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There's a pause, and then the voice crackles back over the intercom. "Valuable information, huh? Well, I'll be the judge of that. Come on up, Maddox."
Maddox looks over at us, his expression grim. "Stay sharp," he whispers. "We don't know what we're walking into."
"I feel like this is a trap," I mutter from the corner.
Maddox shrugs. "But we're in...aren't we?"
He scans his keycard again, and this time the door unlocks with a click. We have a choice here--to stay safe and go back to the Raft, or to go inside and see if we can actually defeat the ACB.
And we can't wait any longer, as evidenced by the fact that Kendra walks in right behind Maddox.
Here goes nothing.
We follow him up a set of stairs and into a dimly-lit hallway. The walls are covered in old, peeling paint, and the air smells like mold and old cigarette smoke. This feels more like the ACB I heard about when I was young--before I joined the Enclave, when they were just a paramilitary group taking omegas captive during the Control War. It reminds me that all they are is a group of alpha supremacists, dangerously committed to keeping everyone else under their thumb.
As we make our way down the hallway, Maddox leading the way, I can't help but feel like we're walking into a trap. The thought of being captured and held by the ACB is terrifying...not for me, but because I know it would be torture for Kendra. I look over to my mate, who seems to be just as nervous as I am. Zane, on the other hand, is gripping his weapon tightly and scanning the area. He's ready for whatever comes our way.
Suddenly, we hear footsteps coming from the end of the hallway, and Maddox gestures for us to hide in a nearby room. We quickly squeeze inside, closing the door behind us just as a group of ACB agents walk by. They're heavily armed based on what I can hear from the clink of their gear, and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I glance over at Kendra, who looks like she's about to panic.
"Stay calm," Maddox whispers, his hands on her shoulders. "We can do this. We just have to get to Ramsey...and this place is never that well-protected."
"But they know we're inside," Kendra whispers. "What about the omegas? What if he kills them?"
Zane grits his teeth. "We won't let him."
We wait for the sound of the ACB agents' footsteps to fade away before Maddox cautiously peeks out of the room. He signals for us to follow him, and we proceed down the hallway once again. The tension in the air is palpable, and every nerve in my body is on edge.
We turn a corner and come face to face with a group of heavily armed ACB agents. They immediately raise their weapons, and we do the same. For a moment, we just stare each other down, neither side wanting to make the first move.
But then, all hell breaks loose.
Bullets whizz past our heads, and we return fire. The sound of gunfire echoes through the hallway, and I can hear Maddox shouting orders to Kendra and Zane. We maneuver ourselves into a defensive position, providing cover for each other as we continue to exchange fire with the agents.
My heart is pounding in my chest as I take out an ACB agent who was about to get the drop on Maddox. He turns and gives me a feral grin. "Well, thanks," he mutters.
"Doesthatmake up for the torture?" I ask.
He laughs. "Not quite yet, bud."
I can feel the adrenaline coursing through me, and I'm grateful for the training the Enclave has given me. We dodge and weave around the enemy, and I feel a pang of admiration as I watch Kendra fight like the best of us. There are only a small group of us--our squads have split up, some to go to operations, some to the weapons cache--but we manage just fine.
And then, as suddenly as it started, it stops.
The ACB agents are either dead or have retreated, and we're left standing in the middle of the hallway, guns at the ready. Maddox gestures for us to follow him, and we make our way to a door at the end of the hallway.
"This is it," he says, his voice low. "Ramsey should be behind this door."
Kendra nods, her jaw set in determination. "Let's do this."
We breach the door, guns drawn and ready for anything. But what we find inside is...unexpected. Ramsey is sitting behind a large desk, a smug grin on his face as he twirls a pen in his hand.
And behind him?
Five omegas against a wall...each with a gun to their head in the hands of five ACB agents.
I can practically feel the way that Kendra's shoulders drop, the way her heart pounds. She won't hurt those women...and neither will I. Ramsey knows exactly how to push our buttons.
I step forward, trying to remain calm despite the situation. "Ramsey, what is this? Let them go. We're not here to hurt anyone; we just want reform."
