Alex

No Safe Haven

The low hum of ALPHA's warning chime broke the tense silence of the bunker.

"Alex," ALPHA's voice cut through the air, calm yet urgent. "Multiple heat signatures detected, converging on the farm's perimeter. Estimated time to breach: five minutes."

Dr. Meyers shot up from his workstation, his chair spinning as he turned to the monitors. The surveillance feeds showed shadowy figures slipping through the trees, their movements precise and coordinated. Bright thermal overlays revealed they were heavily armed.

"They're here," he said, his voice tight. "Ashcroft isn't playing games anymore."

I stepped forward, the frustration from earlier replaced by cold focus. "How many?" I asked.

"Four teams of six," ALPHA replied. "Highly trained, likely ACE soldiers among them."

"They're not here for a chat," I muttered, grabbing my gear from the wall. Pistols, a combat knife, and two tactical grenades. "Doc, you need to secure yourself."

"I'm not leaving you out there alone!" Dr. Meyers argued, his hands gripping the edge of the desk.

I shot him a glare. "You'll be no use to me dead."

He hesitated but relented, moving to activate the bunker's lockdown sequence. The heavy metal doors hissed as they sealed behind me, cutting off any chance of retreat.

The cold night air wrapped around me as I emerged from the storm cellar. My enhanced senses kicked into overdrive. Every rustle of the leaves, every shift of the wind, painted a vivid picture of the incoming assault.

"ALPHA," I whispered. "Mark the closest team."

"Team Delta, approaching from the west. Distance: sixty yards."

I melted into the shadows, my body moving instinctively. A soft crunch of leaves announced their approach. Through the trees, I spotted them—a six-man squad moving in a tight formation, their rifles scanning for targets. One of them wore an exosuit, bulkier than the others. My stomach twisted.

ACE soldier.

I didn't wait. Pulling the pin on a grenade, I tossed it into their path. The explosion lit up the forest, disorienting them. Before the dust settled, I was on them.

The first soldier went down with a quick slash to his throat. The second turned just in time to meet the butt of my pistol across his temple. I ducked as the ACE soldier charged, his exosuit amplifying his movements. He swung wide, the ground shaking under the force of his strike.

"ALPHA, options?" I barked, dodging another blow.

"Target the hydraulic joints on his knees. They are structurally weak," ALPHA advised.

I dropped to the ground, sliding under his legs, and fired two precise shots into the back of his knees. Sparks flew as the joints buckled, sending him crashing down. I finished him with a shot to the helmet's visor, shattering the reinforced glass.

"Delta team neutralized," ALPHA confirmed.

"Good," I growled. "Who's next?"

Before ALPHA could respond, a deafening roar echoed from the east. Flames erupted as the barn exploded in a massive fireball, illuminating the night sky. My heart clenched.

"Doc!" I screamed into the comm link.

"I'm okay!" his voice crackled through the static. "They're trying to force their way into the bunker. You need to hurry!"

I sprinted toward the farmhouse, vaulting over fallen trees and dodging gunfire from the other teams. The heat from the explosion seared my skin as I skidded to a halt outside the bunker's entrance. Two soldiers were attempting to breach the reinforced door with a plasma cutter.