Chapter 44: The Battle Lines

The night was alive with the sound of gunfire and shouted commands, the darkness illuminated by the sporadic flashes of muzzle fire. Ava crouched behind a stack of crates, her heart hammering in her chest, as she kept her eyes on Lydia and her team. She could hear Lucas moving in position to her right, his footsteps barely audible. “Keep them pinned!” Diaz’s voice crackled over the radio, cutting through the chaos. “We need to isolate Lydia from her team.” Ava nodded, aiming her weapon and squeezing off a few shots, forcing Lydia’s men to duck for cover. She could see Lydia’s silhouette moving through the shadows, quick and agile, always out of reach. “Jess, what’s her position?” Ava whispered into her earpiece. Jess’s voice came through, calm despite the tension. “She’s moving towards the southeast corner, trying to flank you. Watch your six.” Ava turned, scanning the darkness, and spotted Lydia’s figure darting behind a stack of barrels. “I see her,” she muttered. “Lucas, she’s