I take the wolf. He’s fast, but I’m faster now without suppression holding me back. I catch his shoulder—a shallow strike meant to disable without causing permanent damage. He goes down cursing.
The third operative sees Nadia and me fighting in coordination and makes a decision to back off rather than engage alone. I hear him radioing frantically as we vanish around the corner.
We keep moving.
“Exit’s ahead,” Nadia says between breaths. “Vehicle bay. I have transport ready.”
More operatives appear ahead. A full tactical team responding to the facility-wide alert.
“Nadia Frost!” Someone I don’t recognize calls out with clear authority. “Stand down. That’s an order.”
She doesn’t slow.
They engage. Six of them forming a defensive line.
My dragon doesn’t hesitate. Fire erupts from my hands—not killing heat, just enough to push them back and create an opening. The flames drive them to the sides of the corridor.
Nadia moves through the gap with wolf-enhanced speed. I follow close behind her. We’re past them before they can reorganize their formation.
The vehicle bay is close now. I can smell fuel and oil, hear the echo of the large space ahead.
One more obstacle blocks our path. The bay entrance. Two guards with weapons raised and aimed.
“Last chance, Frost,” one says with grim determination. “Hand over the prisoner.”
She looks at me. Brief assessment. Then back to the guards.
“No.”
She closes the distance between them in two powerful bounds. Takes them both out before they can fire their weapons.
We’re through.
The vehicle bay is massive. Multiple transports are parked in organized rows. She’s heading for a heavy truck near the exit ramp.
Behind us, pursuit closes in. Maybe twenty operatives converging on our position, their footsteps echoing through the bay.
We reach the truck. She throws me the keys. “You drive. I’ll cover.”
I get in and start the engine. She climbs into the passenger side with a weapon ready, facing back toward the pursuit.
I floor the accelerator.
The truck powers forward up the exit ramp toward the outer gates. Automated security is trying to close the massive doors, but we’re moving too fast.
We burst through with metal screeching and alarms wailing protests.
Open road stretches ahead. Mountain terrain. The Aurora fortress falls behind us in the rearview mirror.
Pursuit will come. They’ll organize quickly. Track us. Hunt us with everything Aurora has.
But for now, we’re clear.
I drive hard, putting distance between Aurora and us. Focus on the winding mountain road and try not to think about the reality of what just happened.
After ten minutes, Nadia says, “Pull over. Side road ahead on the right.”
I see it—a narrow track leading into dense forest. Good cover from aerial surveillance.
