Location: Outside Research Facility, Taipei, TaiwanTime: 2:30 AM
Tires screeched as a black van tore out from the research facility's rear exit.In the backseat, Michael Taylor struggled against his restraints.
[IRON Agents – Inside the Van]Status: Michael Taylor successfully capturedOccupants: 4 agents, armed with submachine gunsEscape Route: Cutting through downtown Taipei toward an outer highway
IRON Agent 1: "Too easy. Are we sure this guy has the data we need?"IRON Agent 2: "Positive. The servers are toast. Whatever we need, it's in his head."
[Vincent's Team – Outside Facility]
Nick Carson: "Shit, they're getting away fast!"Emily: "Accessing traffic cams—heading east at 120 km/h!"Feynman: "That escape is way too clean… I don't like this."Gabriel: "If they're running this smooth, they've accounted for us chasing them."
Vincent took a sharp breath."Let's go."
Nick revved the engine of their modified Audi RS7 and slammed it into gear. The tires screamed as the car launched forward.
[Pursuit Begins – Entering Downtown Taipei]
Nick Carson: "They won't outrun me. Nitrous boost armed."Volkov: "Just don't blow up half the city."Nick: "Explosives are your department."
Vincent from the back seat, tuning the comms:"If you can take out their tires, do it."
Gabriel leaned out the window, aiming.Bang! Bang!Bullets tore into the rear tire. The SUV swerved but the driver recovered control instantly.
Nick: "Damn, pros on their side too."
[IRON's Counterattack – Mobile Gunfight]
The van's windows dropped. Gunfire erupted.
Volkov: "This ain't a chase anymore!"Nick: "Then start shooting back!"
Volkov smirked, pulled his pistol, and returned fire.Bang! Bang! Bang!Rounds pinged off the SUV's bulletproof windows.
[Chase Route – Into the City]
Civilian traffic. Risk of collisions. Police cruisers entered the chase via radio alert.The IRON van swerved into a construction site.
Feynman: "They're veering into a closed zone—trying to shake us!"Nick, grinning: "We're not braking either."
Boost engaged.The RS7 roared into the narrow work zone.
Vincent: "We need to stop them. Ideas?"Volkov: "Yeah. Flip the damn car."
Volkov opened the door, half-hung out, and grabbed a small C4 charge from his bag.
Nick: "You're throwing that?! While we're moving?!"Volkov: "Subtlety left three missions ago."
He lobbed the charge beneath the van's rear axle.
BOOM!
The SUV launched upward, did a full roll mid-air, and slammed to the pavement.
Nick: "Dude, we're making Taiwanese news now."Volkov: "We're probably trending already."
The SUV tumbled and came to a stop.Vincent and Gabriel leapt out and drew their weapons.
[Michael Recovered]
Bloodied but conscious, Michael was dragged out of the wreck.
Michael: "Did I ask for a rescue?"Vincent: "We decided you were worth saving."Michael: "…Then let's talk about what you want."
Police sirens howled in the distance.
Feynman: "Guys, we've got incoming. Time to disappear."Nick: "One problem—we're officially fugitives now."Volkov: "That's when the real fun starts."
***
Those Who Leave, Traces That Remain"
Location: Taipei, Taiwan – Unofficial SafehouseTime: 3:25 AM
Tension hung heavy in the room.On the TV, CNN continued reporting updates related to the nuclear warhead transaction.• "Taiwan's Defense Ministry denies nuclear weapons development."• "High-ranking U.S. military official confirmed to have visited Taiwan in secret."• "Chinese government in emergency discussions over response…"
Vincent quietly set down his coffee cup."We're done here. There's nothing left for us in Taiwan."
Nick Carson leaned back with his arms crossed."So that's it? We just vanish, leave behind the wreckage and move on?"
Emily tapped away at her keyboard, eyes fixed on the screen."There's something strange in the data we recovered. Remember that ship we raided?We assumed it was a decoy, but that's only half the truth."
Gabriel looked up."You're saying that ship was actually connected to the warhead?"
Emily zoomed in on a satellite feed."It wasn't transporting the nuke—it was a transfer point.By the time we hit it, the warhead had already been moved onto a different vessel.That ship was just a shell, used to cover the handoff."
Volkov gave a dry laugh."So our mission wasn't a total misfire after all."
Feynman stared at the monitor."Good news? We know the warhead's no longer in Taiwan.Bad news? We have no idea where it is now."
Vincent exhaled slowly."Then we have two objectives:One, track the warhead's location.Two, secure the person who can authorize its use."
1. Christopher Lee – The Man Who Moves Wars
Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan – Informant ContactTime: 5:10 AM
Angie was on the phone in a parked car."Nathan, if anyone knows where Christopher Lee is, it's you."
Nathan's voice crackled through the radio."…I can't help you, Angie."
"Not in the mood for jokes. We need to find him."
"…He's in a position far more dangerous than you think.If you make contact, you become a target too."
Angie sighed."We're already targets. Or are you protecting him?"
A long silence."…No. He's the only one who can protect himself now."
Location: Taichung, Taiwan – Christopher Lee's HideoutTime: 2:30 PM
The old office building was quiet.Vincent, Gabriel, and Angie stepped through the hallway.
At the end of the corridor, a voice called out from behind a door:"Stop. Open it, and I shoot."
Vincent raised his hands slowly."We're not who you think. We came to talk, Colonel Lee."
The door creaked open.A man stood inside—unshaven, not in uniform, but every bit a soldier.
Christopher Lee.
"Why should I talk to you?"
Angie stepped forward."We're here to protect you."
Lee scoffed."Protect me? You freelancers?"
Gabriel spoke calmly."We're tracking a warhead. We know you have intel."
Lee's expression hardened."Say no more. I don't know anything."
Vincent approached."You don't want to speak. That's different from not knowing."
Suddenly—A red dot danced across the window.
"Down!" Vincent shouted.
Bang!
The glass shattered.Christopher Lee dropped low. Gabriel drew his pistol and fired back.IRON had already found him.
2. The Reason We Leave – The Warhead Is at Sea
Location: Taipei – SafehouseTime: 6:45 PM
The team was packing up.
"We're leaving," someone muttered.
Nick Carson shoved gear into a duffel."Police, military, intel agencies… IRON—everyone's on us.We stay, we get boxed in."
Emily pointed at her screen."We've picked up something. Satellite data suggests the ship carrying the warhead has left Taiwan."
Feynman stared at the feed."A frequency disappeared south of Taiwan. That means the warhead's been moved."
Gabriel crossed his arms."Where's it heading?"
Emily zoomed the map out."The signal's now tracking toward the South China Sea."
Nick let out a low whistle."Fantastic. Now we're chasing nukes… at sea."
Vincent nodded."We're not just leaving.We're entering the next phase."
Angie gave a sly smile."Then I guess our next destination… is the ocean."