#21: Against the Clock

The corridor seemed narrower and more oppressive as Lara and Dante ran, alarms echoing like a war drum in their ears. The pulsing red lights flashed intermittently, turning each step into a frantic sprint for the exit.

“They’re going to close all escape routes!” Dante shouted, covering Lara as she disabled one of the sensors with her device.

“Only if we’re slower than them!” Lara replied, breathless.

The sound of approaching boots made Dante stop quickly and turn, his gun ready. Two guards appeared around the bend in the corridor, and he fired accurately, taking them down before they could react.

“Keep going!” he said, signaling for her to move forward.

Lara pulled Dante by the sleeve of his jacket, the two of them running together to a metal staircase that led to a lower level.

Plan B

“Where to now?” Dante asked, looking at the fork at the end of the corridor.

Lara consulted her holographic map.

“Left, then straight. There’s an emergency exit that Alma marked as our best bet.”

“What if she’s wrong?”

Lara stared at him, her eyes shining with determination.

“Then we’ll improvise, as always.”

They moved forward, but the sound of footsteps and voices soon indicated that they were not alone.

“Damn it, they’re already here.” Dante grabbed her arm, pulling her into a small side room.

Lara looked around, trying to find anything useful. A security console on the wall caught her eye.

“Give me cover. I’ll see if I can divert the guards.”

Dante nodded, positioning himself by the door as Lara connected her device to the console.

“Come on, come on…” she muttered, as lines of code filled the screen.

The sound of footsteps and shouts grew closer. Dante held his breath, his fingers tight on the trigger.

Suddenly, the alarms changed tone, and confused voices could be heard.

“I diverted them to the east sector. That should buy us a few minutes.” Lara pulled out the device and signaled to Dante. “Come on!”

A Blocked Path

They quickly made their way through the corridors, but as they turned the last corner, they came face to face with a large, locked steel door.

“Don’t tell me this was on the map!” Dante complained, as Lara examined the control panel next to it.

“It wasn’t. But I can fix it.”

As Lara worked frantically to unlock the door, Dante heard the sound of voices again, this time closer.

“They’re coming, Lara.”

“Give me 30 seconds.”

“You only have 15.”

Dante pointed his gun down the corridor as Lara continued typing. The sound of boots grew closer and closer. He held his breath, waiting for the right moment.

“Ready!” — she said, as the door swung open with a hiss.

The two of them hurried through, Lara closing the door behind them.

Unlikely Sacrifice

On the other side of the door, the silence was almost deafening. Lara and Dante stood for a moment, panting.

“We’re almost there. The exit should be less than fifty meters away.” Lara looked at him, her eyes shining with weariness and determination.

But before they could continue, the sound of footsteps echoed again. This time, it was a larger group, coming from both sides.

“We won’t have time!” Dante said, adjusting his defensive position.

Lara looked at him, her mind working quickly. She pulled a small improvised explosive device from her backpack.

“We will. But you’ll have to run.”

“What? No!” Dante grabbed her arm, his eyes burning in protest.

“Dante, trust me. I know what I’m doing.” She activated the device and handed it to him.

“Put this on the door to the control area. It will disable the alarm systems for a few minutes. I’ll catch up with you.”

He hesitated for a moment, but the guards were coming.

“If you don’t come back…” He stopped, his voice breaking.

Lara smiled, a small, tired smile.

“I’ll come back. Now go!”

Reluctantly, Dante ran, disappearing into the hallway. Lara turned, took a deep breath, and prepared to face the guards who were coming.

Echoes in the Darkness

Lara knew that every second counted. The sound of gunshots and footsteps mixed together, creating a chaotic symphony around her.

Meanwhile, Dante ran down the hallway, his heart heavy with the possibility of never seeing her again.

Lara finally managed to escape through a side exit, but she was injured. Even so, she didn’t stop running. His focus was on a single goal: finding Dante and completing the mission, no matter the cost.

The weight of sacrifice hung in the air, and the rising tension promised that the worst was yet to come.