The Ambush

1MIN stood at the edge of the operations room, watching Victor and the team prepare for their mission. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, jaw tight. Every move Victor made felt like a reminder that, despite everything he had done for Twilight, he was being cast aside. He had led them through countless jobs, pulled them out of countless tight spots, and now, he was being left behind.

Victor’s voice carried through the room, issuing commands, leading the team, while Kazimír looked on with that infuriatingly calm smile. 1MIN had to suppress the urge to storm in and demand his place. He should be leading this mission--he knew the team better than anyone.

*This isn’t right,* 1MIN thought, frustration boiling inside him. *Victor can’t do this without me. They’ll never make it past the border without me.* He’d shown them time and time again that his leadership was what held the team together.

He turned and walked out, his steps quick and purposeful, knowing what he had to do. He moved to his quarters, opened the encrypted communicator, and typed out the message.

“Target: Sector Delta-34. Expecting high-value fugitive, possible armed resistance.”

He stared at the message for a long moment. *Victor won’t be hurt. He’s too good for that,* he reasoned. *This is about proving that I’m the one who keeps them safe. That Twilight can’t do this without me.*

He hit send.

Twilight moved swiftly, like a shadow in the night, the sound of their boots barely audible against the soft earth of the forest. Kazimír walked among them, his smug expression unshaken, though Victor kept a constant, watchful eye on him. The team had already gotten past the first few obstacles: the drones, the automated turrets. The tension was palpable, but they were almost through.

Victor's mind was focused, as always, on the mission. He couldn’t afford distractions, particularly not with Kazimír tagging along. The sooner they crossed the border and handed him off, the better.

“That’s the last checkpoint,” Spectral said quietly, pointing to a narrow gap in the security. “We’ll be clear on the other side if we move fast.”

Victor nodded, his eyes scanning the horizon. The plan was simple, precise. But something felt off. It was too easy.

Just as they moved to push through the checkpoint, a single shot rang out, cutting through the night.

Kazimír’s head snapped back with a sickening crack, and he crumpled to the ground without so much as a gasp. His body hit the dirt, blood pooling around his lifeless form.

“Ambush!” Victor shouted, barely registering the cold reality of what had just happened.

The world erupted into chaos.

Victor’s eyes flicked around, taking in the sight of armed soldiers pouring out of the trees, their rifles trained on the team. In an instant, the border patrol had them pinned down, and the situation turned desperate.

“Retreat!” Victor barked, already backing into cover. “Panzer, suppress them! Spectral, get us out of here! Move!”

The team reacted with precision, but the ambush was devastatingly efficient. 1MIN’s anonymous tip had given the border patrol just enough time to set up an overwhelming trap, and now they were paying the price.

Panzer’s heavy fire cut through the trees, sending soldiers scrambling for cover, but the enemy was relentless. Every move the team made was met with a hail of gunfire.

Axon, quick on her feet, darted behind a rock for cover, but as she tried to make her way back to the group, gunfire pinned her down. Her rifle was knocked from her hands, and she was exposed, trapped in the open.

“Karl!” Victor shouted, his eyes scanning for the best course of action. “Get to her! Cover her escape!”

Without hesitation, Karl dove for cover and sprinted toward Axon, but as he reached her, he too found himself trapped. Enemy soldiers were pushing forward, closing in on their position.

Victor cursed under his breath. There was no time left.

Seeing the threat, Victor acted without thinking. He sprang from his cover and rushed forward, firing rapidly at the advancing soldiers. Each shot was precise, sending enemies sprawling, but there were too many. They were closing in on Karl and Axon.

Victor reached them just as a group of soldiers pressed forward, weapons raised to finish the job. Without hesitation, Victor stepped into the line of fire, his body shielding Karl and Axon from the incoming barrage. He fired again and again, cutting down the soldiers in his path, his own body taking the strain.

Axon and Karl were safely behind him now, but Victor’s breathing was labored. He could feel the searing pain in his side, his shirt was damp with blood, but he refused to acknowledge it. They couldn’t stop, not now.

The soldiers, seeing their numbers thinning, started to pull back, realizing the fight was not worth the cost. They retreated into the forest, regrouping and calling for reinforcements, but not before the team managed to break free.

With the gunfire finally fading, Spectral moved into position, quickly hacking into the remaining drones that had been deployed for the pursuit.

“Spectral, do your thing,” Victor ordered, his voice barely more than a growl as he pressed on, ignoring the ache in his body.

Spectral nodded, already working his magic. Within minutes, the drones were diverted, sent off on false trails. The team’s escape route was clear, for now.

Hours passed in tense silence, the team maneuvering through dense woods and across narrow passes, always on the lookout for any sign of pursuit. But the border patrol had underestimated Twilight, Spectral’s skills with misdirecting the drones gave them the upper hand.

When they finally broke free from the search zone, the team let out collective breaths they hadn’t realized they’d been holding.

Victor, his movements slow and labored now, turned to face the team. “Sound off,” he said, though his voice was hoarse.

“I’m good,” Panzer said, his usual bravado gone, replaced with a subdued weariness.

“Alive,” Spectral confirmed, though his eyes darted around, ever watchful.

Axon was silent, but her gaze met Victor’s. There was an unspoken understanding between them.

Karl nodded. “We’re all okay,” he said, but the tension still hung in the air.

Victor’s eyes locked with his team’s, and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to exhale. They had made it. They were alive.

But as he took a step forward, his knees buckled. His body gave out beneath him, and he collapsed, hitting the ground hard.

“Victor!” Axon shouted, rushing to his side.