Aiden moved steadily across the narrow platforms attached to the walls, his eyes scanning carefully as he walked.
He counted the guards silently.
Twenty-one.
On this floor alone.
And by the look of things, that was on the lower end.
Well... isn't that perfect.
Can I really take them all out?
The answer came without hesitation.
Yes. Of course I can.
His grip tightened on the rifle as his gaze shifted upward. He studied the platform above.
The walkways bolted to the walls were solid. Unmoving.
But the bridge in the center?
Suspended by thick, reinforced cables.
Aiden's eyes narrowed. That was the weak point.
The bridge wouldn't fall under rifle fire.
But a shotgun might do the job.
He kept moving, scanning quickly. Most of the nearby guards carried pistols. Not like the riflemen deeper in the complex. But among them, at least one out of every seven had something heavier. Shotguns.
Still, nothing looked fresh or well-maintained. The gear had small signs of wear. Subtle, but clear to someone watching.
His pace quickened as his target came into view.
One of the shotgun guards walked just ahead, flanked by two others with pistols.
Aiden's grip tightened. This was it.
He didn't hesitate.
He pressed the end of his rifle to the shotgun guard's neck and pulled the trigger.
The bullet tore through with a violent spray, punching out the front in a burst of shattered bone and red mist.
The man collapsed instantly.
The two beside him reacted fast.
One reached for his pistol. Aiden was faster.
Another shot cracked through the man's chest, snapping ribs and splattering the railing behind him.
The third managed to raise his weapon-
Almost.
Aiden grabbed his arm and twisted hard, wrenching it aside. Before the guard could recover, Aiden dragged the body in front of him just as gunfire erupted farther down the walkway.
Bullets tore through the corpse's back. Flesh ripped. Armor cracked. Blood sprayed the floor behind them.
Aiden stayed calm, shielded.
That made three.
Without delay, he grabbed the fallen guard's shotgun and dropped his rifle by the body. He aimed high, sighting the thick cables above.
Two blasts.
The cables snapped violently, sparks bursting from the impact.
The bridge groaned.
Supports strained.
One by one, the remaining lines screamed and tore free.
The suspended structure buckled and collapsed, crashing onto the lower platforms with thunderous force.
Screams erupted.
Bridges broke. Bodies fell.
Metal twisted and snapped under the weight of the falling wreckage. The chain reaction tore through every level beneath them.
Within seconds, it was over.
A silence followed, heavy with smoke and groaning steel.
Aiden slung the empty shotgun and picked up his rifle.
He hadn't counted how many were below. But some were gone now.
That left around eighteen still alive on this floor. The levels above were no longer a threat. Too far. Stairways gone. They were cut off.
Good.
Movement ahead.
Five guards. One shotgun.
No cover.
Aiden shifted weapons again. The rifle dropped to his side.
He stepped forward, dragging the corpse he had used as cover.
Then he fired.
The shotgun blast hit the lead guard in the gut. Flesh and armor shredded.
Aiden let the shotgun fall by its sling and drew the rifle again.
One clean shot punched through a visor and out the back of a skull.
More guards advanced in a tight line.
Aiden fired again and again.
The narrow path funneled them forward. He didn't miss.
Three more dropped in seconds.
One reached him.
The man slammed Aiden's rifle aside and raised a shotgun. Too slow.
Aiden dropped the rifle and drew his knife.
Steel flashed upward.
The blade drove under the man's jaw, burying deep.
Blood poured.
Aiden yanked the man's pistol and fired past his shoulder.
Another guard dropped, throat torn by the shot.
Still moving, Aiden shoved the corpse forward, slamming it into the next enemy.
Off balance.
Aiden fired through both.
The last two charged.
He dropped the pistol, grabbed one wrist, and turned the blade inward, driving it into the attacker's chest.
Blood splashed.
He pushed the body into the others.
Some fell. One screamed as they tumbled into the dark.
Aiden grabbed his rifle again.
He opened fire on the last survivors.
Bodies fell. Blood sprayed.
The rest slipped, lost balance, and vanished into the abyss.
That did it.
Better than I thought.
The gunfire had stopped, for now.
Above, no clear line of fire.
Below, chaos.
They wouldn't know what happened up here.
From cell 315, Garron stepped out, nearly stumbling. He caught himself at the edge, eyes wide.
"You..." he began, trailing off.
He looked at the carnage, stunned.
"What now?"
Lyanna emerged behind him, dragging Ro under her arm. Her face unreadable.
Ro, on the other hand, smiled faintly.
"Bones. Isn't that something? A pretty massacre," he said softly.
Aiden ignored him.
"The cables are still loose," he said. "Grab them. We'll slide to the lower level."
Lyanna hesitated.
"What if they shoot while we're exposed?"
Aiden stepped to the edge, looked down into the smoke and motion.
Then he raised his voice.
"Everyone! Take the ropes! We're under attack! Evacuate now! Pass the message below!"
His voice echoed.
The message spread fast.
If the guards below thought this was a retreat, no one would stop them.
And above? They wouldn't risk firing down into their own.
It would work.
It had to.
Below, soldiers began grabbing ropes and sliding down.
Aiden's eyes narrowed.
What about the prisoners?
The thought lingered only a second.
Not my problem.
He turned to his team.
"Lyanna, put some armor on yourself and Ro. Make him look like one of us."
She nodded and got to work.
"Garron, you're first," Aiden ordered.
Garron stared at the rope.
"Do I really have to?"
"Either this, or you jump."
Muttering, Garron grabbed the line and slid down.
"Ro. Your turn."
Ro said nothing. Once armored, he gripped the rope and vanished below.
Aiden watched him go.
Strange. I expected more from him.
Lyanna pulled her helmet on and joined Aiden at the edge.
"You know too much about this place," she said.
"Yeah. Figured that out too."
He stayed focused.
"But I'm the reason we're alive."
If not for the fact that I started it...
Without waiting, he grabbed the rope and dropped.
Lyanna followed.
They reached the bottom fast.
The floor was wrecked. Metal. Smoke. Blood.
Guards scrambled. Some helped each other. Most didn't even look at them.
Ro and Garron waited nearby.
Their only goal now was escape.
They moved fast toward the exit.
But one guard stood in the way.
Rifle in hand. Blocking the door.
Aiden stepped up.
"We need through! He's injured!"
The guard raised a hand.
"No one's leaving. Medics are—"
Crack.
Aiden shot him through the head.
"Run!"
They sprinted through the open door.
Gunfire rang out behind them. Shouts. Screams.
They didn't stop.
Through the corridors, across the platforms.
As they passed the first body Aiden had dropped at the start of the mission, he noted it hadn't moved.
No one had come this way.
Clear ahead.
But Ro was struggling.
Too thin. Too weak.
Aiden cursed under his breath.
"Lya. Take him. Go!"
She hesitated, then moved, pulling Ro along.
That left Aiden and Garron behind.
Aiden checked his rifle.
"Garron. Stay sharp. You see the ring on top? Line it up. Press the trigger. Don't hesitate."
Garron nodded, eyes focused.
"I'm ready."
The enemy came fast, five of them weapons raised and ready to kill.
Aiden checked his rifle. Almost empty. He fired anyway, dropping two before the rest reacted.
Bullets screamed back at them. Aiden and Garron ducked behind the wall as rounds punched into the steel.
"Garron! Cover me!" Aiden yelled, already throwing down the rifle and pushing forward.
He hit the first guard full-force and drove his knife into the man's throat before the scream could rise.
The second enemy reached for his weapon, but Aiden already had his pistol drawn and fired into the man's face.
Blood sprayed the wall. Aiden pivoted and finished the first guard with a clean, final cut to the neck.
The third froze for just a moment. Garron didn't. His shots tore the man apart before he could lift his gun.
For a second, nothing moved. Then came the next wave, four more boots pounding closer.
Aiden glanced at his pistol. Not enough ammo, and Garron couldn't hold them on his own.
The first of the new group turned the corner and fired.
"Open!" Aiden yelled.
The blue window appeared instantly, absorbing the shots without effort as the enemy adjusted aim.
The shooter dropped low, but the shield moved with him, tracking the threat.
Aiden charged, knife flashing. He ripped the blade across the man's throat, dragging him down in a spray of red.
Another enemy lunged from the side. Aiden turned and threw the knife straight into his forehead.
The blade buried to the hilt. The body fell without a sound.
The last two opened fire again, but the shield held fast, blocking every round with a faint pulse.
Aiden reached the third soldier, grabbed his arm, and twisted until the elbow cracked apart.
He yanked the man's pistol, pressed it to the visor, and fired. The helmet burst open and the body fell limp.
The final guard dropped his weapon and raised his hands. "I surrender!" he said, eyes wide.
Aiden aimed and pulled the trigger. Click. Empty.
The guard lunged, desperate. They slammed to the ground, struggling for control.
Aiden locked his grip around the man's head and twisted hard until he felt the neck snap clean.
He shoved the corpse off and stood up, breath slow, hands coated in blood.
"We're clear," he said, turning to Garron without breaking stride. "Let's catch up."
Garron nodded, a new steadiness in his eyes. "I'm ready."
They moved without another word.