Chapter 17: Shadows Collide

🕯️ Unknown Facility – The Edge of Nowhere – 11:29 PM

The storm raged outside—thunder cracking like the sound of artillery, wind howling like the cries of the damned. But inside the cold, steel walls of the Syndicate's hidden facility, a storm of a different kind was brewing.

Liana pressed her back against the concrete wall, her heart pounding like a war drum. Beside her, Daniel loaded the last magazine into his rifle. His eyes were grim, jaw set.

— "Ready?" he asked.

She didn't answer. Her gaze was locked on the reinforced door at the end of the hallway—the one with the retinal scanner and biometric locks. Behind that door… lay the truth. Answers. Or death. Possibly both.

Suddenly—static in her earpiece.

— "They're here..." a voice whispered.

Her blood ran cold.

Not them.

Not him.

A shadow detached itself from the far corner. Silent. Precise. Unstoppable.

Specter.

His figure moved like liquid death—face hidden beneath that skull mask, eyes glowing faintly beneath the visor. His footsteps made no sound. His presence alone drained the air from the room.

Daniel cursed under his breath.

— "We're out of time."

BOOM. The reinforced door exploded inward in a shower of sparks and twisted metal. Behind it—rows of servers, data drives, and one person...

A man.

Bound. Bloodied. Barely breathing.

Liana's breath hitched.

Her voice cracked.

— "Eli..."

It was him.

Her brother.

The brother she thought was dead.

But before she could move—

CRACK. A shot rang out. Metal screamed. Daniel yanked her down behind a console. Bullets sliced through the air where her head had been seconds ago.

Specter had opened fire. No hesitation. No mercy.

Liana dove, rolling behind a pillar. She popped up—fired three rounds. Specter pivoted, dodging with inhuman reflexes. One bullet grazed his shoulder—sparks flew from his armor, but he didn't even flinch.

Daniel pulled a flashbang—

— "Cover your eyes!" — he shouted.

BANG!

White light swallowed the room.

For a split second—silence.

Liana dashed forward, knife in hand. Specter recovered faster than anyone should. He caught her wrist mid-swing, twisting. Pain exploded in her arm, but she spun, driving her elbow into his visor. A spiderweb crack formed—but not enough.

He shoved her back like she weighed nothing. Her back hit a server rack—wires snapped—screens flickered.

Daniel opened fire. Ratatatata. Sparks flew. Specter staggered a step, then hurled a smoke canister. The room drowned in gray.

Liana stumbled forward through the fog—

— "Eli! Eli, wake up!" she cried, shaking him.

His eyelids fluttered. His voice was barely a whisper.

— "Li... it's... it's a trap... leave... now..."

Her heart shattered.

— "No. No, not without you!"

A cold voice echoed from the smoke.

— "None of you are leaving."

THUNK. A blade struck the wall an inch from her head.

Specter emerged—calm, lethal, dragging Daniel by the collar. Daniel's face was bloodied, but he was alive—barely.

Specter's voice was colder than death.

— "Game's over."

But then—

BOOM. The wall to their right exploded inward. Debris rained down. A figure stepped through the dust. Female. Tall. Scarred. Dual pistols raised.

Her voice was rough, defiant.

— "Step away from my sister, you walking corpse."

Liana gasped.

— "Nadia...?!"

Her sister.

The sister she thought was dead.

Specter hesitated for the first time.

A mistake.

Nadia opened fire—both pistols unloading in perfect rhythm. Specter ducked, dodged, retreated behind cover. Daniel broke free, diving toward Liana.

Liana yanked Eli's restraints loose.

Nadia tossed a grenade—boom—forcing Specter to fall back deeper into the shadows.

Daniel dragged himself upright, panting.

— "We are so going to die..."

Liana gritted her teeth.

— "Not today."

Alarms blared. Red lights spun. Reinforcements were coming. Too many.

Nadia reloaded.

— "Extraction's waiting outside. We've got 90 seconds before this place goes nuclear."

— "Wait... what?" Daniel blinked.

— "Didn't I mention? I rigged the whole place." Nadia smirked.

— "I like her already," Daniel muttered.

Liana threw Eli's arm over her shoulder.

— "Move. MOVE!"

They sprinted down the corridor, dodging bullets, fire, and collapsing walls. Specter gave chase but was forced to pull back as flames consumed the facility.

As they burst through the exit hatch into the cold night air—

BOOM.

The entire facility went up in a fireball, lighting the night sky like a second sun.

They collapsed on the dirt, coughing, bleeding, alive. Barely.

Eli coughed, looking up at his sisters.

— "You... both... came..."

Liana smiled, tears streaking her soot-covered face.

— "Yeah... family's a hell of a thing."

Nadia chuckled, ruffling Liana's hair.

— "Miss me, sis?"

Daniel collapsed beside them.

— "I'm... never... doing that again..."

But as they caught their breath, none of them noticed—across the hill, far in the shadows—two glowing eyes watching.

Specter survived.

And this...

This wasn't over.

Not even close.

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✔️ End of Chapter 17