15 Miles: The Heist
By Rapwizzy Debaron
Episode 43: No Way Out
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The screen went dark.
For a second, it felt like time froze—until red emergency lights flickered on inside the chamber.
"CORE OVERRIDE LOCKED. DETONATION IN 17 MINUTES."
Julian stood still, jaw clenched. A finality hung in the air like smoke. This was it.
Eve's voice broke the silence. "Once this goes off, Nexus collapses. But so do we."
Julian glanced over at her. "We've already crossed that line."
Carter nodded grimly. "Then we finish what we started."
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Up the shaft, Reese shoved Zane hard against the wall, blood dripping from both of them.
"You really thought you'd end us all for him?" Reese growled.
Zane's lips twisted into a faint smirk. "You still don't get it, do you? Lucian doesn't lose. Even if this place crumbles, he's five steps ahead. He always has been."
Reese struck him with the butt of his rifle. "Maybe. But we're about to delete his last step."
Zane staggered, but the fire in his eyes didn't die. "You're too late. I gave the signal. Specter Unit's coming."
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Above ground – Nexus Tower
A convoy of black transports pulled up to the tower's north gate. The doors opened silently.
Out stepped the Specter Unit—six operatives, completely covered in next-gen cloaking suits, invisible to thermal, radar, and even sound-detection tech.
Lucian watched from the command deck, eyes narrowed.
"Find them," he said. "Kill Julian last. I want him to know it was me."
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Back in the Core
Eve tapped into the tower's uplink. Her fingers flew over the cracked keyboard. "They're deploying something new—Specter operatives. Experimental killers. Untraceable."
Julian turned to Carter. "We need to split. Again."
Carter hesitated. "We barely made it out the last time."
Julian's voice was calm but firm. "They're coming for us. You, Reese, and Eve—take the north tunnel. Find a way up to the tower's base. If you get the signal out through the uplink, it'll expose everything. I'll hold the Core."
"You'll die here," Eve said.
"Then I die making it count," Julian replied.
Reese slammed a fresh mag into his weapon. "Then we make every second count."
Julian passed him a flash drive. "This has the backup files. You don't need to win the fight—just survive it."
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North tunnel – moments later
Carter led the way, flashlight beams cutting through darkness. Eve stayed close, gripping the drive like her life depended on it.
"Why didn't we just blow up the Core and run?" she asked.
Reese muttered, "Because Julian's still trying to save more than just our skins. He wants to take down Lucian's whole empire."
Eve sighed. "That's a hell of a suicide mission."
Carter glanced over. "Then let's make sure it's not."
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Core Room
Julian sat alone now, staring at the slow-turning server fans as the countdown ticked on.
08:31 remaining.
The air changed—colder. Quieter.
He stood, raising his rifle.
"I know you're there."
A shimmer moved left. Then right. A Specter operative deactivated cloak—black suit, no face, holding twin blades dripping with something that hissed against the ground.
Julian cracked his neck.
"You're not the first ghost I've faced."
He charged.
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To be continued…
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15 Miles: The Heist