Chapter 60: Shadows of the Future

The engine's hum was the only sound as the team drove through the darkened countryside, heading toward their new safe house. The tension in the air was palpable. They had barely escaped the Meridian facility, and now the specter of Phase Two loomed large over their heads. Ava could feel the weight of their mission pressing down harder than ever. Ava’s mind raced with thoughts of what Phase Two could entail as she sat in the passenger seat beside Lucas. If Project Nexus had been designed to cripple global infrastructure, then Phase Two must be something far more catastrophic. The stakes had never been higher, and she knew they were running out of time. Lucas remained silent, his jaw clenched as he focused on the road. His face was a mask of determination, but Ava could see the strain in his eyes. The confrontation with his father had taken a toll on him, and although he had agreed to work with Leon, the unresolved tension between them was still simmering beneath the surface. In the b