16 July 2037 — 09:00
Belarusian Military Base (Temporarily under SNA East Europe Command), Synkovichi, Belarus
The two Subaru Defenders rolled past the checkpoint gates, their armored frames glinting dully under the morning sun. The Belarusian guards saluted as the SUVs left the compound, though they knew little of where the small convoy was headed. Few did.
Inside the lead vehicle, De Luca gripped the wheel, sunglasses covering his eyes. Mei sat in the passenger seat, helmet in her lap, visor powered off for now. The hum of the engine filled the silence. Behind them, in the second Defender, Arina and Elina followed at a disciplined distance.
AURA's calm voice spoke into their ears through the AR interface. "Route set. Estimated arrival outside Warsaw: 17 July, 06:00. Advising stealth mode—avoid main highways."
"Already ahead of you," De Luca muttered, shifting gears as he turned onto a narrower rural road. Dust kicked up behind the SUV.
---
10:47
Eastern Belarus
The land stretched out in wide, empty fields broken only by small forests and abandoned farmhouses. The war had drained the countryside of civilians; windows were shattered, doors swung on rusted hinges. Only stray dogs roamed the dirt paths.
Mei adjusted the rifle lying across her lap, checking the safety. "Keep it quiet. FNA drones patrol this region."
As if on cue, AURA chimed in: "Thermal contact, bearing three-one-five. Altitude: 150 meters. Estimated MQ-98 'Hunter' UAV."
De Luca cursed under his breath. He slowed the Defender and pulled it under a collapsed barn roof. The second SUV mirrored his move, engines idling low.
"Lights off," Mei ordered.
The four of them slipped on their helmets. AR visors flickered alive, data streams overlaying the dim barn interior. Through the display, they could watch the UAV's heat signature as it cruised across the sky.
The buzzing grew louder. Arina's hand tensed around her SMG, but Mei shook her head. "Too risky. Let it pass."
For a tense forty seconds, the drone's shadow cut across the barn. Then the sound faded. AURA confirmed: "Contact cleared. Continue."
They pulled back onto the dirt track, silent once more.
---
15:20
Western Belarus
The hours dragged on. They avoided villages and main roads, sticking to tree lines and farmer trails. Once, they passed an SNA logistics convoy—trucks filled with fuel and ammunition—but Mei gestured for De Luca to steer clear. This mission wasn't about joining battles. It was about slipping past them.
Inside the second Defender, Elina sat rigid in the back seat, eyes scanning her visor readouts. Arina glanced at her. "You look like you're about to jump out of your skin."
"I'm fine," Elina replied curtly.
Arina smiled faintly. "You're holding the grip of your rifle too tight. Relax before your fingers cramp."
Elina exhaled through her nose but loosened her hold. "I don't want to mess this up. Not with… her in there." She didn't say Isabelle's name, but they all knew who she meant.
Arina's voice softened. "We won't."
---
19:45
Border of Belarus and Poland
The sun dipped low, painting the horizon orange. The convoy had reached a stretch of woodland hugging the Bug River, the unofficial line between Belarusian and Polish territory.
AURA alerted them. "Multiple heat signatures across the river. Unidentified, armed."
Mei leaned forward in her seat. "FNA patrol?"
"Likely," AURA confirmed. "Recommend silent crossing."
De Luca guided the Defender off the dirt road and into the cover of trees. The second SUV followed. They stopped near the riverbank. Mei motioned for helmets down, visors active.
Through the augmented display, the enemy patrol came into view—six men with rifles, flashlights cutting through the dusk. They walked lazily, unaware of how close the SNA operatives were.
"Too close to cross," Elina whispered over comms.
Mei's response was calm. "Wait them out."
Minutes crawled. The FNA soldiers paused to smoke, voices carrying faintly across the water. One laughed, the sound cruel and careless.
De Luca's jaw tightened. "Give me five minutes, I'll make them stop laughing."
"Negative," Mei cut him off. "No engagements unless necessary. We're ghosts tonight."
Eventually the patrol moved westward, their flashlights bobbing away. Only then did Mei signal forward.
The Defenders splashed into the river, water rising halfway up the wheels. AURA adjusted traction control automatically, engines grinding but steady. On the opposite bank, they rolled out dripping but intact.
---
23:59
Poland, outskirts of Lublin
The moon was high when they reached the countryside east of Lublin. The war's presence was everywhere: burned-out cars littered the roads, fields scarred by artillery.
In the lead vehicle, Mei's voice was barely above a whisper. "AURA, any radar activity?"
"Affirmative. FNA SAM site, 12 kilometers northwest. Interception range 40 kilometers. Advise southern bypass."
De Luca grunted. "Great. More detours."
But he obeyed, swinging the SUV south onto a rural lane. In the second vehicle, Elina muttered, "Feels like they're everywhere."
"They are," Arina replied. "But so are we."
The two Defenders crawled along backroads through the night, headlights dimmed to narrow beams. At one point they passed close enough to hear distant gunfire—Belarusian militia clashing with an FNA unit—but they pressed on. The mission demanded invisibility.
---
17 July 2037 — 02:40
Central Poland, south of Warsaw
The night dragged them deeper into enemy territory. Fatigue gnawed at all of them, but adrenaline kept their senses sharp.
They stopped in a ruined petrol station to refuel from jerry cans stored in the SUVs. Arina handed out ration bars, though no one ate more than a few bites.
Mei sat on the hood of the Defender, visor dimmed. "AURA, where's our target?"
"Cohen's signal triangulated to Warsaw's industrial district. Coordinates uploaded. Estimated arrival: 05:45."
Mei nodded. "Then we push on."
They mounted up again. The convoy rolled north, engines low, lights flicked off whenever distant silhouettes appeared. Once they even killed the engines completely, coasting silently down a slope while an FNA truck convoy thundered across an overpass above them.
---
05:37
Warsaw Outskirts
The first light of dawn crept across the skyline. The city loomed ahead—tall, scarred buildings rising against the pale sky. Smoke plumes marked fresh battles.
AURA's voice came calm and clinical: "Target coordinates in sight. Cohen's base is fortified inside the industrial zone. Multiple guard towers, heavy machine gun nests, SAM launchers."
De Luca whistled under his breath. "Looks like a damn fortress."
"Which is why we're not storming it," Mei replied. Her eyes were sharp behind her visor. "We recon, then plan."
The Defenders slowed as they reached the edge of a wooded ridge overlooking the industrial sprawl. Through the AR visors, they could see everything: patrol routes, mounted guns, even the faint outlines of prisoners' quarters.
Elina's breath caught. "That's it. He's in there."
The four of them sat in silence for a moment, staring at the stronghold that housed Cohen—and the hostages.
Mei's voice was steady, resolute. "We've found the lion's den."