The safe extraction of the hostages was going smoothly—too smoothly. Marcus led the group down a dimly lit corridor in the satellite office, Greg covering the rear. The hostages, a mix of terrified employees and junior executives, moved quickly but quietly, their fear palpable.

“Almost there,” Marcus said, his voice low but steady.

They turned a corner, the exit in sight. But before they could take another step, the distant sound of boots echoed through the hall. Marcus froze, holding up a fist to signal a stop.

“Greg,” Marcus said, his tone sharp.

Greg nodded, immediately taking position by the corner. He peeked around, his expression darkening. “Incoming. Five men, heavily armed.”

Marcus’s jaw tightened. “Harlow’s men.”

One of the hostages whimpered softly, and Marcus turned to the group. “Stay here. Stay quiet.”

“What do we do?” Greg asked, his voice calm despite the tension.

Marcus checked his weapon. “We hold them off long enough for Rebecca to finish at the compound.”

In the compound, Theo and Rebecca navigated deeper into the labyrinth of interconnected hallways. Rebecca’s laptop beeped softly as she tracked their position relative to the secure communications hub.

“We’re close,” Rebecca said, glancing at Theo.

Theo nodded, his heart pounding as they moved cautiously. “How close?”

Rebecca stopped in front of a steel door, her fingers flying over the keyboard. “This close.”

The lock clicked open, and the door slid aside, revealing a small room filled with high-tech servers and monitoring equipment. At the center of it all was a workstation glowing with activity.

“Bingo,” Rebecca said, stepping inside.

Theo followed, his gaze scanning the equipment. “This is it? Harlow’s communications hub?”

“Not just communications,” Rebecca said, her voice tense as she accessed the main terminal. “This is a control center for his entire operation.”

Theo frowned. “What do you mean?”

Rebecca pointed to the screen. “Everything’s here—client lists, financial records, even surveillance feeds. If we can download this data, we’ll have enough to bring down Harlow and everyone working with him.”

Theo’s stomach churned. “That’s a big if.”

Rebecca smirked faintly. “Good thing I like a challenge.”

She plugged in a portable drive, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she began downloading the files.

Back at the satellite office, the sound of boots grew louder as Harlow’s men approached. Marcus and Greg had taken defensive positions near the exit, their weapons aimed down the corridor.

The first shots rang out, the sharp crack of gunfire echoing through the space. Marcus moved like a predator, his every shot precise, his movements calculated.

“Hold the line!” Marcus barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Greg fired off a burst of rounds, taking down one of the attackers. “They’re pushing hard!”

Marcus glanced at the hostages, who were cowering behind an overturned desk. He knew they couldn’t stay here for long.

His earpiece buzzed, Rebecca’s voice coming through. “Marcus, we’ve got a problem.”

“Another one?” Marcus muttered, ducking behind cover.

“Harlow’s on the move,” Rebecca said. “And he’s coming to you.”

Marcus’s grip on his weapon tightened. “How soon?”

“Ten minutes, maybe less,” Rebecca replied.

Marcus swore under his breath, firing another shot. “We need to move these hostages now.”

At the compound, Rebecca’s progress was steady but painfully slow. The files were encrypted, and every second felt like an eternity.

“How much longer?” Theo asked, pacing behind her.

“Five more minutes,” Rebecca said, her voice clipped. “Assuming nobody bursts in to kill us.”

Theo’s nerves were frayed, but he forced himself to focus. He walked to the window, peering out at the guards patrolling the perimeter.

“They’re getting restless out there,” he muttered.

Rebecca didn’t look up. “So am I.”

As the download neared completion, an alarm blared through the compound, red lights flashing in rhythmic pulses.

Theo’s stomach dropped. “What the hell is that?”

Rebecca cursed under her breath. “They know we’re here.”

The door burst open, and two guards stormed in, their weapons raised.

Theo reacted instinctively, grabbing a heavy server tool from the desk and throwing it at the first guard. The impact sent the man stumbling, and Rebecca dove for cover as the second guard opened fire.

Before Theo could react, the second guard lunged at him, slamming him against the wall. Theo struggled, his breath knocked out of him as the guard raised his weapon.

A deafening crack rang out, and the guard crumpled to the ground.

Rebecca stood behind him, a gun in her shaking hands. Her eyes were wide, her chest heaving. “You okay?”

Theo nodded, his voice shaky. “Remind me never to question your instincts again.”

Rebecca smirked faintly, lowering the gun. “Download’s done. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Marcus and Greg were running out of time. Harlow’s men were relentless, their numbers overwhelming.

“We can’t hold them here,” Greg said, firing another burst.

Marcus nodded, his mind racing. “Fallback position. Take the hostages to the service entrance. I’ll cover you.”

Greg hesitated. “You can’t take them all alone.”

“Don’t argue,” Marcus snapped. “Go.”

Greg nodded reluctantly, motioning for the hostages to follow him.

Marcus stayed behind, his gunfire a relentless force as he covered their retreat. But as the last of the hostages disappeared through the service door, the sound of approaching footsteps made him turn.

Harlow stepped into view, flanked by two men with rifles.

“Well, well,” Harlow said, his voice dripping with mock amusement. “Marcus Cain. The infamous ghost. I have to admit, I’ve been looking forward to this.”

Marcus’s grip on his weapon tightened, his sharp eyes locked on Harlow. “Let the hostages go. This is between you and me.”

Harlow smirked. “Oh, it’s always been between us, Cain. But don’t worry—I’ve got plans for Montgomery too. He’s not getting out of this alive.”

Marcus’s jaw clenched, his voice a low growl. “Over my dead body.”

Harlow’s smile widened. “That’s the idea.”

The room filled with tension as both men prepared for the final showdown.