Chapter 7 - The Trap at Midnight
The rain hammered against the rusted corrugated tin roofs of the East Side shipping docks. Shadows stretched across stacked shipping containers as Damien’s strike team moved with silent, lethal precision.
Inside the central warehouse, Ellie sat in the tactical van alongside Damien’s tech specialist, her fingers flying across the laptop keyboard, hacking into the local harbor surveillance feeds.
"They’re flanking from the water," Ellie warned through the comm-link directly to Damien’s earpiece. "Three zodiac boats approaching Pier 4. They’ve got thermal imaging gear, Damien. They’re waiting for you to step into the open courtyard."
"Copy that, sweet-talker," Damien’s voice crackled back, calm and steady amidst the brewing storm of gunfire.
Suddenly, the night erupted in blinding muzzle flashes. Heavy automatic gunfire shattered crates, sending splinters flying everywhere. Through the camera feed, Ellie watched as dozens of masked Vanguard operatives swarmed the courtyard, trapping Damien’s vanguard squad in a crossfire.
Realizing the tactical error in real-time, Ellie grabbed the dispatch mic. "Damien, fall back to Sector B! The container stack is rigged with a remote detonator—they’re trying to bury you!"
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Hearing the absolute panic and authority in her voice, Damien didn't hesitate. He roared an order to his men, diving behind a reinforced concrete pillar just as a massive explosion engulfed the exact spot where he had been standing a second prior.
The tables turned instantly. Forewarned by Ellie's real-time calculations, Moretti’s elite forces outflanked the ambushers, pinning the Vanguard mercenaries against the harbor wall.
