Chapter 1609:


    “It’s too risky.” Chris met her eyes, his expression firm and protective, leaving little room for debate. “We have no idea what’s waiting inside — it could be a trap. Stay here. We’ll handle it.”


    Before she could respond, he turned and disappeared into the tunnel with the rest of the team.


    Maia hesitated, words catching in her throat, and watched his back vanish into the shing red corridor. Her hands tightened into fists as she remained outside, senses sharp, scanning every shadow.


    Less than ten seconds after Chris and the others entered, something went terribly wrong.


    Across the building, a section of wall disguised as a structural support shifted silently aside. Another concealed exit. The first entrance had been nothing but bait.


    Two operatives in sealed protective suits burst through the opening, moving with ruthless precision as they carried a stretcher between them. Koltony strapped to it, his head heavily bandaged, his condition impossible to read — lifeless or barely breathing, she couldn’t tell. They didn’t slow. They didn’t even acknowledge Maia’s presence near the entrance. In one smooth motion, they slid the stretcher into the rear of the heavy truck waiting nearby, climbed into the cab, and brought the engine thundering to life.


    Everything unfolded in seconds.


    Maia’s heartbeat mmed against her ribs as the realization struck her.


    A decoy. The tunnel had been nothing but a distraction. The real escape route was here, and Chris and the others had been pulled away from the true objective.


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    The truck began to move. There was no time to call for support, no chance to alert Chris. If it escaped, the trail would vanishpletely.


    She moved without thinking.


    Drawing a sharp breath, she sprang forward like a hunting cat and slipped through the narrowing gap just before the rear doors mmed shut. She rolled across the dark cargo floor, and a momentter the heavy doors sealed behind her with a metallic ng.


    Light vanished. Total darkness swallowed the space.


    Ignoring the sting of impact, Maia pushed herself upright and grabbed her phone, quickly trying to transmit her location to Chris. The screen illuminated her face — and her stomach dropped.


    No signal.


    The cargopartment was lined entirely with aluminum panels. A moving Faraday cage. Allmunication cut off.


    Back in the tunnel, Chris, Grayson, and the rest of the team reached the far end and found an operating theater. Kolton was nowhere to be seen. Several medical staffy unconscious across the floor.


    “These maniacs — how many people have they hurt?” Grayson cursed under his breath, fury tightening his jaw.


    Chris swept the room with a sharp nce and quickly located the security monitoring station. He rushed over and checked the live feed. On the screen, the ck heavy truck was already turning around.


    “Move! After them!”


    They spun and ran back toward the entrance at full speed. When they burst out of the building, the truck was already tearing through the half-closed gate, diesel smoke billowing behind it as it elerated into the darkness like a beast breaking free.


    “Damn it!” Grayson barked for everyone to get into the vehicles and begin pursuit.


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