CHAPTER 142: CHAPTER 142: THE SURFACE HUNT

The narrow maintenance corridor stretched endlessly ahead, flickering lights casting shadows that danced across the exposed brick walls. The air was damp, tinged with the smell of old mildew and rusted metal. Keller’s boots hit the floor in quiet, measured steps as he moved beside Lin. Both of them knew the danger wasn’t over—it had just shifted.

"Let’s move." Lin’s voice was low, but sharp. His eyes scanned every corner as they moved forward, never pausing for too long in any one spot. The silence around them seemed to press in, heavy with the weight of anticipation.

Keller adjusted his grip on his weapon, scanning the darkened spaces ahead. The surface was close, he could feel it in his gut, but there was no telling what kind of trouble awaited them once they reached it. "You know Mara?" Keller asked, his voice barely a whisper, the echo of their footsteps filling the space between words.

Lin’s jaw clenched. "I know her. Too well."

The answer was all Keller needed to know. Mara wasn’t just another hunter; she was someone from Lin’s past, someone with knowledge of his every move. A dangerous piece to have on the board when everything was already unraveling.

The hallway ahead turned sharply to the left, and Lin paused for a moment, holding up a hand. Keller stopped instantly, his own instincts kicking in. They weren’t alone anymore. The faint sound of movement—a soft shuffle against the concrete—reached their ears. It wasn’t the rhythmic clatter of boots; it was slower, more deliberate, like something was being dragged.

Lin’s eyes narrowed. "They’ve found us. Get ready."

Keller nodded, his grip tightening around the gun. There was no time to waste. Whoever was coming down this corridor would be on them within seconds.

Without a word, they both turned and took position. Keller found a small alcove to his left, while Lin slid behind a rusted maintenance panel that had been partially ripped from the wall. Every second of silence felt like an eternity.

The dragging sound grew louder, closer. A silhouette emerged from the shadows ahead.

Keller’s heart skipped a beat.

A figure—tall, draped in heavy layers of cloth and armor, their face obscured by a helmet—moved cautiously down the hallway. The figure wasn’t alone, either. The faint outline of another person—smaller, faster—shifted in the shadows, moving alongside the first.

"Don’t engage," Lin whispered harshly, his voice like steel. "We don’t have the advantage here."

Keller barely nodded, his instincts screaming to take the shot. But he trusted Lin. For now, they stayed hidden.

The duo passed them by, unaware of the two men lurking in the dark. Lin’s fingers tightened on the grip of his weapon, but he stayed perfectly still. As the figures passed, he motioned to Keller to stay back and wait.

They did not hear the low hum of a nearby generator until it was too late.

The sound exploded around them—metal screeching, clanging, and the sharp buzz of an electric motor ramping up to full speed. The figures ahead turned in a synchronized motion, weapons raised. Lin’s eyes widened. They weren’t just random attackers; these were specialized mercenaries, equipped with advanced tech.

And they had a drone.

"Move!" Lin’s voice was a command, sharp and unyielding. He didn’t wait for Keller to respond, already sprinting toward the corner of the hallway.

Keller followed, but his mind raced. A drone—one of those advanced models capable of using electric nets—was hovering just above the ground, scanning the corridor. They had seconds before it noticed them.

The drone whirred, its sensors flicking in their direction. The lights on its underside blinked red.

"They’ve got us." Keller said, a sense of finality creeping into his words.

Lin’s eyes were already calculating their next move. He pulled a small device from his belt, a specialized EMP grenade. Without a word, he tossed it down the hallway just as the drone’s sensors locked onto their position. The grenade clicked, its lights flashing once before a low-frequency pulse detonated.

The drone went silent mid-air, dropping to the ground with a soft thud, its lights dimming as its circuits fried.

Keller let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. "That’s one problem taken care of. But the other two..." He glanced over his shoulder.

The mercenaries were closing in fast. They had taken cover behind a set of crates, weapons trained on the men.

"We don’t have time for a firefight," Lin muttered under his breath. His eyes flicked around the hallway, searching for an escape route.

"Back the way we came," Keller said. "We move quickly."

But Lin wasn’t listening. His gaze lingered on the mercenaries for a beat longer before he glanced up at a set of pipes that ran along the ceiling, disappearing into the shadows.

"Up," Lin said, pointing to the overhead pipes. "We can move faster if we stay off the ground."

Keller’s eyes followed Lin’s hand. He could see it—narrow pipes, just wide enough to fit, and they led right toward an overhead grate.

"Think you can make that jump?" Lin asked, his voice slightly strained but steady.

Keller nodded. "I’ll manage."

Lin moved first, reaching for the lowest pipe and pulling himself up with practiced ease. Keller followed quickly, scrambling up and gaining his footing on the slick metal.

They moved swiftly along the pipes, using the height to their advantage. The mercenaries below couldn’t reach them unless they climbed, but that wouldn’t be easy.

Keller glanced back. The two mercenaries had taken cover behind a large stack of crates, weapons trained upward, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"Keep moving," Lin urged. "If we get across, we can reach the ventilation shaft."

Keller gritted his teeth and pushed forward, every movement calculated. He couldn’t afford to slip now.

Minutes passed, but it felt like hours. The corridor stretched out ahead, a dark, winding path that led toward the surface. They were nearing the ventilation shaft when a loud crash sounded from below.

Keller’s heart jumped.

The mercenaries had found another way up.

"Go!" Lin shouted, breaking into a sprint across the narrow beam of pipe. Keller pushed himself harder, faster, until they reached the shaft. Lin quickly ripped the cover off, and the two of them slipped inside just as the mercenaries rounded the corner.

The surface was close—so close. They could almost taste it.

But Keller knew one thing for sure: the moment they stepped back into the world above, they would be hunted.

And this time, it wouldn’t just be Mara.