A blinding sheet of white heat rushed down the stairwell as the heavy steel door melted into glowing liquid, filling the sub-level core with choking smoke.Julian reacted instantly. He planted his boots firmly on the shaking floor, throwing his arm around Maya and pulling her hard against his chest to shield her from the searing wave of hot air. His jaw tightened into a hard line, and his eyes scanned the ruined room for any exit route as the countdown timer on the main terminal ticked down past four minutes."We need to move right now," Julian instructed, his voice calm and steady as he kept his rifle raised toward the melting doorway. "That thermal purge is going to turn this entire sub-level into an oven."Maya did not panic. Even as the emergency klaxons wailed overhead and the temperature in the room climbed rapidly, her dark eyes remained cool and analytical. Her brilliant mind was already studying the schematic blueprint of the facility's emergency exhaust system flashing on he

A wall of blinding floodlights cut through the morning mist, illuminating the concrete drainage exit and blinding anyone trying to crawl out into the valley.Maya stumbled out of the dark metal pipe first, coughing as she hit the damp grass and gravel. Her dark eyes immediately adjusted to the harsh glare of the lights, scanning the open perimeter. What she saw made her blood run cold.Every single road leading out of the valley was blocked by heavy armored combat vehicles. Scores of fully armed syndicate soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder in tactical formation, their plasma rifles pointed directly at the drainage exit. At the center of the blockade sat a massive, reinforced transport truck with its rear cargo doors wide open, ready to swallow its prisoners whole.Old Man Marrow scrambled out right behind her, drop