The desert station's generator sputtered and died, plunging the compound into darkness.
Axel's hand went to his weapon, his senses on high alert. The sudden silence was deafening, broken only by the howl of the wind outside. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones.
"Everyone stay calm," he said, his voice low. "Vance, get the backup generator online. Now."
"Working on it," Vance replied, his fingers flying across his laptop. "But something's wrong. The main power grid didn't just fail—it was cut. Someone's sabotaged us."
"Sabotaged?" Troy's voice was hard. "Who?"
Before anyone could answer, the windows exploded inward. A wave of operatives poured through, their weapons blazing. Axel fired back, dropping the first man, then the second. The room erupted into chaos, the sound
