AGING IN A TIMELESS WORLD

Chapter eight. THE INFILTERATION

The resistance team approached the facility under the cover of darkness, their movements silent and calculated. Tina’s heart thudded in her chest as she adjusted the headset Carmen had given her. The plan was straightforward but risky: infiltrate, extract the data, and escape before reinforcements arrived.

Renfield’s voice crackled through the comms. "You’re entering the blind spot now. Remember, you’ve got three minutes before the cameras realign."

Tina followed Carmen and the others through a narrow maintenance tunnel, the air damp and stifling. "How many guards inside?" she whispered.

"Too many," Carmen replied curtly. "Stick to the plan, and we’ll be fine."

They emerged into a dimly lit corridor, the sterile smell of the facility making Tina’s stomach churn. She tightened her grip on the small EMP device she’d been tasked with deploying. Ahead, a pair of guards patrolled the hallway. Carmen signaled for them to halt.

"Wait here," she mouthed.

Tina watched as Carmen moved like a shadow, neutralizing the guards with practiced efficiency. The sight was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. Carmen gestured for them to move forward.

"You’re up," Carmen whispered as they reached the data room. "Can you handle it?"

Tina nodded, her hands shaking as she approached the terminal. The interface glowed faintly, an intimidating maze of commands and encryption. She plugged in the drive Renfield had prepared and began the extraction process.

"Sixty seconds," Renfield’s voice reminded her. "Keep an eye on the progress bar."

Tina’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, her breath shallow. The progress bar crawled forward, each percentage feeling like an eternity. The sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor. Carmen swore under her breath.

"We’ve got company," she said, drawing her weapon. "How much longer?"

"Thirty seconds," Tina hissed, her voice trembling.

The footsteps grew louder, accompanied by the metallic click of weapons being readied. Carmen exchanged a glance with the other resistance members. "Hold them off," she ordered. "Tina, you need to finish this."

Tina nodded, her focus narrowing to the terminal as the chaos erupted behind her. Carmen and the others engaged the guards, the sharp c***k of gunfire reverberating through the room. Tina’s heart raced, her hands moving on autopilot as the download completed.

"Got it!" she yelled, yanking the drive free.

"Time to go!" Carmen shouted, covering their retreat as Tina and the others sprinted back toward the maintenance tunnel. Alarms blared, red lights flashing as the facility went into lockdown.

They barely made it to the tunnel before reinforcements swarmed the area. Tina’s chest heaved as she collapsed against the wall, clutching the drive like a lifeline. Carmen crouched beside her, a grim smile on her face.

"Not bad for your first strike," she said, patting Tina’s shoulder. "But don’t get too comfortable. This was the easy part."