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Audio version of Jacklyn Taylor Stories
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After the successful operation to retrieve data from Lee’s storage facility, the team was one step closer to uncovering her plan. Carl, Jack, Stella, and Leon sat around the round table in the operations room. On the screens in front of them were tunnel blueprints, city maps, and files with new information.
“Lee is using a network of underground tunnels to move weapons and people,” Carl began. “These tunnels connect to abandoned mines outside the city. That’s where they are likely hiding the rest of Daila’s data and preparing for the next step.”
“But they’re also heavily guarded,” Leon added, pointing to the map. “According to our intel, armed mercenaries are stationed there, and the security system is top-notch.”
Jack looked at the map and frowned. “So we have to get in and out without being noticed. We need to not only scout the area but also find evidence that will allow us to hold Lee accountable.”
“We have another problem,” Stella interrupted. “These tunnels might be booby-trapped. We don’t know what surprises Lee has set up for us.”
Preparation for the operation took the entire next day. Carl devised a plan involving drones for reconnaissance and sophisticated hacking tools to bypass the security systems. Jack and Leon were in charge of organizing ground support, while Stella was to coordinate operations from the command center.
“If things go wrong, we’ll have a 10-minute window to escape,” Carl warned, addressing everyone.
“That’s enough if we act fast,” Jack replied.
That evening, the team entered the tunnels. The air was heavy, and the damp walls reflected the weak light of their flashlights. Every step echoed, making them uneasy.
“We have two paths,” Jack whispered, stopping at a junction. “One leads to the server room, the other to the storage area.”
“We’ll split up,” Leon suggested. “Jack and I will head to the server room. Carl and Stella will take care of the storage.”
“Move quietly. We don’t have room for mistakes,” Carl reminded them.
Jack and Leon moved down the narrow corridor, trying to make as little noise as possible. Their path led them to a massive metal door with an electronic lock. Leon pulled out a hacking device and connected it to the panel.
Here is the translation into English:
“We’ve got about two minutes,” Leon said, watching the process.
“Faster,” Jack muttered, glancing around.
When the lock clicked, they entered. The server room was filled with computers and cables, the flashing indicator lights creating a tense atmosphere.
“I’ll start copying the data,” Leon said, plugging in a flash drive. “You guard the door.”
Jack positioned himself at the entrance, listening intently. A minute later, he heard footsteps.
“We’ve got company,” he whispered.
Leon hurried, trying to finish the download. Two armed guards appeared in the hallway. Jack shot first, neutralizing one, but the second raised the alarm.
“We don’t have time!” Leon shouted, pulling out the flash drive. “Let’s go!”
Meanwhile, Carl and Stella reached the storage room. Inside, they found boxes of weapons, but what caught their attention were the blueprints on the table.
“These are city plans,” Stella noted. “Lee’s preparing for something big.”
Carl took photos of the blueprints, but just then, the storage room doors burst open. Three guards walked in. Carl and Stella hid behind the boxes, ready for a fight.
“We have to get this data out,” Stella whispered. “Otherwise, it’s all for nothing.”
Carl nodded, throwing a smoke grenade. Using the chaos, they darted out of the storage and ran toward the exit.
The group met at the main exit of the tunnels. Voices and footsteps of guards echoed behind them.
“We won’t make it if we go the usual way,” Carl said, pointing to a back exit.
“We only have one shot,” Jack agreed. “Run!”
When they finally exited the tunnels, a car was waiting. Carl immediately contacted the command center.
“We’ve got the data, but we’ve been compromised. We need to move quickly.”
Jack glanced at the flash drive in Leon’s hands.
“If it has what we need, we’re one step closer to taking down Lee.”
The underground world of Rochford, hidden from the bustle of the streets, was like a true labyrinth: abandoned tunnels, intersecting passageways, and echoes of the past. In these dark corridors, Jack felt like he was inside a beast’s belly—every step could be fatal.
The team, split up, ventured deeper into the tunnels. Jack and Leon headed for the server room, while Carl and Stella made their way to the weapon storage. The air smelled heavy, mixed with the metallic tang of danger.
“Have you ever wondered how far this has gone?” Leon asked, breaking the silence.
“All the time,” Jack replied briefly, keeping his weapon ready. “But we’re not here to talk about it.”
Leon nodded, his face tense. Lee’s hidden operations were a puzzle they were trying to solve, but the deeper they went, the more questions arose.
Meanwhile, Carl and Stella found the entrance to the storage. The place looked abandoned, but inside was anything but. The weapons were neatly stacked, and maps and schematics hung on the walls. But what struck them the most was the huge board with photographs and connections between key figures.
“This isn’t just a storage room,” Stella whispered, studying the board. “It’s a command center.”
“So Lee’s operating directly from here,” Carl added, taking photos of everything.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps outside the door. Carl gestured for them to hide. The door opened, and two men entered. They were discussing a shipment that was supposed to go through the tunnels.
“If these boxes aren’t delivered on time, Lee will destroy us,” one of them said.
“Don’t worry. We still have a day to get everything ready,” the other replied.
Carl and Stella held their breath. The shipment information could be useful, but they didn’t have time. They decided to wait for the men to leave before continuing their recon.
Jack and Leon approached the massive server room door. Leon began hacking the lock, and Jack kept an eye on the corridor. Suddenly, he noticed movement in the distance.
“We’ve got company,” he said, pressing against the wall.
Leon sped up, but the door opened just in time. They entered quickly and locked it behind them. The server room was enormous: screens, flashing lights, thousands of cables. Leon immediately began downloading the data, while Jack surveyed the room.
“Something’s wrong here,” he said. “This place is too well-guarded.”
“Maybe because it’s her main hub,” Leon replied, pointing at one of the screens. “This is her entire network: routes, contacts, tunnel schematics.”
Jack stepped closer and saw that the screen displayed a map of tunnels leading to the city center. A large concentration of people was marked in one section.
“What is this?” he asked.
“It looks like a place where they’re gathering for something big,” Leon replied.
Meanwhile, Carl and Stella continued to search the storage. In the far corner, they found another crate, which, as it turned out, wasn’t filled with weapons but with strange equipment.
“This looks like server parts,” Stella remarked.
“Lee is moving part of her network,” Carl speculated. “But where to?”
They recorded all the data and decided to leave. However, the exit from the storage was blocked. Lee’s mercenaries had likely noticed their presence.
“We’ve got a problem,” Carl said into the radio. “We’re blocked.”
Jack and Leon finished downloading the data, but the alarm had already been raised. They could hear the guards knocking on the door.
“Let’s go,” Jack said.
Leon disconnected the equipment, and they began looking for another exit. The corridors were narrow, and the guards were closing in.
At one point, Jack noticed a ventilation hatch.
“Here!” he shouted.
They crawled into the ventilation system, trying to escape their pursuers. The ventilation led them to the main part of the tunnels, where they met up with Carl and Stella.
“We’ve got the data, but we’ve been discovered,” Jack said.
“Let’s head to the exit,” Carl ordered.
The group moved quickly, but the tunnels seemed endless. They could hear the voices of their pursuers but tried not to slow down. When they finally reached the exit, a car was waiting for them.
“We did it,” Leon said, jumping inside.
But Jack, sitting in the car, couldn’t shake the feeling that they had only just begun to unravel this mystery.
Later, at the command center, Carl analyzed the data. They had found confirmation that Lee was using the tunnels for covert operations, but the most important discovery was a key recording.
“She’s planning a meeting with the higher-ups of the syndicate,” Carl said. “This is our chance to catch her.”
Jack looked at the tunnel map.
“Then this will be our next target.”
Sitting in the command center, Jack studied the map of the tunnels and the files they had extracted from the servers. One of the files caught his attention more than the others: Lee’s route, marked on the map, matched the location of an old underground club known for its secrecy.
“If she’s really planning a meeting with the syndicate, it’ll happen here,” Jack said, pointing to a spot on the map.
“We can use this to intercept her,” Carl suggested. “We have a few hours before the operation starts.”
Jack nodded, but the weight of the situation didn’t leave him. He knew that Lee wasn’t the kind of opponent who could be easily caught off guard.
By evening, the team was ready. Carl and Leon took positions at the tunnel entrance, while Stella monitored the situation through cameras. Jack led the group that was to enter.
This time, the tunnels felt even more ominous. The silence was almost deafening, and the mold-covered walls reflected the weak light from their flashlights.
“We’re close,” Jack said as the team approached a massive door.
When they entered, they were greeted by an unexpected scene: the room was empty. The crates and equipment that were supposed to be here had disappeared. Instead, there was a small note on the floor.
“You thought you could catch me? You’ve just begun playing. — Lee.”
“It’s a trap!” Carl shouted, but it was too late.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the side corridors. The group found themselves surrounded. Lee’s mercenaries, heavily armed, filled the room. Jack raised his hands, signaling the team to surrender.
“Smart, but not smart enough,” one of the mercenaries said, pointing at Jack. “You’re our target.”
Despite the situation, Jack kept his calm.
“You won’t get far,” he said. “We know more than you think.”
The mercenary only smirked, but at that moment, a loud explosion rang out. Carl, who had remained at the entrance, triggered the explosives to distract the guards.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Jack and his team began shooting, neutralizing the mercenaries one by one. In the narrow corridors, the shootout was brief but fierce. Finally, when the last of the opponents fell, the team rushed toward the exit.
At the base, everyone was tired but alive. Carl sat at the computer, analyzing the latest data.
“We didn’t catch Lee, but we’ve confirmed her next move,” he said. “We still have a chance to stop her.”
“But not today,” Jack replied, removing his jacket. “I’m leaving.”
“Where to?” Leon asked.
“To Derek,” he answered. “I need a break.”
Late at night, Jack stopped at Derek’s cabin. He was already waiting for him on the porch, holding a cup of tea. When Jack got out of the car, Derek stood up and smiled.
“Long day?” he asked.
“Very,” Jack replied, walking closer.
They spent the rest of the night together, talking on the porch. Derek shared stories from his day, and Jack finally allowed himself to relax. This cabin, this person—everything here was his refuge.
When the moon rose high in the sky, they went inside to spend another night in warmth and peace, forgetting about the world full of secrets and dangers.
In the warm light of the lamp on the porch, Derek poured tea into cups while Jack stretched his legs and took a deep breath of the fresh night air. This place always helped him regain himself, especially after such tense days.
“You’re all tense,” Derek noticed, sitting beside him. “What happened this time?”
Jack shook his head and gave a small smile.
“Lee is one step ahead again. We almost caught her, but she knew we were coming. Instead of her, we found a trap and a dozen mercenaries. Everything was planned down to the smallest detail.”
Derek handed him a cup of hot tea.
“You’re used to these games. But one day, she’ll make a mistake.”
Jack took a sip, savoring the burning warmth. His gaze lingered on Derek’s face, illuminated by the soft light.
“Thank you for always waiting for me,” he said quietly. “Without this, I would have lost myself a long time ago.”
Derek smiled, but there was worry in his eyes.
“You know I’ll always be here,” he replied. “But, Jack, I want you to choose yourself sometimes, not just the mission.”
Later, in the house, they decided to cook dinner together. Derek was busy with a knife, chopping vegetables, while Jack watched him with a light smile. These were simple moments, but they filled life with something real, something not connected to the threats that always hung over their heads.
“Do you even know how to cook?” Derek asked with a grin, looking at Jack.
“I can make anything if I have clear instructions,” Jack replied, laughing. “But it seems you’re managing just fine without me.”
Derek handed him the pot with vegetables.
“Here, hold this. Your instruction: don’t let them burn.”
After dinner, they cleared the table and then settled on the couch in front of the fireplace. Jack allowed himself to relax, feeling the fatigue finally retreat.
“Do you think she’ll make a mistake?” he suddenly asked, gazing into the fire.
“Everyone makes mistakes, Jack. Even those who think they’re invincible,” Derek said, placing his hand on his shoulder. “You just have to be ready to seize the moment.”
Jack was silent, but his gaze remained focused. He understood that Lee was their main adversary, and the fight with her would be long. But for this moment, he allowed himself to forget everything except the warmth of the fire and Derek’s hand.
The night became a time when tension gave way to closeness. Together, they shared moments that were so important to both of them. Derek was not just a refuge for Jack, but his strength. And for Derek, Jack was a reminder that even in the most dangerous situations, something real could be found.
When the light began to break through the window, Jack realized he was ready to get back into the game. Lee might be one step ahead, but he was prepared to do whatever it took to change the rules.
The next morning, already dressed for the day ahead, Jack stood at the door. Derek watched him with a glance.
“Good luck, Jack,” he said, holding back a smile. “And don’t forget, you have somewhere to come back to.”
Jack nodded and stepped outside. The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon, lighting a new day full of uncertainty.
