𝙱𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚗 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟹𝟶: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚒𝚝

---

The aftermath of the battle left the room in silence, the

heavy stillness broken only by the labored breathing of

the team. Elara stood amidst the wreckage, her mind

racing despite the exhaustion pulling at her body.

Vincent had slipped through their fingers once again,

and the bitter realization weighed heavily on her chest.

Darius holstered his weapon, his expression unreadable

as he surveyed the room. "We're not done here," he said,

his voice low but firm.

Kat, wiping a streak of blood from her cheek, glanced up

from the control panel. "I've shut down their main

system. Vincent's network will collapse in hours, but we

still haven't taken him out. He'll go underground."

"Unless," Elara began, her voice quiet but resolute, "we

force him out."

Darius turned to her, the glint in his eyes sharpening.

"What are you thinking?"

Elara's gaze moved to the pile of monitors Kat had

disabled. In their midst, a map of the city flickered

faintly on one of the remaining active screens, showing

red dots scattered like spilled ink. Vincent's operation

was sprawling, with many hidden layers yet to be

uncovered. But there was one place, marked in a bold

crimson dot, that stood out-an unassuming location

near the city's edge, deep within a labyrinth of tunnels.

"If we hit this site," she said, pointing to the map, "we

could cripple whatever resources he has left. Vincent

won't have anywhere to hide."

Kat's fingers flew over the keys, scanning the data.

"Looks like a secure facility-military-grade defenses.

Whatever's there, it's important. Maybe even a personal

stronghold."

Darius crossed his arms, his face hardening as he

absorbed the information. "It's a risk. We could be

walking into a trap."

"Maybe," Elara agreed, her eyes locking with his. "But if

we don't take this chance now, he'll disappear for good.

And we've come too far to let that happen."

For a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath as

Darius weighed their options. Finally, he gave a curt

nod. "Alright. We go in fast and hit him where it hurts."

The team moved with precision, quickly gathering their

gear and preparing for the final push. As they stepped

out of the wrecked warehouse and into the night, the air