Silence settled in the flickering glow of the Leviathan's laboratory. Shadow stared at Evelyn's retreating back as she disappeared behind a bulkhead door. The pistol in his hand suddenly felt heavy, as if it belonged to someone else.
Ingrid exchanged a glance with him. "Do we follow?" she whispered.
Shadow held up a trembling finger. "Team – gather the data drives," he murmured. "Just secure what we can."
They spread out. Jack crouched at a terminal, hacking into the ship's network. "I'm pulling everything on Helix," he said quietly, fingers flying. Files and schematics scrolled by. "Helix isn't just one project. It's a serum variant targeting DNA sequences. They planned mass production."
Marcus uncuffed one of the table restraints, kneeling next to the sedated test subject. "Scanned their pulse. They'll live, thank God." Relief softened his voice.
Shadow approached Evelyn's locked lab door. Her footsteps had halted just out of sight – she might still be caged on the other side. He hit the intercom. "Eve? Unlock the door." Nothing but static. Shadow's gut told him to leave the medic here. They had to prioritize the mission.
Ingrid leaned in to Jack. "Status?"
Jack scrolled furiously. "Labs, blueprints, shipping manifests… Got it. But time's up – the whole ship's on full lockdown, and the control panels are fried."
A distant blast rumbled. Somewhere above deck, one of Marcus's charges had gone off. The Leviathan's internal structure groaned and shuddered. Probably the boilers.
"I think we just woke the neighbors," Jade said, breathing out slowly.
Shadow saw Marcus freeze. The massive soldier had noticed something behind Jack's station.
One of the grate-covered floor vents popped open with a hiss. A cluster of masked men surrounded Jack and the lab console.
"Jack, down!" Shadow shouted, body tensing. The guards were ruthless. One yanked Jack to his feet, a needle glinting in his grip.
Jack's eyes widened; he felt the guard's hand tighten on him. "Please…" he gasped.
Marcus lunged. "No!"
In an instant, gunfire erupted. Shadow dove forward as shots rang out. The guard shoved Jack behind him, pressing a pistol at Jack's ribs.
Jack barely gasped aloud. His face twisted with pain. "I can't…" he started to croak. The memory card – the Helix data – was still in Marcus's hand.
A minute stretched. The entire ship seemed to hold its breath – only the distant thunder and the hiss of vents broke the silence.
Shadow's voice cut sharp, steady. "Enough!" He slid around the console, aimed. In one movement, he fired at the guard's weapon hand. The shot was loud and clean. The pistol flew from the guard's grasp.
Marcus dove into Jack and pulled him out of danger. The injured guard fell with a scream.
Shadow slammed the vent closed with his boot. Dust rained down as the grate sealed the corridor.
Jack collapsed, leaning heavily. Shadow hoisted him up as he coughed and blood trickled from his mouth.
Jade swept the corridor with her flashlight. "No more reinforcements in sight," she reported. "We need to move."
Jack shook his head, trying to stand. "Grab onto me," he muttered. He felt weak but pushed up, drawing breath as the needle's effects began to fade.
They regrouped. The memory card containing the Helix data was secure in Jack's hand. The sedated test subject's breathing slowly became lighter.
Shadow took a deep breath. The small victory felt hollow. Evelyn was gone. But they had everything on Helix.
"Get ready," he said quietly. "Extraction in T minus ten."
Outside, the sky was bruised purple. The storm had passed. Far below on the waves, the outline of a mini-sub awaited – their ride home.
Shadow finally allowed himself a moment. He turned to the others. "We did it," he said, voice barely above a whisper. It felt more like a question.
Ingrid's eyes were full of worry. "We lost her," she said softly, meaning Eve.
Shadow clenched his jaw, staring at the data pad in his hands. The code Project Helix glowed dimly. "She wasn't just a medic," he replied tightly.
Marcus peeled off his wet jacket. "Next time I fight in the drink," he muttered, "I want warm coffee on land."
Shadow didn't answer immediately. He gazed at the flickering code and beyond. Project Helix was bigger than they ever guessed, and the cost felt higher than any of them realized.
Jack let out a shaky breath. "They know we have Helix. They know we have the code," he said quietly.
Shadow placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "The world changes now that we have this truth," he said.
Above, through the sub's domed viewport, the Leviathan appeared small and burning. Its hidden horrors would sink with it, but what they learned lived on.
The submersible shuddered and descended. Shadow turned away from the dying lab. A cold realization settled in: they were no longer just soldiers. They were the only line between the world and a new kind of war.
The ocean swallowed the Leviathan.