Chapter 21 Pressure

A few hours after the meeting in the control room, Leo and Damien were double-checking the bunker's defense system. The atmosphere was fairly calm, until suddenly, alarms blared and a warning signal flashed on the main screen.

"There's activity at the outer perimeter! Five unidentified vehicles, moving fast!" shouted one of the operators.

Damien stepped closer. "Zoom in. Check identification!"

A drone camera highlighted a convoy of armored vehicles, marked with a symbol Damien immediately recognized.

"That's... Marco. They've found us," Damien muttered, his jaw tightening.

Leo glanced at Damien, then at Alina, who stood anxiously behind them. "We speed up the plan. There's no time left."

Damien signaled his team. "Activate the weapons. Seal all entry points. War could break out any moment."

Before they could prepare further, several systems on the control panel suddenly shut down one by one.

"Power's down in the west sector!" one of the technicians yelled.

Damien studied the screen. "There's an anomaly... this isn't a normal failure."

Sure enough, the main screen flickered, then went completely dark. Seconds later, the emergency lights dimly flickered on.

Damien slammed the table. "They've breached our system. Damn it, this isn't just a physical attack. Marco brought a tech expert."

Alina rushed out in a panic. "ICU! Lana could be in danger!"

Damien gave quick orders. "Leo, go with her! Switch to manual power, the backup room's on the west side!"

Leo nodded firmly. "Aileen, let's go!"

They hurried off. Leo led the way, familiar with the bunker's emergency medical systems, while Alina focused on stabilizing the ICU equipment.

"If the power doesn't come back in five minutes, the ventilator could shut down completely," Leo muttered as he quickly connected the manual supply.

"Focus, Leo. I'll handle Lana. You make sure the backup power holds," Alina replied sharply, her eyes fixed on the patient's heart monitor.

Back in the control room, Damien led his team in trying to cut off Marco's hacker, racing against time, while the distant sound of the first explosion echoed faintly. The vibration reached the underground floor.

BOOM!

Dust rained down like ash. Alina held her breath, catching the scent of burning cables. Panic began to spread through the hospital wing. Damien's medical team worked to calm the other patients as warning sirens blared. Damien activated the internal speaker system.

"Everyone to battle stations. We're under attack!"

And just as Lana's breathing finally stabilized thanks to Leo and Alina's efforts, a second explosion shook the bunker. The blast triggered trauma among the patients.

Leo looked at Alina before leaving. "If things get worse, I'll have to go upstairs to help the wounded."

Alina nodded. "Go. I'll take care of things here."

Leo paused for a moment, then gave a small nod. "In that case... take this."

He handed her a small, cold pistol. "I'm going to check on Damien and his team," he whispered.

Alina gave a wry smile. Weapons were nothing new to her, though her body was still not entirely used to them.

"You need this more than I do," she said, handing the pistol back to Leo.

Meanwhile, above them, Marco's forces had already deployed. That night, the once-quiet secret bunker turned into a brutal battlefield.

The bunker grew increasingly chaotic. Explosions rocked the floors repeatedly, but inside the ICU, there was only silence... an unsettling silence. Alina stood by Lana's bed, her eyes sharp, scanning every detail.

Raka, who had been unusually calm, busied himself preparing an injection. "I'm giving Lana some extra medication to stabilize her," he said flatly.

But the moment he raised the syringe, Alina knew something was wrong. The liquid inside wasn't a typical medicine. It had a slightly yellowish hue... a poison.

Without hesitation, Alina's hand shot out. She knocked Raka's hand away before the needle could reach the IV line.

CLATTER!

The syringe hit the floor.

Raka stepped back, startled, but Alina was already standing firmly between him and Lana. Her gaze turned ice cold—the kind of look that once made her enemies in the underworld tremble.

"I should've suspected you from the start... you're no ordinary doctor," Alina hissed as she drew a small folding knife from her shoe, the metal glinting under the emergency lights.

Raka smirked, but his eyes were uneasy. His fingers clutched the vial too tightly. "What are you doing, Dr. Aileen? I was just giving medicine."

Alina narrowed her eyes, filled with fury. "Are you sure that was medicine to heal the patient?" she asked coldly. "Or was it meant to kill her?"

Raka grew nervous. In one swift motion, he pulled a pistol from beneath his white coat. But Alina was faster.

She lunged forward, her movements smooth and lethal, like a predator pouncing on its prey. A hard kick sent Raka's gun clattering to the floor.

Without giving him time to recover, Alina struck his wrist, forcing him to his knees, and pressed the knife to his throat.

"You think I'm stupid?" she whispered sharply. "I knew from the start you were a traitor!"

Raka tried to resist, but Alina was quicker. She twisted his arm behind his back and held the knife firmly against his neck.

"How long have you been working for Marco?" Alina whispered cold as ice into his ear.

Raka stayed silent, breathing heavily, cold sweat dripping.

Through the intercom, Leo's voice crackled in. "Aileen, is the situation secure?"

Alina pressed the button without releasing Raka. "Secure. But send security to collect this trash."

Minutes later, Damien's forces arrived, handcuffs ready.

Alina threw Raka to the floor like discarded garbage. "Watch him. Don't let him die before I'm done asking questions."

Leo appeared at the door, glancing briefly at Raka, who lay groaning on the floor. Alina spoke curtly to Leo while wiping her knife clean. Raka was taken away in tight restraints.

"They're targeting Lana's life, Doc."

Then Alina returned to Lana's side, ensuring the ventilator ran smoothly, her eyes alert like a tiger guarding its den from hunters.

Meanwhile, Leo picked up the syringe from the floor, inspecting it carefully. He sniffed it slightly. "High-dose neurotoxin?" he said in shock. "For the brain?"

Leo looked at Alina amidst the chaos. "Now we know... the enemy is inside."

Alina could only nod slowly, her heart still pounding.

"So... who else is waiting to stab us in the back?"

Leo exhaled heavily. "We'll find out who the traitor is."

Elsewhere, a man paced anxiously. His fingers tapped at his phone screen, trying again and again to reach someone.

"Damn it!" he cursed, his jaw clenched. "Where the hell is he? How dare he not answer me!"

His glare pierced through the blank dial tone. Furious, he kicked the chair in front of him, sending it sprawling.

"If you're double-crossing me... you're finished."

Moments later, the call finally connected. Without checking who answered, he spoke quickly and forcefully.

"How's your task? Is everything going according to plan?"

Silence. No response.

The man gritted his teeth, his face growing hotter. "Hey! Answer me!" he barked.

Still nothing.

His eyes narrowed sharply before he exhaled slowly, lowering his voice to an icy, threatening tone.

"Listen carefully... don't mess with me. Remember, your mother's life is in my hands!"