Kill Process | A Person of Interest Adventure

The Cost of Freedom

The streets outside the data center were in chaos. The city's power grid was failing, plunging entire blocks into darkness, while bursts of fire and panic erupted in the distance. John Reese and Sameen Shaw moved quickly through the shadows, their weapons drawn, eyes fixed on the fortified building ahead. They could hear distant sirens and the murmurs of terrified citizens as the world around them seemed to crumble. The clock was ticking.

"Finch, we're in position," Reese said quietly into his comms, his voice calm despite the urgency of the situation. "What's the status of the city?"

Back at the subway lair, Finch's fingers raced across the keyboard as he pulled up data from across Manhattan. His face was lined with stress as he glanced at the map of the city's infrastructure systems—most of them in disarray. Power outages were spreading, financial markets had already started to crash, and Samaritan was pushing its advantage, causing widespread confusion.

"It's getting worse," Finch replied, his voice strained. "Samaritan's attack has hit every critical system in the city. It's using this data center to coordinate the chaos. You have to take it offline, or the city won't recover."

Reese exchanged a quick glance with Shaw, who was already scanning the perimeter of the building, sizing up the threats. Armed guards patrolled the entrance, and there were likely more inside.

"We've got heavy security," Shaw muttered. "Samaritan's not taking any chances."

Reese's jaw tightened. "We'll need to move fast."

They moved silently, slipping past the first line of guards with calculated precision. Shaw was the first to engage, taking down a guard with a swift, brutal takedown. Reese followed suit, neutralizing another before he could raise the alarm. They were professionals—this was what they did best.

As they pushed deeper into the building, Reese's comm crackled again. This time, it was Root.

"John, be careful," Root's voice came through, steady but with an edge of concern. "Samaritan's not just guarding this place—it's watching everything. The Machine says there's a backup system hidden inside the facility. Even if you take down the command hub, Samaritan can recover unless you destroy the secondary node."

Reese grimaced. "Of course there's a backup."

Shaw smirked, her tone dry. "They always have a Plan B."

Finch's voice cut in, more focused now. "I've located the secondary node. It's deeper in the building, heavily fortified. You'll need to neutralize both the command hub and the backup system simultaneously."

Reese nodded, his mind racing as he formulated a plan. "We'll split up. Shaw, you take the backup. I'll handle the command hub."

Shaw raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Fine. But if you get yourself killed, I'm not going to be happy."

Reese chuckled softly. "Wouldn't dream of it."

With a final glance at each other, they split up, moving quickly through the maze of corridors. The tension in the air was thick as they approached their respective targets, the weight of the mission bearing down on them.

---

Reese reached the command hub first, his heart pounding as he surveyed the room from the shadows. Rows of servers hummed softly, and several Samaritan operatives were stationed around the central terminal. This was it—the heart of Samaritan's operation in the city.

He moved quickly, taking out two guards with silent, efficient strikes. But as he approached the terminal, an alarm blared through the building, shattering the quiet. Reese cursed under his breath, knowing they had been compromised.