white night
The team, traveling in camouflaged snowmobiles, trudged for several days through howling snowstorms and sub-zero temperatures of forty degrees Celsius before finally approaching their target area. The Siberian wilderness is a brutal white desert, with howling winds whipping up ice shards and visibility often plummeting to just a few meters. The bitter cold is relentless; even with the most advanced cold-weather gear, the icy touch remains piercing.
The vehicles eventually hid behind a snow-covered rock face, and the rest of the journey had to be covered by sleds and on foot. The midnight sun kept the sky shrouded in a pale, grayish light, disrupting the day-night cycle and blurring the sense of time.
Every step was incredibly difficult; the snow was knee-deep, and the wind was biting. Ghost, with his exceptional navigation skills, led the way, while Hesh and Konig flanked the group, keeping watch for any potential patrols or sensors. Keegan brought up the rear, eliminating any trace of their presence. Elaine was protected in the middle of the group, gritting her teeth and persevering. Despite her immense physical exhaustion, she remained highly focused, assisting with verifying data from the electronic maps and detection equipment. Keegan remained behind her, constantly monitoring her condition, and occasionally, when Elaine was stuck in a snowdrift, he would silently and firmly grab her arm and pull her up…
The target finally came into view—a massive, Soviet-era concrete complex, like a sleeping behemoth lying across the wasteland. Most of the windows were broken, the walls were mottled, and it was covered with thick snow and icicles, exuding a lifeless aura. But through high-powered telescopes and long-range spectral scanning, the team discovered anomalies: there were regular signs of snow clearing in some areas, faint heat signals were emanating from several concealed vents, and the buildings were surrounded by extremely advanced motion sensors and low-light cameras that blended almost seamlessly into the snow.
Ghost and Keegan quickly devised a plan in a sheltered spot. Using a sudden, intensifying blizzard as cover, Konig, the silent giant, would provide sniping cover and eliminate any lone sentries on the perimeter. Ghost, Keegan, Hesh, and Elaine formed the infiltration team. They needed to find an abandoned pipe used for discharging experimental wastewater, which, according to old blueprints, might lead directly underground. Elaine's task was to hack any electronic locks they encountered and disrupt the internal monitoring system.
The infiltration process was terrifying. The abandoned pipes were dark, damp, and covered in icy scale, filled with the smell of stale chemicals. The team moved silently through the narrow space, the only sounds being their breathing and the rustling of their clothes.
Elaine nervously operated her portable terminal, successfully bypassing several old electronic barriers. At the end of the pipe, they discovered an airtight door disguised as rusted but actually recently replaced.
Keegan precisely blew open the door lock with a miniature explosive, and the group quickly infiltrated. The scene behind the door made everyone gasp. In stark contrast to its dilapidated exterior, the interior was a brightly lit, futuristic, modern corridor. The air circulation system hummed quietly, and the walls were made of smooth alloy. This was not an abandoned research institute at all, but a highly classified underground base that was still operating efficiently!
The squad moved like ghosts through the complex tunnels, avoiding patrolling, well-equipped armed guards and a dense network of cameras. Based on the scattered internal communications and signposts intercepted by Elaine, they located the core area—a massive biological incubation chamber.
Through the observation window, they saw a chilling sight: rows of huge, transparent culture tanks filled with murky liquid containing large quantities of cultures at different stages of growth! The control panel next to them displayed massive data streams, including figures such as mutation simulations, propagation rates, and percentages.
Elaine discovered through content analysis of the data that this was precisely the "Purification Protocol's" virus weaponization production line!
Even more disturbing, next to an electronic access control panel in a main passageway, Elaine spotted an unassuming company logo—three overlapping green leaves encircling a DNA double helix pattern.
Her pupils constricted sharply! She recognized the logo! When she worked for an NPO, she had prepared a global healthcare industry report and contacted them for information. It belonged to a small Swiss biotechnology company called "Tree of Life," specializing in "novel vaccine development" and making significant strides in combating novel viruses. The company was small, reputable, and had never been involved in any scandals. She never imagined it was a link in the vast "Purgatory" network, hiding such a terrifying secret!
Just as Elaine was attempting to access the internal network to download more data about the Tree of Life Corporation, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded! The base's defense system had been triggered!
"We've been discovered! Evacuate! Revert to the original route!" Ghost immediately ordered. The passageway was instantly illuminated by red emergency lights, and the heavy isolation doors began to close.
The squad fought their way back, engaging in a fierce firefight with the guards who had rushed to the scene. The sounds of silenced weapons firing, bullets ricocheting off metal walls, and the muffled thuds of guards falling mingled together. Keegan remained by Elaine's side, using precise bursts to eliminate threats ahead. While crossing an open intersection, two guards suddenly rushed out from the flank and opened fire! Bullets whistled through the air!
"Watch out!" Keegan growled, reacting with lightning speed. Instead of shoving Elaine away, he abruptly turned sideways, using his broad back and heavily armored body as a shield to firmly protect Elaine against the wall. Bullets thudded against the wall, with a couple striking the armor with dull thuds.
The impact jolted his body slightly, but he remained motionless, simultaneously raising his gun with one hand and firing a few shots to force the enemy back. The entire process happened in the blink of an eye.
Elaine was tightly protected behind him, her nose almost touching his cold combat uniform. She could clearly feel the vibrations of his body as it withstood the impact of the bullets, the solid strength transmitted through his clothing, and his steady, powerful heartbeat.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment. "Go!" Confirming the threat was temporarily averted, Keegan immediately released her, but his arm remained protectively beside her as he pushed her quickly through the danger zone. His voice, coming through his mask, was urgent and unwavering. His movements were without hesitation, as if shielding her from bullets with his own body was the most natural thing in the world.
Hesh and Ghost unleashed their full firepower, opening a passage for the team. Konig's sniping support from the outside was crucial. The squad narrowly escaped the pipe entrance, only to disappear back into the blizzard.
The pursuers were close behind, the sound of snowmobile engines growing louder as they approached. The roar of helicopter rotors echoed from the sky!
"Disperse and evacuate! Meet at the designated rendezvous point!" Ghost roared through the snowstorm.
Keegan grabbed Elaine's wrist and hissed, "This way!" He then led her toward a dense coniferous forest.
Hesh and Ghost lured the pursuers away in another direction.
Konig disappeared silently into the white woodland.
Keegan and Elaine sprinted through knee-deep snow, bullets whistling and dogs barking behind them. The blizzard was their only cover.
Keegan had extensive experience in wilderness survival; he used the terrain to constantly change direction and set up simple traps to delay his pursuers.
Elaine was almost completely exhausted, clinging on only by her survival instinct and Keegan's powerful drag. Eventually, they found the ruins of a hunter's hut, half-buried in snow, and took temporary shelter inside.
Keegan quickly examined the abrasions on Elaine's face, cleaned them with snow, and applied a bandage. His movements were swift and efficient.
“Take a five-minute break. They can’t find this place yet.” Keegan leaned against the door, listening warily to the sounds outside, his breath condensing into white mist in the cold air.
Elaine collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, her heart pounding. The cold, rough touch of his fingertips still lingered on her face where he had touched her…
Extreme exhaustion and a brief moment of relaxation washed over her like a tide. Elaine leaned against the cold wall, her eyelids drooping uncontrollably. The continuous high-intensity escape, the intense mental stress, and the enormous physical exhaustion almost made her fall into a deep sleep.
"Don't sleep." Keegan's deep voice rang out immediately, carrying an undeniable warning, like a bucket of ice water poured on her muddled consciousness. He didn't even turn around, still staring intently at the howling snow outside the door, but clearly keeping a close eye on her condition.
Elaine jolted awake, blinked hard, and shook off the drowsiness: "I'm...I'm sorry..."
Keegan turned his head, his gaze sweeping over her pale, tired face behind his goggles. He didn't scold her, but instead pulled an energy bar wrapped in silver paper from a pocket of his tactical vest, tore off a corner, and handed it to her. "Eat this. Replenish your energy." His voice was still concise, but carried a genuine concern.
Elaine took the energy bar, which was still slightly warm from her body, thanked it softly, and began to chew it slowly and diligently. The sweet and rich flavor melted in her mouth, providing the much-needed calories and sugar.
A few minutes later, Keegan suddenly raised his hand to signal for quiet and listened intently for a moment.
“We can’t stay here any longer.” He stood up decisively, his movements swift and silent. “Let’s go to the second meeting point.” He extended his hand to her, not his wrist, but his open palm, gesturing for her to grasp it.
Without hesitation, Elaine placed her cold hand into his gloved palm. Keegan pulled her up from the ground with a slight effort, while his other hand already held her gear bag. "Stay close," he commanded in a low voice, his sharp gaze sweeping across her eyes to make sure she was fully conscious.
"Understood." Elaine took a deep breath of the cold air, forcing herself to stay focused, and followed closely behind him.
Keegan silently slipped out of the hut ruins first, like a ghost disappearing into the snowstorm. Elaine gritted her teeth and followed closely behind, once again plunging into that boundless, perilous white wasteland. His hand became the only real support she could grasp in this frigid inferno.
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