Chapter-20

The voice echoed through the hallway, smooth and calculated, sending a chill down Jane’s spine. She didn’t need to glance at her team to know that they were all just as ready for what was coming next. The Hive had been playing their game for too long, and now it was time to end it.

“Did you really think you could stop The Hive?” The voice came again, but this time, there was a subtle laugh underneath it—like the speaker knew something they didn’t. "You're too late."

Jane’s hand tightened around the door handle. “No, we’re not,” she said, her voice unwavering. "We’ve been one step ahead this entire time."

With a swift motion, she pushed open the door, and the team surged in, weapons drawn, eyes scanning the dimly lit room for any sign of movement.

The tech specialist’s lab was lined with rows of servers and high-tech equipment, blinking with soft blue lights. At the far end of the room, behind a reinforced glass panel, stood a figure. Tall, with a dark suit and a sharp, calculating gaze—CEO Kim.

Jane’s blood ran cold. The last person she had expected to see.

“You...” she muttered, taking a step forward. “I should’ve known.”

Kim smiled, an almost predator-like grin. "Did you really think you could escape The Hive so easily, Jane? You’ve always been a part of this. No matter how far you run, you’re still mine to control."

Jane took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving his. “Not anymore,” she said, her voice steady.

Kim’s smile faltered, just slightly. “You’ve come all this way… for nothing. You think you can take us down? You’ve seen nothing yet. The Hive is everywhere, Jane. We own the world.”

Yami and Anya both raised their weapons, aiming at Kim. But Jane held up her hand, signaling them to hold fire.

"You’re wrong," she said. "The Hive isn’t everywhere. It’s just a system. And systems can be broken."

Kim laughed, stepping away from the glass panel. "You think this is just about data? It’s much bigger than that. We’ve been preparing for this moment for years. You're too late."

The room suddenly hummed with energy, and Jane’s instincts kicked in. She knew something was wrong. The lights flickered, and the servers began to whirr louder. The tech specialist, who had been silently monitoring the situation, hit a button on the control panel. Jane’s heart sank.

They were activating the self-destruct.

“Shit!” Yohan shouted over the comms. “They’ve set off a countdown. You’ve got seconds to stop it!"

Kim smirked, eyes glinting with satisfaction. "Time’s up, Jane."

In that moment, Jane made a split-second decision. She turned and sprinted toward the main console, sliding into the seat before anyone could react. The countdown was already at 30 seconds. With lightning speed, she hacked into the system, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Each second that passed felt like an eternity, but she couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

“Come on,” she muttered under her breath. The clock ticked down: 20 seconds. 15 seconds. 10.

The seconds were a blur as Jane worked, using every ounce of her training and skill to access the override code. She could feel the heat rising in her chest, the weight of the world pressing against her. But she couldn’t let The Hive win. Not now.

With three seconds left, her fingers pressed the final key.

Bzzt—Click.

The countdown stopped. The screen flashed red before turning to a steady green.

Jane leaned back in the chair, her breath shaky but steady. They had done it.

Kim’s face twisted in anger. He slammed his fist against the glass, but it was too late. His operation was over.

Yami moved forward, securing Kim with the cuffs. “You’re coming with us.”

Anya stepped up beside Jane, a rare smile on her lips. “You did it. We did it.”

Jane didn’t smile. There was no time for celebration. There was still so much to do.

As the team secured the facility and ensured that all data was destroyed, Jane looked around at her team—her family, her only true allies in this world of shadows. They had taken down The Hive’s strongest asset, but Jane knew that the battle wasn’t over. There were still more pieces of the puzzle to uncover, more webs to untangle.

But for the first time in a long time, Jane felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she was ready. The Hive was done, but the war? It was just beginning.

The End.

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