Chapter 42: Into The Night

The extraction point was barely a hundred meters away, a nondescript hangar tucked against the edge of the compound.

 Its corrugated metal walls gleamed faintly under the moonlight, and the hum of engines within signaled that their transport was prepped and waiting.

But the Council's forces weren't far behind.

Emily could feel the weight of the data chip in her pocket, its presence a constant reminder of the stakes.

 They had a chance to dismantle the Council, to expose their lies and free countless others from their control. 

Yet every step closer to the hangar felt like crossing a minefield, each second fraught with danger.

"Stay low," Damien murmured, crouching behind a stack of crates near the edge of the compound. 

His eyes scanned the open space between them and the hangar, where a pair of Council soldiers patrolled the perimeter.

Emily's grip on her weapon tightened as she sized up the situation.