The low mechanical hum rose from the far end of the room.
A concealed wall panel slid open, revealing the massive server tower hidden behind reinforced glass — the true heart of Project Argus.
Vanessa turned slowly, a satisfied smile curving her lips.
"Did you really think I'd make it that easy?" she said smoothly. "Argus was never meant to be stolen. It was meant to be claimed."
Adrian stepped forward, his voice cold. "You've already lost, Vanessa."
She laughed — soft, dangerous. "No. I've already won."
Before anyone could react, the distant wail of sirens cut through the air.
Amara froze. "Is that your team?"
Ethan's face hardened. "No. That's not ours."
The first explosion ripped through the compound walls.
The floor shook violently, dust raining from the ceiling as gunfire erupted outside. Shouts echoed through the corridors.
Vanessa's smile widened. "My people are very impatient."
Adrian grabbed Amara's wrist. "Server. Now."
There was no hesitation.
Amara sprinted toward the console as chaos exploded around them. Gunshots cracked. The air filled with smoke and alarms. She slid to her knees at the terminal, fingers flying as she entered the override sequence Adrian had drilled into her again and again.
"Come on…" she whispered. "Come on…"
The screen flickered.
For a split second, nothing happened.
Then—
ACCESS GRANTED.
Amara didn't breathe. She jammed the flash drive in and initiated the transfer.
Vanessa screamed. "NO—!"
Adrian fired a warning shot, forcing Vanessa back. "It's over."
The transfer completed with a sharp chime.
Amara yanked the drive free.
"Move!" Adrian shouted.
They ran.
Gunfire chased them through the corridor as Vanessa's agents poured in from both sides. Ethan's operatives returned fire, covering their escape with brutal efficiency.
Adrian shoved Amara ahead of him, shielding her with his body as debris exploded against the walls.
They burst into the underground garage.
A black van screeched forward, engine already roaring.
"IN!" Ethan barked.
They dove inside just as bullets shattered the concrete behind them. The van tore out of the garage, tires screaming as explosions thundered in the distance.
Amara collapsed back against the seat, clutching the flash drive to her chest, her whole body shaking.
They were alive.
Barely.
Hours later, the van rolled into a discreet MI5 facility hidden beneath an ordinary building.
Inside, the tension was suffocating.
Agents moved quickly, voices low and urgent. Screens filled with data, maps, and surveillance feeds from around the world.
Ethan stared at the information pulled from the drive, his expression grim.
"This is worse than we thought," he said quietly. "Vanessa didn't just infiltrate systems. She embedded herself. Governments. Corporations. Defense networks."
Amara swallowed. "If she gets access again—"
"She could burn the world," Ethan finished.
Adrian's jaw tightened. "Then we don't let her."
Later, Amara sat alone in a quiet room, staring at her hands. Just days ago, she'd been an intern trying to survive office politics.
Now she was holding the key to a global war.
The door opened softly.
Adrian stepped inside.
"You were incredible," he said.
She looked up at him, eyes tired but fierce. "I didn't choose this."
"No," he admitted. "But you're standing in it anyway."
Silence stretched between them — heavy, charged.
"What happens now?" she asked.
Adrian met her gaze, something dark and resolute burning there. "Now we hunt her. And we finish this."
Amara nodded slowly.
Vanessa Blackwood had made her a target.
Now she would make her an enemy.