Chapter 57: Countdown to Nexus

The drive back to the safe house was tense and silent, the impending operation heavy on everyone’s minds. Ava sat in the passenger seat beside Lucas, her eyes scanning the dark road ahead, but her thoughts were spinning with strategies and worst-case scenarios. Behind them, in the second vehicle, Leon sat with Diaz and Price, quiet and contemplative. Ava had kept an eye on him throughout the ride, sensing the growing tension between him and Lucas. Whatever Leon’s motives were, they needed to figure it out quickly before the mission became compromised by personal vendettas. Jess’s voice crackled through the comms, breaking the silence. “I’ve been digging into the facility’s layout,” she said, her tone serious. “It’s heavily fortified—multiple physical and digital security layers. We’ll have to hit hard and fast to stop Project Nexus before it’s too late.” Lucas tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched. “Do we have a time frame for when they plan to launch the attack