The safe house was a dilapidated cabin nestled deep in the woods, concealed by towering evergreens and layers of mist. Zara killed the engine and stepped out, her boots crunching on the gravel. Callum followed, dragging Selena Rourke, who maintained her icy composure despite the rough treatment.
Inside, the air was stale, but it was secure. Vera's voice came through Zara's comm. "You've got some breathing room, but they'll pick up your trail soon. This location won't hold forever."
Zara nodded. "Understood. We just need a few hours."
As Callum locked Rourke to a metal chair in the corner, Zara surveyed the cabin. It wasn't much—just a single room with a battered table, a couple of cots, and a small arsenal stashed under a false floorboard. She grabbed a pistol and checked its magazine.
"Talk," Zara ordered, turning to Rourke.
Rourke leaned back, her cuffs rattling against the chair. "You'll need to be more specific."
"Don't play games," Zara snapped. "You know what the Syndicate is planning. I want locations, timelines, and names."
Rourke smirked. "You think you're in control, don't you? But the Syndicate... they're always ten steps ahead. You've already lost, Zara."
Zara clenched her jaw, her patience thinning. Callum stepped forward, his voice low and threatening. "You can cooperate, or we can make this much worse for you."
Before Rourke could respond, the cabin lights flickered. Zara's hand instinctively went to her pistol. "Vera, status?"
There was a pause before Vera's reply crackled through. "Power surge detected. Possible interference—stay sharp."
Zara exchanged a glance with Callum. Something was off. She moved to the window, peering into the darkness. The forest was unnervingly still, the usual chorus of crickets and rustling leaves replaced by silence.
Then she saw it—a faint red laser slicing through the mist, aimed directly at the cabin.
"Sniper!" Zara shouted, diving to the floor just as a bullet shattered the window. Callum yanked Rourke's chair to the ground, shielding her from the gunfire.
"They've found us!" Callum growled, grabbing his rifle.
Zara crawled to the corner, grabbing a smoke grenade from the hidden arsenal. "We're not staying to find out how many," she said, pulling the pin and tossing it outside. A thick cloud of smoke enveloped the cabin, obscuring the enemy's view.
"We move, now!" Zara barked.
Callum hauled Rourke to her feet, and they bolted out the back door, using the smoke as cover. The forest was their only hope now, its dense foliage providing a labyrinthine escape route.
As they ran, gunfire echoed behind them, the Syndicate's forces closing in. Zara's mind raced. They needed a plan, and fast.
Rourke, still restrained, chuckled. "You'll never outrun them. They always find their prey."
Zara grabbed her by the collar, her eyes blazing. "Maybe. But they've never hunted me before."
With that, Zara pushed forward, the shadows of the forest swallowing them whole. The hunt was on, and Zara Kincaid wasn't about to lose.