Chapter 130: Checkmate

Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Checkmate Without warning, Adrienne raised her hand, and the guards surrounded the team, weapons trained on them. Alyssa's heart raced, but she refused to show fear.

"I could kill you all right now," Adrienne said, circling them like a predator. "But where's the fun in that? You've been such an amusing distraction."

Alyssa locked eyes with her. "Then what do you want?"

Adrienne smiled, a cold glint in her eyes. "To offer you a choice. Walk away now, forget everything you've seen, and live your lives in peace. Or... stay and witness the world you're so desperate to save crumble before your very eyes."

Marcus bristled, stepping forward. "We don't negotiate with terrorists."

Adrienne raised an eyebrow, amused. "Terrorists? Is that what you think I am? No, Marcus, I'm a liberator. The world is on the verge of destruction, not because of me, but because of the systems you're so desperate to protect. I'm simply... accelerating the process."

Eleanor, her fingers twitching near her tablet, whispered to Alyssa. "She's stalling. We need to find a way out of this."

Alyssa nodded subtly. "I'm working on it," she muttered back.

Adrienne caught their exchange and chuckled. "Don't bother. There's no escape. But I will give you something, a glimpse of what's to come."

She pressed a button on the table, and a large screen descended from the ceiling. The image that filled it was horrifying: cities in flames, financial markets collapsing, people rioting in the streets.

"The Collapse has already begun," Adrienne said softly. "There's no stopping it now."

Alyssa's mind raced as she watched the destruction unfolding on the screen. This wasn't just a threat this was happening in real-time. She had to act fast.

Suddenly, a soft ping in her earpiece a signal from Eleanor. They had a chance, but it would be risky.

Alyssa's hand moved to her side, her fingers brushing the small device attached to her belt. "Now," she whispered under her breath.

In an instant, the room erupted into chaos. Alyssa activated the EMP charge, sending a shockwave through the room that fried the electronics. The lights flickered, the screens went dark, and the guards' communication systems fizzled out.

"Go!" Alyssa shouted.

Marcus was the first to react, taking down two guards with lightning precision as the team sprang into action. Evelyn ducked behind the table, drawing her weapon and firing at the nearest threat. Eleanor, already in motion, sprinted toward the control panel, trying to override the security systems and open an escape route.

Adrienne, unfazed by the commotion, stepped back, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "This won't save you."

"We'll see about that," Alyssa growled as she charged at one of the remaining guards, disarming him in a swift, fluid motion.

The team fought hard, pushing through the remaining resistance. Finally, with a triumphant shout, Eleanor managed to break through the security protocols, opening a side door.

"Go, go, go!" she yelled, and the team sprinted for the exit, barely dodging a hail of bullets as they escaped into the corrido

Alarms blared through the facility as the team fled down the narrow hallways. Behind them, Adrienne's guards pursued relentlessly, but Alyssa and her team were fast, their training kicking in as they navigated the labyrinth of tunnels.

"We need to get to the surface," Marcus panted, glancing behind them. "We're sitting ducks down here."

Evelyn, scanning the map on her wrist device, pointed ahead. "There's a maintenance elevator two floors up. It's our best shot." S~eaʀᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The team raced up a stairwell, bullets ricocheting off the walls around them. Alyssa's heart pounded in her chest as they reached the elevator. Eleanor hacked into the control panel, forcing the doors open just as the first wave of guards caught up to them.

With a final burst of energy, they leapt into the elevator, the doors closing just in time to block the incoming gunfire.

As the elevator ascended, Alyssa leaned against the wall, catching her breath. "That was too close."

Marcus wiped the sweat from his brow. "We're not out of the woods yet. Adrienne's not going to let us go that easily."

Evelyn, still focused on her map, nodded grimly. "We need to regroup and figure out our next move. Adrienne isn't bluffing. The Collapse is happening, and we're running out of time."

Alyssa straightened, her eyes burning with determination. "Then we stop it. No matter the cost."