Chapter 30
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The rain lashed violently against the canopy of the dense forest, masking the sound of Elena and Jax moving through the underbrush. Elena’s thermal optics cut through the freezing darkness, scanning the terrain for the heat signatures of the Obsidian mercenaries hunting her daughter.
"Two miles east," Elena muttered, pushing her exhausted muscles to their absolute limit. "We have to reach the hunting cabin before they do."
"I have visual on a patrol," Jax whispered, crouching behind the rotting trunk of a fallen pine tree.
Fifty yards ahead, three heavily armed mercenaries were sweeping the forest floor with high-powered flashlights, moving in a tight tactical formation directly toward the coordinates of Chloe’s hiding spot.
Elena didn't hesitate. There was no time for stealth or calculated maneuvering. She raised her suppressed rifle and took aim, her breathing perfectly controlled despite the adrenaline flooding her system.
With two rapid, incredibly precise shots, the lead and flank mercenaries dropped to the wet forest floor, neutralized instantly.
The third mercenary shouted in panic, raising his weapon, but Jax was already moving. The massive man closed the distance with terrifying speed, tackling the operative to the ground and silencing him with a brutal, efficient strike.
"Area clear. Keep moving," Jax grunted, wiping the mud from his tactical visor.
They sprinted the remaining half-mile, the outline of the dilapidated wooden hunting cabin finally emerging through the heavy rain. Elena approached the door, tapping a specific, syncopated rhythm on the wood—an old military code she had taught Chloe years ago.
The heavy wooden door cracked open. Chloe stood in the shadows, aiming a small caliber pistol directly at the entrance, her hands shaking but her stance firm. When she saw Elena, she immediately lowered the weapon, letting out a choked sob of profound relief.
"Mom," Chloe cried, throwing her arms around Elena’s armored neck.
Elena caught her daughter, holding her incredibly tight, burying her face in Chloe’s wet hair. "I've got you, sweetheart. You did beautifully. I've got you."
"We can't celebrate yet," Jax interrupted, staring out the shattered window of the cabin. "Thorne knows his patrol went dark. I’ve got multiple vehicles approaching our vector from the main access road, and I hear the rotors of an attack chopper spinning up at the compound."
Elena pulled back from the hug, her maternal warmth instantly replaced by cold tactical command.
"Chloe, give me the physical decryption key," Elena ordered, holding out her hand.
Chloe pulled the heavy hardware from her pocket and handed it over.
"Jax, take Chloe and move to the secondary extraction point. Use the river to mask your heat signatures," Elena instructed, checking her remaining ammunition.
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"What are you going to do?" Chloe asked, panic returning to her eyes.
"I am going to buy you the time you need to broadcast this data to the world," Elena said, stepping out onto the porch of the cabin, staring into the dark, hostile woods. "I am going to finish General Thorne."
