Chapter 30: The Final Countdown

The world seemed to hold its breath.

James's eyes locked onto the device in Steele's hand, the cold, calculating look in the man's eyes only intensifying his desperation. Steele's finger hovered over the button, his smirk widening with every second that passed. The seconds ticking down on the facility's countdown clock echoed in James's mind, as real and brutal as the pounding of his heart. There was no more room for error.

James couldn't afford to think. Not now. Not with everything hanging in the balance.

He lunged. His body moved before his mind fully caught up, his muscles burning, his breath ragged as the distance between him and Steele closed in. The device, glinting with malevolent promise in Steele's hand, was his target. But as James reached out, Steele's body twisted, sidestepping his attempt with an almost unnerving fluidity. The man wasn't just dangerous—he was calculating, every move designed to provoke, to taunt, to keep James at bay just long enough for the countdown to reach zero.

Steele's eyes gleamed with sadistic pleasure. "You think you can stop this, James? You have no idea what you're dealing with." His voice was sharp, almost sing-song, as if mocking James's every move.

James's chest tightened. The words, the smug tone, they all fueled something darker inside him. A deep-seated rage he hadn't allowed himself to feel until now. Steele had used him, manipulated him, and played with his life like a puppet on a string. But now, as the walls of the facility crumbled, as time slipped away, there was only one thing left to do.

Stop him.

"Get out of my way!" James roared, his fist shooting out toward Steele's hand.

But Steele wasn't about to let it go that easily. The device shifted slightly, and before James could reach it, Steele's finger slammed down on the button.

A sharp, metallic click echoed in the space between them. The sound of it alone made the air feel charged, like something monumental had just taken place.

James froze.

The world, for a fraction of a second, seemed to hold still.

But Steele's triumphant expression quickly shifted to one of confusion, then panic. The device in his hand blinked red. A warning light, pulsing erratically.

"What the hell…?" Steele muttered under his breath, looking at the screen in disbelief.

James didn't wait. He was already on him.

With a growl of determination, James shoved Steele hard against the wall, knocking the device from his hand. Steele stumbled, but his reaction was immediate. He twisted out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding James's grip.

"You think you've won, huh?" Steele's voice was a sneer, his words dripping with venom. "It's never that easy. You don't even know what you're up against, James. You don't have the full picture."

The countdown clock still ticked down. The building trembled again, its foundation shaking under the weight of impending destruction. Time was running out. James had no intention of letting this man slip through his fingers again.

He turned toward the device, noticing that Steele had already made another move. The man lunged for the control panel at the far side of the room. With a flash of realization, James understood the true nature of Steele's backup plan. The device wasn't just about triggering the virus; it was a failsafe. If Steele couldn't win, he would burn everything down. No one would leave this place alive.

"No!" James roared, rushing forward. "You're not getting away with this!"

Steele's eyes flared with madness, and in a last-ditch attempt, he pressed another button, activating a new sequence. The entire room seemed to shake violently, the walls vibrating as if they were about to collapse completely.

James grabbed Steele's arm, jerking him back, his grip unyielding. "Not today."

The seconds continued to bleed away. James could feel it now—the pulse of the countdown, growing closer, more frantic. The building wasn't just falling apart around them. The time to stop this madness was running out. Fast.

With a quick swipe, James knocked Steele's hand away from the control panel, his fingers brushing over the keys in a frantic, desperate blur. The code was simple, but the stakes were unimaginably high. If he made the wrong move, everything would go up in flames.

He pressed the button.

Nothing.

Then the entire facility groaned, the walls and floors shaking, rattling like a dying beast struggling for breath. There was a low hum, like a heartbeat, and then the screen on the device blinked. The countdown stopped. The red light vanished.

For a moment, James dared to believe it. But then, with a final shuddering pulse, the device flashed back to life. The countdown resumed.

Steele laughed, his voice cold and hollow. "You can't stop it. You never could."

But James wasn't listening to Steele anymore. He wasn't going to wait for some miracle. He had one last shot. One last chance.

Without hesitation, James moved toward the device. He grabbed it, his fingers slick with sweat, and slammed it against the wall with all the force he could muster.

The device cracked.

There was a flash of light, bright enough to momentarily blind him. The hum of machinery died down, the lights flickering wildly. Then, an eerie silence.

James stood there, his breath ragged, his muscles trembling with exhaustion. For a moment, everything seemed still. The building's tremors had stopped. The countdown had ceased. But the silence was deafening.

"Is it over?" James whispered to himself, still panting.

But Steele wasn't finished.

"You've made a mistake, James," Steele said, his voice filled with venom. "You think you stopped the virus? That was just the beginning. What I've set in motion will still happen. You just don't realize it yet."

James turned slowly, facing Steele, his expression hardening. "It's over. It's done."

And just like that, Steele's façade of invincibility cracked. There was nothing left. No backup plans, no contingency. The virus was gone, the facility was collapsing, and Steele, the man who thought he could control everything, was left with nothing.