As they stumbled deeper into the narrow shaft, the air grew thicker. The smell of rust, damp concrete, and burnt circuitry choked their lungs.
Mason led the way, moving fast but careful. His eyes scanned every vent, every junction. "These tunnels… they used to connect the entire sector back when this was a military zone."
Daniel coughed. "Yeah, well, they smell like something died in here."
Mason glanced back. "Probably because something did."
They rounded a corner—only to stop dead.
A corpse.
Twisted, half melted. The remains of a Syndicate operative — armor scorched, helmet cracked open. Whatever killed him, it wasn't bullets.
Liana crouched beside the body. "This wasn't Specter... Look at the burns. High-energy plasma... but not from any standard weapon."
Mason's face darkened. "That's what I've been trying to warn you. Specter isn't the worst thing they've built."
Daniel swallowed. "Define... 'worst.'"
Before Mason could answer, the walls trembled. A deep rumble echoed through the tunnel.
"Earthquake?" Daniel asked.
Mason shook his head, pulling Liana up fast. "No. It's coming."
From the far end of the tunnel... metallic screeching. Heavy footsteps. Louder than Specter. Slower. But somehow... hungrier.
A mechanical growl rumbled through the air. A silhouette appeared in the flickering emergency lights — massive, armored, bristling with weaponry.
A different model.
> Codename: REAPER.
Twice Specter's size. Not just an exosuit — a walking war machine. Its head was a sensor array, rotating constantly. Twin cannons sat mounted on each arm. Micro-missile pods unfolded from its shoulders.
"Targets acquired. Priority Alpha: Terminate."
"RUN!" Mason shouted.
A missile fired — WHOOSH — exploding against the wall just behind them. The force threw Daniel forward; Liana grabbed his jacket, yanking him upright.
"Left, LEFT!" Mason barked, leading them into a side conduit.
Bullets — not regular, but rail rounds — slammed into the concrete, punching clean holes through solid steel.
"MOVE!" Liana screamed.
They dashed into a service tunnel just as another barrage obliterated the hallway behind them.
---
⚠️ Temporary Refuge – Server Room
They crashed into an old server bay. Sparking wires hung like vines. Dead monitors flickered. But for now... silence.
Daniel collapsed against a wall, wheezing. "...This was supposed to be... simple recon..."
Mason checked the door, locking it. "Won't hold them for long."
Liana paced, adrenaline shaking her hands. "Reaper... When did they build that?"
"Project started five years ago. I thought it was shelved... but they finished it. And... there's more."
Mason pulled a folded schematic from his jacket. He spread it over the dusty floor.
"This facility isn't just an outpost. It's a manufacturing hub. Drones. Armored units. Bio-synthetic soldiers. A whole army... underground."
Daniel stared. "You're telling me... they're mass-producing Specters?"
Mason nodded grimly. "And worse. Reapers. Phase Four prototypes. Once they activate... this city's gone. Maybe the entire region."
Liana's fists clenched. "Then we stop it. Here. Tonight."
Daniel blinked. "We're three people against an army."
Mason smirked. "Correction. Three people... with a plan."
---
🗺️ The Plan
Mason pointed at a central node on the schematic. "This. Core Control. Everything routes through here. Power, security, AI uplink."
"If we can plant a virus in that node..." Mason tapped his data drive. "...we can force a full system lockdown. Disable the Reapers. Shut down the drone army. Blow the whole thing if we have to."
Daniel loaded a fresh mag into his rifle. "So... same old plan. Get in. Blow stuff up. Pray."
"Exactly," Mason grinned.
Liana checked her pistol, then looked between them. "One question."
Both turned.
"If this goes sideways... do we have an extraction?"
Mason hesitated... then pulled out a remote detonator. "Sort of."
Liana raised an eyebrow. "Sort of?"
He pressed a button. A schematic of the upper structure flickered to life. "I rigged the north refinery tower with C-12 charges. Worst case... we drop half the building on their heads."
Daniel whistled. "Okay... I'm actually impressed."
---
🔥 Final Push – Cliffhanger Builds
Alarms blared overhead. Red lights strobed through vents. Footsteps — heavy, relentless — echoed again.
Specter... and Reaper... were hunting.
Mason tucked the data drive into Liana's vest. "You get to the core. No matter what. I'll buy you time."
Daniel gripped his shoulder. "We stick together."
"No. You two finish this. I've run from them long enough."
Suddenly, the door shook — BOOM. A fist. Not a battering ram — someone punching through steel.
"Go!" Mason yelled.
As the door buckled, Liana glanced back one last time. Mason smiled.
"Tell the Syndicate..." He pulled a pin from a thermite charge. "...they should've killed me when they had the chance."
She sprinted. Daniel right behind her.
Behind them — the door exploded open. Flames. Gunfire.
And the hunt continued...
---
✔️ End of Chapter 25 – Extended Edition 🔥