I just... stopped. I let my gun rest against my lap.Noah’s voice from the tape echoed in my mind, like a haunting reminder that he had seen this coming. This wasn't some

The shot was so fast that I felt the impact of it on my back before I heard the loud bang.It was a sniper. My body acted on instinct, I raised my shoulder and desperately rolled across the floor, and a second later, another bullet blasted through the concrete exactly where my skull had been resting a heartbeat before.This wasn't like the disorganized men I’d cut through earlier. This shooter was different, he was patient. He was a professional. He was waiting for me to bleed out, and looking at the state of my gear, he wouldn't have to wait long.I dragged myself behind a thick stone pillar, my fingers slipped along the rough surface for any grip. Every movement felt like a betrayal of my own body. My ribs weren't just aching, they were grinding together with a sickening, wet sound that made my stomach turn. My armor had absorbed the impact, but the force had gone deep. Under my vest, I could feel a heavy, spreading warmth that was thick and warm. I was bleeding internally, some