Having been motionless for over 20 minutes, the sophisticated GPS tracker implanted beneath James’s underarm beeped to life. Synchronously, a piercing siren shattered the muted atmosphere at TITAN Group’s field operations center, signaling a breach.
The on-duty operator jolted upright, his lethargy vanishing instantly. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he traced the alarm’s origin. With the source identified as James, he promptly pinged Lara’s tracker. A flurry of anomalies flashed on the screen, sending a wave of anxiety through him. Following protocol, he alerted the Director of Operations.
Charles Barnes stirred awake, his heart racing as he fumbled for the ringing work phone. The operator’s grim words sent a chill down his spine as he dialed his boss’s number.
“Chief, James volunteered to pick up Sana and Lara from the airport this evening. His tracker pinged near Georgetown Pike, while Lara’s is in Leesburg, stationary for 5 minutes now,” Charles reported, his timbre taut.
Charles’s brief sent a shockwave through Kasra’s core, banishing his sleepiness. “Mobilize 10 men via Black Hawk to James’s location and 30 men in 3 Black Hawks to Lara’s coordinates. Wheels up in 10,” Kasra ordered decisively.
“Yes, Chief!”
……
Precisely Ten Minutes Later
The air hummed with the high-pitched whines of engines, followed by the rhythmic thwop of rotor blades. Four Black Hawks lifted off from TITAN Group’s headquarters, their commanding silhouettes slicing through the darkness. One angled toward James’s coordinates, the other three veered toward Lara’s.
Within minutes, the team reached James. They quickly assessed his condition—he was barely hanging on, his breathing shallow, pulse faint. Two men carefully lifted him into the waiting helicopter, rushing him to the nearest Level 1 trauma center. En route, they relayed critical information, ensuring James received optimal care upon arrival.
The remaining operatives scoured the area for signs of Sana and preserved the scene for the police.
……
At an Abandoned Silo in Leesburg
Lara was thrust into a chamber; the air was stale, murky with dust, and the faint, flickering light from the single bulb cast long shadows on the corroded walls. She scanned the room with practiced calm, calculating her next move. Along the way, she counted at least three dozen hostiles. One against 40? She had to bide her time.
Alpha 1 paced before her, his expression twisted with barely contained rage, blood boiling over the loss of 18 men.
Before long, the rust-covered door creaked open, interrupting her thoughts. A middle-aged man entered, immediately capturing her attention. His short, jet-black hair and narrow, hooded eyes stood out in the dim light. Tall and heavyset, he wore a custom-tailored black trench coat that contrasted sharply with the squalid surroundings.
At his entrance, Alpha 1 jerked to attention. “Boss, we’ve got the girl and her laptop.”
The man nodded, hanging his trench coat over a chair. Settling into another, he met Lara’s inscrutable gaze. “Ms. Shahi, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said politely.
“Unfortunately, I can’t say I feel the same,” Lara snapped back.
A smirk flickered on his features. “Ms. Shahi, if you transfer your files onto the hard drive, you’ll be free to go.”
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Lara glared, her defiance flaring. “We both know you’re lying. I’ve already seen your face.”
Initially hoping for Lara’s compliance, her contempt set off his short fuse. He dropped the pretense, his tone turning icy. “You’re quite sharp, Ms. Shahi. Since you’re not willing to cooperate, don't blame me if I resort to less pleasant methods.”
Lara’s countenance darkened; she threw him for a loop. “To log into my laptop, you’ll need my fingerprint and a 2FA code sent to my phone.”
The man raised an eyebrow as Lara’s words lingered in the room. Then, he turned to Alpha 1 and ordered, “We need her phone. Go, get it. Now.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Lara’s shoulders relaxed slightly, a hint of a smile tugged at her lips; she had bought herself some time.
Just as the tension seemed to have eased, the man’s phone rang, slicing through the quiet. He swiped the screen, his calm demeanor cracking as the voice on the other end warned, “Boss, 3 choppers are hovering overhead. Armed operatives are rappelling down now!”
The man sprang to his feet, the chair clattering behind him. “How did your people know you’re here?” he demanded.
A gloating snicker escaped Lara’s lips. “Do you need a lesson on TITAN Group’s capabilities? Why don’t you stick around and find out?”
The man’s dark eyes narrowed, and a flash of realization crossed his features. “Thanks for the heads up, Ms. Shahi. Until next time.”
He grabbed his coat and exited the room, instructing a guard to lock the door behind him.
Moments after, the thunderous rumble of gunshots echoed through the silo.
……
Twenty Minutes Later
Lifeless bodies lay scattered across the facility, the corridors now eerily silent. The mission commander pinged Lara’s location and sent five operatives over to extract her. Inside the room, Lara could faintly hear quickened footsteps reverberating off the cold steel walls.
Then, she heard the door being pried open. Recognizing the entrants, Lara exhaled, a spark of relief breaking through the suspense that had gripped her.
“Wolfe, you alright?” one of the men asked.
“Yes, I’m fine, Tango.”
“Where’s Ms. Shahi?”
“She’s at the ambush site.”
Tango’s brows furrowed. “Alright, let’s go! Chief wants you at the base immediately.”
Moments later, Lara and ten operatives boarded a Black Hawk and took off.
……
TITAN Group HQ, Reston, Virginia
Emerging from the helicopter, Lara strode to Kasra Shahi’s office, her pace brisk.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
The soft click of the door’s latch sounded in the hushed space. Stepping into the room, Lara was met with the back of a towering figure, his silhouette sharply defined against the backdrop of the office’s wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows. The man exuded an imposing aura as he stood there, staring out into the pitch-black sky, seemingly lost in contemplation.
As he turned, Lara’s gaze lingered on his sharp jawline, faint stubble catching the dim light. His deep-set, almond-shaped eyes, as dark and enigmatic as the nightscape, held hers.
In that moment, her composure frayed from the night’s ordeal. Disregarding their superior-subordinate relationship, Lara threw herself into Kasra’s arms and choked out amidst her sobs, “Ch–Chief! We were ambushed. Sana and I swapped places. I overheard them saying that Sana escaped, but that… that Director James… is dead!”
Kasra stiffened, his usual stoic demeanor faltering. He hesitated, then wrapped his arms around her, his touch surprisingly gentle.
“James is alive, though his condition is critical. He’s being treated at Inova. Do you want to head there now?”
Lara let out a breath, a spark of hope breaking through the tears that streaked her cheeks. “Really? Director James is still alive?”
“Yes.”
Lara quickly gathered herself, pulling back from Kasra’s embrace. “Uh, I’m sorry for my unprofessional outburst, Chief. Let’s head over to Inova now.”
But as soon as she turned on her heels, she froze and pivoted back. “Oh! Chief, has Sana been found?”
Kasra shook his head. “The team is on-site now. They haven’t found her yet.”
Lara nodded absently as her mind began to churn. “By the way, I didn’t get the chance to pry any information out of them, but the man wanted something from Sana’s laptop. Other than that, what struck me was that he spoke with a European accent.”
Then, something occurred to her, and she continued, “Chief, I remember his face; let me grab my sketch kit before we leave.”
Kasra’s eyes glistened with approval, impressed by Lara’s swift emotional recovery and discerning initiative. “Alright, let’s meet at the building entrance. I’ll drive the car over.”
