Contents
Chapter 25
Overview
Wren’s team infiltrates the salt mine as Luisa’s airstrike triggers the assault. Wren finally warns Cross, who offers support. The decoy team plants charges, but an active force field blocks their exit, killing Neema and nearly taking Declan before Wren compels him to jump. The evac succeeds except for Tana Archer.
Summary
Wren parachutes in with Saint’s strike unit, wrestling with whether to warn Cross now that she knows he’s at the mine. The teams split: Henley drives the attack truck while Wren joins Declan and Neema on bikes as the decoy team. Luisa launches targeted strikes on a watchtower to start the assault.
From cover, Wren drops two perimeter guards on Declan’s signal. As the decoy team drives into the supply tunnel to plant charges, Wren links to Cross, admits the extraction is underway, and secures his promise of support. Declan and Neema rapidly arm structural charges and report a ten-minute timer.
As they race to the west exit and the pickup, Teriq confirms the slave extraction is complete and Gray reports airborne with “cargo.” But the tunnel exit hums with an active force field that was supposed to be down. Neema slams into it and is killed instantly; Declan nearly follows until Wren seizes his mind and commands him to jump free at the last second.
Wren helps a shaken Declan, suspects he was affected by the current, and drives them back toward the original drop. Saint redirects pickup. Amid the retreat, Teriq reports a grim “minor setback”: one Mod was left in the camp prison for attacking a guard earlier. Pressed by Wren, he identifies the missing prisoner as Tana Archer.
Who Appears
- Wren (Dove)Narrator; leads decoy actions, warns Cross, plants charges, mind-controls Declan to avoid the force field.
- DeclanDecoy team lead; plants charges, nearly hits the active force field, saved by Wren’s compelled command.
- NeemaDecoy teammate; sets charges but dies crashing into the unexpectedly active force field.
- SaintField commander; coordinates assault, orders Luisa’s strike and redirects pickup after the force field incident.
- Cross ReddenOn-site contact; angry at the assault but pledges support when Wren links with him.
- LuisaPilot; executes targeted airstrikes on a watchtower and adjusts pickup per orders.
- TeriqExtraction lead; confirms evac success, reports one Mod left behind in prison.
- GrayOperative; confirms the evac aircraft is airborne with rescued Mods.
- HenleyAttack team driver; pilots the supply truck during the assault.
- Tana ArcherMod left behind in the camp prison after attacking a guard earlier.