Chapter 34
The mechanical floor was a labyrinth of steel pipes, deafening exhaust fans, and impenetrable shadows. It was the perfect hunting ground for a phantom.
Cole moved with terrifying silence, navigating the narrow catwalks above the massive water chillers. He didn't use night vision; the ambient light from the city filtering through the shattered window was enough for his highly trained eyes.
"Three hostiles entering the north stairwell, Cole," Sarah reported softly. "Heavy armor. Suppressed weapons."
Cole positioned himself on a high pipe crossing directly above the access door. He waited, his breathing perfectly still.
The heavy metal door groaned open. Three Lazarus operatives stepped into the mechanical hub, sweeping the area with thermal optics.
"Spread out," the lead operative whispered in Russian. "He has the payload. Do not use explosives."
Cole didn't drop from the ceiling immediately. He let the first two operatives pass directly beneath him, targeting the trailing man.
He dropped silently, landing directly behind the third operative. Before the man could even register the movement, Cole clamped a hand over his mouth and drove his combat knife upward into the base of the skull, severing the brain stem. He lowered the body to the metal grating without a sound.
The first two operatives continued walking, completely unaware they had just lost their rear guard.
Cole didn't use his firearm. He picked up a heavy, discarded iron wrench from a nearby tool rack.
He threw the wrench violently against a metal pipe twenty feet to the left. The loud CLANG echoed through the cavernous space.
Both operatives spun toward the sound, their weapons raised.
Cole used the distraction to close the distance. He grabbed the barrel of the first operative's rifle, twisting it violently outward and driving a brutal elbow strike directly into the man's throat. As the first man collapsed, gasping for air, Cole drew his suppressed pistol and fired a single, point-blank shot into the second operative's chest plate, knocking him backward into a humming generator.
The entire engagement lasted less than four seconds.
"North stairwell clear," Cole reported, his voice a low, emotionless hum.
"You don't have time to celebrate, Ghost-Actual," Sarah warned urgently. "The exterior rappel team just breached the windows on the south side. You have five hostiles converging on your position."
"Route me to the service elevator," Cole commanded, stripping a full magazine from one of the dead operatives and slamming it into his MP7.
"Take the central catwalk," Sarah directed. "The elevator is at the far end. I'm overriding the doors now."
Cole sprinted across the metal grating, the heavy EMP casing banging against his chest. He reached the center of the mechanical floor just as the five Lazarus operatives emerged from the shadows, their laser sights cutting through the darkness.
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"Contact!" one of the operatives roared.
The mechanical floor erupted into a chaotic, deafening firefight.
