Chapter 18 – The Breach
The trucks thundered down the N11, tyres slicing through morning mist as dawn broke gold and grey over Dublin’s outskirts. Inside the lead truck, Salty sat with his rifle resting between his knees, eyes closed in silent focus. Karen sat opposite him, checking her wrist implant, monitoring the Trojan worm burrowing deeper into Horizon’s grid.
“ETA five minutes,” she whispered. “Once we’re inside, I trigger the blackout. You’ll have fifteen minutes max before Horizon’s backups kick in.”
Salty opened his eyes slowly. “Plenty of time.”
Sarah, seated beside him, clutched his arm tightly. “Be careful,” she whispered. “They need you alive.”
Salty smiled faintly. “I’ll be grand, love. If I don’t make it, keep them marching.”
The truck lurched to a halt. Through the steel slats, they saw the vast concrete bulk of the Port Tunnel Control Complex rise before them. Black Horizon drones hovered overhead like metallic hornets, scanning the approach road with flickering blue lenses.
🐍 Inside Horizon HQ
Deep below the tunnel entrance, in the fortified server vault, stood Rahman Patel.
He was tall and thin, with slicked-back black hair and a gold Rolex glinting under the harsh fluorescent lights. His expensive Italian suit clashed with the grime of the underground vault, but he didn’t care. Money was money, whether earned in skyscraper boardrooms or dirty tunnel complexes.
Rahman scrolled lazily through a tablet displaying migrant manifests:
“Shipment: 75 Pakistani males, Lahore origin, redirected via Belfast route. Status: Processing.”
He smirked. Horizon’s EU partners paid him €2,000 per head, with extra bonuses for fast-tracked minors and unregistered families. It was filthy work – human cargo for cheap labour and social re-engineering – but he was a filthy man. And he loved it.
Cormac approached from the side, his ginger beard damp with sweat.
“Rahman,” he said gruffly. “Security flagged comms anomalies. We’re sweeping upstairs.”
Patel barely glanced at him. “Deal with it. I’m busy. Brussels wants this next shipment processed by noon.”
🔥 Above Ground
Karen’s wrist implant pinged. “We’re in,” she whispered. Her fingers flew across her tablet, eyes glowing as the Trojan worm activated. Instantly, Horizon’s entire underground grid went dark. Drones fell from the sky with metallic clangs. Server room doors unlocked with sharp electronic clicks.
Salty stood, chambering a round in his rifle. “Let’s go.”
They burst from the truck, storming the entrance with gas masks and flashbangs. Horizon mercs scattered under the sudden assault. Karen led two fighters to the data vault stairwell while Salty and his main team cleared the upper floors.
🏴☠️ The Vault
Rahman Patel spun around as the reinforced steel door burst open. Karen strode in, tactical vest bristling with spare mags, braid swinging over her shoulder. Behind her, two masked fighters covered the flanks with raised carbines.
“Who the hell are you?” he snapped, backing towards his tablet console.
Karen smiled coldly. “Your worst nightmare.”
She fired a quick burst into the ceiling above him, plaster raining down onto his perfect hair. Patel dropped the tablet in panic, raising his hands.
“Wait! I have money! Crypto wallets! Offshore accounts! I can pay you!”
Karen stepped forward until her nose almost touched his. Her green eyes burned with disgust.
“You’re the one bringing them in, aren’t you? Families, kids… treated like livestock.”
“It’s just business!” he whimpered, sweat pouring down his temples. “The EU pays Horizon to move quotas. I’m just a facilitator.”
Karen leaned closer, her voice a deadly whisper. “You’re just a scumbag.”
She pistol-whipped him across the jaw. He dropped to the ground, groaning and clutching his face as blood dripped between his manicured fingers.
“Bag him,” she ordered the fighters. “He’ll sing nicely for the livestream.”
🚨 Above
Salty finished zip-tying the last Horizon merc to a support pillar as Sarah appeared at his side.
“We’ve secured Patel,” she said breathlessly. “Karen’s uploading the files to every major news network right now.”
Salty nodded, his beard twitching into a grim smile.
“Good. The people need to see his face. See the scum that sold out their country for a Rolex and a bonus.”
He slung his rifle and took her hand gently. “Come on. Let’s go finish this.”
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