In the Crosshairs

The air in the safehouse was thick with tension. The team had just wrapped up their briefing, and preparations were already underway. Zero was locked in on his terminal, working tirelessly to track down remaining Hidden Hand operations, while Kiera and Doc moved to secure their gear. Vale stood at the edge of the room, staring out at the cold city skyline, deep in thought.

"Zero," Vale called, his voice breaking through the silence. "What do we have on the Hidden Hand's remaining cells?"

Zero didn't look up from his screen, but his fingers paused for a moment. "I've pinpointed a facility connected to Sokolov's network, but it's more than just a hideout. It's a central node—likely where they're coordinating their global operations. If we hit it, we might be able to eliminate the remnants of the organization and gather intel on who's pulling the strings."

Vale turned around, his gaze sharp. "How soon can we get there?"

"Give me an hour to finish the decryption," Zero said, his fingers flying over the keyboard once again. "I'll have a clearer picture by then."

Kiera strapped a rifle to her back and moved toward Vale. "An hour? You're sure you can get us the intel in time?"

Zero finally looked up, meeting her gaze. "It's not about time—it's about precision. If we rush, we risk walking into another trap. We don't have that luxury."

Doc, now fully geared up, walked over to the table where a map was spread out. "We hit the facility, get the intel, and get out. Simple enough."

Vale's eyes met Doc's, his expression serious. "It's never that simple. The Hidden Hand has eyes everywhere. We have to assume they know we're coming."

Kiera let out a low sigh. "And what's our plan if they do? You know they're not just going to let us walk in and out."

Vale took a deep breath. "We adapt. We've been here before. Zero, make sure we have all the routes mapped out. I don't want to be cornered."

Zero nodded, starting to input new commands into his system. "I'm already mapping out their defenses. We'll get in and out as fast as we can. But we'll need to make sure our escape routes are locked down."

Kiera grabbed her helmet, pulling it on with a determined look. "And if we get spotted?"

"Then we fight," Vale said, his voice steady. "We fight our way out. We've faced worse odds before."

An hour later, Zero had the map locked in, and the team was ready. The dropship, a sleek, black silhouette against the dimming sky, descended toward the Hidden Hand facility. It was heavily fortified, surrounded by an advanced security perimeter.

As the ship touched down, the hum of its engines faded, leaving the team in a haunting silence.

Vale surveyed the area, his hand resting on his weapon. "Stay sharp," he ordered, his voice low. "We're on enemy turf now."

The doors of the ship hissed open, and the team spilled out, moving with precision. Zero was already pulling up the map on his wrist console, coordinating their movements. "There's a guard tower up ahead. If we take that out, we'll have eyes on the facility's interior."

"Good," Vale muttered. "Take it out quietly. We need to stay under the radar as long as possible."

Kiera led the charge, her steps light as she moved toward the guard tower. Doc and Vale followed closely behind, watching their backs for any signs of movement. It was eerily quiet, the only sound the crunch of boots against frozen earth.

Within minutes, they reached the base of the guard tower. Kiera took point, dispatching the lone guard with a quick, clean shot. The team moved quickly to disable the tower's surveillance systems, ensuring that no alarms would be raised.

"Tower down," Kiera reported, her voice barely a whisper.

Vale nodded, signaling for them to move forward. "Zero, what's our next step?"

Zero, who was keeping a close eye on his screen, spoke in a calm, almost clinical tone. "The facility's main entrance is heavily guarded. We'll need to approach from the back and breach a secondary access point."

"Lead the way," Vale said, his eyes scanning the shadows.

They moved swiftly, sticking to the outskirts of the facility to avoid detection. As they neared the secondary entrance, they saw guards patrolling in a routine pattern. Vale's team was outnumbered, but they knew how to fight smart.

"We wait for the next patrol to pass," Vale whispered. "Then we move in."

Minutes passed like hours. The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance, growing louder. The patrol was coming.

Kiera crouched low, a signal for the team to stay put. As the guards came closer, she and Doc prepared to strike.

"Now," Vale ordered.

Kiera and Doc moved like shadows, swiftly incapacitating the two guards before they even knew what hit them. Vale and Zero followed, their movements calculated and precise.

Within moments, the team was inside the facility.

"Room clear," Zero said, his voice barely audible.

Vale gestured for the team to move forward. "Stay tight. We're in now. Let's get the intel and get out."

The deeper they went into the facility, the more the air seemed to thicken. It was as if the walls themselves were watching them, waiting for them to slip up. The lights flickered above them, casting long shadows across the sterile metal corridors.

Zero led the way, his console showing the location of the main data center. "Almost there. We'll have access to everything they're hiding."

But just as they reached the final door, alarms blared to life, echoing through the facility. Red lights flashed, and the team was plunged into chaos.

"Move!" Vale barked, his heart pounding. "We've got company!"