Nexus and Shadows

CHAPTER 14 - Breach

Zade leaned against the door, his heart racing as he and Serena listened for any sign of pursuit. The room was dimly lit, cluttered with outdated equipment, and the air was thick with tension.

“I can’t believe we made it,” Zade muttered, running a hand through his hair. “But we can’t stay here for long. They’ll find us.”

Serena paced the small room, her expression a mix of fear and determination. “We need to come up with a plan, and fast. If they’re looking for Aric, they’ll figure out we’re together.”

Zade nodded, trying to catch his breath. “I just hope he’s okay. He shouldn’t have put himself in danger like that. It’s so reckless.”

“Yeah, well, we can’t change what happened. We need to focus on what’s next,” Serena said, her voice firm. “What do we know about Nexus and their plans?”

Zade closed his eyes, recalling their limited knowledge. “They’re working on something big—Project Nexus. We need to find out what it is and how it ties to us. There’s got to be a reason they’re hunting us down.”

Serena stopped pacing and turned to him, her eyes fierce. “Then we need to find a computer or something. We can hack into their system and figure out what they’re planning.”

“Great idea,” Zade replied, his mind racing with possibilities. “But we need to be careful. If they’re onto us, it won’t take long for them to track us down here.”

As they moved cautiously through the safe house, Zade felt the weight of their situation pressing down on him. The world outside was a battleground, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were running out of time.

“Look, there’s a computer over there!” Serena pointed to a desk in the corner, cluttered with old files and dusty equipment. “Let’s see if we can get it working.”

Zade approached the desk, his fingers trembling with anticipation. “If we can access their network, we might find information about Project Nexus and what they plan to do with it.”

“Let’s hope this piece of junk still works,” Serena said, kneeling beside him as he powered on the computer.

The screen flickered to life, and Zade quickly navigated through the outdated system. He felt the tension rise as he searched for any hint of Nexus’s plans.

“Come on, come on,” he muttered under his breath. “There’s got to be something here.”

Suddenly, the door rattled violently, making them both jump. Zade’s heart dropped.

“They’ve found us!” he yelled, adrenaline surging through his body. “Get ready to fight!”

Serena grabbed a nearby metal pipe, her expression fierce. “I’m not going down without a fight.”

Zade steeled himself, eyes locked on the door as it swung open with a loud bang. Two guards burst into the room, weapons drawn and eyes blazing with fury.

“Hands up!” one of them shouted, aiming his gun at Zade.

“Not a chance!” Zade replied, shoving the computer aside as he and Serena prepared to defend themselves.

The guards exchanged glances, their smug expressions telling Zade they thought this would be an easy capture.

“Drop the weapon!” the second guard barked, advancing toward them. “You’re outnumbered.”

“Not for long!” Zade growled, swinging the metal pipe with all his strength. It connected with the guard’s arm, causing him to stumble back, shock written across his face.