Theresa had officially run out of patience. She was ready to send this woman straight to hell right then and there—when a hand suddenly reached past the group and handed her a card. "My access card," Lucas said. "If we don't make it back, go on up yourselves." Theresa took the card without a second's hesitation. Monica, witnessing this, immediately lost it. "How could you—" But Lucas cut her off coldly. "Monica, just focus on your job." Ding. The elevator arrived on the floor. Monica had no choice but to back down, though she looked like she'd swallowed a fly. She turned to glare daggers at Theresa. Theresa, unbothered, waved the access card Lucas had just given her like a trophy. That alone was enough to nearly make Monica explode. Her dad was the head of the K1 Camp, for crying out loud! No one had ever dared treat her like this. And that woman had just kicked her out of the elevator earlier! Once this mission was over, Monica swore she'd make her pay. Ding. The elevator doors slowly opened. Everyone inside immediately went on high alert. Lucas and the others at the front line took defensive stances, abilities charging in their palms, ready to strike at the first sign of danger. Ding. The doors fully opened. Silence. Total silence. Even stranger—this floor still had power. Bright, sterile white lights illuminated the entire basement level. What they saw was a long, pristine corridor, gleaming with spotless white ceramic tiles. It stretched out far ahead, leading to a massive glass security door. Through the glass, a network of office rooms could be seen—completely empty. Not a soul in sight. "This is it!" Monica exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise and relief as she looked out into the lobby. Lucas exchanged glances with his team. They cautiously stepped out of the elevator with military precision. They were pros—elite special forces. Every move was calculated. After confirming the area was clear, the rest of the group was allowed to exit the elevator. Theresa came out too, leaving her two dogs posted near the elevator like casual patrol guards. With Kyle and the dogs in tow, she sauntered after Lucas' squad like she was on a tour. Lucas, noticing they were tagging along, immediately turned. "Why are you following us?" "Just taking a stroll. Thought we'd look around." Everyone else was speechless. Seriously?They were on a high-level, top-secret mission—and these two were tagging along like they were on vacation. Was that appropriate? Absolutely. Theresa had come here to scope out and eventually take over the research facility. And here was a fully equipped team clearing the path for her—why waste the opportunity? Clearly, these people knew the place well. Following them made her job a whole lot easier. It was a perfect setup. "Don't worry about us," Theresa said politely—unusually so—to Lucas, the cannon-fodder-in-chief. "We won't get in your way. You all do your thing." After all, if anything went south, she'd just bolt. No shame in walking away from a busted mission. That was how she operated—logical and very friendly. "Who said you could follow us!" Monica snapped, stepping in again. "Take your d*mn dogs and leave! This area isn't for—ugh—"Her words cut off with a gasp. A blur of motion flashed through the crowd, and in the next instant, she was lifted clean off the ground by her throat. Choking. No air in. Only out. In the blink of an eye, Monica was suspended midair, flailing helplessly like a chicken in a slaughterhouse, wide-eyed with terror. Theresa was a reasonable person—most of the time. But in the apocalypse, she mostly let her fists do the talking. At the same time— Click! Clack! The special forces team finally reacted, half of them drawing their guns and activating their abilities, all aiming directly at Theresa. Out on the edge, Kyle and the dogs reacted just as fast. They rushed in to form a protective barrier in front of Theresa. Tension crackled like lightning.Two sides—locked in a deadly standoff. Graham and the others didn't move. They just stood frozen, completely stunned by how fast things had escalated. They didn't even know who they were supposed to help. "Drop your weapons!"