Chapter 11 - The Breach at the Outpost
The red emergency lighting inside the military safehouse bathed the concrete walls in an aggressive, pulsating glow.
We had less than twenty minutes before the encrypted trace from the shadow-government downlink would pin our exact coordinates in upstate New York. I stood over the central tactical console, reviewing the perimeter thermal feeds when the outer motion sensors flashed amber.
“Colonel, movement in the tree line,” Marcus reported sharply, racking the charging handle of his rifle. “Three tactical units, approaching from the east ridge. They bypassed our land-line wire.”
“They didn't bypass it, Marcus,” I said, studying the encrypted data packet scrolling across my screen. “They used our own satellite telemetry against us. They knew the encryption keys.”
Maya stepped forward from the medical cot where she had been checking on Daniel. My son was still sleeping peacefully, his breathing stabilized by the portable oxygen unit.
“What do we do?” Maya asked, her voice steady, her eyes locked onto mine. “Can we hold them off?”
“We don't hold them off. We don't have enough men to sustain a prolonged siege against a black-ops wet-work team,” I replied, pulling a heavy tactical vest over my shoulders and strapping my sidearm into place. “We exfiltrate. Now.”
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Before Marcus could punch the emergency override for the underground vehicle bay, a dull, concussive boom echoed through the bunker. The reinforced steel security door shuddered as a shaped explosive charge blew the external keypad off the wall.
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