Chapter 7 - The Sky Above
They climbed to the roof, the cold night air biting at their skin. The satellite dish was exposed, silhouetted against the dark sky. Below, the mercenaries were still swarming the courtyard, their voices muffled by the distance.
Julian rushed to the dish, connecting his device to the terminal. "It’s taking too long!" he shouted.
"I’ll buy you time," Nia said, taking up a position behind a ventilation unit.
She watched as the mercenaries began to move toward the staircase leading to the roof. She raised the gun, her hands trembling, and fired a warning shot into the ground. They hesitated.
"They’re here!" she yelled.
Julian worked faster, his fingers flying across the keys. The progress bar on his screen crept forward—60%, 70%, 80%.
"Almost there!" he shouted.
Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past his head, striking the terminal. The device sparked and went dead.
"No!" Julian screamed.
Nia didn't hesitate. She ran toward the mercenaries, throwing herself into the fray. She used the poker she had brought with her, swinging it with everything she had. It was a chaotic, desperate fight, and for a moment, Nia felt like she was a part of something much bigger than herself.
She took down one mercenary, then another, but she was overwhelmed. She felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and the world began to spin.
"Nia!" Julian shouted.
He dove toward her, using his body to shield her from the remaining mercenaries. He fired back, his movements precise and deadly.
"Get to the dish!" he shouted. "I’ll handle this!"
Nia, dazed and wounded, crawled toward the terminal. She saw the backup connection point and, with a final, desperate effort, she plugged in the cable.
"Upload starting!" she screamed.
The screen flickered. The data began to flow. 10%, 20%, 30%...
The mercenaries were closing in. Julian was struggling to hold them back.
"It’s not enough!" he shouted.
Nia looked at the screen, her eyes blurring. "It’s going to make it!"
The progress bar hit 100%. A chime echoed through the night.
"It’s done!" she cried.
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The mercenaries stopped. They saw the notification on their own devices. The data was public. Their mission had failed.
They backed away, disappearing into the night.
