Chapter 38 - The Upload Stops HereFrom my vantage point on the upper catwalk, I had a crystal-clear view of the subterranean server room below. Rows of towering mainframe racks hummed with blue light, casting long shadows across the concrete floor.
I raised my scope, scanning the room.
Four Ouroboros operatives were patrolling the aisles near the main terminal. Down below, Dante and Kira had already breached the service corridor, moving with absolute, silent lethal precision.
Crack.
Dante’s silenced rifle dropped the first operative instantly. Chaos erupted in a fraction of a second.
Alarms began to blare—a high-pitched, frantic red strobe light flashing across the concrete walls. Gunfire crackled through the subterranean vault, bullets sparking off steel racks and concrete pillars.
"They're trying to force-flush the servers!" Kira shouted over the din of gunfire, her fingers flying across the auxiliary control keyboard. "If they hit enter, the entire database goes public!"
From my perch on the catwalk, I spotted an operative slipping around the blind spot behind Kira, raising an assault rifle directly at her back.
I didn't hesitate. I exhaled slowly, aligned my crosshairs, and squeezed the trigger.
The suppressed sniper rifle barked once. The operative dropped instantly, lifeless before he hit the ground.
Kira spun around in shock, saw the threat neutralized, and looked up toward the catwalk, catching my eye and giving a sharp, grateful nod.
Down below, Dante vaulted over a control console, slammed his fist into the remaining guard's jaw, and lunged toward the master terminal. With a heavy, deliberate keystroke, Dante hit the override button.
The frantic red strobe lights flickered, turned green, and locked.
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Upload aborted.
Silence rushed back into the bunker, broken only by the hum of cooling fans and our heavy, ragged breathing.
