Chapter 15

The helicopter’s spotlight seared through the night, locking onto us like a predator fixing on its prey. Wind from the spinning rotors whipped against our faces, drowning out all other sound. Athena shielded her eyes, scanning for an escape. Cloud reloaded his weapon with a grimace, his injury slowing him down.

“Options?” I asked, my voice barely carrying over the roar.

Athena pointed to an adjacent rooftop. “We jump.”

Cloud stared at her, incredulous. “That’s a five-story drop if we miss.”

I glanced at the distance. It was doable—but only just. And with Cloud’s injury, the margin for error shrank even further.

“We don’t have time to argue,” Athena snapped. She yanked a flashbang from her vest, pulling the pin. “Close your eyes. On my mark.”

The helicopter’s side door slid open. A sniper took position, lining up a shot.

“Mark!” Athena shouted, tossing the flashbang high into the air.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Even through my eyelids, the detonation was blinding. A pained shout came from above as the sniper lost his mark.

“Go, go, go!” I yelled.

Athena took the leap first, hitting the other rooftop with a roll. I followed, my feet slamming onto the concrete as pain jolted up my legs. Cloud hesitated a half-second too long, his balance wavering. I lunged, catching his arm mid-air and yanking him onto the rooftop with me.

A burst of gunfire riddled the spot where we had just stood. The helicopter adjusted course, its searchlight sweeping toward us once more.

“We need to get off the rooftops,” I said, scanning for another way down.

Athena pointed to a fire escape. “There.”

We sprinted toward it, but another burst of gunfire forced us to dive for cover. A second helicopter appeared in the distance.

“Reed must’ve sold us out,” Cloud growled, cradling his injured arm.

“Not the time for that,” Athena snapped. “Move!”

I reached the fire escape first and vaulted over the railing, descending as fast as I dared. Athena followed, Cloud right behind her. The second helicopter drew closer, its searchlight sweeping over the metal staircase.

A gunner leaned out, rifle trained on us.

“No choice,” I muttered. I pulled my last smoke grenade and yanked the pin. Thick gray smoke billowed out, shrouding our descent.

“Almost there!” Athena called.

We hit the alleyway below and bolted for cover. The sound of the choppers grew distant as we wove through the tight corridors of the city, darting between shadows, moving as one.

We didn’t stop until we reached a safe house buried deep in the industrial district. The moment we shut the door behind us, I collapsed against the wall, breathing hard.

Athena leaned on a table, gripping its edge, her knuckles white. “That was too close.”

Cloud slid to the floor, wincing as he clutched his arm. “Tell me again why this mission was worth it?”

I reached into my vest and pulled out a small, encrypted drive—the only thing we had to show for nearly dying.

“Because,” I said, holding it up, “this has everything SynerTech wanted to keep buried.”

Athena stared at it, then at me. A slow, determined smirk crossed her face.

“Then let’s make them regret ever crossing us.”