EPISODE 84– A Cage of Wires
The blaring alarms in the subterranean data center were a deafening siren call, but they were no match for the roar of gunfire and breaking glass. Minjae and Micha, trapped, found themselves surrounded by a squad of armed guards, their path to the exit blocked by a man whose face they had just identified on the news as Mr. Kwon.
"Well, well," Mr. Kwon said, his voice a low, cold sneer. He was standing in the doorway of a hidden elevator, a picture of calm in the chaos. "It seems I have some uninvited guests. You're fools to have come here. This facility is a tomb." He was dressed in an expensive suit, his face calm and composed, a chilling contrast to the chaos he had created. He didn't recognize them, of course. They were in disguise, their faces obscured by the shadows and the low-tech masks of their "wealthy couple" cover story. They were just nameless intruders, and he was ready to bury them.
Minjae didn't waste a second on words. He was a machine, a whirlwind of calculated violence. He slammed his hand against a server rack, sending a shower of sparks and a cloud of dust into the air, creating a momentary distraction. He used the server racks for cover, a dangerous, agile shadow in the chaotic room. He was a force of nature, taking down the nearest guards with brutal, efficient strikes.
Micha, her heart hammering against her ribs, pushed her personal fear aside. This was a mission, and her training took over. She moved with a desperate grace, using the same cover as Minjae, her weapon now her only lifeline. The two of them, a deadly dance of forced cooperation, fought as a unit. Minjae would take out a guard with a single, brutal move, and Micha would cover his back, her shots precise and deadly.
The View from the Headquarters
Back at the CHIPER headquarters, the tension was palpable. The team was watching the live feed from Minjae and Micha's body cams, the screen a chaotic blur of gunfire and shadows. Kevin was shouting commands, his hands on the main console. Guen was standing by, a trauma kit open and ready, her face pale with worry. But the busiest of them all was Alex.
"I'm in!" Alex yelled, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "I've bypassed the main security firewall. Kevin, the exit is locked with a new, complex encryption. I can't break it from here."
Kevin's jaw was tight. "Minjae, Micha, can you hear me? The exit is locked! Alex is trying to find a way to open it, but you'll have to find another way out!"
Minjae's cold voice came through the comms. "Understood. The target is on the move. He's heading for a secure elevator."
Alex, his eyes glued to the screen, was their lifeline. "I've got the blueprints! The elevator leads to a sub-level. It's a fortified bunker, and the doors are sealed. You can't get in there. He's trying to escape."
The Chase and The Trap
Minjae and Micha, fighting their way through the remaining guards, saw Mr. Kwon disappear into a hidden elevator. "We have to get to him!" Minjae yelled, his voice a sharp command. "Before he seals the bunker!"
They fought with a renewed sense of urgency, their movements a seamless, brutal ballet. Micha, her adrenaline now at a peak, moved with an almost reckless abandon, taking down two guards on her own. Minjae, seeing her efficiency, gave her a brief, approving glance.
Just as they reached the elevator, a loud, booming alarm echoed through the facility. The doors slammed shut, and a cold, synthesized voice announced: "Facility lockdown initiated. All exits are sealed. Prepare for sanitation."
Alex's voice, full of panic, came through the comms. "Kevin! He's sealed the whole floor! The air is being pumped with a neural toxin! They have ten minutes!"
Minjae and Micha, trapped in a cold, metal cage, looked at each other, their eyes wide with fear. Mr. Kwon had outsmarted them. They were alone, the doors were sealed, and a deadly toxin was now filling the air. Their mission to stop the financial crisis had just become a desperate fight for survival.