The hum of the jungle was replaced by the low growl of engines as August, Jude, Cara, and Lara crouched behind a thicket of trees. Through the dense foliage, they could see the convoy in the distance—six heavily armored vehicles, their tires churning through the mud, surrounded by mercenaries on foot and drones hovering overhead. Each vehicle was equipped with enough firepower to wipe out a small city, but it wasn’t the weapons that worried August. It was the drones. They were everywhere, their glowing red eyes scanning the area like vigilant hawks.

"This is insane," Jude muttered, his voice low but laced with frustration. "How the hell are we supposed to get close with all that firepower?"

August’s gaze never wavered from the convoy. His fingers drummed lightly against his thigh, thinking. The system was still glitching, only providing fragmented updates, but he’d managed to bypass some of the issues. One thing was clear: their only shot at getting close to the convoy was to disable the drones. Without them, they could move in undetected and take their chances with the mercenaries.

"We don’t need to get close," August said, his mind already working through the plan. "We need to disrupt their surveillance and make it look like an ambush from a distance."

Lara raised an eyebrow. "An ambush from where exactly? The jungle's not exactly the best place for a firefight."

"We don’t need to fight them directly," August replied. "I’ll hack the drones. If I can cut off their communication, it’ll confuse the convoy’s defense systems. They won’t be able to track us. We move fast, hit them hard, and get in and out before they realize what happened."

Cara looked at him skeptically, glancing at the drones that were buzzing lazily above the convoy. "You really think you can do it? The system’s been glitchy, right?"

"I can do it," August said, his voice more confident than he felt. "It’s not perfect, but it’s our best shot."

He could feel the weight of the moment settle on his shoulders. If he failed, they were done. There were too many mercenaries, too many drones. And if they didn’t stop the convoy, Sabrina would be lost forever.

August adjusted the straps of his pack and activated the system’s interface. It took a moment for the display to load fully, the flickering icons frustratingly slow. He tapped into the hacking module, his fingers flying over the holographic keyboard. The system responded with a series of beeps, the map updating with the convoy’s exact position.

"They’re coming up to the clearing. I’ve got a few minutes before they reach this point," he said. "When I give the signal, we move. I’ll need a distraction to get the drones off me while I hack."

Jude looked around, sizing up their surroundings. "We’re gonna need cover, and we’ll need to move fast."

"We’ll have cover from the trees for a while," August said, scanning the area. "But we can’t wait too long. Once they get close, we’re going to be under fire."

Lara gripped her rifle, nodding. "I’ll handle the distraction. Just make sure you get those drones offline."

Cara added, "And when we’re in, we don’t waste time. We get to Sabrina, no hesitation."

"Exactly," August said. "We find her, get her out, and we’re gone."

----------------------------------------

The convoy rumbled closer, the mercenaries’ movements becoming more deliberate as they neared the clearing. August felt the tension building, the knot in his stomach growing tighter with every passing second. The moment of truth was approaching, and there was no room for error.

As the lead vehicle reached the edge of the trees, Lara signaled. She moved first, sprinting low to the ground toward a cluster of boulders that would give her the perfect line of sight on the convoy. She positioned herself quickly, hidden in the shadows, her rifle ready.

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“Now,” August whispered.

He tapped into the system again, bypassing security protocols with the hacking module. A burst of data flashed in front of his eyes as the system struggled to keep up, but August was faster. His fingers flew over the interface, working through the glitchy updates, targeting the drones one by one. The closer the convoy got, the more the system’s feedback faltered, but he pressed on.

A drone hovered over the convoy, its sensors scanning the area. August locked onto its communication signal and initiated the hack. For a brief moment, everything seemed to freeze—the drone’s red lights blinked once, twice, then flickered out. The humming sound that had been filling the air suddenly stopped. He moved to the next drone, taking it offline just as easily.

One by one, August disabled the drones, working quickly and methodically. He could feel the sweat running down the back of his neck, his fingers aching with the effort. But he couldn’t stop—not now. Not when they were so close to finally finding Sabrina.

The final drone came into view, its camera scanning back and forth. August’s heart hammered in his chest as he focused on it, overriding the system’s final barriers. His finger hovered over the activation button when the drone suddenly banked, darting toward his position. It was too late—it had detected the anomaly.

Shit!

With a swift motion, August hit the button anyway, sending a jolt of interference through the drone’s communication system. The drone staggered for a moment before losing altitude and crashing into a tree with a loud thud. It was down.

But the damage was done. The convoy’s security detail immediately switched into high alert, their movements sharpening as they scanned the trees for threats.

"Time’s up!" August barked. "Move!"

The group sprang into action. August, Jude, Cara, and Lara darted through the jungle, using the thick vegetation as cover. They had no time to waste. The convoy was now on high alert, and the mercenaries were starting to fan out, looking for the source of the disruption.

Lara’s rifle barked, the sound cutting through the air as she took down one of the first mercenaries who emerged from the trees. But the mercenaries were already regrouping, their rifles trained on the area. August could hear them shouting commands, and in the distance, the unmistakable whir of a drone being reactivated.

"We need to move faster!" Jude shouted, pulling Cara forward as the group weaved through the trees.

They reached the clearing, where the convoy had come to a halt. The mercenaries were forming a perimeter, but August didn’t hesitate. He had no time to plan anymore—only to act.

“Lara, cover us!” August called out.

Lara shifted to a new position, keeping her sights trained on the convoy. The group sprinted toward the nearest vehicle, a heavily armored truck that looked like it could take a direct hit and keep going. August didn’t know which vehicle Sabrina was in, but they had to start somewhere.

As they approached the truck, August’s system flickered, but the map was still accessible. His heart sank as the convoy began to split in two, two vehicles pulling away from the group and heading in different directions.

“Damn it,” August muttered under his breath.

"Which one?" Jude asked, panting.

The convoy was splitting. One vehicle veered toward the mountains, and the other turned in the opposite direction, toward the heart of the city.

August’s mind raced, trying to process the information as quickly as possible. The convoy had split, but without direct confirmation, they had no idea which vehicle held Sabrina. And both vehicles were heavily guarded.

“They’re splitting up,” August said, frustration leaking into his voice. “We need to choose—one or the other.”

Cara’s eyes flickered toward the two vehicles. “We can’t risk it. We’ll have to take them both out.”

“Agreed,” August said. “We move fast. We hit one, then the other. It’s the only way.”

They had no more time for second-guessing. The convoy was already separating, and if they didn’t act now, they’d lose their chance.

"Ready?" August asked, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.

Jude nodded, his hand gripping his weapon tightly.

Lara glanced at August, a cold determination in her eyes. "Let’s go."

And without another word, they sprinted toward the nearest vehicle, knowing that whatever happened next, there was no turning back.

The sound of engines roared in the distance, signaling the convoy’s movement. The chase had begun.

But as the group raced toward their target, one thought lingered in August’s mind.

Which vehicle carries Sabrina?

He didn’t know. And the uncertainty gnawed at him.