Jade barely had time to process the massive aircraft hovering above them before its engines roared to life, kicking up dust and debris. The hatch on its side slid open, revealing a squad of heavily armored operatives armed to the teeth.
"Of course they have backup," Rico muttered.
Gage aimed Hailstorm, but before he could fire, the aircraft's mounted guns whirred to life.
BRRRRRT!
A storm of bullets rained down.
"MOVE!" Jade shouted, diving behind a nearby vehicle as rounds tore into the concrete. The rest of the team scattered, taking cover behind whatever they could find.
Skye's voice crackled over comms. "That's not just any aircraft—it's a military-grade dropship. They're not here to scare us. They're here to wipe us out."
"Then we're making this a lot harder for them," Jade snapped back.
She pressed the top of her weapon box, and Eclipse reappeared in her hands. Flipping the scope into position, she activated Hyper Focus Mode. Time seemed to slow as she tracked the pilot through the reinforced glass.
One shot. That's all she needed.
Her finger tightened on the trigger—
But before she could fire, a missile streaked toward them.
"DOWN!" Gage roared, grabbing Ari and yanking her to the ground as the missile struck. The explosion sent shockwaves through the area, shattering windows and flipping cars.
Dirt and smoke filled the air.
Jade's ears rang as she pushed herself up, coughing through the dust.
The aircraft was repositioning for another strike.
Think. Fast.
"Ari, can you disable that thing?" she asked.
Ari's hands tightened on Requiem. "If I get a clean shot at the engine, maybe."
Jade nodded. "Skye, get us an exit. Gage, Rico—we're covering Ari."
Skye was already moving, her holographic screens flickering as she hacked into the nearby security grid. "There's an old subway tunnel beneath us. I just need a few seconds to unlock the entrance."
"We don't have a few seconds!" Rico shouted as another barrage of bullets forced them back into cover.
Jade glanced at Ari. "You ready?"
Ari exhaled sharply, locking onto the aircraft's thrusters.
Phase Shot.
Her bullet cut through the metal plating like it was paper. Sparks erupted from the damaged engine, and the aircraft lurched sideways, struggling to stabilize.
Skye's screen beeped. "Got it! Go, go, go!"
The squad sprinted toward the exposed tunnel entrance as alarms blared through the facility.
Jade was the last to jump in, just as the aircraft regained control.
The last thing she saw before disappearing into the tunnel was the enemy squad repelling down from the dropship, their rifles trained on the escaping team.
This wasn't over.