15 Miles: The Heist
By Rapwizzy Debaron
Episode 23: Firewall of Truth
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Underground, the air grew colder, denser—as if the tunnel itself knew what was coming. Julian led the team through a collapsing service corridor beneath the old MetroZone. Pipes hissed overhead, dripping rust and steam. Sparks crackled from exposed wires as Eve examined the glowing chip Lyra had handed them.
"This chip… it's ancient code, but it's alive," she muttered. "Almost like Max designed it to adapt."
Lyra walked close beside her, hood pulled low, glancing over her shoulder every few steps.
"You sure you're ready for this?" Julian asked.
The girl nodded. "I didn't survive the slums and Ghost Net's black labs to turn back now."
Reese grunted. "Still feels like a setup. What kid knows how to decrypt adaptive code?"
"I'm not a kid," Lyra replied, eyeing him. "I'm the glitch they couldn't erase."
Julian stopped. They had reached it. A steel-reinforced door covered in faded military warnings: Project Firewall – Do Not Access.
"Time to knock," he said.
Eve stepped forward and slotted in the chip. The entire corridor trembled. From within the vault, ancient machinery roared to life, gears turning like something waking from decades of sleep.
Then—a hiss.
The door slid open, revealing a circular chamber lit by thousands of blinking data nodes.
"Welcome to the Firewall of Truth," Lyra whispered.
Inside, the room pulsed with information. Holograms flickered to life—global maps, military strikes, political secrets. Names. Files. Everything Nexus had ever touched.
Julian's face hardened. "This isn't just a weapon. It's the truth. Every cover-up. Every murder. Every backdoor deal."
"Broadcast it," Eve said. "Let the world see what they've hidden."
Lyra frowned. "There's a reason Max didn't. Once this is out, it can't be undone. Chaos will follow."
Suddenly—alarms.
Red lights strobed. A deep, mechanical voice boomed through the vault.
"Unauthorized breach. Termination protocol engaged."
Metal panels shifted in the walls. Automated defense turrets emerged.
"Take cover!" Reese shouted, flipping over a console and returning fire.
Julian ducked and called out, "Eve, upload the data now!"
"I need 60 seconds!" she yelled, fingers racing across the interface.
Lyra leapt into action, jamming a blade into a floor panel and rerouting power.
The turrets turned. Fire sprayed across the vault. Sparks rained down like hellfire.
Julian rolled toward one turret and disabled it with a pulse charge. "How long?!"
"Ten seconds!" Eve called.
Then—the room went quiet.
The lights dimmed. The turrets powered down.
A deep voice echoed again, different this time. Familiar.
"Nice to see you all again."
On the central screen, Lucian's face appeared. Calm. Smiling.
"You really thought I'd let you play with my secrets?"
Julian stepped forward. "We're not playing anymore."
Lucian's smile faded. "Then welcome to war."
The screen shattered.
The vault floor shook violently as explosive charges triggered in the walls.
"Run!" Reese shouted.
They sprinted for the exit, Lyra tucked between them, Eve clutching the hard drive. The fireball from the explosion chased them down the corridor like a demon unleashed.
They barely made it out—soot-covered, panting, alive.
Julian looked down at the drive in Eve's hands.
"You got it?"
Eve nodded, breathless. "The world's about to burn."
Julian smiled grimly. "Good."
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To be continued…
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