The Fears Of A Billionaire

Chapter 86: Breaking point

The rhythmic pounding of boots echoed through the hallway, growing louder as the reinforcements closed in. Dominic's grip tightened on his gun. He glanced at Laura, who was feverishly typing away at the console, lines of code streaming across the screen.

"Marcus, Alyssa, hold the entrance!" Dominic barked. "We can't let them in here. Laura, how much longer?"

Laura's brow furrowed as she concentrated. "Another three minutes, tops. But they're throwing everything at us. This system is fighting me every step of the way."

The room was thick with tension. Alyssa crouched by the doorway, her silenced pistol ready. Marcus took up position behind a stack of servers, his rifle aimed down the hall.

"They're coming fast," Alyssa muttered, her finger hovering over the trigger. "We've got to make every shot count."

The first wave of guards rounded the corner. Alyssa fired off two quick shots, both hitting their marks. Marcus followed with controlled bursts from his rifle, dropping two more guards before they could return fire.

"We're not going to hold them off forever," Marcus said through gritted teeth. "They're sending more than just a few patrols. These guys are military-grade."

Dominic felt his pulse quicken as the situation escalated. They were in the heart of the beast now, and the odds were rapidly shifting against them. The Nexus wasn't just any facility; it was the core of The Unseen Hand's power, and they weren't about to let it fall without a fight.

The second wave of guards poured into the hallway, better armed and more coordinated than the first. Gunfire erupted, and the confined space turned into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Alyssa took down two more, but a bullet grazed her arm, forcing her to duck behind cover. Marcus provided suppressing fire, but it was clear they were being overwhelmed.

"Dominic!" Alyssa called out, her voice strained. "We can't hold this position much longer."

Dominic's heart pounded in his chest. He looked over at Laura, who was still focused on the download. "How close are we?"

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Laura didn't look up from the screen. "Almost there. Just a little longer."

"We don't have a little longer," Marcus shouted, reloading his rifle. "They're going to overrun us."

Dominic's mind raced. They had to make a choice. If they couldn't hold off the guards, they'd lose everything. The data, the mission, their lives it was all on the line.

He made the call. "Alyssa, Marcus, fall back to the server room. We'll make our stand there."

They moved swiftly, retreating into the server room while laying down cover fire. As soon as they regrouped, Dominic slammed the door shut and jammed it with a metal bar. It wouldn't hold forever, but it would buy them some time.

"They're going to breach that door any second," Marcus said, wiping sweat from his brow. "We need an exit strategy."

"There is no exit," Dominic said, his voice grim. "Not until we get that data."

Suddenly, Laura's console pinged. "Got it!" she shouted triumphantly. "The data's downloaded. We have everything we need!"

For a moment, hope surged through Dominic, but it was quickly dashed by the sound of pounding on the door. The guards were ramming it, and the metal bar wouldn't hold much longer.

"They're about to break through!" Alyssa warned, her eyes darting around the room. "We need a way out. Now."

Dominic's eyes landed on the emergency access hatch in the corner of the server room. It was small and likely led to a maintenance tunnel beneath the facility risky, but it was their only shot.

He pointed to the hatch. "That's our way out. Get it open!"

Marcus moved quickly, prying the hatch open while Alyssa and Dominic covered him. The door behind them buckled as the guards made one final push. Dominic knew they were out of time.

"Go, go, go!" Dominic yelled, pushing Alyssa toward the hatch.

She hesitated for a split second, her eyes locking with Dominic's. "We're not leaving you behind."

"I'll be right behind you!" Dominic lied, firing at the door as it splintered.

One by one, the team disappeared through the hatch. Finally, it was just Dominic left. The door burst open, and the guards flooded into the room. Without a second thought, Dominic dove into the hatch, pulling the cover shut behind him just as bullets ricocheted off the metal.

They slid down a narrow, dimly lit tunnel, the air thick with dust and the smell of damp earth. The sound of gunfire faded behind them, but Dominic knew they weren't out of danger yet.

"Where does this lead?" Alyssa asked, breathing heavily as they reached the bottom.

"According to the blueprints, it should lead to an old escape route from when the facility was first built," Eleanor's voice crackled through their earpieces. "It'll take you to an access point about two miles outside the perimeter. I'm already arranging exfil."

"We need to move fast," Laura said, securing the data drive to her belt. "They'll figure out where we went soon enough."

The team sprinted through the dark, winding tunnel, their footsteps echoing in the confined space. Dominic's mind raced as they ran. They had the data the proof they needed to bring down The Unseen Hand. But now they had to get out alive.

By the time they emerged from the tunnel into the cold night air, exhaustion weighed heavily on them, but they couldn't stop. The perimeter was just ahead, and beyond it, their only way out.

Suddenly, a flash of light illuminated the sky. A helicopter. Not theirs.

"Down!" Dominic shouted, pulling Alyssa and Laura into cover as the chopper circled overhead.

Marcus cursed under his breath. "They've found us."

"Not yet," Dominic said, his mind racing. "We still have the element of surprise. And that's all we need."