Chapter 12: Ghost Protocol
365 Words
That night, the city glowed beneath the snow. Liam and his team moved through the industrial sector — a maze of steel bridges and frozen docks. Their target: an underground data facility owned by Laurent Industries.
“Thermal readings confirm four guards, motion sensors active,” Reyes whispered.
“Non-lethal entry,” Liam ordered. “We’re here for data, not bodies.”
They breached in silence — swift and surgical. Within minutes, Liam reached the control room. Amelia joined him, typing fast into the console.
“I’m in. Downloading the core files now.”
But then — the lights flickered. A chilling voice came through the intercom.
“Still playing hero, Captain?”
Specter’s tone was calm, almost amused.
“You shouldn’t have come here.”
A hidden screen activated, revealing his masked face.
Behind him — Vincent Laurent.
Amelia’s blood ran cold.
“No… it can’t be.”
Vincent smiled faintly on the feed.
“You should’ve stayed out of this, little sister. You have no idea what the world really needs.”
Liam stepped forward, eyes burning.
“You’re helping Specter destabilize the UN for profit?”
“For balance,” Vincent replied. “Nations are greedy. They need a reset. And Specter will give it to them.”
Suddenly, alarms blared — the building’s defenses activating.
Liam grabbed Amelia’s wrist.
“Move! Now!”
They ran through corridors as automated turrets came online, bullets sparking off metal walls. Reyes covered their retreat, shouting through comms:
“Extraction point compromised! We need a new route!”
Outside, snow turned red from firelight as the facility erupted behind them.
Liam shielded Amelia with his body as debris rained down.
When the dust settled, he looked back at the burning complex.
Specter had escaped again — but this time, they had proof.
Amelia clutched the data drive to her chest, whispering,
“My brother is part of this… and he won’t stop.”
Liam placed a hand on her shoulder, steady and firm.
“Then neither will we.”
High above them, a satellite blinked — Sentinel Protocol had been activated remotely.
And somewhere in the dark, Specter whispered:
“The game begins now.”
- Writer
