Operation: Zodiac

Chapter 7

Sagitarrius Pov:

The rumble of the transport's engines beneath my boots always settled me. For some, the sound was a reminder of the risks, the chaos waiting on the other side of a mission. For me, it was the calm before the storm, the place where my thoughts were sharpest, and my focus unwavering.

I glanced around the cabin. Aries sat across from me, his expression carved from stone as he double-checked his weapons. Next to him, a holographic map of Paris flickered in the dim light, marking key points of interest: financial institutions, safe houses, and Solstice's main hub in the city.

Paris wasn't just another mission—it was their financial nerve center. If we could destabilize it, their funding would dry up, and the rest of their operations would start crumbling. But it wouldn't be easy. Solstice had too much riding on this hub, and they'd protect it with everything they had.

Aries glanced at me. "You've been quiet."

"Just thinking," I said with a faint smile. "Figuring out how much trouble I'll have to save you from."

His lips twitched, but he didn't fully smile. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

The transport touched down outside the city limits, a few miles from the perimeter of Solstice's fortified hub. The morning fog rolled in thick, shrouding the streets in a heavy gray that would help mask our movements.

Aries and I moved quickly, weaving through narrow alleys and backstreets, avoiding patrols as we approached our first target: one of Solstice's financial satellites in a high-rise near the Seine.

"Two guards at the main entrance," I whispered, spotting them through the scope of my rifle. "Possibly more inside."

"Take the one on the left," Aries murmured.

I nodded, steadying my aim. The guard crumpled silently, his partner falling a second later.

We slipped inside, the quiet hum of the building's security systems filling the air. Aries motioned for me to take point, and I led us toward the main server room, where Solstice's encrypted financial data was stored.

The first signs of resistance came as we neared the elevators. A team of guards rounded the corner, their weapons raised.

"Down!" Aries barked, diving for cover as gunfire erupted.

I rolled behind a pillar, my heart racing as I fired back. My movements were quick, fluid, every shot calculated to buy us ground. Aries flanked them, his precision striking like a blade, and within moments, the guards were down.

"Move," he said, his voice sharp.

The server room was a maze of blinking lights and humming machinery. I worked quickly, planting charges at key points while Aries uploaded a virus Gemini had prepped to corrupt their financial records.

"Almost there," he said, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

The sound of approaching footsteps made me freeze.

"Company," I muttered, drawing my weapon.

The guards burst in, their shouts echoing off the walls. I moved instinctively, darting between rows of servers as I returned fire. Aries kept working, his focus unbroken even as the chaos unfolded around him.

"Done!" he shouted, pulling the drive from the console.

"Time to go," I said, tossing a smoke grenade to cover our exit.

We sprinted back the way we came, the building's alarms blaring as we burst onto the street.

The second target was a smaller safe house tucked into a residential block. It wasn't heavily guarded, but it was critical to their money-laundering operations. Aries handled the explosives while I kept watch, my eyes scanning the foggy streets for any signs of trouble.