Code of Shadows

Chapter 63 - The Final Countdown

The New York skyline loomed before us, bathed in the glow of city lights as our helicopter descended onto the rooftop. The familiar hum of the rotors cut through the air, but the urgency of the mission drowned out any sense of awe I would normally feel gazing at the towering buildings. This wasn't a visit. We were here to stop a catastrophe.

As we disembarked, the weight of what we were about to face settled over me like a thick fog. Multiple nuclear bombs had been planted throughout the city, and every second that ticked by brought us closer to disaster. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus. There was no room for hesitation. The lives of millions were on the line, and if we didn't act fast, New York would fall.

Ethan's hand brushed mine as we made our way to the command center. I knew he was watching me, his concern palpable. Ever since the incident in the Himalayas, he'd been more protective, more cautious. I couldn't blame him—hell, I was still feeling the aftereffects of that mission, my ribs still bruised, my body still aching. But none of that mattered right now.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked, his voice low and laced with worry. He kept his gaze straight ahead, but I could feel the intensity of his question weighing on both of us.

"I'm fine," I said firmly, forcing a confidence into my voice that I wasn't sure I truly felt. "We don't have a choice." And we didn't. My pain, my hesitations—they had no place in this moment. There was only the mission, and failure wasn't an option.

Ethan nodded, though his eyes flickered with unease. "Stay sharp," he said. "We'll get through this."

The plan was simple, in theory. We'd split up—Ethan, Benji, and Luther would cover different sections of the city, while I took the underground tunnels. It wasn't ideal, but with bombs hidden all across New York, we needed to cover as much ground as possible. I knew Ethan hated the idea of me being on my own, but there wasn't time to argue. We had to trust each other.

As I descended into the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the city, the air grew colder, the concrete walls damp and suffocating. Every step echoed ominously in the darkness, the sound bouncing back at me like a constant reminder of how alone I was down here. I kept my flashlight trained ahead, my heart pounding in my chest as I scanned every nook and cranny for any sign of the bomb.

I moved quickly but carefully, trying to ignore the growing tightness in my ribs as I crouched to check behind a set of large ventilation shafts. I wiped the sweat from my brow, my mind racing. Where could it be?

Minutes felt like hours as I navigated the underground maze. The sense of urgency gnawed at my nerves, but I couldn't afford to let it cloud my judgment. The bombs were here—somewhere—and we had to find them.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I spotted something out of place. Hidden just behind a large steel grate was the glint of metal—small, almost undetectable, but unmistakable once you knew what you were looking for. I hurried over, yanking off the grate to reveal the bomb nestled inside the ventilation shaft.

Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived. One down, but there was still one more bomb. And we didn't know where it was.

I reached for my comm, my voice shaky but controlled. "I've got one. Ventilation shaft in the north tunnel. But we're still missing the last bomb."

There was a brief pause before Ethan's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Copy that. Good work, Alex." He sounded tense, but I could hear the edge of determination in his voice. "Luther and Benji are still scanning the south side of the city. We've narrowed down the possible locations."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay focused. "We're running out of time, Ethan. If we don't find that last bomb soon..."

"I know," he interrupted, his voice harder now. "But we will. We don't stop until we do."

I nodded to myself, even though he couldn't see me. This was what we did. This was what we were trained for.

Just as I was about to move to the next tunnel, another message from Ethan came through. His voice was tight, almost strained, and it sent a shiver down my spine. "Alex, we found the last bomb."

I exhaled a breath of relief, but his next words made my heart slam in my chest.

"It's hidden in the most dangerous spot yet."

I froze, my mind racing. "Where is it?"

There was a long pause before Ethan finally answered. "It's in the subway system—directly beneath Times Square."

My stomach dropped. Times Square, one of the busiest and most populated areas of New York. If the bomb went off there, it would be catastrophic. The loss of life would be unimaginable.

I didn't hesitate. "I'm on my way."

"Alex, wait!" Ethan's voice came through the comm, urgency dripping from every word. "You're hurt. You shouldn't be—"

"I'll be fine," I cut him off, already moving toward the nearest exit. "We don't have time to argue about this."

"Alex..." Ethan's voice softened, and I could hear the concern he was trying to keep in check. "Just... be careful."

"I will," I promised, though I wasn't sure how much I could guarantee that. The clock was ticking, and if we didn't move fast, careful wouldn't matter.

As I made my way through the city streets, the weight of the mission pressed down on me like never before. This was bigger than any of us—bigger than the pain in my ribs, bigger than the trust issues still gnawing at the back of my mind. I had to set all of that aside. Lives were at stake, and we had no room for error.

The final bomb was beneath Times Square, and time was running out. With millions of lives hanging in the balance, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. If we didn't disarm it in time, New York would be ground zero for a disaster the world wouldn't recover from.