The safe house was a flurry of movement as final preparations were made. The weight of the decision to split up hung heavy in the air, unspoken but palpable. Rebecca worked quickly, her fingers flying across her laptop as she mapped routes, adjusted plans, and coordinated resources.

Theo stood by the counter, arms crossed, watching Marcus prepare. Every movement the bodyguard made was deliberate, efficient—checking his weapons, loading spare magazines, and securing his tactical vest.

Theo couldn’t stop himself. “You’re really planning to do this alone?”

Marcus glanced at him, his expression calm but firm. “I’ve handled worse.”

Theo’s jaw tightened. “That’s not the point. This isn’t just about you—if something happens out there...”

Marcus stepped closer, his sharp eyes locking onto Theo’s. “If something happens, you’ll finish the mission. That’s the point.”

Theo opened his mouth to argue, but the words caught in his throat. Marcus’s conviction, his unshakable belief in their plan, left little room for debate.

“Besides,” Marcus added, his voice softening, “I’m not alone. Greg’s team is meeting me at the satellite office. We’ll get the hostages out. You focus on Harlow.”

Theo exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You really know how to make a guy feel useless, you know that?”

Marcus’s lips twitched into the faintest smile. “Not useless. Just in need of better company.”

Theo chuckled despite himself, but the tension didn’t leave his chest.

The group gathered by the SUV parked in the garage beneath the safe house. The plan was set: Marcus would take the vehicle to the satellite office, while Theo and Rebecca would use a second car to head to Harlow’s compound.

Rebecca handed Marcus a tablet loaded with live feeds and encrypted communications. “I’ll keep you updated on both fronts,” she said, her voice steady despite the stress etched into her face.

Marcus nodded. “Stay sharp.”

Rebecca turned to Theo. “You ready?”

Theo’s smirk was half-hearted at best. “Not even close.”

As Rebecca climbed into their car, Marcus stepped closer to Theo, lowering his voice. “Listen to her. Rebecca knows what she’s doing.”

Theo nodded, but his eyes lingered on Marcus. “And you? You better not do anything stupid out there.”

Marcus smirked faintly. “You’re one to talk.”

For a moment, the tension between them shifted, giving way to something softer. Theo hesitated, then reached out, his hand brushing against Marcus’s arm.

“Just... come back,” Theo said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Marcus’s gaze softened, his usual stoicism cracking ever so slightly. “I will.”

Before Theo could say anything else, Marcus turned and climbed into the SUV. The engine roared to life, and Theo watched as the vehicle disappeared into the dimly lit street.

Rebecca called out from the second car. “Theo! We’ve got to move.”

Theo exhaled sharply, forcing himself to focus. He climbed into the passenger seat, his jaw tightening as they pulled away.

The satellite office was a stark glass-and-steel structure situated in a quiet business district. By the time Marcus arrived, Greg and his team were waiting, their black SUV parked a few blocks away to avoid suspicion.

Greg, a seasoned operative with a calm demeanor, greeted Marcus with a curt nod. “We’ve scoped the perimeter. Four guards at the entrance, more inside. They’ve got the hostages in the main conference room.”

Marcus nodded, his mind already working through the angles. “Any windows or secondary entrances?”

“Side door near the loading dock,” Greg said. “Lightly guarded.”

Marcus glanced at the building, his sharp eyes scanning for vulnerabilities. “We move fast and quiet. Minimize noise until we have the hostages secure. No mistakes.”

Greg smirked faintly. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

With weapons drawn and communication synced, Marcus and the team moved in.

Rebecca drove in tense silence, her focus divided between the road and the tablet mounted on the dashboard. Theo sat beside her, his knee bouncing with nervous energy.

“How long until we get there?” Theo asked, breaking the silence.

“Ten minutes,” Rebecca replied. “If you’re this jittery now, I’m worried about how you’ll be inside.”

Theo shot her a glare. “I’m not jittery. I’m... processing.”

Rebecca smirked. “Right. Processing.”

As they approached the compound, Rebecca pulled off onto a dirt road, parking the car behind a cluster of trees. The compound loomed ahead—a sprawling complex of interconnected buildings surrounded by a high fence topped with razor wire. Armed guards patrolled the perimeter, their movements methodical and alert.

Rebecca pulled out her laptop, tapping into the compound’s security system. “Alright. I’ve got the cameras looped, but it won’t last long. We need to move fast.”

Theo exhaled, his nerves fraying with every passing second. “Lead the way, genius.”

They slipped through the trees, crouching low as they approached the fence. Rebecca produced a pair of wire cutters, making quick work of the chain links.

Theo followed her through the gap, his heart pounding as they moved deeper into enemy territory.

Inside the compound, the tension was suffocating. Rebecca guided Theo through the maze of hallways, her laptop pinging softly as she navigated the security grid.

“Keep your head down,” she whispered.

“I’m trying,” Theo whispered back, his voice sharp with anxiety.

As they rounded a corner, they froze. Two guards were stationed at a door just ahead, their rifles slung across their chests.

Theo glanced at Rebecca. “Now what?”

Rebecca reached into her bag, pulling out a small device. “EMP pulse. It’ll knock out their radios for a few seconds. That’s your window to get past them.”

Theo blinked. “And if they see us?”

Rebecca gave him a tight smile. “Run really fast.”

Theo groaned but nodded.

Rebecca activated the EMP, and a faint pulse rippled through the air. The guards touched their earpieces, frowning as their radios went dead.

Theo and Rebecca moved quickly, slipping past them before the system could recover.

“Remind me to double your salary,” Theo whispered.

Rebecca smirked. “That assumes we live through this.”

Meanwhile, Marcus and his team breached the satellite office, moving swiftly and silently through the halls. The guards inside were well-trained, but they weren’t prepared for Marcus’s precision.

Hostages in the conference room huddled together, their expressions a mix of fear and relief as Marcus burst through the door.

“We’re here to get you out,” Marcus said, his voice calm but commanding. “Stay low and follow my lead.”

But as they began to move, Marcus’s earpiece buzzed.

“Marcus,” Rebecca’s voice came through, tight with urgency. “We’ve got a problem.”

“What is it?” Marcus asked, already anticipating the worst.

“It’s Harlow,” Rebecca said. “He’s not at the compound. He’s coming to you.”

Marcus’s jaw tightened. “Copy that.”

And just like that, the stakes climbed higher.