Cassius walked steadily forward, disappearing step by step into the shadows.


    The heavy iron gates groaned shut behind him, like the jaws of a beast swallowing his imposing figure whole.


    Meanwhile, at The Sentinel Point—an unfinished high-rise building opposite the factory—Thaddeus and Hans stood side by side in the biting wind. Both men stared at the structure, their expressions grim.


    "He''s smart. Choosing apletely sealed-off facility means we have zero visibility from the outside."


    Thaddeus''s grip tightened around his sniper rifle case. "Without knowing his exact position, taking a shot is impossible."


    Hans frowned deeply. "What about the Thermal Imager? Can''t we scan through the walls to track their movements?"


    Thaddeus shook his head slightly. "Useless here. Even if I could spot a heat signature, the distance and the structural interference mean I couldn''t guarantee a kill shot. If I miss and spook him, he might panic and do something fatal to Cassius or Dr. Bright."


    Hans''s chest felt incredibly tight, and the wound on his left shoulder throbbed relentlessly, but he pushed past the pain, trying to regte his breathing.


    "Then... what''s the y?"


    Thaddeus''s eyes darkened instantly. "Infiltrate."


    "Infiltrate."


    A second voice echoed the exact same word from behind them.


    Both Thaddeus and Hans spun around in shock.


    "Elvis?!"


    Elvis Waverley emerged from the shadows, walking toward them with effortless swagger. Though his handsome face looked shadowed and exhausted, he carried his usual undeniable, reckless confidence.


    "Putting a bullet in a scumbag like that is letting him off way too easy. We need to go in there and tear the ce apart." Elvis rolled his broad shoulders and cracked his neck like a fighter warming up for a brawl.


    Thaddeus''s eyes lit up with predatory approval. "Great minds think alike."


    Elvis narrowed his sharp eyes, shing a rare, dangerous grin.


    Hans smiled faintly, a sense of relief washing over him. "Just what I''d expect from


    the top-ranked guys at the academy. Cut from the same cloth."


    Elvis pushed the darkness from his mind and immediately slipped into tactical mode. "We don''t have time to waste. Thaddeus and I are better suited for infiltration. We''ll circle the and find a basement or a


    periment. A ce this size


    rear entry


    definitely has more than one door. Hubery, you hold the perimeter and


    be ready to back us up."


    Hans nodded firmly. "Understood. We do it your way. I''ll cover you from out here."


    "Cut the formalities."


    Elvis walked up to him, his gaze warm as he looked deeply at the face he hadn''t seen in years but had


    never once forgotten. Halding


    origoem. Palding badk


    his tears, he pulled Hans into a tight, fierce embrace. "Just call me Elvis. We''re brothers."


    Hans felt a powerful surge of emotion in his chest, his voice turning husky. "Elvis."


    Perhaps because he finally had a family and a woman he loved, the notoriously wild and untamed Elvis had softened. He couldn''t stop a single tear from escaping the corner of his eye.


    "We execute this fast. Every minute we waste is another minute Cassius and Dr. Bright are in mortal danger."


    Thaddeus was already fully prepped, his expression ice-cold. "Let''s end this quickly so Elvis can get back to Ms. Archer."


    Elvis raised an eyebrow. "Damn right. Let''s move."


    Cassius walked further into the factory. The air was bone-chillingly cold, and the darkness was absolute.