Chapter 75: The Final Stand

The footsteps grew louder, echoing through the cold, sterile corridors of Meridian’s central command facility. Ava’s heart raced as she turned toward the doorway, her grip tightening on her weapon. They had come far and fought through so much, but now they were out of time. Meridian’s forces were closing in fast, and the upload of the encryption codes wasn’t complete. “We’ve got incoming!” Lucas growled, his eyes narrowing as he raised his rifle, preparing for the inevitable clash. Callum was still at the terminal, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he monitored the progress of the upload. The lines of code flashed across the screen, each encryption key unlocking another layer of Meridian’s satellite network, but it wasn’t fast enough. “We’re almost there!” Callum shouted, his voice filled with tension. “Just a few more seconds!” But they didn’t have a few more seconds. The steel doors at the far end of the room burst open, and Meridian’s operatives poured in, weapons raised