Snake Nest

Safely returning to the humid, sweltering advance base deep in the rainforest, the oppressive atmosphere almost solidified. Outside the cave, a torrential downpour raged, the dense raindrops pounding against the broad-leaved plants, creating a deafening roar that only served to accentuate the deathly silence within. Water droplets continuously seeped from the rock walls, meandering down the cold ground.

Elaine gave a detailed account of her contact with the nurse, the clues she obtained, and the details of being monitored at the hotel. Her voice was somewhat weak in the rain, but it was clear and organized.

After listening, Ghost stood silently in front of the tactics board, his sharp gaze beneath the skull mask sweeping over the rudimentary terrain sketch.

“They reacted too quickly, too professionally.” Ghost’s voice, icy cold and devoid of warmth, cut to the heart of the matter like a scalpel, coming through his mask. “This isn’t the level of a local armed group. We’re facing the core security force of ‘Purgatory.’ They know there are professionals investigating; simple infiltration and deception are no longer effective.” He turned, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: “Continuing to hide will only allow them to tighten their encirclement step by step. We must strike first, make a show of force, and obtain irrefutable evidence before they finish destroying their evidence or laying a trap.”

Keegan, leaning against the rock wall, silently wiping his rifle with a cloth, looked up at Ghost, his eyes meeting behind his goggles. He nodded slightly and said succinctly, "Agreed. Nighttime, cover of heavy rain. Objective: Medical station basement. Confirm the core area and obtain physical evidence or data. Quick in and out, avoid prolonged combat."

The plan was quickly finalized: Ghost and Keegan would serve as scouts, carrying out infiltration reconnaissance; Hesh and Konig would establish sniper positions on high ground outside the medical station, providing fire support and guarding the evacuation route; Elaine would remain at the base, responsible for long-range communication relay, real-time intelligence analysis, and... support.

In the dead of night, the torrential rain reached its peak, as if the world were shrouded in an endless curtain of water. Visibility was extremely low, and the deafening sound of the rain perfectly masked any subtle noise. Two figures, almost blending into the darkness, emerged from the rainforest like ghosts, silently approaching the medical station that was barely visible in the rain.

Ghost and Keegan's teamwork was flawless. Using the downpour and shadows, they moved like slippery fish, precisely avoiding the searchlights and silently eliminating the two shivering sentries huddled under their cloaks on the perimeter. From a concealed pipe opening used for discharging medical wastewater, the two infiltrated the building. The interior was brightly lit, a stark contrast to the darkness outside. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant and some indescribable chemical reagent.

Elaine's voice, deep and clear, came through their bone conduction headphones, guiding them away from the patrols and rotating cameras: "Turn left at the end of the corridor ahead, 20-second blind spot... Behind the cleaning cart, two guards are talking, wait 10 seconds..."

They moved like shadows through the maze-like corridors, finally arriving at a heavy, secure door with an electronic keypad lock. Keegan took out a palm-sized device, attached it to the lock, and data scrolled rapidly on the screen. A few seconds later, a green light flashed, and the lock made a soft click.

Ghost gently pushed open the door, and the two slipped inside. The sight behind the door made even these battle-hardened individuals hold their breath. This was no ordinary medical or research area.

The cold metal walls reflected the pale blue light, and rows of enormous bioreactors hummed softly, emitting a faint warmth. In the transparent culture tanks, murky liquids held suspended unidentifiable substances. Beside them, ultra-low temperature freezers bore prominent biohazard symbols and complex virus strain codes.

Most alarmingly, on a computer whose screen was not yet completely off, an encrypted shipping manifest was displayed: "Cargo: PX gene-targeting aerosol prototype; Destination: Coordinates Zulu-Alpha-Niner (deep in the Amazon); Time: 72 hours; Subjects: 'Izari' tribe." Next to the manifest was the logo of Tree of Life Corporation.

Just as Keegan plugged the portable hard drive into the computer port and began downloading data at high speed, something unexpected happened! A piercing alarm ripped through the building's silence without warning! Red warning lights spun wildly!

"Trigger hidden sensors! Evacuate!" Ghost's voice instantly turned icy cold. Almost at the same moment the alarm sounded, heavy footsteps and the sound of gun bolts being pulled back came from both ends of the passage! The well-trained armed guards reacted with astonishing speed! "Hesh, Konig, seal off the east passage! Keegan, data!" Ghost spoke rapidly, already aiming his gun at one end of the passage.

"Download complete at 70%! It will take some time!" Keegan stared at the progress bar, his voice steady, but his finger was already on the trigger.

"No time! Abandon the data, save the people!" Ghost decisively ordered. But it was too late. Bullets poured in from both ends of the passage like a torrent! Ghost and Keegan, back to back, used the reactor and control console as cover, returning fire with precise short bursts. Bullets struck the metal equipment, sending up blinding sparks and ricochets, creating deafening explosions. Hesh and Konig's sniper rifles on the perimeter also roared dully, trying to suppress the enemies pouring out of the windows and entrances. The battle was fierce and brutal.

The enemy's firepower was fierce, their tactical maneuvers were skillful, and they kept trying to flank him. As Keegan was covering Ghost's repositioning, a hot bullet grazed his left upper arm, tearing his combat uniform instantly, and blood gushed out. He groaned, but without pausing, he retaliated with a precise shot, killing the enemy who tried to charge forward.

“Keegan!” Hesh growled over the comms channel.

“Minor injury! Continue to suppress!” Keegan’s voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth, frighteningly calm.

With the precise fire support of Hesh and Konig, and the disruption of the enemy's vision caused by the torrential rain, Ghost and Keegan finally seized an opening, threw out smoke grenades, and quickly retreated along the original route, disappearing into the rain and darkness.

Staggering back to their base deep in the rainforest, both men were soaking wet, covered in mud, and reeking of gunpowder and blood. Keegan's wound on his arm was gaping open, and blood had stained half of his sleeve dark red. Elaine immediately rushed to his aid, her face pale, and without a word, quickly opened the first-aid kit.

“Press here.” She pressed a large piece of hemostatic gauze over Keegan’s wound, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly, but her movements were exceptionally swift. To complete her doctoral dissertation in sociology, Elaine had volunteered in Africa for six months, and her experience as an assistant to a peacekeeping medic had given her basic medical care skills. Cleaning, disinfecting, bandaging—her fingers moved steadily and quickly, her focus so intense that it was as if nothing around her existed.

Keegan leaned against the rock wall, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent, only his occasional rapid breathing betraying his pain. His gaze fell on Elaine's drooping, slightly trembling eyelashes, and his other hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.

Elaine carefully bandaged her wound, let out a sigh of relief, and looked up to meet Keegan's gaze: complex, painful, and weary, but deeper, there seemed to be something indescribable, almost tender. "I'm fine," he said softly, his voice hoarse from the pain.

Elaine pursed her lips, gave a soft "hmm," and turned to start packing up the equipment.

On the other side, Ghost inserted the hard drive, which he had risked his life to bring back and which contained some downloaded data, into the terminal.

Elaine immediately returned to her computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard. The decryption process was thrilling; when parts of the file content appeared on the screen, everyone gasped—it wasn't just the shipping manifest, but also some test data on the aerosolization of the virus, and a genetic analysis report of the "Izari" tribe! The evidence was irrefutable; the practical test of the "purification protocol" was imminent!

However, before they could even catch their breath, Konig suddenly pointed to the monitor screen—several heat signatures were rapidly converging on the base in a fan shape! The enemy had tracked them down to their approximate location based on their evacuation route!

"We've been exposed! Move immediately! To backup point four!" Ghost's voice was firm and decisive. There was no time to hesitate. The team members quickly destroyed everything they couldn't take and slung their essential equipment over their shoulders.

Despite the pain in his arm, Keegan lifted the equipment bag with one hand. Elaine clutched the hard drive containing the evidence tightly to her chest. The group once again plunged into the endless torrential rain and darkness.

Behind them, well-equipped enemies relentlessly pursued them; overhead, the hum of drone engines grew louder and louder, like the whisper of death. The rainforest seemed to have opened its gaping maw, ready to devour them completely.