Once again, in that dark room, the person in the black coat and jewel-encrusted mask was still sitting, staring at the screens before him. Silence hung over the place until it was broken by a flash of light—the door opened.
A man wearing a white lab coat entered. His face was unclear, hidden by the light coming from behind him. He took a few steps forward, then spoke in a serious and firm voice:
"Indeed, the team sent from the front has been destroyed. Shall we start the next phase, my lord?"
The masked person did not answer immediately. He remained silent for a moment, as if thinking deeply. Then he responded in a cold and steady tone:
"Let them be surrounded from all sides. I do not want anyone to escape."
The scientist nodded briefly:
"It will be done."
Elsewhere, Adam and the others felt a moment of victory, as if hope had once again appeared on the horizon. Amidst this elation, Lina shouted enthusiastically:
"We will win, definitely! We will restore freedom to humanity."
Adam looked at her, gazing at the bright sky above them, and said quietly:
"Why… why do you want to do that?"
He paused for a moment, then added with a faint smile:
"Me? In truth… I just want the children to hug me when they return. To have the respect of the elders. I might be a little selfish, haha."
Lina looked at him with surprise, a small smile forming on her face.
"Do you re—"
But Everett's serious voice cut her off, as he watched the flames consuming the remnants of the headquarters:
"We must leave immediately. Some of them might return."
Everyone nodded seriously and headed toward the motorcycles parked at a distance. Before they could get closer, Everett's voice thundered again, shouting:
"Hit the ground!"
In moments, the motorcycles exploded, turning into a ball of fire. The entire forest was illuminated by the blaze. They were only meters away, yet some debris struck Everett and Ziv. They got up quickly despite the wounds, and Everett said in a strained voice:
"Scatter! We'll meet by the big apple tree!"
They moved quickly, terrified. Each pair went in a different direction. Adam was with Ziv, while Lina went with Everett. The goal was clear: to confuse the enemy.
As they descended the hill, Adam shouted:
"Where exactly is this tree?"
Ziv replied, trying to hide his tension:
"The place where we met the leader, just follow me!"
But suddenly, the sound of a gunshot rang out. Ziv fell to the ground, screaming in pain as a bullet pierced his leg. Adam froze for a few seconds, searching for a solution. His eyes landed on a steel door lying on the ground.
He ran toward it as bullets rained around him. Yet he was not afraid… he was angry. He pulled the door with difficulty, using it as a temporary shield, and rushed to Ziv. He placed the door in front of them to block the fire, then tore a part of his clothes and wrapped it around Ziv's leg, trying to stop the bleeding.
Ziv looked at him in pain and said bitterly:
"Adam, I'm sorry I annoyed you. But you have to leave me, or we'll die together."
But Adam, with a scowling face, grabbed him by the collar and shouted angrily:
"Yes, your actions annoyed me, but it doesn't mean I hate you. Just be quiet and let me focus!"
Ziv was shocked by the reaction. Adam had always been calm.