Volume Two
Chapter Eighteen: Into the Shadows
The service tunnel was damp and narrow, the stale air thick with dust and echoes of their hurried footsteps. The coalition moved as one, Judge Vasquez supported between Gibbs and Olivia, while Penelope and Sylvester clutched the decrypted files like lifelines.
Walter and Paige swept the rear, alert for any sign of pursuit.
Walter (whispering):
"This tunnel hasn't been used in years. If anyone follows, they'll have to come through the front."
Suddenly, a faint noise—metal scraping against concrete—sent everyone into a freeze.
Gibbs (low):
"Contact."
From the shadows, figures emerged—masked operatives, armed and relentless. A fierce firefight erupted, the tunnel illuminated by muzzle flashes and shouted commands.
Happy took cover behind a rusted pipe, picking off attackers with deadly precision. Olivia shielded the judge, moving him deeper into the tunnel.
Penelope (to Sylvester):
"We can't lose these files. They're the key."
Sylvester nodded, fingers trembling but determined.
As the last attacker fell, the coalition pressed onward, adrenaline fueling their escape.