Their base was never meant to be permanent.
The building used to be an old administrative office on the outskirts of Prague, a concrete structure with narrow corridors and small windows, most of them sealed with tactical panels. No identity, no official activity. Just an empty shell temporarily taken over for operations.
Hidden enough to hunt Volkov.
But never designed to be attacked from within.
And now — that was exactly what was happening.
The alarm never went off.
Liv was already on her feet when the screens began to flicker. A minor disruption, too precise to be a glitch. The camera feed shifted for a fraction of a second, then returned as if nothing had happened.
But she knew.
"They're inside."
No one had time to react before the first gunshot shattered the corridor. Close. Real. From inside.
The room shifted instantly. Operators moved. Systems opened. Commands collided. Kai was already standing at the front, taking control before anyone fully processed what was happening.
"Lock all sectors. Seal internal routes. Don't give them space."
Liv didn't wait. She was already moving.
The east corridor greeted her with a burst of gunfire. Two team members were pinned against the wall, holding pressure from the front.
"They know our routes!"
Liv slid into position, reading movements that were too precise.
This wasn't an attack. This was a hunt.
And she was the target.
A bullet sliced past her, forcing her to shift. She fired back instantly, dropping one, then moved before her position could be read.
They weren't holding. They were pushing. Closing. Advancing.
"Liv, position." Kai's voice came through.
"Pinned east."
"I'm coming."
Liv didn't respond.
Because the path behind her suddenly sealed. Steel panels dropped. Access locked. And in one second — she was cut off. Alone.
Footsteps approached from the front. More. Steadier.
The next shots came sharper, forcing her back into a narrow corridor with no room to maneuver.
A trap.
Liv kept moving, precise and controlled, but space was running out.
Four silhouettes appeared at the end of the corridor. Locking. Waiting.
And before they fired — another sound cut through the air. Fast. Precise.
Two bodies dropped in a single second.
Liv didn't need to turn. She already knew.
Leon.
For a split second, the world around her dulled. Not because the situation eased, but because something inside her surged forward — the anger she had buried for too long.
Leon moved without hesitation, emerging from a place that shouldn't exist, as if he had read all of this long before it happened. Another shot. Clean.
"Move."
Liv didn't move immediately. Her eyes locked on him.
"You knew this would happen."
Leon didn't answer. He had already opened a path, forcing space for them to escape.
Gunfire returned. They were being chased.
Liv finally moved, running beside Leon, falling into a rhythm that felt dangerously familiar.
The corridor turned into a narrow tunnel of echoing shots. Footsteps behind them grew closer.
"They're focusing on us."
"On you."
The answer was short, but enough.
Sharp turn. Emergency stairs. They descended fast, but the pursuit didn't fade.
Leon shifted Liv slightly inward. A bullet struck where she had been a second before.
He protected her. Without hesitation. Without words.
Liv wanted to snap at him, to tell him to stop doing that, but the words didn't come. Not because of fear — but because it had been too long since someone stood in front of her like that.
They reached a service corridor. Locked door.
Liv moved to shoot the panel — Leon was faster.
Click.
The door opened. Too fast.
And Liv saw it. He was always one step ahead.
They stepped outside. Night air hit them instantly.
But they weren't safe. Footsteps still followed.
They turned — and the first explosion tore through the building.
Fire burst from the upper floors. The shockwave slammed into their backs.
Liv turned. The building was collapsing from within.
"This place is done," she said quietly. "We need a new base."
Leon didn't answer. His eyes were on her.
A faint static slipped into her ear.
"Liv, location now."
Liv didn't respond. Her hand rose.
She knew this was reckless. Knew Kai wouldn't forgive her. But she needed answers more than permission.
Click. The connection cut.
The silence shifted. Closer. Real.
"Now explain."
Leon stayed quiet.
"You knew this would happen," Liv continued. "The attack. The system. Them." A pause. "Why me?"
Leon didn't answer immediately. His eyes moved slightly.
Reflex.
"You're communicating."
Leon stepped back.
Liv grabbed his arm.
"Not this time." Her voice dropped, deeper, more personal. "You don't get to show up and disappear again without explaining."
Leon looked at her hand, then back at her.
"The longer you hold me," he said quietly, "the further I get from Volkov."
The words landed hard. And changed everything.
"You're hunting him."
Leon didn't answer. But this time, his silence wasn't a denial. It was confirmation.
"You knew this would happen."
Silence. And Liv knew she was right.
"You're hiding something."
"I'm making sure you're not erased."
Another explosion echoed. Closer. Time was gone.
Leon slowly pulled free from her grip.
"Listen to me. Stay with your team."
"Why?"
One word. More honest than anything she had said.
Leon didn't answer. He stepped back. Then turned. And ran.
Not vanishing. Leaving. For real.
Liv watched until his figure disappeared into smoke and shadow.
She almost called his name. Almost. But she held it back — because if she screamed, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from chasing him. And this time, she wasn't sure he would stop if she asked.
Footsteps approached from behind. Fast.
"Liv!"
Kai appeared. His eyes scanned everything instantly. Tracks. Movement. Patterns that didn't align.
He stopped. His gaze hardened.
"Who was here?"
Liv looked at him. Calm. But not empty. For the first time, she couldn't hide everything. There was something in her eyes she couldn't explain — not fear, not anger, but exhaustion that didn't come from the battlefield.
"Too late. They're gone."
Kai didn't respond immediately. His eyes dropped again. Longer this time.
"This isn't their pattern." Quieter. Sharper. "Whose tracks are those?"
Silence.
Liv took a slow breath.
"We need to go. Our system is completely compromised. If we stay here, they'll do this again." A pause. "We relocate. Find a new site. Now."
Kai stared at her. For a long moment. As if trying to break something she refused to give.
Then finally — "All units, evacuate. We're pulling out."
The order went through.
But his gaze didn't change.
And Liv knew — this wasn't over.
And now — it wasn't just the enemy hunting her.
Kai was, too.
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