Chapter 12: Infiltration

The night air was thick with tension as Kael, Seraphine, Niko, and Kane gathered on the rooftop of an abandoned building across from Vexis HQ. The towering structure loomed ahead, its sleek black surface gleaming under the neon lights of The Verge. It was an impenetrable fortress of technology and power, and somewhere deep within its core lay the answers they needed.

Kael's heart pounded as he glanced at Seraphine, who stood beside him, her expression unreadable. She hadn't said much since Kane laid out the plan, but Kael knew what she was feeling—the weight of everything they were about to risk, everything they could lose.

"This is the hard part," Kane muttered, adjusting the small device strapped to his wrist. "Vexis has layers of security, most of it automated. But I've created a backdoor into their systems—a weakness in their network. If we time it right, we can slip in undetected."

"And if we don't time it right?" Niko asked, his usual cocky grin absent for once.

Kane's cold smile flickered. "Then the building goes on lockdown, and we'll be trapped inside with Voss's enforcers. So, yeah, don't screw it up."

Kael looked over the schematics one more time, memorizing their route. "We get in through the maintenance shafts here," he pointed to the base of the building, "then move up to the 36th floor. That's where the data vault is. We extract what we need and get out. Fast."

Seraphine stared at the tower, her voice quiet but steady. "And you're sure my memories are there? The ones Voss erased?"

Kane nodded. "Voss doesn't delete anything. He keeps it all—every erased memory, every piece of data he's collected. It's all locked away in the vault. If we get inside, we'll find whatever they took from you."

Seraphine closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly. When she opened them, they were filled with determination. "Then let's go."

The team moved in silence, descending from the rooftop and blending into the shadows of the street below. Kane led them through a maze of narrow alleys and hidden passages that wound around the perimeter of Vexis HQ. The closer they got, the more oppressive the air became, like the building itself was aware of their presence, watching.

At last, they arrived at the maintenance entrance. Kane crouched down, hacking into the access panel with deft fingers. The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a dimly lit corridor stretching into the heart of the building.

"We're in," Kane whispered, his voice low. "Stay close and keep quiet."

They slipped inside, moving quickly through the narrow passageways, the hum of distant machinery echoing around them. The walls were lined with cables and conduits, all part of the vast infrastructure that powered Vexis's control over the city. It felt like they were walking through the veins of a living creature, one that could awaken at any moment.

As they approached the first security checkpoint, Kane stopped abruptly, holding up a hand. "Wait."

Kael froze, listening intently. He could hear the faint buzz of drones nearby, patrolling the upper levels. One misstep, and they would be detected.

Kane tapped a few more commands into his wrist-com, and the hum of the drones faded. "I've looped the security feed," he whispered. "We have three minutes. Move."

They darted through the checkpoint, slipping past the deactivated cameras and into an elevator shaft. Kane disabled the controls, prying open the door with a small device and revealing the dark vertical tunnel leading up.

"We climb from here," Kane instructed. "Quietly."

Kael was the first to ascend, followed closely by Seraphine, Niko, and Kane. The climb was brutal—hand over hand, pulling themselves up the narrow rungs toward the 36th floor. Kael's muscles burned, but he pushed through the pain, knowing that every second counted.

Finally, they reached their destination. Kael pulled himself onto the 36th-floor platform, sweat dripping down his face. He helped Seraphine up, and she gave him a small nod of thanks before quickly regaining her focus.

Kane accessed the panel by the door, bypassing the security lock. The door slid open, revealing a dark, sterile hallway. At the end of the hall was their target: the data vault.

"We're almost there," Kael said, his voice hushed but filled with tension. "This is it."

They moved quickly but cautiously, the silence around them unnerving. It was too easy—Kael could feel the weight of an impending trap hanging over them like a sword ready to drop.

As they reached the vault, Kane started working on the lock, his fingers moving in a blur. "I'm breaking through the encryption now," he muttered. "Just a few more seconds…"

Suddenly, the lights in the hallway flickered, and a low hum began to resonate through the floor. Kael's stomach dropped.

"Kane?" Niko asked, his voice tight with anxiety. "What's happening?"

Kane cursed under his breath. "They've activated a secondary security protocol. We've got company."

From the far end of the hall, the sound of footsteps echoed, growing louder. Kael's heart pounded as he turned, seeing shadows moving swiftly toward them—Voss's enforcers, heavily armed and already closing in.

"Kane, how much longer?" Kael hissed, drawing his weapon.

"Almost there!" Kane barked, his focus unwavering.

Seraphine stepped forward, her eyes wide with fear but her stance firm. "We need to hold them off."

Kael nodded, gripping his weapon tightly as the enforcers appeared at the end of the hallway, their faces obscured by black helmets, their weapons raised.

"Here they come," Kael growled, bracing for the inevitable clash.

The first shots rang out, bright flashes of energy lighting up the dark corridor as Kael and Niko fired back. Seraphine ducked behind a nearby pillar, her hands shaking but her gaze focused. The enforcers moved with brutal efficiency, their attacks coordinated and relentless.

Kane was still working on the lock, his voice strained. "I need another thirty seconds!"

Kael fired a shot, hitting one of the enforcers square in the chest, but more kept coming. They were outnumbered and outgunned.

Seraphine, her back pressed against the pillar, clenched her fists. "We can't hold them for long!"

Just as the enforcers closed in, the data vault door clicked open with a mechanical hiss.

"Got it!" Kane shouted, yanking the door open. "Get inside!"

Kael grabbed Seraphine, pulling her into the vault as Niko and Kane followed. The door slammed shut behind them, sealing them in the narrow room lined with memory cores and data drives.

"We don't have much time," Kane said, rushing to the central console. "I'll start extracting the data now."

Kael's heart raced as the sounds of the enforcers outside grew louder. They were trying to breach the vault door. He could feel the floor vibrating with the force of their attempts.

Seraphine stood beside Kael, her breath quick and shallow. "Do you think… we'll find what we're looking for?"

Kael glanced at her, his expression grim. "We have to."

Kane's fingers flew over the console, the data scrolling rapidly across the screen. "I've got it," he said, his voice tight with concentration. "Echo Protocol. Everything Voss has been hiding… it's all here."

Kael stepped forward, staring at the screen as Kane downloaded the files. This was it—the truth. The weapon that could bring Voss's empire crashing down.

But as the download neared completion, a voice crackled over the intercom system. Smooth, chillingly familiar.

"Kael," Voss's voice echoed through the vault, "you've gone too far this time."

Kael's blood ran cold. Voss had found them.

"I know you're after Echo Protocol," Voss continued. "But you'll never understand its full purpose. You can't stop what's already in motion."

Kael gritted his teeth, staring at the vault door as it trembled under the enforcers' assault.

"Keep him talking," Kane said, his voice hurried. "We need more time."

Kael swallowed hard, stepping toward the intercom. "You erased Seraphine for a reason, Voss. What are you so afraid of?"

There was a brief pause, and then Voss's laughter filled the vault.

"Afraid?" Voss said. "I'm not afraid. You're the ones who should be."

The vault door groaned as the enforcers outside prepared to breach it. Time was running out.

Kane yanked the data drive from the console, holding it up triumphantly. "I've got it! We need to move—now!"

Kael turned to Seraphine, his voice urgent. "We've got what we came for. Let's get out of here."

But before they could act, the vault door exploded inward with a deafening roar, and the enforcers stormed inside.

The final confrontation had begun.