CHAPTER 284: BREACH PROTOCOL

The night over Noctis Ridge was a biting chill, sharp enough to sting.

Even through the Ghostveil Mk-IV suit, you could feel it,a palpable tension in the air, as if the entire valley was holding its breath in anticipation.

The landing zone nestled within a plateau’s hollow, protected on three sides by jagged basalt cliffs.

With no moon and no stars to light the sky, the only illumination came from low-profile task lamps arranged in a circle around the command table.

Their pale glow cast shadows over steel cases, weapon racks, and the men and women prepared to fight for the man who sent them here.

The atmosphere was stripped down to essentials,the dry click of magazines seating into rifles.The whisper of combat knives sliding into thigh sheaths.

The distant thrum of a fighter jet circling beyond sight.

At the head of the table stood Gunner,broad-shouldered and clean-shaven,his helmet tucked under one arm as he scanned the tactical display.

He radiated stillness; his presence commanded attention without needing to raise his voice.

Meanwhile, Ethan leaned casually against a weapons crate, observing the commanders as if this were some pre-show entertainment.

He had already checked his gear twice but lacked their taut focus; instead, he wore a smirk like armor.

"Five minutes to roll," Gunner said without looking up.

Around him, seven Aegis-7 commanders fell into their silent pre-mission rhythm.

Each moved with precision and habit,as though their bodies had memorized this deadly dance long before tonight.

Rask double-checked his rifle scope alignment with one eye closed; his scarred hands steady as stone.

Lyra flicked open and shut her folding knife with idle grace while murmuring what might have been a prayer or perhaps just a bet with herself.

Holt adjusted pressure seals on his forearm plates while committing every contour of the map to memory.

Silas worked through diagnostics on his drone controller; faint rotor hums pulsed through his comms feed.

Captain Mireille Dusk pulled her hair into an even tighter knot, rolling her shoulders like a prizefighter preparing for battle.

Stone loaded his underbarrel launcher with casual calm born from too many campaigns under his belt.

Vance polished his helmet visor with a cloth corner while humming tunelessly,as if this were just another Tuesday.

The only voice breaking through this focused quiet was Ethan’s.

"You know," he said while watching Rask screw on a suppressor cap, "there’s a word for how serious you all look,it starts with ’S’ and ends with ’tightly wound.’"

Mireille didn’t even glance at him. "That’s two words."

"Semantics." Ethan grinned back at her.

Gunner remained fixated on the display screen. "Status report."

Stone stepped forward, his voice steady and commanding. "Perimeter scouts are in position. No signs they know we’re here. Skyfang’s on standby for air cover."

Silas chimed in, "Drones confirm minimal outer patrols. Entry points are clear, but motion sensors along Route C are actively sweeping."

Gunner leaned over the map, tracing potential paths with a finger. "Then we take Routes A and B. Split into three teams: Mireille and Rask, you’re on Alpha; Holt and Lyra, Bravo; Stone, Vance, you’re with me on Charlie. Silas, coordinate drone overwatch."

Ethan grinned mischievously as he clapped his hands together. "And I’m the wild card!"

"You’ll stick with Charlie until the breach," Gunner replied flatly.

A silence settled over the group until a shadow shifted at the edge of their circle, a soldier clad in Ghostveil armor saluted sharply.

"Commander,the convoy’s here."

The low hum of engines filled the air.

Three matte-black transport trucks rolled into view, headlights dimmed to preserve stealth as they glided into formation like well-trained phantoms.

"OK everyone get moving!" Gunner shouted in a commanding voice as all of them quickly packed up and boarded the trucks.

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As the convoy moved silently along the narrow mountain road without headlights, tension hung thick inside the lead transport.

The only light flickered from a tactical map displayed on a holo-screen fixed to the wall.

Wind whistled through gun slits, carrying with it the sharp scent of cold rock mingled with burning oil.

Gunner sat across from Mireille and Stone, helmet secured and visor darkened.

He remained silent but poised; his gloved hands rested calmly on his knees an image of stillness before a predator strikes.

"Seventy seconds to drop," Silas’ voice crackled through everyone’s comms from the drone relay.

Mantis-X5 rifles stood ready in their magnetic racks, each already chambered for action.

Next to them, Ghostveil Mk-IV suits pulsed faintly with tracer lights coursing through their filament lines while cure injectors nestled snugly in wrist ports like hidden weapons waiting for deployment.

"Thermals?" Gunner asked quietly.

"Five guards on west scaffolds; two patrols circling every one-fifty seconds," Silas reported back coolly. "Main gate’s shut tight."

Lyra stretched her neck until it cracked audibly like breaking twigs. "That sounds like our invitation."

Ethan lounged against a side panel casually spinning a combat knife between his fingers. "An invitation is one thing; I doubt they’ll RSVP."

Stone shot him an incredulous look. "Do you even know how to stay quiet?"

"Sure," Ethan replied nonchalantly while flipping the blade effortlessly into his palm. "I just choose not to.

The transport jolted to a stop, the rear hatch hissing open as a blast of icy air surged into the compartment.

"Go," Gunner commanded, his voice steady and sure.

Alpha team,Mireille and Rask,were the first to drop, slipping into the shadows like whispers in the night, rifles held low and visors glowing with readiness.

Bravo followed suit, Holt and Lyra veering toward the south fence with practiced stealth.

Meanwhile, Charlie team,Gunner, Stone, Vance, and Ethan,took position on the eastern flank, their boots sinking into frost-hardened earth with every cautious step.

Above them, Silas’ drones buzzed softly like distant bees, tracking their movements against the darkening sky.

"Alpha in position," Mireille’s voice crackled through their comms.

"Bravo ready," came Holt’s reply.

"Charlie moving," Gunner confirmed.

Ahead loomed the lab,a jagged scar on the mountainside, half-buried beneath layers of concrete and steel plating.

The outer walls bristled ominously with cameras and motion turrets that seemed to watch their every move.

"EMP on my mark," Gunner instructed calmly.

With precision, a small cylinder soared over the nearest tower before detonating with a muted thump.

A ripple of blue static danced across the wall; cameras blinked out of existence while turrets sagged lifelessly.

"Mark," Gunner said sharply.

Alpha breached first, slicing through the west fence in mere seconds. Bravo scaled the south wall effortlessly; their camo suits refracted low light like magic.

Charlie slipped through a maintenance tunnel where darkness enveloped them like an old friend,their Ghostveil suits drinking it in hungrily.

Inside that tunnel? The air was thick with chemicals,a stinging reminder of what lay ahead.

Ethan tapped his wrist plate; filters engaged with a soft hiss that broke the eerie silence.

"Remember," Gunner reminded them over comms, "we’re in and out,no heroics. If you see containment breach warnings, you pull back."

The tunnel ended at a steel hatch where Stone stepped forward confidently.

He slapped a magnetic breach charge onto the lock; moments later it blew inward with a sharp crackle as smoke curled from its edges.

And then they were inside,white hallways stretching before them under harsh overhead lights that flickered ominously.

The faint mechanical heartbeat of ventilation filled their ears like an unsettling lullaby.

The first guard never stood a chance; Rask’s suppressed shot silenced him before he could even shout for help.

Lyra’s voice cut through: "Contact! West corridor! Three down!"

Silas chimed in urgently: "Motion sweep coming online in thirty seconds! You’re burned if you don’t keep moving!"

"Copy that!" Gunner replied briskly. "Move!"