Page 21 of Final Sins

Game on.

11

Alex’s fingersflew across the keyboard, her eyes darting between multiple screens as she tracked the movements of the two men outside. Their casual setup at the corner of her property wasn’t fooling her.

The lights flickered and died, leaving the glow of computer screens to illuminate the space. Every penny they’d spent on backup batteries was worth it.

“They cut the power,” Jason said.

“Wait for it,” Mac said in a singsong voice.

She held her breath as the emergency generator hummed to life, restoring the lights. She allowed herself a small smirk. “Nice try, boys.”

Jason stood behind her, his presence solid and reassuring. Despite her irritation with him, she couldn’t deny the comfort of having a seasoned warrior at her side. His hands moved over the Glock she’d given him with practiced ease, checking and double-checking.

“Mac and I could take them,” he suggested, his voice low and determined.

Mac perked up. “Seriously. Let’s do this!”

Alex shook her head, tamping down the urge to let them loose. Jason was trying to hide it, but his side had to be killing him. “We don’t have enough intel. For all we know that van’s packed with more hostiles.”

She turned to Mac. “Send out the drones. Let’s see what we’re really dealing with.”

As Mac complied, Gravy’s voice piped up from the corner. “So, uh, are we winning?”

Alex bit back a sigh. “We’re gathering information, Gravy. It’s not capture the flag.”

“But if it was, we’d totally be winning, right?”

The tension in the room was palpable as they waited for the drone feedback. Alex could feel her heart pounding, the taste of adrenaline sharp on her tongue.

Mac’s voice cut through the silence. “Boss, I’m not picking up any other heat signatures in the van?—”

“Wait,” Jason interrupted, leaning closer to the screen. “What’s that?”

Alex squinted, watching as one of the men swept what looked like a metal detector over the edge of her lawn. The second man moved closer to the mansion and began to dig.

“No way,” Jason muttered. “Look at the utility bag.”

Alex’s stomach dropped as she spotted the muzzle of a rifle peeking out.

“AR15,” Jason identified, his voice grim.

The room fell silent as the gravity of their situation sank in. These weren’t just intruders; they were hunters. And RAVEN was the prey.

“They’re digging near the junction box I added to keep the security wiring separate from the house supply. There’s no way that junction would show up on blueprints. How did they know where to look?”

Alex’s breath caught as Mac’s words registered.

Jason tensed. “We need to move. Now. I can take these two down, but if Mac’s got the skills ...”

Mac cracked his knuckles. “Oh, I’ve got skills.”

Alex was about to agree when two more phone company vans rolled into view. Her stomach clenched as Mac’s voice cut through the sudden silence.

“Hold up. We’ve got multiple heat signatures in each vehicle. It’s ... it’s a small army.”

The words had barely left his mouth when the drone feed flickered and died. Alex’s fingers flew across the keyboard trying to reconnect, but it was futile. One by one, the screens went dark.

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