Fated Love: A Tale of Destiny

Chapter 0018: Project Revenant

The car pulled into the dimly lit warehouse district, the engine humming as Ethan killed the headlights. Outside, the air was thick with the scent of salt and oil from the docks. A single light flickered above the warehouse door where Jaxon's team had taken refuge.

Alexander stepped out first, his sharp gaze sweeping the perimeter. "Liam, are we clear?"

Liam's voice came through the earpiece. "No threats detected—for now. But we don't have long before Sebastian's men start searching."

Claire knocked twice on the warehouse door. A few tense seconds passed before it creaked open, revealing a bloodied but standing Jaxon.

"Took you long enough," he grunted, stepping aside to let them in.

Inside, crates were stacked haphazardly, and Jaxon's team was scattered across the space—some tending to wounds, others reloading weapons. A laptop screen glowed on a table in the center, Liam's data pulled up.

Alexander walked straight to it. "Project Revenant. What do we know?"

Liam's voice crackled. "It's more than just a name. Sebastian has been funding underground experiments—highly illegal, highly classified. The files indicate human trials."

Claire stiffened. "Trials? On who?"

Liam hesitated before answering. "Disappeared civilians. People no one would miss. And from what I can tell, it's not just a side project—it's the core of Sebastian's entire operation."

Ethan let out a low curse. "What the hell is he trying to create?"

Jaxon leaned against a crate, wiping blood from his brow. "I don't know, but I've been in this game long enough to know that if someone is running secret experiments on people, it's never good."

Alexander turned to the team. "Then we take it down. Every part of it."

Claire met his gaze. "And how do we do that?"

Liam clicked a few keys. "Sebastian's main facility is heavily fortified, but there's a weak point—an underground access tunnel beneath an abandoned train yard. If we can get in, we can expose everything."

Jaxon pushed off the crate. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's end this."

The air was charged with purpose. This was more than revenge now—it was about stopping something monstrous. And they had no time to lose.

Into the Abyss

The train yard loomed before them, its rusted tracks stretching into the night like veins leading to a dead heart. The air smelled of metal and damp earth, the distant hum of the city barely reaching this forgotten place.

Alexander led the way, his footsteps silent on the gravel. Behind him, Claire, Ethan, Jaxon, and the rest of the team moved with practiced precision. Liam's voice crackled in their earpieces.

"You're right above the tunnel entrance. Security is tight, but they don't expect an infiltration from below."

Alexander crouched near an old railcar, scanning the area. Floodlights swung across the yard, illuminating patches of worn steel and broken tracks. Two guards patrolled the perimeter, their rifles slung casually over their shoulders.

"We take them out quietly," he whispered.

Ethan grinned. "My specialty."

Like shadows, they moved. In seconds, the guards were down, their radios silenced before they could call for backup. Claire knelt beside a rusted panel in the ground, brushing away years of grime to reveal a steel hatch.

"Liam, we're in."

A few keystrokes later, the lock clicked open. Ethan pried the hatch up, revealing a narrow ladder descending into darkness.

"No turning back now," Jaxon muttered.

One by one, they climbed down, the scent of damp stone and oil growing stronger. The tunnel stretched ahead, dimly lit by flickering emergency lights. Pipes ran along the walls, some leaking steam, others humming with unseen energy.

"Sebastian's lab should be two levels down," Liam informed them. "You'll find an access door ahead, but expect resistance."

As they advanced, the sound of footsteps echoed from the corridor ahead. Alexander raised a fist, signaling the team to halt. A moment later, three armed guards emerged, eyes widening in alarm.

Claire fired first. The silenced shot dropped one instantly. Ethan and Jaxon took care of the rest.

"Move," Alexander ordered.

They reached the access door—a heavy steel barrier with a biometric scanner. Liam's voice came in again. "Give me a second. I'm overriding it."

Seconds stretched into eternity before a faint beep sounded. The door slid open.

Beyond it lay the heart of Sebastian's operation.

The Heart of Darkness

The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a dimly lit corridor lined with reinforced glass panels. Beyond them, shadowy figures in white coats moved between workstations, unaware of the intruders. The hum of machines pulsed through the air, mingling with the occasional murmur of voices.

Alexander motioned for the team to advance. Their footsteps were muffled against the metallic floor, weapons at the ready. Claire's gaze swept over the lab, her stomach twisting at what she saw.

Inside the glass enclosures were people—restrained on gurneys, hooked to intravenous drips and monitors. Their eyes were closed, faces pale, bodies unnaturally still.

"What the hell is this?" Jaxon whispered, fists clenching.

Liam's voice came through their earpieces, laced with urgency. "It's worse than I thought. Sebastian isn't just experimenting—he's creating something."

Alexander moved toward a nearby console, scanning the data flashing across the screens. "He's modifying them. Testing endurance, pain thresholds, even neurological responses. This isn't just a lab—it's a factory."

Claire's fingers hovered over the keyboard. "Can we shut it down?"

Liam's keystrokes were frantic on the other end. "I'm trying, but their firewall is insane. You'll need to manually disable the servers in the control room."

Ethan glanced down the corridor. "Let me guess—it's heavily guarded?"

Jaxon exhaled sharply. "Of course it is."

Alexander looked at the team. "Then we split up. Claire, Ethan, and I will take the control room. Jaxon, cover our backs. Liam, guide us through."

They moved swiftly. Alarms had yet to sound, but time was slipping away. As they turned the corner, Claire's breath caught—two guards were stationed by a reinforced door, their hands hovering near their holsters.

No hesitation.

Two silent shots, two bodies slumping to the ground.

Ethan smirked. "I love it when a plan works."

They entered the control room—a sleek space filled with flashing monitors and security feeds. Claire wasted no time, hacking into the mainframe as Alexander and Ethan secured the doors.

"I'm in," she muttered. "Shutting down systems now."

Liam's voice was urgent. "Hurry. I just picked up movement—Sebastian knows you're there."

Alexander's jaw tightened. "Then we finish this."

The screens flickered, the lab plunging into chaos as lights shut down and locks disengaged.

And somewhere in the darkness, Sebastian was waiting.

The Final Gambit

The darkness was fleeting. Emergency lights flickered back to life, casting eerie red glows down the corridor. The hum of machines ceased, replaced by a distant wail of alarms. The lab was in chaos—scientists rushing for the exits, guards scrambling to regain control.

Claire's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Almost there… just a few more seconds."

Alexander stood by the doorway, gun raised. "We don't have a few more seconds. Liam?"

Liam's voice crackled in their earpieces. "Multiple hostiles inbound. Sebastian's elite guards. You need to move—now."

Ethan cocked his pistol. "Let's welcome them, shall we?"

Jaxon took position behind an overturned workstation, eyes locked on the corridor. The first wave of guards stormed in, rifles raised.

Gunfire erupted.

Ethan and Jaxon fired in tandem, precise and relentless. Alexander took down a guard mid-charge, his knife flashing as he moved through the chaos. Claire ducked as a bullet shattered a monitor beside her.

"Done!" she yelled. "System is locked. They can't restart the experiments!"

"Good," Alexander muttered. "Now let's end this."

They pushed forward, clearing the corridor with ruthless efficiency. Sebastian's personal quarters lay ahead—the heart of the operation. The heavy steel door was already ajar, as if inviting them in.

Alexander didn't hesitate. He stepped inside, gun drawn.

Sebastian stood at the center of the lavishly furnished room, a glass of whiskey in hand. The man looked eerily calm, a slow smirk curling his lips. Behind him, a massive screen displayed a countdown—thirty seconds remaining.

"I expected you sooner," Sebastian mused, swirling the amber liquid. "But no matter. You're too late."

Claire's breath hitched. "What did you do?"

Sebastian sighed, almost pitying. "I did what had to be done. You see, the experiment was never about the lab. It was about the data."

Alexander's stomach clenched. "Liam?"

Liam's voice came through, laced with horror. "He's uploading everything—every experiment, every test subject, every formula—onto a secure network."

Sebastian's smirk widened. "Even if you kill me, the work continues."

Claire lunged for the console, desperately trying to abort the upload. "Liam, help me shut it down!"

"Trying!" Liam's voice was frantic. "But his encryption is insane!"

Ethan raised his gun. "I say we put a bullet in him and figure out the rest later."

Sebastian laughed. "Go ahead. It won't stop what's coming."

Alexander stepped forward, his finger tightening on the trigger. "We'll see about that."

The countdown hit ten seconds.

This was it.

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(To Be Continued…)