Chapter 69: On the Brink

The steady hum of the helicopter’s rotors filled the cabin as Ava, Lucas, and Callum sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts. The jungle below had long disappeared, and now only the vast darkness of the night sky stretched out around them. The cold air inside the helicopter felt oppressive, but the weight of what lay ahead was far heavier. They had the first encryption code—a crucial piece of the puzzle—but they still had two more. And Meridian wasn’t going to make it easy for them. If anything, they had just painted an even bigger target on their backs. Callum sat across from Ava, staring at the data drive holding the code. His face was pale, and his hands trembled slightly as the reality of their situation began to sink in. “We got one,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible over the helicopter's noise. “But the next two… How are we going to hit them both in time?” Ava didn’t answer right away. She had asked herself the same question since they left the South American faci