Page 57 of The Fixer

The facility was a labyrinth of metal catwalks and reinforced walls. Lang’s paranoia was evident in every high-tech lock and camera they passed. Jake’s gaze flicked to the tablet strapped to his forearm, where Lyndsey’s real-time feed displayed the building’s layout.

“Two guards ahead,” Lyndsey’s voice warned. “They’re patrolling the hallway leading to the server room.”

Jake nodded at Reyna, who peeled off silently, her rifle at the ready. Moments later, two muffled shots echoed, and her voice came over the comms. “Guards down. Hallway clear.”

They moved quickly, Jake’s heart pounding as they reached the heavy steel door to the server room. He pulled a small device from his belt, attaching it to the electronic lock. The device’s screen blinked as it worked to override the system.

“Thirty seconds,” Jake muttered.

Behind him, Reyna held her rifle trained on the hallway. “Make it twenty,” she said, her tone dry but focused.

The lock clicked, and the door slid open with a soft hiss. Jake and Reyna slipped inside, the room’s sterile glow illuminating rows of humming servers.

“I’m in,” Jake said, crossing to the nearest terminal. “Lyndsey, patch in.”

“On it,” she replied, her fingers flying over her keyboard back at headquarters. Jake watched as the terminal’s screen flickered to life, displaying lines of encrypted data. Lyndsey’s voice was calm but firm as she guided him. “Plug in the drive I gave you and let the program run. It’ll decrypt the files automatically.”

Jake did as instructed, his gaze flicking to Reyna, who was still watching the door. The seconds dragged as the program worked, each beep of progress sounding painfully loud in the tense silence.

“Jake,” Lyndsey said suddenly, her voice sharp. “I’m seeing movement on the exterior cameras. Lang’s reinforcements are on their way. You’ve got maybe five minutes.”

“Understood,” Jake said, his jaw tightening. “Reyna, be ready to move.”

“Always am,” she replied, her tone clipped.

The program beeped, signaling its completion. Jake removed the drive and slipped it into his vest pocket. “We’ve got it,” he said. “Lyndsey, confirm.”

There was a pause as Lyndsey analyzed the files from her end. “It’s my work,” she said, her voice trembling with anger. “They’ve adapted it for surveillance and sabotage. This is exactly what we needed.”

“Good,” Jake said. “Now we just need to get out alive.”

“Not funny,” murmured Lyndsey.

“Sorry,” said Jake.

As they exited the server room, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder. Jake and Reyna exchanged a glance before falling into step, moving with the practiced efficiency of seasoned operatives. The first wave of guards came around the corner, and Jake fired, his shots precise and deadly. Reyna took out another with a well-placed shot to the head.

“Keep moving!” Jake barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Daniels’ voice came over the comms. “Storage area secured. We’ve got hard copies and samples. Heading to the exfil point.”

“We’ll meet you there,” Jake replied, his focus steadfast as he covered their retreat.

The team’s progress was slow, the narrow hallways forcing them to fight for every inch. Jake’s pulse pounded in his ears as he ducked behind a crate, reloading his Glock with practiced ease. He glanced at Reyna, who was taking down another guard with grim precision.

“Almost there,” she said, her breath coming in sharp bursts.

Jake’s earpiece crackled, and Lyndsey’s voice came through, stressed but steady. “Jake, you’ve got reinforcements coming from the east entrance. Three vehicles just pulled up.”

“Damn it,” Jake muttered. “We’ll never make it to the exfil point in time.”

“What’s the plan?” Reyna asked, her eyes sharp.

Jake’s mind raced as he assessed their options. “We split up. Daniels and his team take the main exit with the evidence. Reyna and I will draw the heat and meet them at the fallback point.”

Reyna nodded without hesitation, her rifle already up. “Let’s do it.”

Jake tapped his comms. “Daniels, you copy?”

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