Chapter 77 - The Hunter’s Ambush
Before Ethan could reply, the steel catwalk above them groaned under sudden weight.
A flash grenade bounced down the metal staircase, detonating with a blinding light and an ear-splitting crack. Naomi moved on pure reflex, kicking Ethan behind a reinforced steel column before throwing herself into a combat roll toward the shadows.
Gunfire ripped through the amber monitors, shattering glass and showering sparks across the concrete floor.
"Spread out! Secure the terminal!" a mercenary shouted, dropping from the overhead gantry on a tactical rappel line.
Naomi didn't draw a gun; she didn't have one. But the terrain was hers. The moment the first operative hit the floor, Naomi lunged from behind a cryo-pod. Her hand clamped onto his rifle barrel, redirecting the muzzle upward before he could squeeze the trigger. In a fluid, unbroken sequence, she delivered an open-palm strike to his throat, crushed his collarbone with a downward elbow, and stripped the sidearm from his hip holster in less than two seconds.
The other two mercenaries opened fire, but Naomi used their fallen comrade’s body as a temporary shield, advancing with relentless momentum. She fired three controlled pairs through the gap in her cover—each shot finding its mark with terrifying precision.
The two men collapsed onto the frozen metal grating without a sound.
The air smelled of cordite and burnt copper.
From the observation balcony above, slow, deliberate clapping began to echo through the chamber.
Vanessa Sterling stood behind the reinforced glass railing, flanked by a hulking man wearing heavy ballistic armor and an advanced neural interface rig strapped across his temples. His eyes were entirely unblinking, glowing with a dim amber hue.
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"Remarkable form, as always, Naomi," Vanessa sneered down at her. "Even after a plane crash, you still move like a rabid animal. But you see, technology has advanced while you were playing housemaid in Rhode Island. Meet Unit Prime. Generation Ten."
***
