CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE – NEARLY CAUGHT

"Shit," she hissed, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "I've been detected. The files are almost downloaded, just give me a minute." "Negative," Logan's voice crackled urgently. "You need to get out of there now. The guards are closing in on your position." Laura gritted her teeth, her hands trembling with a heady mix of fear and determination. The file transfer was tantalizingly close to completion, the progress bar inching towards its goal. "I'm not leaving without those files," she growled, her jaw set in a stubborn line. In the distance, she could hear the pounding of boots and shouted orders, the sounds of pursuit drawing ever closer. "Laura, please," Logan pleaded, his voice laced with desperation. "It's not worth your life." But she was beyond reason, her focus narrowed to a single, unwavering goal. With a triumphant cry, she ripped the flash drive from the terminal, the files securely downloaded. "I've got it!" she exclaimed, her voice breathless with exhilaration. "N