The alarm had never sounded like this before.
Liv stopped instantly.
It wasn't loud. No blaring sirens. Just a brief vibration through her comm — too subtle to notice, but impossible to ignore. Enough to trigger her instincts.
"We've got a breach," Rian's voice came through, fast. "This isn't standard access. It's an override."
Liv slowed, then came to a full stop.
The corridor was usually controlled. Clean. Every door, every camera, every access point was tied into a central system that almost never failed. This place was built to be secure. Now — it felt different. Quieter. Tighter.
"Access lock?" someone asked.
"Already trying," Rian replied. "No response. They're inside the system."
That was enough. This wasn't a glitch. This was a takeover.
Liv moved again, faster now.
The lights above flickered — not enough to go out, but enough to feel wrong, like the system was lagging behind something it couldn't catch.
"Hold your positions," Kai's voice cut in. Calm. Firm. "No one moves alone."
Liv kept walking.
"Liv." Her name. Sharp. She didn't stop.
"Report your position."
"East corridor."
"Stay there."
"Negative." No hesitation.
A brief silence followed. "That's an order."
"I'm reading the situation."
No immediate response. But she knew he didn't like that.
She turned into the next corridor. The lights above flickered once. Then died. Darkness swallowed everything. A fraction of a second. Enough.
Pftt.
A bullet hit the wall behind her. Liv moved instantly, dropping low and shifting to the side before the second shot came.
Pftt. Closer. More precise. Aimed exactly where she should have been. Someone was reading her movements.
"Contact," Liv said into the comm. "Shooter inside the facility."
"That's not possible," Rian cut in immediately. "No external access detected."
"Then he's already inside."
Liv peeked from the corner. Empty corridor. No shadow. No movement. But the shots were real. And too accurate.
"Do you see him?" Kai asked.
"No." A short pause. "Then this isn't a standard intrusion."
Liv didn't answer. She already knew that.
The lights flickered back on. Then stabilized. Still empty. Too clean.
Wall monitors activated one by one. No command. No access. All screens turned black. Then the text appeared.
ACCESS: VERIFIED
LEVEL: RESTRICTED
TARGET: ACTIVE
"Rian, explain that," Kai said.
"It's not from central," Rian replied quickly. "Someone's inside the core system. They're controlling internal access."
The text changed. Slower now. Intentional.
TRACKING…
LOCKED
Liv's breathing slowed. Her focus sharpened.
"Liv, get out of there. Now," Kai's voice came again. Stronger this time. Closer to an order that couldn't be ignored.
Too late.
Every door in the corridor slammed shut at once. Lock mechanisms engaged. Heavy. Final.
Liv turned. The path behind her was sealed. The access panel didn't respond. The system wasn't theirs anymore.
"Liv?" Kai's voice sharpened.
No answer. Her eyes were locked on the screen.
The final text appeared. Larger. Clearer.
PRIMARY TARGET CONFIRMED
Silence. Then one more line.
AGENT HART
Her breath caught.
Everything clicked into place. This wasn't random. Not a mistake. This was designed. And she was at the center of it.
"Liv, respond," Kai's voice came again.
She didn't.
Because for the first time — this wasn't about possibility. It was certain.
She wasn't just part of the mission. She was the target.
---