The night stretched on, bitter and restless. The wind howled against the reinforced walls of our facility, a haunting reminder that we were alone in this frozen wasteland.
But not for long.
I sat by the command console, my fingers tracing the rough edges of a makeshift EMP trigger. The device was prepped, ready to fire the moment the Syndicate stepped into range.
One shot. That's all we'd get.
Ray stood beside me, watching the drone feed. The screen flickered with distorted images, interference from the worsening storm.
"Damn snow's gonna make it hard to see them coming," he muttered.
I nodded. "That's why we need to strike first."
Daniel's voice crackled over the radio. "Got movement."
Instantly, my heartbeat steadied. The moment had arrived.
Enemy at the Gates
I switched to thermal imaging, eyes narrowing at the approaching figures. They moved in a staggered formation, cautious. They learned from their last mistake.
A convoy of armored vehicles rolled behind them, plowing through the snow like unstoppable war machines. If they reached the facility, the fight would get ugly.
But they wouldn't reach the facility.
I tightened my grip on the EMP detonator. "Daniel, hold your position. We hit them the second they're in range."
A long pause. "Copy that."
The Syndicate closed in. Fifty meters. Forty.
Ray exhaled beside me. "Come on… just a little more."
Thirty meters.
I counted the seconds.
Twenty.
They stepped into the kill zone.
I pressed the detonator.
Shock and Chaos
The EMP exploded in an unseen wave of energy, crackling through the air. The effect was immediate.
The Syndicate's drones spiraled from the sky, their circuits fried. The armored vehicles ground to a halt, their systems dead. The men staggered, some ripping off their headsets as static burst through their earpieces.
They were blind.
"Now!" I shouted.
Ray's team opened fire from the sniper nests. Suppressed rounds cut through the night, hitting Syndicate soldiers before they could recover.
Then, the traps triggered.
Explosive charges beneath the snow ignited, sending shards of ice and fire through their ranks. Screams echoed in the night as chaos spread through their formation.
But the Syndicate wasn't weak. They reacted fast.
Gunfire erupted as they fired blindly, trying to regroup. The darkness worked in our favor, their night vision useless after the EMP blast.
Daniel's counteroffensive team moved in from the flank, their gunfire sharp and precise. The Syndicate's numbers thinned, bodies dropping into the snow.
For a moment, it looked like we had the upper hand.
Then the enemy adapted.
The Syndicate's Counterattack
A flare shot into the sky, bathing the battlefield in an eerie red glow. They were signaling reinforcements.
More figures emerged from the blizzard—fresh Syndicate troops, unaffected by the EMP.
Damn it.
A rocket screamed through the air, slamming into one of our sniper nests. The explosion sent debris raining down, cutting through the white landscape.
Ray cursed. "They're pushing back hard!"
The fight was slipping.
I needed to turn the tide.
I grabbed my rifle and moved toward the frontlines.
Lily's voice crackled over the radio. "James, you can't—"
"I have to," I interrupted.
I couldn't lead from behind.
Betrayal in the Dark
I made it to the outer perimeter, crouching behind cover. Bullets whizzed past, punching into the frozen earth.
I sighted an enemy, fired. He dropped.
Another advanced—but hesitated.
Something was off.
Then I saw him.
Carter.
Standing among the Syndicate, his rifle raised—but not firing. His gaze locked onto mine.
Realization hit me like a punch to the gut.
He was helping them.
Rage burned in my veins, but before I could react, Carter moved.
He disappeared into the blizzard.
Escaping.
I cursed, knowing I couldn't chase him.
The battle wasn't over yet.
I turned back to the fight.
We had to survive first.